Meet the World’s first female Arab Astronaut

• Saudi Arabia’s first female Astronaut recently reached the International Space Station. Does this necessarily mean that the Arab world, is also reaching new heights?

• Rayannah Barnawi and her fellow Saudi pilot Ali Al-Qarni are on a 10-day mission in space. They arrived in a SpaceX rocket and their flight was sponsored by the Saudi Arabian government.

On May 21st, history was made, with Rayannah Barnawi, a Biomedical Researcher, landing on space, as the first female representative of the Arab world. Barnawi and her team departed from Florida, USA, and traveled in a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, on a journey that’s said to have lasted less than 16 hours.

 Rayyanah Barnawi is a cancer stem-cell research specialist and has multiple degrees in the field of Biomedical Sciences. She’s heavily contributed to the Saudi Arabian Research Center and King Faisal Specialist Hospital. Barnawi is now a part of Space X’s all-private astronaut team, who are on a mission they call Axion Mission 2. They are due to stay in space for 10 days conducting research and taking snapshots of Earth.

 With the Saudi Arabian government sponsoring the cause, they’re being cheered on by both mainstream and social media for giving women more rights, they say. Many are mentioning their government’s recent reform programs which included, giving women the right to drive in the Kingdom. The world is echoing in encouragement for how far the Saudi Arabian government has come in such a short amount of time and is eager for more reforms.

 What follows is a translation of Barnawi’s first words to her supporters, after landing in space; “Kind greetings from outer space. Thank God, we are living a dream we didn’t think could become a reality. Thank God, with the support of the government, with the support of our leaders, the support of our families, and the support of everyone. This journey does not represent just my ambitions, but those of the whole Arab world and all Saudis.”.

 This is where I stop and ask myself if it truly does represent the whole Arab world and all Saudis. Whichever way I look at it, the answer to that question seems to be, no. Granted, it may represent a portion of the Arab world and some Saudis. But, I’d argue that it definitely does not represent the whole of the Arab world and all Saudi nationals, as mentioned by Barnawi.

 Needless to say, in Islam, as long as there is no haram involved, women have every right to work and are not prohibited from pursuing a career or a business. Moreover, Barnawi has had a reputable career and plans to carry out extensive breast cancer research which many would argue is noble. Having said that, Islam promotes balance and it would be worth mentioning the hadith in Sunan Abi Dawud 1369; “Your family has rights over you and your guest has rights over you. Verily, your own self has rights over you.”.

 As we know in Islam, Allah has obliged the man to pursue an income and provide for his family. Whereas for the woman, it would be a choice and whilst many in this day can tend to choose the more demanding careers, we’d have to wonder how such decisions can impact our societies. After all, being a good wife and a good mother is a form of worship to Allah and the foundation of all humanity.

 Even with our mandatory prayers, it was not mandated for women to go to the mosques. Allah understands the responsibility that comes with being a wife and a mother and has made it easy for us to be able to balance. Now imagine, being a wife, a mum, and an astronaut. How well does this specific career lend to having a family life? I’d suggest, not too well.

 I understand that as Muslims living in these new technological times, we can sometimes lose track a little and that’s okay. As long as we don’t lose sight of our hereafter and exchange it for this temporary abode. For example, Islam prohibits a woman to travel without a mahram. Abu Huraira r.a. reported the Prophet peace be upon him said: “It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the last day to make a journey of one day and night unless she is accompanied by a mahram.” [Bukhari and Muslim].

 Barnawi is also with a team of 11 others, mainly made up of male astronauts who will be sharing confined spaces for almost 2 weeks. This is just not in line with the values of most people in the Arab and Muslim world. Not to mention, the general rule in Islam is that anything that is haram in and of itself can become halal if there’s a necessity for it. And anything that’s haram because it prevents evil, can become halal if there’s a need.

 In the case of having Muslim female astronauts, traveling without their mahram and with non-mahram male colleagues, at the potential cost of their family life, I’m not so confident there would be either a necessity or a need for haram to become halal. Just as I’m not confident, that sponsoring this cause was a necessary move for the Saudi Arabian government or that “THE WHOLE ARAB WORLD AND ALL SAUDI’S” is represented by Barnawi’s ambitions.