Riwaq: The Journal
Al-Mujadilah Centre & Mosque for Women sits at the intersection of Islamic scholarship, women’s lived experience, community, and faith. Al-Mujadilah Editorial Library brings together stories from across the world that align with Al-Mujadilah's vision to foster a Muslim society where women are engaged, and their participation and contributions are recognized and celebrated.
Al-Mujadilah promotes dialogue and questions, stories and reflection, and thinking that changes how people understand themselves and the world around them.
We are looking for storytellers—writers, journalists, researchers, and filmmakers—to pitch their ideas or submit completed work to join this growing archive.
Your work must demonstrate clear alignment with our core themes, strategic pillars, and overarching narrative framework.
Core Themes
- Faith & the Human Self: Explorations of self, faith, doubt and uncertainty, purpose, and personal connection with Allah.
- Women & Lived Experience: Authentic perspectives on identity, agency, and navigating contemporary realities and expectations.
- Knowledge & Meaning: Understanding and applying Islamic teachings, history, and scholarship in today’s world.
- Ethics & Responsibility: Examining justice, stewardship, moral tensions, and individual or collective accountability.
- Community & Belonging: Narratives of navigating spaces of inclusion and exclusion.
Strategic Pillars
- Educate (Inspire Understanding): Making Islamic knowledge more accessible. This is not simplification—it is translation. We aim to take Qur’anic studies research, history, and prophetic legacies and make them deeply felt and meaningful to a modern reader.
- Humanize (Foster Connection): Telling the stories of lived realities of Muslim women. We look at narratives where they are seen not as symbols or arguments, but as full human beings with rich lives, struggles, moments of grace, and distinct voices. These pieces require empathy, trust, and care.
- Advocate (Champion Action): We look for pieces that supplement public discourse, ask difficult questions, challenge misconceptions, take thoughtful positions, and invite our community to follow a similar approach through op-eds, debates, and careful provocations.
Our Narrative & Stylistic Approach
- From Challenge to Possibility: We address the distinct tensions Muslim women face, both individually and collectively. Crucially, microlandscapes of what is being built are as important to us, as what is missing. Your work can sit anywhere in this landscape: naming the challenge, telling the story of the response, or doing both at once.
- Show, Don't Tell: We look for work that demonstrates rather than declares. Show us the room, the woman, the moment. Prioritize personal narratives, scenes, and specific examples over generalizations or distant, academic descriptions.
- Authentic Care: Our audience knows immediately if a piece is performing care rather than genuinely offering it. We will not publish pieces that generalize Muslim women as a monolith, treat faith as a problem to be solved, or rely on controversy rather than substance.
Under this track, contributors pitch a fresh, unpublished, and original idea. If selected, Al-Mujadilah will fund and commission the piece to live on our platform. All work produced here is designated as an ‘Al-Mujadilah Production’—created for and owned by Al-Mujadilah, with full and clear credit to the contributor.
This track exists to showcase the immense wealth of excellent work—films, essays, reported features—that deserves a wider audience. Under this track, you submit existing, completed work for consideration. If accepted, it will be hosted and amplified on our platform. Your intellectual property remains entirely your own, and Al-Mujadilah will clearly attribute all hosted work to the contributor.
Commission Track Specs
- Written Articles, Op-Eds, Essays & Photo Essays: 800 to 1,500 words.
The piece must offer a unique perspective or voice that adds to our institutional content. Formats include first-person narratives, reported features, scholarly essays, or opinion pieces.
- Short Films & Documentaries: 5 to 10 minutes OR 10 to 15 minutes.
Includes intimate portraits, observational documentaries, and narrative shorts. Filmmakers must submit creative treatment alongside their pitch.
Submission Track Specs
- Written Articles, Op-Eds, Essays & Photo Essays: 800 to 1,500 words. Previously published work can be considered, provided the original publication rights allow republication. Please confirm your rights status in the submission.
- Short Films & Documentaries: 5 to 15 minutes. Includes intimate portraits, observational documentaries, and narrative non-fiction. Work does not need to be previously unscreened.
Language & Translation
We welcome stories told in any language spoken by Muslim communities worldwide (Arabic, English, Urdu, Bahasa, Turkish, French, etc.). The only requirement is that all submitted work, written or filmed, must be accompanied by English text or English subtitles for our editorial review. Accepted written pieces may be adapted into Arabic by our in-house team for our Arabic-speaking audience, in close consultation and with clear attribution to the creator.
We invite you to submit 2–3 pitch ideas. Each pitch should be 150–300 words and clearly outline:
- Working Title: Clear and engaging (can be provisional), with a one-line summary.
- Core Question & Pillar: What is the central tension, and which strategic pillar does it serve?
- Approach: Your creative method (e.g., personal narrative, observational film) and key interviewees or subjects.
- Why It Matters Now: Timeliness, relevance, and why you are the right person to tell this story.
- Key Takeaway: What the audience should leave with (a feeling, question, or shift in perspective).
- Fit for Al-Mujadilah: Why this story uniquely belongs to our library.
- Bio & Portfolio: A short biography and links to past work.
Provide a summary of 500 words or less containing:
- Title and Description: Format, length/runtime, and an overview of what the work covers and conveys.
- Pillar: Indicate which strategic pillar this proposal aligns with
- Why It Belongs Here: A brief statement on why this work fits Al-Mujadilah library.
- The Work Itself: An online link (Google Docs or similar) for text, or a password-protected Vimeo link for films.
- Rights Confirmation: Formal confirmation that you possess all necessary rights and permissions for distribution or republication.
- Bio & Portfolio: A short biography and portfolio links.
| Content Type | Rate (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Written Essay / Op-Ed / Article / Photo Essay | $1,500 | Experienced contributors; applicable to Commission track |
| Short Film / Documentary (5–10 min) | $5,000 | Flat rate; applicable to Commission track |
| Short Film / Documentary (10–15 min) | $7,000 | Flat rate; applicable to Commission track |
Editorial Standards & IP Note: We reserve the right to edit accepted pieces for length, tone, and house voice. Major structural shifts will always be discussed with you beforehand. For commissions, IP rights vest with Al-Mujadilah, and contributors receive a non-commercial, perpetual license for portfolio use. For submissions, you retain full IP ownership, granting us a non-exclusive license to host and distribute.
Muhammad Faizan Shakir
Head of Digital Media, Al-Mujadilah
Email: mfshakir@qf.org.qa
Al-Mujadilah Center & Mosque for Women
P.O. Box 5825, Doha, State of Qatar