Women and Masjids........

 Recent discussion with my friends from women's study circle made me to consize the beautiful  article  by zarafaris and I have also added some of my opinions  ....... Please read the complete .

Muslims are called to the masjid ,five times a day . Many masjids around the Muslim world today , including the largest masjid, have continually granted access to Muslims of either gender, and have ample space for both men and women . The vast majority of masjids in different countries  reported to have access for women also but many masajids in various countries including different regions in India ,for various reasons, don't provide access to women. Women's attendance at the masjid was the historical norm . There are many prophetic narrations ( authentic )as well as Muslim public life in early madinah , which explain women's access to the masajids in detail.

Prophet ( pbuh ) : don't forbid the female servants from visiting the mosques  of Allah ( Muslim) and it is preferable for women to go to the masjids for the evening and early morning prayers.

If one of your women asks permission to go to the masjids from you then don't prevent them ( bukhari vol 1)  . Even prophet instructed both men and women to come for jumuah and Eid prayers ( again non obligatory attendance for women is a mercy ) .

Is it better to pray in the houses ?

The answer is yes, the prophet ( pbuh )  stated that the best place for women to pray Salah is in the innermost part of her home. ( Musnad Ahmed ). Further , when it comes to ritual worship , women have many concessions that a man doesn't have, including many other circumstances until her health permits. This is out of compassion and consideration for women's physiological changes and needs. Women are often responsible for children , just think of undue difficulty or burden on society if every single mother were compelled to go to the masjid every day or week . This exemption for women is a mercy . So it's better for women to offer Salah usally at their dwellings , but better doesn't mean there is no merit for women praying  in a masjid. Moreover, prophet also said to his companions  to offer Salah (supererogatory ) nafl in their houses and not to make them grave .( Bukhari ,sunan nasai and Muslim).

Causeof fitnah (sometimes) :  After the passing of prophet( pbuh ) , many accounts suggested that the nature of interaction between some men and some women at the masajids bacame a cause of suspicion , corruption ,or fitnah.  Aisha ra commented that if the messenger of Allah had lived to see what people have invented , he would have forbidden them from visiting masjids . According to famous classical scholar ibn hazl Al Andalusi , even if the prophet ( pbuh )  did not see what occured after his life , Allah certainly know  the past, present and future , and he didn't reveal to the prophet  ( pbuh )  that he should forbid women from going to the masjid . Furthermore , arguing that's women should not go to the masjid due to the issue of potential fitnah or corruption is baseless because  we can prevent anyone from doing futility  upto one limit but ultimately Allah is the one who gives hidayah . For clarity , the scenario is different for one in which a person wishes to commit a forbidden public action( Haram ) that affect others .  

But Masjids are not solely for prayers : 

The masjid is a centre of Muslim community's public life as well as worship . Now so coloured are the views of Muslims , that we have come to busy ourselves with measuring the masjid only in light of access of prayer. In viewing the masjid as being no more than a giant prayer mat ,we have denied ourselves the opportunity to use the masjid as our prophet practiced - as a centre for public life of Muslim - both men and women . We have transformed the masjids from community centre to merely a single purpose building - a place of prayer . During prophetic time , it served as the town hall and public square combined with summoning Muslims to the masjid , receive important sermons , to reach and consult people , to facilitate different activities playing games with companions to legal affairs and many more .We have to maximise use of the masjids. We should strive to set up classes, seminars, or discussion groups in our masājid on topical issues. Why not have circles discussing quantum mechanics, history ,economics, topics related to school students etc? If we held interesting and educational circles at the masjid, it would be natural to expect more Muslims to attend. Likewise, if more Muslims (men and women) attended, it would also be natural to expect more classes and other services to be provided, and can expand dawah programmes too. 

So now  how to design a solution for women  ??

1) Architectural adaptations of the masājid to facilitate Muslim women’s attendance and prevent controversy

Historical records show that many were concerned with the misconduct, vanity, and distraction between men and women just after the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ), just like we are concerned today. Instead of simply resigning themselves to social corruptions, however, Muslims ingeniously and creatively invented and developed new architecture for the masājid to help shut out avenues for wrongdoing, by creating separate spaces for women in the masājid, and therefore allowing men and women to continue to attend the masājid while minimising the potential for misconduct or distraction in these sacred spaces. In order to deal with the issue of fitnah that arose after the Prophet’s (ﷺ) time – and because continuing the attendance of women to the masjid was deemed important – architects redesigned and renovated the masājid for the express purpose of continuing to allow women to access the masjid.

However, the question is not just about access to the masjid. Whilst we may not be able to replicate the architectural centrality of the masājid in our towns and cities where Muslims are a minority, Muslims nevertheless need to consider how we can structure our communities so that the masjid is returned to the important and holistic function that it had during the time of the Prophet (ﷺ) and for centuries after. 

2) The Muslim Women’s Network need to be modified . 

 Being a part of  different and dynamic groups , I have learned lot many things ,  noticed and jotted them . One mini - public  group focuses on only Islamic teachings , another group only about worldly things , we need to combine both of them where we can relate our lives with Islam , where we can actually explore ourselves . We need to develop such groups where instead of just focusing on one area we can explore our talents , where we can actually focus on Muslim women's empowerment , from their family issues , health to  entrepreneurship and business . I loved this concept of  terraces and courtyard gatherings from medieval europian times. Where  the rooftops functioned as an alternative public realm that extended over the entire city and the city divided horizontally into two realms: on the top, occupying the expanse of the entire city, were the women; at the bottom, the streets belonged to the men. 

Now, giving women the option to pray in the masjid gives them greater options like daily and weekly worship as well as counselling and mentoring , for public holidays and Eid  festivities , like designing their social and public life . Or  we need to create various circles at different scales where our ladies can connect and we can furnish ourselves in all aspects . When you connect one girl means you connect whole sociey linked to her and ultimately you can shape the whole .One more doubt I want to clear here is that, so called  feminists often campaign for women’s access to the mosques in the name of “equality” armed with a sympathetic environment ,this is completely a different scenario . Here I'm just trying to convey that masjids can be a very good option to congregate women and girls from all over the city keeping in mind to respect all the opinions and with aim to thoroughly shape our society . 🌺