Women’s Rights to Attend Mosques: Breaking Misconceptions
Category :
Islam
Caption: Women in Mosque Discussion
Caption: Women Rights in Mosque Speech
Caption: Eid Prayer Participation
Wrong mindset about women in mosques
Eid and the Eid congregation are intricately linked with each other. The main joy of Muslims on Eid day revolves around the Eid congregation. Thousands of Muslims come to the Eidgah to join the Eid congregation, dressed in new Panjabis, wearing caps, and perfumed. Small children also join the congregation with great joy, holding their father's hand. After the congregation, Muslims embrace each other, which significantly enhances the joy of Eid with the spread of affection, brotherhood, sympathy, compassion, and mutual cooperation. This is the real picture of Eid in our society.
While there is extensive preparation among men for the Eid congregation, women's Eid joy remains confined to household chores. The view that men will participate in the Eid congregation and women will cook at home is considered the traditional image of Eid in Islam. However, in recent years, some different images have been seen on social media and TV news. That is, alongside men and children, some women are also breaking the societal norms and joining the Eid congregation. This Eid, too, many women were seen participating in the Eid congregation at the National Eidgah ground. Many of them expressed to the media that they were very happy and excited. They want to come again in the future.
In our country, women often face many obstacles in going to the mosque. Seeing this different picture on Eid day suggests that the path for women to enter mosques is slowly starting to open up. Although late, the mindset of our Muslim community is unravelling, freeing itself from narrow thoughts. Women are emerging from the narrow-mindedness of being excluded from collective religious spaces like Eidgah and mosques and being confined to domestic life.
Exclusion
Nowadays, in many mosques, women are seen participating in the five daily prayers in separate sections. However, it must be said that even in the few places where arrangements have been made for women's prayers, they are not provided with adequate facilities. Rather, they are treated like second-class citizens. For example, the entrance for women in mosques is often through a winding path, and women do not have the opportunity to meet or talk with their male companions. They sit in separate, cramped rooms, and even when they come out, they cannot go to the main part of the mosque. There are also insufficient sound facilities in these areas. Despite such numerous inconveniences, the attitude seems to be that this place is not yours, be content that you are allowed to enter, out of kindness. This small right has not been handed to women; rather, the participation of some women in mosques today is the result of much protest. No one has simply written 'Women Welcome' on the doors of mosques. Instead, it has been written 'Entry of Women Prohibited.' However, this prohibition did not exist fourteen hundred years ago in the Messenger (S.A.W)'s Mosque (Masjid an-Nabawi) and other mosques, or in social and state affairs.
Islamic Equality in Worship and Social Duties
Allah has appointed humans as His representatives on Earth. Both men and women are Allah's deputies. Their responsibility is to establish the life system given by Allah to make the world peaceful. In the Holy Qur'an, Allah has outlined the duties of humans. Aside from a few personal matters, Allah has commanded believers in all national and collective matters without distinguishing between men and women. For example, "O believers! Establish Salah, give Zakat" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:43), "Observe fasting" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183), and "Perform Hajj" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:196). Allah has commanded believers to establish Salah (prayer) in mosques, with several verses in the Qur'an addressing this. Allah says, "The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish prayer and give zakat and do not fear except Allah. It is expected that they will be of the [rightly] guided" (Surah At-Tawbah 9:18). In this verse, Allah grants the right to the mosque to those who are believers, establish Salah, give Zakat, and fear no one but Allah. There is no separate mention of men or women.
Masjid an-Nabawi as a Center of Social Leadership
Therefore, in establishing Allah's commands in society, the last Messenger (S.A.W) Muhammad initiated a worldwide struggle with a group of believing men and women, with the focal point being the Messenger (S.A.W)'s Mosque (Masjid an-Nabawi). The management of all aspects of the newly formed civilization was conducted from this mosque. Population management, food, clothing, shelter, education, economy, military, diplomacy, intelligence on enemy activities, war management, medical treatment for the injured, and thousands of programs and plans were implemented from this mosque. The mosque was always bustling with the footsteps of male and female companions. In contrast, the situation in our society is completely opposite. Here, apart from the five daily prayers, mosques are not used for any other social activities. Most mosques remain locked outside prayer times. Far from planning any state or human welfare activities, even mundane conversations are prohibited in mosques. Whereas in the Messenger (S.A.W)'s Mosque (Masjid an-Nabawi), people received lessons in humanity, justice, and truth from the sermons of the Messenger (S.A.W), in today's society, some mosques spread extremism from the pulpit through critical and vengeful speeches.
Historical Access to Mosques for Women
In a new state constantly threatened by enemy conspiracies, even in that dangerous environment, the Messenger of Allah did not relax the rules for women going to the mosque. So, on what grounds were women later boycotted from mosques to such an extent that most women in our present society do not even know that Allah has also commanded them to go to the mosque? Today, in many mosques, it is written that to preserve the sanctity of the mosque, women should not even walk on the adjacent streets. However, Allah clearly prohibits anyone from preventing others from coming to the mosque. Allah says, "And who are more unjust than those who prevent the name of Allah from being mentioned in His mosques and strive toward their destruction. It is not for them to enter them except in fear. For them in this world is disgrace, and they will have in the Hereafter a great punishment" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:114).
Contradictions in Modern Muslim Attitudes
In this modern civilized era, when women are exploring the skies and space, some self-proclaimed scholars among the Muslim community are objecting to allowing women to go to the mosque. While women in the West are playing significant roles in global governance today, some Muslim girls are just happy to occasionally participate in Eid prayers. Yet, 1400 years ago, the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) brought women out of their homes into active life in a society characterized by ignorance (Jahiliyyah). During that time, women used to perform the five daily prayers in congregation with the Messenger (S.A.W). The Messenger (S.A.W)'s wife, Umm Salama (RA), narrates, "In the time of the Messenger of Allah), the women would get up when they finished their obligatory prayer, and the Messenger of Allah and the men who prayed with him would remain for as long as Allah willed" (Bukhari, Book of Prayer 195/2 and Muslim, Book of Mosques 118/2). They participated in Jumu'ah prayers and Eid congregations. Even if a woman was menstruating and could not pray, she would still come to the mosque to listen to the khutbah (sermon). When a woman said she did not have enough clothing, the Messenger of Allah did not excuse her from coming to the mosque but told her to borrow a shawl from someone and come (narrated by Umm 'Atiyyah RA in Bukhari and Muslim).
Women's Active Roles in Mosque Life
Thus, men and women moving freely in all mosque activities was as normal as in other areas of society. Women participated in charitable activities cantered around the mosque, making necessary items for the mosque, hosting guests invited to the mosque, caring for the sick, and keeping the mosque clean. Women’s contributions were significant. During the time of the Messenger (S.A.W), a woman used to clean the Messenger (S.A.W)'s Mosque. Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that when this woman died, the Messenger (S.A.W) missed her funeral prayer, so he later went to her grave and performed the funeral prayer there. Additionally, women used to sit with the male companions in front of the Messenger (S.A.W) to receive education. They would ask questions as needed to understand the matters clearly. If they had difficulty understanding something, they would ask the male companions next to them. There are numerous examples of this in the books of Seerah (biographies of the Messenger (S.A.W). Women also performed I'tikaf (spiritual retreat) in the mosque. Even the Messenger (S.A.W)’s wives performed I'tikaf in the mosque (Hadith narrated by Aisha (RA) in Bukhari, Chapter on Women’s I'tikaf). Female companions served and cared for wounded soldiers in the tents within the Messenger (S.A.W)'s Mosque. Because of this, the chief of the medical division of the Messenger (S.A.W)’s army, Rufaydah (RA), had her tent inside the boundaries of the Messenger (S.A.W)'s Mosque.
Misconceptions in Today’s Mosques
Through various mosque-based activities, the Messenger (S.A.W) empowered women to such an extent that they later demonstrated their capabilities in all fields of society. However, in today’s mosques in some of which, women are allowed to go, even general conversations between men and women inside the mosque are considered highly sensitive. During the Messenger (S.A.W)’s time, despite some incidents in the mosque, the practice of men and women conversing was neither changed nor was the structure of the mosque altered due to such incidents. Only the individual man or woman responsible for any transgression was held accountable.
Blame and Accountability for Misconduct
Once, some men would stand at the front or back rows to catch a glimpse of a beautiful woman. Allah then revealed the verse, “Indeed, We know those of you who hasten forward, and We know those who lag behind” (Surah Al-Hijr 15:24). Notably, when some men behaved inappropriately in the mosque, they were admonished and held responsible. The woman was not blamed. However, in similar cases today, women are often banned from the mosque entirely. Fatwas are issued stating, “It is better for women to pray at home.” On what basis are such fatwas given? Did the Messenger (S.A.W) ever say such a thing? Yes, the Messenger (S.A.W) once told a specific woman, “It is better for you to pray at home than in congregation.”
Context of the 'Pray at Home' Hadith
The entire context of the hadith is often omitted, and the isolated statement is misapplied to all women. The background of the hadith is that it was directed at a particular female companion, Umm Humayd (RA) of the Khazraj tribe in Medina. Umm Humayd lived far away from the Messenger (S.A.W)’s Mosque in a remote area of Medina. Despite having a mosque in her own area, Umm Humayd (RA) used to walk a long distance to pray the five daily prayers behind the Messenger (S.A.W). This caused her to spend less time with her children and household, leading to marital conflict with her husband. When her husband brought this issue to the Messenger (S.A.W). The Messenger (S.A.W) considering the welfare of her children and family, advised her to accept her husband’s request. He suggested that she pray either in her local mosque or at home.
Final Reflections on Women’s Rights in Mosques
There is no other evidence that the Messenger (S.A.W) wanted to change the general rule allowing women to come to the mosque. On the contrary, in many narrations, the Messenger (S.A.W) mentioned that anyone, male or female, who prays in the Messenger (S.A.W)'s Mosque (Masjid an-Nabawi) would receive special rewards. So, we see that in the Qur'an, Allah did not differentiate between men and women in terms of rulings. Whatever commandments were given were applicable to both men and women. And the natural interpretation of the Qur'an is the life of the Messenger (S.A.W). There, we see evidence of his outward orientation towards women. After the clarity of the Qur'an and the Messenger (S.A.W)'s teachings, even if all the scholars, jurists, and commentators of the world were to gather and attempt to exclude women from the mosque and confine them to their homes, that would not be acceptable. Full participation and empowerment of women in all aspects of life, along with moderation, are essential contributions to both Muslim awakening and the true contribution to humanity.
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