Woman and the Masjid between Two Extremes
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
The Masjid, better known in North America as the Islamic center, is the center
of spiritual, social, educational, and, most recently, political activities of
the American Muslim community. The Masjid is also the place where Muslims of
diverse cultural and ideological backgrounds meet and interact. The diversity of
interpretations of Islamic sources and practices has created tensions,
particularly in Islamic centers where the tendency is to impose strict
interpretations about the appropriate place and role of Muslim women in the
Masjid and the community.
An increasing number of young Muslim women complain of restrictive arrangements
and practices, impeding their ability to fully participate in educational and
social programs. Many Masjids today restrict the main prayer hall to men, and
assign women to secluded quarters. Women are asking out laud: is this the place
Islam assigns for us, or is it the imposition of cultural traditions? Some have
even gone to the other extreme of rejecting all traditions and discarding all
For Believing Men and Women
The Masjid is a place for spiritual growth and development for all Muslims, and
should be equally accessible for both genders. The Qur’an has set the spiritual
and moral equality of men and women in explicit and unequivocal terms:
prepared forgiveness and great rewards for the Muslim men and women; for the
believing men and women; for the devout men and women; for the truthful men and
women; for the men and women who are patient and constant; the men and women who
humble themselves; for the men and women who give charity; for the men and women
who fast, for the men and women who guard their chastity; and the men and women
who are exceedingly mindful of Allah. (Al-Ahzab 33:35)
Both men and women, the Qur’an stresses, have a moral obligation to develop
themselves spiritually and morally, and to fulfill their social
responsibilities. The masjid is, and has always been, the center of moral and
spiritual learning and growth.
Likewise, the Masjid is a public place for discussing issues of public concern
and to respond to challenges facing the community. The Qur’an is also clear on
the equal responsibility of both men and women for developing the public good:
believing men and women are protectors and helpers of each other. They
(collaborate) to promote all that is good and oppose all that is evil; establish
prayers and give charity, and obey Allah and his Messenger. Those are the people
whom Allah would grant mercy. Indeed Allah is Exalted and Wise. (Al-Tawbah 9:71)
Promoting public good and opposing evil are public duties equally required from
men and women, and the Masjid is the place where Muslim men and women can meet
to plan community development and devise strategies for promoting public good.
The Prophet Affirms Equal Access
During the formative years of Islam women participated in public services, and
shared the Masjid of the Prophet’s main hall. Sharing the main prayer hall
allowed women to fully engage in public debate and influence decisions affecting
their lives and the life of the community. When the second Caliph Umar bin
al-Khattab wanted to put a cap on dowry, he was challenged by a woman, who stood
up in the middle of the Masjid and pointed out that his proposed policy violated
Islamic law. He conceded and the proposed policy was never carried out.
Although the Qur’an is clear on the spiritual and moral equality of men and
women, the Prophet, recognizing the tendency of some men to be overprotective of
their female relatives, cautioned the Muslim community against preventing women
from frequenting the Masjid:
narrated: The Messenger of Allah, peace be with him, said: Do not deprive women
of their share of the Masjids, when they seek permission from you. Bilal said:
By Allah, we would certainly prevent them. 'Abdullah said: I say that the
Messenger of Allah, peace be with him, said it and you say: We would certainly
prevent them! (Sahih Muslim Book 4, Number 891)
Ibn Umar also narrated: The Prophet, peace be with him, said, "Allow women to go
to the Mosques at night." (Bukhari Volume 2, Book 13, Number 22)
Sidestepping Established Principles
The argument against women sharing the main prayer hall is based on the
principle of “corruption prevention” (dar’ al-mafasid). The principle states
that “whatever leads to unlawful practices (haram) is in itself unlawful.” The
principle, though not widely accepted by Muslim jurists, has been extensively
used to limit actions that are otherwise lawful under Shari’ah. It was invoked
by some jurists to reject the use of radio, TV, press, and other inventions
because these were used to promote corrupt practices. Indeed, by invoking the
principle of “corruption prevention” many good practices and devices could be
declared unlawful, including the use of the internet and popular governance, as
both are open to abuse.
Employing the “corruption prevention” argument, a number of Masjids have decided
to assign secluded quarters for women, and have placed many restrictions on
women’s use of the Masjid's facilities. In recent visits to three Islamic
centers, several Muslim women complained bitterly to me about their experiences
with community leaders. They complained of their inability to participate in
general lectures and discussions, of the quality of the quarters assigned to
them, and of their reliance on audio and video systems that frequently cut them
off from the ongoing lectures or discussions.
Assigning women to separate quarters during lectures and discussions does not
“prevent corruption” but rather “prevent education and spiritual growth.” I have
heard many accounts of women completely immersed in conversations about shopping
and cooking recipes during public lectures. The seclusion gives some women the
feeling of distance and separation, and some women conclude that the events that
take place in the main hall do not concern them. In such instances, the women’s
quarters become less friendly to women who want to concentrate on learning and
Not all Masjids embrace a mandatory seclusion policy. Many leading Masjids, such
Dulles Area Musim Society (ADAMS), ensure that women share the main hall,
participate fully in learning and consultation, and take active role in running
the Masjid. Women serve on the executive board of ADAMS and on its board of
trustees. 5 of the 13 Board of Trustees members are women, and ADAMS vice
president is a women. While ADAMS gives full access to women to use its main
prayer hall, it still permits women who want privacy to stay in a separate
quarter, thereby ensuring the Muslim women with different needs and convictions
have place in the Masjid.
Preventing women from exercising established rights or undertake duties cannot
be justified under argument of “corruption prevention.” This argument was used
at the formative stage of Islamic society, but was rejected by early Muslims.
Abdullah bin Umar rejected this same argument of prevention:
Ibn 'Umar reported: Grant permission to women for going to the mosque in the
night. His son who was called Waqid said: Then they would make mischief. He (the
narrator) said: He thumped his (son's) chest and said: I am narrating to you the
hadith of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), and you say: No!
(Sahih Muslim Book 4, Number 890)
Problems with Women’s Seclusion
Assigning women a separate and secluded space does not only go against Qur’anic
injunctions and the practices and directives of the Prophet, peace be with him,
but is detrimental to the spiritual and moral growth of women and the
development of the community.
Preventing women from gaining direct access to the main hall of the Masjid,
where lectures and study circles take place, deprives them from taking active
role in learning. In addition to the psychological and emotional feeling of not
taking active part in the meetings, the ability to interact with the speakers,
to ask questions and offer comments, is impeded.
Secluding women deprive the emerging Muslim community from a growing number of
young Muslim women who do expect, and rightly so, that the Masjid does not take
away their right to take active part in serving the community. When legitimate
expectations are not met, and when the customs and cultural traditions are given
priority, they often force women to stay away from the Masjid, and hence from
Islamic learning and activities.
Elevating the cultural traditions and customs of immigrants works against the
very mission of the Masjid, as it becomes an impediment for educating people of
other faiths about Islam. Historically, Islam found home in different
communities throughout the world because of its ability to accommodate local
customs and cultures, as long as they are not in conflict with Islamic
teachings. Immigrant communities would be betraying their mission and trust if
they insist on imposing their customs and cultural traditions.
Women and Masjid’s Governance
Women’s leadership in the community is another contentious issue. Women have
assumed, in some Islamic centers, key leadership positions, by serving on the
executive boards, and leading key committees, while they are kept at arm’s bay
in others. Although Islam recognized the capacity of women to enjoy equal moral
responsibility, as we saw earlier, many Muslim community managed, nonetheless,
to curtail women’s participation in public duties on social and rational
grounds. The degree of limitations placed on women’s ability to serve in public
capacity varies across historical periods and fiqh schools.
Early jurists disagreed as to whether women can assume public office; while Ibn
Jarir al-Tabari placed no limitations on women’s right to assume the post of
judge in all legal matters, al-Mawardi contended that women cannot be allowed to
serve as judges under any circumstances. In between stands Abu Hanifa who
allowed women to serve as judges except in cases involving commercial deals.
To their credit, early Muslim jurists recognized women’s rights to serve in
public capacity at times when many women have limited involvement in public
life, and limited exposure to public service. Contemporary Muslim jurists should
ensure that the original Qur’anic position of equal spiritual and moral rights
and obligations is respected and advanced in today’s society. This is more
pressing today as the question of women capacity to exercise leadership and
serve the community is put to rest through impressive track record of Muslim
women achieving in the academia, professional work, and community service.
Our Masjids must reflect the leading role played by American Muslim women by
ensuring that they are represented on the Masjid board and join the rank of
leadership. The importance of women taking active part on the executive board
and in executive committees is further underscored by the need to represent
concerns that can not be expressed except by women, who feel the impact of
decisions made by the Masjid on the quality of life and participation of other
Swinging to the Other Extreme
Several feminist Muslims, supported by a network of progressive activists, have
been pushing the pendulum to the other extreme. Their solution for limiting
women to secluded quarters, and their marginalization in ultra conservative
Masjids, is to open the Masjid to a mixed congregation led by women. The
Progressive Muslim Union has already announced a mixed congregation to be led by
Amina Wadud this month in New York. It is unfortunate that Muslim feminists are
following in the footsteps of their secularist precursors, breaking all
traditions, and engaging in experimentations that break out with formative
principles and values. For individuals and movements interested in reforming
attitudes and practices to take the opposite extreme can only hurt the reform
agenda already underway throughout North America.
The recent push to break out with community and tradition goes far beyond any
reform agenda. Reform requires that one articulates the foundational principles
and then engages the larger Muslim community in dialogue to create a new
awareness and to translate the articulated principles into a living tradition.
Reform aimed at critically engage Muslim traditions must stick closely to the
Qur’an and prophetic practices, to clarify Islamic injunctions and established
prophetic traditions. The Progressive Muslim Union’s leaders have apparently
decided to push the envelop beyond all limits and operate in revolutionary
rather than a reformist mode.
It is quite apparent that Muslim reformers, concerned with evolving the
practices of the American Muslim community, and ensuring the full and meaningful
inclusion of women in community life, must navigate their way by maintaining a
middle ground, away from extremist tendencies: away from extreme conservative
tendencies obsessed with preserving cultural traditions even at the expense of
distorting Islamic teachings, and from extreme liberal outbursts that want to
break fully with all traditions and delve into an empty space with no directions
and road signs.
Islam and Culture,
Islam and Women,
Louay Safi at
Yet another excellent commentary. Your voice of moderation, openness and
understanding that brings two opposite sides together is in the true spirit of
Mohamed Fakhreddine, at
March 15, 2005 10:04 PM
Al-salam alaykum. Dr. Wadud and the Progressive Muslim Union argue that it is
not they, but those who deny Muslim women full equality of access to leadership,
who are the ones who have broken away from Quranic principles and prophetic
practices. Instead of dismissing the position of PMU out of hand, it would be
better to give a reasoned argument addressing the points they raise. See, e.g.,
"What Would the Prophet Do? The Islamic Basis for Female-Led Prayer" (http://www.muslimwakeup.com/main/archives/2005/03/women_imamat.php).
In particular, I have never seen any opponent of full equality for women who
would squarely address the claim that the Prophet commanded Umm Waraqah to lead
the congregational prayers for the men and women of her area. Instead, the
example of Umm Waraqah is usually brushed aside and the claim is advanced that
the Prophet never appointed any women to such leadership. But even discounting
the example of Umm Waraqah, I have not seen anyone who could point to a reliable
report that the Prophet actively denied any leadership position to someone who
was otherwise fully qualified for the post, solely because that
person was a woman.
By Faruq Nelson, at
March 18, 2005 8:53 PM
I agree that Muslim men and women are ethically and spiritually equal in Islamic
law. Both are responsible for their actions before Allah in the hereafter. The
question is does Islam acknowledge physical equality between Muslim men and
women? There have been arrangements during the congregational prayers that men
are in the front, followed by male children and then followed by woman and
female children. Who made such arrangements and what are their bases??
By Anonymous, at
March 18, 2005 11:57 PM
The author's view is of great significance but falls short of taking into
account more progressive voice of Muslim intellectuals (Ulema) of
Shia-tradition. For instance, one can mention the ideas of Ayatullah Sanei which
could prove profoundly instrumental in the American context. The questions of
religion could not be divorced from issues of intelligence, i.e. we need
intelligent minds who can distinguish between the universality of Sunna and
locality of people who formulate this universal Sunna in each epoch.
Dr. S. Javad M. Meynagh
University of Harbin
Department of Human Sciences
March 19, 2005 4:58 AM
Your article on the above subject was quite interesting and informative. As
everybody was waiting, the mixed congregation of brothers and sisters was led by
a sister the other day in New York! As in the opinion of most Muslims around the
world is a violation of the Islamic Principle. We fear this practice-Bidah
(Innovation) spreads and gives good ground for the West and the people within
Islam who always look for some excuse and distort the Interpretation of Holy
We hope and pray, May Allah (swt) give wisdom to all Believers to follow the
True Religion of Islam within its bounds.
Roshanali Lakhani, at
April 26, 2005 9:03 AM
According Sahih Bukhari Hadeeths I have read and understood, women use to pray
in Masjid at the back.
Muhammad (sws) use to wait after (Fajr and Isha) prayers and asked Sahabas to
wait also and to leave after women.
Men were told not to stop women if they wanted to pray in Masjid even Fajr and
A woman, who stood up in the middle of the Masjid and pointed out second Caliph
Umar bin al-Khattab (ra)'s proposed policy to put a cap on dowry, violated
It is not clear at least to me, was women in the women's section? or were women
allowed to inter-mingle with men?
Umm Waraqah who was knowledgeable in Quran, only lead her house hold staff and
not Friday Mixed Gender Congressional Prayers.
In "Swinging to the Other Extreme" you did not mention Women leading Friday
Congressional Prayers is not revolutionary it is invention in Islam which is
Bidah (Innovation) and Fitnah.
So called Progressive Muslims Reformists are reading from the same Zionist
Agenda page or being paid by them.
We should not try to please them or be apologetic and be on the defensive. We
should follow Quran and Sunnah only try to please Allah (swt). We are only
answerable to Allah on the Day of Judgement.
May Allah and all of you forgive me if I said anything wrong. All good is from
Allah everything bad is from me.
By Anonymous, at
May 08, 2005 1:58 AM
This is an excellent piece of writing typifying of what Muslims need most:
enlightened scholarship that inspires itself from the Quran, the Hadiths and
commonsense. It is complete nonsense to compete women out of the mosque and
allow the traditions to have a force bigger than the Quran, which is the
I am very proud to have read this piece and may Allah keep this type of
substance flowing through your website.
By Alassane Diakite, at
January 12, 2006 5:35 PM
I am fascinated about the article I have just read its a step in the development
of the spiritual growth of the muslim woman. our female counterparts are far
behind in terms of their active participation in the growth of islam .They feel
isolated in many instances it saddens my heart
By Mustapha Braimah, at
January 12, 2006 5:36 PM
I agree with the article, that the Islamic Centers MUST become more woman
friendly. Having traveled extensively to many Masajid, I can honestly say that
those Islamic Centers/Masajid that were the strongest were those with the
strongest women's programs. The woman is the central figure in the community,
and as she goes, the community goes.
The sad part of this, as is stated, is that the extreme feminists have shifted
the debate to a point that if one calls for a woman friendly Masjid, then people
think that you are calling for a woman to be imam or something.
We hope that the reform (or better called revival of the Sunnah) agenda
By Anonymous, at
March 02, 2006 6:44 PM