Women's Space in the Mosque

8/10/2019 Women's Space in the Mosque

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Space for Women in the Mosque:

Trends, Texts, and Traditions

Md. Mokhter Ahmad

Lecturer in Islamic StudiesInternational Islamic University Chittagong

Dhaka Campus

[email protected]

hone! "#$$.% &'()**)+*,(- Moile! ),(*+/0))1&

2

Muhammad 3ousu$Lecturer

Department o$ Islamic Studies

University o$ Dhaka

[email protected]

hone! "#$$.% &'',&*)+/&4 05,)- Moile! ),(*+***))(

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A.stract

The Ummah is beset with various problems of different dimensions. The West accuses the

Ummah of 'human rights violation, lack of democracy, absence of freedom (freedom of

epression, freedom of religion! and illiteracy, and as a safe breeding"ground of terrorism and

fundamentalism'. #n the top of the list of allegations is the issue of women's rights. This paper

deals with the issue of 'women's space in the mos$ue', as one of the fundamental religious rights

of women. %or this purpose, we shall eamine the issue from different perspectives& the

prevailing trends, and the ur'nic tets and the )rophetic traditions regarding it. *t first, we

shall comprehensively study various trends developed across ages, and investigate the evidences

offered by those trend"holders in support of their views. +astly, we shall try to prove that women

enoyed unfettered, unconditional and full space in the mos$ue in the formative period of -slam,

and their eclusion from or marginaliation in the mos$ue is a later innovation, which does not

have any thing to do with '-slam'.

Introduction

Though the position of women is evidently worse in all societies, they are in the worst and most

degraded position in the /uslim society, despite the fact that when the issue is raised, the traditional

shar0ah connoisseurs would present a lot of evidences to the effect that -slam has emancipated

women from the shackles of distress, depression, and degradation and put them ultimately in the

highest status. The facts that contributed to women's degradation and catapulted them to the rearare& )overty, illiteracy, superstition, lack of religious knowledge, and misinterpretation of the Tets.

2ome of the problems are to be found in deeply rooted cultural practices while some others are

created or are not solved due to the politicied contet of discussing them. Women themselves are

sometimes causes for their sufferings due to their unwillingness to change the status $uo. 1

Women suffer from various problems in the /uslim society. 3atherine 4ullock divided their issues

into 5public5 and 5private5. 2he says& )ublic issues include those policies that result in ecluding

women from the mos$ue, from decision"making in the community's affairs, and from leadershiproles6 suppressing their roles outside the home6 and confronting seual harassment in the workplace.

)rivate issues consist of such practices as isolating women in the home, illiteracy6 lack of -slamic

knowledge, marriage and divorce issues (the worst ones being seclusion, abandonment, forced

marriage, or abusive spouses 7seual or emotional8, rape, and harassment!, inheritance, economic

dependency, drugs, poverty (that can lead to prostitution!, diseases, ecessive control by men of the

household and control of young women by older men and women, and violence. 99


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*mong the issues, the issue of 'women's space in the mos$ue' has struck us the most, due to some

two recent incidents in the world concerning it. #ne is a fatw issued on *ugust of 9::; by the

'Taik


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/uslim women across the centuries despite categorical -slamic stand on the moral e$uality between

women and men, and because of the rise of '%eminist /ovements' in the West and the /uslim

women's close contact with them, on the other hand, two etreme trends developed among the

/uslims about the issue of 'women's space in the mos$ue'.

The first trend, advocated by the 'ultra"conservatives', is bent on ecluding women from the

mos$ues. This, though a traditional problem, has been re"raised by a recent ban on women's

entering the mos$ues imposed by the 'Taik


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*bJ 4akr's (>.! era was more or less a continuation of the )rophetic period, so far as women's space

in the mos$ue is concerned, since it was too short, and he was too faithful to the )rophetic eample

to allow any changes to women's situation.K

The first policy shift regarding women's space in the mos$ue, both theologically and practically,took place during =Umar's (>.! caliphate (K?;";;!, which was perhaps due to his personal dislike for

one of his wife's going out to the mos$ue or an alleged tendency of flirtation and loitering on some

women's part. #n the other hand, during his reign -slam epanded over a vast territory absorbing

within its dominance the )ersian and the >oman empires, and concomitantly their attitudes and

cultures got fusioned with -slamic cultures and traditions.

Tetual records of the period of =Umar (>.! testify that he had arranged separate entrance, eit, and

ablution facilities in the mos$ue for women, which he strictly forbade for men's use.L

Ge appointed2ulaymn ibn *b0 Gathmah as an independent imam for the women in the mos$ue. @ Ge also

epressed his personal grudge at his wife's going out to the mos$ue, which she reected outright

challenging him to dare to prevent her which he did not do. Bevertheless, he neither prevented nor

discouraged any other woman.


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'Cou compare us now to asses and dogs. -n the name of *llah, - have seen the )rophet saying his

prayer while - was there lying on the bed between him and the qiblah. *nd in order not to disturb him,

- did not moveP'11

*nother phenomenal social development of this period was the conversion of a huge number of)ersian pagans and >oman


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2o, -bn al"Qaw0 asked the second $uestion& '-s it permitted for women to go to the mos$ueF' *nd

here is his answer& '-f she fears disturbing men's minds, it is better for her to pray at home.'1L%inally,

he devoted a whole chapter to 'why women should avoid going out'. -n it the very fact of going out

becomes a dangerous and impious act for a woman6 he begins by saying& '* woman should try to

avoid going out as much as she can.' 1@

Thus, women's epulsion became theologically institutionalied. 2ince then there was no revision

and review of the case,1Mand the situation continued until the female servants of *llah have become

declared strangers to the mos$ue of *llah

"i% 6he 8irst 6rend and its 9:amination!

The followers of this trend are divided into two groups& The 'anti"access group', and 'the pro"

segregation group or anti"integration group.'

The Anti-Access Group

Those who advocate total prevention and eclusion of women from the mos$ues tend to supply

three had0ths in favor of their opinion&

i! The main evidence of this group is the report of =O'ishah (>.! who said&

'-f the /essenger of *llah had seen what the women innovated after him, he would have stopped them

attending the mos$ues.'9:

*fter etensively investigating the tradition of =O'ishah (>!, -bn Gam, the great *ndalusian 2cholar

opined& 'the report of =O'ishah (>.! is not authoritative and binding for a number of considerations&' 91

%irstly, *llah sent )rophet /uhammad (sm! with a universal mission where he was ordained not to

prevent women from visiting the mos$ues. *llah certainly knew what the women would innovate.

2till Ge did not permit the )rophet (sm! to prevent women from going to the mos$ues on the

occasions of their innovating un"-slamic practices. 2econdly, the )rophet (sm! did not see what theyinnovated, and he did not prevent them. 2o we are not allowed to prevent them e"hypothesi and

hence preventing them from attending the mos$ue will be wrong. Thirdly, there is nothing worse

than adultery and it was committed during the lifetime of the )rophet (sm!. +ikewise, the )rophet

(sm! speculated that women would later on immerse in loitering, flirtation, fornication,

demonstration, and body"eposure. 2till on that account, he neither prevented them nor issued any

order to prevent them. %ourthly, if the statement of =O'ishah (>.! is granted as prescriptive, still the

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problem remains that not all the women were innovating, and as such it is wrong to suggest banning

the innocents for the guilt of others. *llah says, '*nd no soul earns evil but against itself. Bo bearer of

burdens shall bear the burden of another ' (K&1K;!

%ifthly, *llah and Gis )rophet (sm! have the prerogative to abrogate any law. This right is notvested to anyone after the )rophet's demise. 4ut preventing women from mos$ues is tantamount to

this. 2ithly, if the innovation were taken to be a reason behind banning women from the mos$ues,

the most holy places on the earth" it would be best"suggested to ban them from the market"places,

which is not advocated by anyone, while the market"places are the worst places on the earth. *gain,

=O'ishah's (>.! report is her own statement, not necessarily the )rophet's, and in the presence of any

clear statement from the )rophet (sm! nobody else's statement is granted as authoritative.

/oreover, it seems that =O'ishah (>.! intended to make specific indication towards a specificincident and to caution the women that had this sort of situation been prevalent in the lifetime of the

)rophet6 he must have prevented them from the mos$ues. -t may also be construed in the way of

general warning and admonition for some women's un"-slamic activities on the way to the mos$ues.

#therwise, she was strongly in favor of permitting, and emphatically in disfavor of preventing

women from the mos$ues. -n one of her reactions against a pro"segregation move, she said, 5 Cou

compare us now to asses and dogs. -n the name of *llah, - have seen the )rophet saying his prayers while -

was there, lying on the bed between him and the qiblah. *nd in order not to disturb him, - did not move.5

ii! The second had0th in point is that of Umm Gumayd (>.!, who liked to pray with the

)rophet in his mos$ues, but he responded to her as follows&

5- know that you like to pray with me, but your praying in your home is better for you than your

praying in your house, and your praying in your house is better for you than your praying in your area,

and your praying in your area is better for you than praying in the mos$ue of your tribe, and your

praying in the mos$ue of your tribe is better for you than your praying in my mos$ue.5 2o she ordered

that a prayer place be built for her in the furthest and darkest part of her house, and she always prayed

there until she met *llah (i.e., until she died!.99

The had0th apparently seeks to put women away from the mos$ues into the darkest and furthest

corner of their homes. Gowever there are various problems associated with this had0th&

The first problem is its 'specification' for Umm Gumayd (>.!, which might be out of some particular

problems to her, and a had0th of specific nature cannot be generalied. The second problem is the

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'better than' formula. )erhaps, the 'better than' formula is epressed here due to its specific nature or

in order to avoid clear prohibition for women's participation in the mos$ues and as a result is

presented as an alternative. Thirdly, this had0th is in contrast with a well"known and well"

authenticated had0th about the merits of prayer in the )rophets /os$ue. The )rophet (sm! said, '

)rayer in my mos$ue is thousand degrees better than praying in other place, ecept in the mos$ue al"

Garm'9?

There are also two other problems&9;

#ne of the problems is that of contet. The above had0th could have come in the contet of

performing part of the prayers at home and the rest in the mos$ue. This also applies to men. *n

eample of a had0th to that effect is as follows&

*llot your home some of your prayers, and do not turn them into graves.9A

* further problem is that this had0th is in conflict with a ur'nic verse&

Those who commit fornication (fhisha! from your women, get four witnesses against them from

among you. -f they should testify, then confine them to homes until death claims them or Rod opens up

a way for them.5 (;&1A!


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Unlike the previous one, this had0th seems to be free from the problem of 'specification'. 2till some

other problems are found in this had0th. %irstly, the had0th though outlines a hierarchy of prayer

areas6 these are within the boundaries of one's residence. Iven there is no mention of mos$ue, and

more specifically 'other than mos$ue' formula in the had0th. 2o it is not relevant here.9@2econdly,

the original tet of this had0th is what *bdullh ibn /as'Jd (>.! has narrated from the )rophet (sm!&

* woman's prayer in her house is better than her prayer in her chamber, and her prayer in (her! mos$ue

is better than her prayer in her house.9M

'4etter than' formula is used here to indicate that praying in the mos$ue is more meritorious than

praying in the house. Thirdly, the had0th may also be a fragment or continuation of the had0th of

Umm Guamyd (>.!, and in that case its application will be specified and hence no point arises here

in this contet. %urthermore, if praying in the secluded areas of their residences were better for thewomen, in all cases and circumstances, than praying in the mos$ues, the )rophet (sm! should have

despised them for or discouraged them from attending or could have felt uncomfortable by their

presence in the mos$ues. 4ut the biography of the )rophet (sm! gives us ust the opposite scenario,

where until his death, he welcomed, consulted, and contended them, responded to their $ueries, and

instructed them about the fundamentals and offshoots of the religion, everything in the mos$ue.

*ccording to 'Qurisprudential )rinciple', 'the evidence lies with the last position'.

-t also does not befit any )rophet to allow his followers to do what is not better or more beneficialfor them, especially when there are better alternatives in his disposal. The )rophet (sm! said&

-t was a duty upon every )rophet before me to indicate his ummah to and encourage them upon the

best according to his knowledge, and to admonish them of the worst according to his knowledge.?:

*llah says about Gis )rophet&

Bow a /essenger has come unto you from among yourselves, it grieves him that you should suffer, he

is ardently anious over you. Ge is the most kind and merciful to the believers. (M&19@!

iv! This group appears to present another tradition which narrated that =Umar (>.!, the second

.! was likely to prevent women from going to mos$ue, but only those who

stayed there for loitering, relaation (istirwh!, and flirtation, not those attending fard salt.

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3hawla bint ays said& 'We were women, in the /os$ue (in Madna al-Munawwara!, who may have

mied with men at times and perhaps even flirted (ghazaln! and even harmed themselves in this

intermiing6 so SUmar said& 5- swear - shall make free women of you again.5 2o he brought us out

(akhrajan! of the /os$ue.'?1

3eeping this problem in mind, =Umar (>.! prepared for the women a separate entrance to and eit

from, and separate ablution facilities in the mos$ue, and he appointed 2ulaymn ibn *b0 Gatma (>.!

to lead women in separate congregation of Tarw0h prayers at the far end of the mos$ue.

-t is assumed that =Umars (>.! dislike for his wife's going out to the mos$ue was, perhaps, due to

his perceived disruption on her part in maintaining the household chores as the wife of the


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This group seems to take evidence from =Umar's (>.! introducing separate entrance, eit and

ablution facilities for women in the mos$ue which he forbade to be used by men.

4ut the eample of =Umar (>.! does not prove their stand. 4ecause =Umar (>.! made those separate

arrangements either for facilitating their participation, since there is no single evidence to mean

otherwise, or due to the alleged aberration of some women in the mos$ue which is supported by the

report of 3hawla bint ays (>.!. -t is also thought that 'Umar (>.! ust carried out a desire of the

)rophet (sm! who wished, '-f we could only leave this door for the ladies.' The )rophet's /os$ue had a

number of doors and -bn =Umar, who was always very scrupulous in following the way of the

)rophet (sm!, was reported as never using this door, leaving it for the purpose mentioned by the

)rophet (sm!.?K

*fter etensively studying the case, +ouay /. 2afi says& ?L'theargument against women sharing themain prayer hall is based on the principle of 5corruption prevention5 (dar' al"mafsid!. The principle

states 5whatever leads to unlawful practices (harm! is in itself unlawful. The principle, though not

widely accepted by /uslim urists, has been etensively used to limit actions that are otherwise

lawful under 2har0'ah. -t was invoked by some urists to reect the use of radio, TE, press, and other

inventions because these were used to promote corrupt practices. -ndeed, by invoking the principle

of 5corruption prevention5 many good practices and devices could be declared unlawful, including

the use of the internet and popular governance, as both are open to abuse.

Imploying the 5corruption prevention5 argument, a number of masids has decided to assign

secluded $uarters for women, and has placed many restrictions on women's use of the masid

facilities. *ssigning women to separate $uarters during lectures and discussions does not 5prevent

corruption5 but rather 5prevent education and spiritual growth5.'

2afi then pointed out several problems associated with women's seclusion in the mos$ue& 'it is

detrimental to the spiritual and moral growth of women and the resultant development of the

community, will deprive them from taking active role in learning and thus the psychological and

emotional feeling of this passiveness will impede their ability to interact with the speakers, to ask

$uestions and offer comments, and finally, will deprive the /uslim community from the services of

a growing number of young /uslim women who do epect to take part in the community services'.

-t may also cause some unwarranted problems like failure on women's part to anticipate different

movements of imm and may be even more confusing in case of imm's mistake and concurrent

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/ake"up sadah (sadah sahu!. /oreover, when they feel ignored, they may end up talking to each

other and becoming unmindful to the discourse and discussion of imm. 4esides, when they will

remain invisible, their problems and issues will not come up duly in the discourse.

Iven a cursory investigation will reveal that during the formative years of -slam womenparticipated in public services, and shared the main hall of the )rophet's /os$ue, so that they could

learn from the lectures and discussions of the )rophet, and they could be seen and heard by or they

could see and hear the )rophet. -bn *bbs (>.! said&

#nce the )rophet came out (for the 'V'd )rayers! as if - were ust observing him waving to the people to

sit down. Ge then, accompanied by 4ill, came crossing the rows till he reached the women. Ge recited

verse twelve of chapter sity to them and asked& '# ladies *re you fulfilling your covenantF' Bone

ecept one woman said, 'Ces.' The )rophet said& 'Then give 2ada$ah.' 4ill then spread his garment

and said, '3eep on giving alms.'?@

*sm bint *bdur >ahmn reported on the authority of her sister& '- memoried (surah! f, 4y the

Rlorious ur'an (f, Wal ur'nil /a0d! from the mouth of the /essenger of *llah on %riday, for he

recited it on the pulpit every %riday.'?M

2haring the main prayer hall also allowed women to fully engage in public debate and influence

decisions affecting their lives and the life of the community. When =Umar (>.! wanted to put a cap

on dowry, he was challenged by a woman, who was in the middle of the mos$ue, and pointed out

that the proposed policy violated -slamic law. 2he then cited the verse 9: of sJrah al"Bis. =Umar

(>.! conceded saying, '*ll people are more udicious than you =Umar The woman is right and the

man is wrong.' The proposed policy was never carried out.;:

*fter comprehensively studying and investigating the available material records of the structures of

al"Garm al"2har0f in /akkah and the )rophet's /os$ue in /ad0nah, and the tetual sources of the

period of the )rophet, Bevin >eda;1proved convincingly that there was no eistence of any barrier

separating the women from the men and making them invisible in the mos$ues. 2he said that in case

of al"Garm al"2har0f in /akkah, the practice continues unabated until today, and women enoy full

access praying whenever and wherever they wish.

/oreover, the followers in a congregation, according to -slamic Qurisprudence, should either see the

imm or see those who are in front of him, and the lines between the people will be continuous

without any barrier or break. The urists do not approve any congregation where the imm and the

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followers are in different rooms, the lines are not continuous, and the followers behind the imm are

also not visible. #therwise people would not have to come to the mos$ues for am'ah prayers. They

would stay home and pray listening to the loudspeakers from their mos$ues, or through the

broadcasts from /akkah and /ad0nah. 2till the rows of men and women may be demarcated

placing the men first, then the children, and at last the women, in line with the following had0th&

'2hall - direct you to that by which *llah grants remission from sins and increase in rewardsF They

said& 5Ces, # /essenger of *llah.5 Ge said& 5Pthe better rows for men are the front ones, and the

worst are the last ones. # women, when the men prostrate themselves, then lower your gae, so you do

not see the private parts of the men due to the tightness of their loincloths.';9

/en and women may also be placed in two separate divides of the mos$ue demarcating it in the

middle in order to avoid free"miing which is discouraged by -slam. -n this way, everyone from thecongregation, irrespective of gender, can avail of the privilege to directly participate in the

discourse.

4ut these are options or alternatives, not in any way any obligation, as is evident by the last part of

the ust"mentioned hadith (i.e., '# women, when the men prostrate themselves, then lower your gae, so

you do not see the private parts of the men due to the tightness of their loincloths'!.

"ii% 6he Second 6rend and its 9:amination!

This trend is the other etreme pursued by several /uslim feminists supported by a network of

progressive activists. They claim that women have the legitimate right, sanctioned by the 2har0'ah,

to be imm to mied"gender congregation. They propose it as a solution for women's epulsion

from or marginaliing in the ultra conservatives' mos$ues. The ')rogressive /uslim Union', a

/uslim %eminist /ovement based in Borth *merica, already organied a mied"gender

congregation of men and women for %riday )rayer on /arch 1@, 9::A in Bew Cork


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The )rogressive /uslim asserts;; that the $uestion is in fact about gender e$uality, women

empowerment, and the egalitarian ethos of modernity. They opine that, 'while the ur'n is clear on

the moral e$uality of men and women, leadership in prayer is not to be any prerogative of men only.

-t grew on historically and geographically bound traditions of an essentially patriarchal society'. *l"

2ayyid al"2bi$ has discussed the criteria for leading prayer as& an ability to read the ur'n,

knowledge of the ur'n, knowledge of the teachings of the )rophet (sm!, and being accepted by

the congregation. The following had0th, related by *hmad and /uslim and reported by -bn /as'Jd

(>.!, states that the )rophet (sm! said, 5The imm of a people should be the one who is the most versed in

the ur'n. -f they are e$ual in their recital, then the one who is the most knowledgeable of the 2unnah. -f

they are e$ual in the 2unnah, then it is the one who migrated first. -f they are e$ual in that, then it is the

eldest. *nd one should not lead prayer in another's house without permission.5 ;A*l"2bi$ mentions that

the following people are prohibited from leading prayer& someone with a legitimate ecuse not topray, and an incapacitated person. Ge then named the people who are discouraged from leading

prayer& an evildoer and someone who changes the religion.;KThus maleness is in no way a criterion

for leading prayer.

)erhaps, the )rogressives' strongest argument on the general permissibility of women's leadership in

congregational prayers hinges on the had0th of Umm Wara$a (>.!, an *nsri woman well"versed in

the ur'n. The had0th, reported in 2unan *bJ DwJd reads&

5The /essenger of *llah used to visit her in her house. *nd he assigned to her a muadhdhin who

would make the summons to prayer (adhn! for her. *nd he ordered her to lead ahl drihin prayer.

(ahl drihmeans& the people of her home, wheredrmeans home, and can refer to one's residence,

neighborhood, or village which consisted of both men and women.!;L

#n the other hand, the people of Umm Wara$a's (>.! home were so numerous that the )rophet (sm!

had to appoint a muadhdhin for her.;@ The above"mentioned had0th is the reason why several

medieval /uslim scholars supported female leadership. These include Tabar0, /uan0, *bJ Thawr

and *bJ 2ulaymn DwJd ibn 3half al"-sfahn0, founder of the ahirite 2chool.;M

Examination of Progressives' agenda and evidences

Gina *amA:and +ouay /. 2afiA1have etensively eamined the arguments of the )rogressives and

showed the fault and futility of their agenda. *ccording to them, it is based on 'common sense'

position and 'personal sensibilities', not on any sound reasoning and systematic methodology. The

'essence of -slam' is submitting to the 'Divine Will' which is communicated through the ur'n and1A


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eemplified in the )rophetic actions and statements. -n order to arrive at any legal doctrine, or

hukm, one must employ a systematic methodology (either through following the already eisting

one developed by the early urists or by proffering a new one!, to etract meaning from the sources,

the ur'nic Tets and the )rophetic Traditions. The )rogressives failed in both respects6 violating

several basic tets and classical interpretive principles, and stumbling at providing neither a sound

criti$ue of the traditional legal methodology nor an improved one to replace it.

/oreover, a general urisprudential principle is that 'the rule (asl! in social laws (mu'malat! is

permissibility (ibhah!, and the rule in religious observance (ibdat! is prohibition (tahr0m!. -t

implies the permissibility of any activity in case of lack of evidence in the area of ordinary life

while it is ust the opposite in case of ibdat. 2alt is an ibdat and should be performed according

to the prescribed rules, without innovating anything new.A9

The had0th of Umm Wara$ah (>.!, the strongest evidence of the )rogressives, does not in fact

constitute any evidence for them because of some inherent problems with it. %irstly, the

trustworthiness of the reporters and thus the authenticity of this had0th are $uestioned by the

scholars.A?4aiha$0, Gkim and Dra$utn0 reported the had0th. Gak0m said, '/uslim advanced al"

Wal0d ibn Qam0 (one of the narrators! as being authoritative. 4ut this is a had0th with a single chain

of narrator (sunnah gar0ba!. - don't know of any had0th with a connected chain to the )rophet

(musnad! in this chapter other than this one.' Dhahabi concurred with his findings. *l"/undhiri

said, '*l"Wal0d ibn Qam0' is the subect of dispute (f0hi ma$l!. Gowever, /uslim has reported

through him.' -bn al"attn said, '*l"Wal0d's state isn't known.' -bn Gibbn mentioned him in (his

book! *l"Thi$t (Trustworthy Barrators!. 4ut -bn Gaar said, '-n his chain is '*bdur >ahmn ibn

3hlid (a second $uestionable narrator! whose status is unknown (f0hi ahla!.'

2econdly, even if the hadith is accepted sah0h, still its central point (i.e., dr in ahl drih)remains

confusing and highly speculative, partly due to the )rogressives' interpretation of the word. *s

Bevin >edaA; says& 'dr can be used to describe areas ranging from an individual home, to

neighborhood, to village, to the whole territory of -slam (r al-!slam!. #ften it is used to denote

the housing or area where a particular clan lived.' 4ut actually the word ' dr'literally means 'her

home' which is evident from the fact that there are multiple variants of the had0th6 while in Taba$t

-bn 2a'd, the word used is 'dr', *bJ DwJd in his 2unan used the word 'ba"t'# which not only

means 'home' but also 'room within a home.' Thirdly, -bn udmah opined that 'the permission for a

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woman to lead a mied"gender congregation of her household in prayer was specific to her, since no

other woman was appointed a muadhdhin (by the )rophet!, as was the case with her.'AA

-n the same way, it was never recorded that a single woman, throughout -slamic history, has done or

claimed to do such an action, neither in the )rophetic period not in the later best of the periods.AK

This by itself constitutes a clear proof of the invalidity of this opinion. #therwise, it might have

been done by the best"$ualified and the most knowledgeable '/others of the 4elievers', especially

the most brilliant =O'ishah (>.!, and by the numerous illustrious women scholars across -slamic

history, urisprudential references and narration eperts.

%ourthly, when the permission was being awarded to 'Umm Wara$a' (>.! there were two very

learned and prominent companions of the )rophet (sm! present in /ad0nah, 2almn al"%rs0 (>.!

and =Uthmn ibn *ffn (>.! (who could not participate in the battle of 4adr due to some problemsof their own!, but they were not asked to pray behind her. -nstead, they led their own prayers in the

mos$ue of the )rophet. #n the other hand, Umm Wara$a (>.! was given the responsibility, as she

was the most"versed in the ur'n among her remaining family members, men and women, after

departure of her others for the battle, and as her house was a few miles away from the mos$ue of the

)rophet. CJsuf *l"aradwi states& '*ny woman well"versed in the ur'n like Umm Wara$a may

lead her family members, including men, in both obligatory and supererogatory prayers, especially

the Tarw0h prayers.ALThis is also a dependable opinion in the Ganbal0 2chool of urisprudence.A@

+astly, the maority of scholars have understood this had0th as referring to woman leading other

women in prayer, whether obligatory or supererogatory. =O'ishah (>.!, Umm 2alamah, =*t', al"

thawr0, al"*w0, al"2hfi'0, -sh$, and *bJ Thawr reported the matter as desirable. *hmad ibn

Ganbal also opined the same. *bJ Gan0fah (>.! regards the matter as undesirable, but if such

congregational prayer is done, it will be sufficient for the women who perform it. *l"2ha'b0, al"

Bakh'0, and atdah said& 'they can lead in supererogatory prayers, not in obligatory ones'.AM -t is

reported by a number of had0th that women can lead other women in congregational prayers.

>ai'tah al"Ganafiyah reported from =Oi'shah that she led women in prayer and stood among them in

an obligatory prayer.K:=*t' reported that =O'ishah used to say the adhn, the i$mah, and lead

women in prayer while standing among them in the same row.K1'*mmr al"Dahn0 reported from a

woman of his tribe named Guayrah that 'Umm 2alamah led us (women! in the '*sr prayer and

stood among us (in the same row!'.K9-brh0m al"Bakh'0 reported that 'O'ishah used to lead women in

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prayer during the month of >amadn while standing among them in the same row.K? =-krima

reported from -bn *bbs, '* woman can lead women in prayer while standing among them.K;

-n fact, upon claiming and staging a woman"led mied"gender %riday )rayer, the )rogressive

/uslims uncritically embraced western feminism with the obective of obliterating all genderdifferences. Unlike western feminists' tendency to erase Rod from the scene, the )rogressives

adopted a roundabout way arguing 'there is no standard left"but men'. KA*s a result, like western

feminists, the )rogressives, under faulty assumption, were forced to find all their values in relation

to men, and they thought& =a woman can never be a full human being until she becomes ust like a

man"the standard.

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the mos$ues!, they undoubtedly commit sin and fall under the category of those who are prohibited

by the )rophet (sm! pertaining preventing women from the mos$ue.K@

Women enoyed full access to the mos$ues in the early -slam. 4ut several tendencies developed

later on, as already has been shown, ranging from debarring to limiting their access by introducingsegregated $uarters for them in the mos$ues. *s we are ordained by *llah to refer any dispute or

debate to the ur'n and the 2unnah (;&A@"AM!, we shall investigate those two primary sources in the

following analysis in order to see the etent of women's access to the mos$ues. %or any conclusion

drawn by bypassing these two sources will lead us towards getting lost or going astray.KM

The Qur'n

The ur'n provides interesting evidence for women's access to the mos$ue during the normative

period of -slam. Bevin >eda has meticulously eamined the ur'n and made the following

observations&L:

5* close eamination shows two kinds of verses that contain relevant information. The first kind

consists of general verses that deal more or less with all /uslims. They are usually in the male

plural, which, in *rabic, can include women. #n the other hand, the female plural does not include

men. The second kind are gender"specific and specify women, either by the female plural or by

referring to a specific person (e.g., /ary!. - will first eamine the general verses and then the

specific verses.

*ll /uslims are asked to pray in every mos$ue and to take their adornments&

2ay& 5/y +ord has commanded ustice and that you look toward (Gim! at every mos$ueP5 (L&9M!

# children of *dam Take your adornments to every mos$ueP(L&?1!

2everal verses talk negatively of those who prevent believers from mos$ues and warn them of

severe punishments (e.g., 9&11;, @&?;, 99&9A and ;@&9A!&

Who is more unust than one who prevents 7believers8 from celebrating Rod's name in Gis mos$ues

and strives to ruin themF -t is not fitting that such should enter them, ecept in fair. Disgrace will be

theirs in this world and eceeding torment in the world to come. (9&11;!

The above verses indicate the right and obligation of every /uslim to participate in the mos$ue's

activities. The contet suggests that this applies to 5the believers5, regardless of gender. The

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participation of women is not stated eplicitly in the above verses. Gowever, it is clearer in the

gender"specific verses.

Two verses specify women's relationship to group prayers. The first is as follows&

The male believers and the female believers are each others' allies. They enoin good and forbid evil,

establish prayers and pay the alms, and obey Rod and Gis /essenger. Upon these Rod will have

mercy. Rod is *lmighty, *ll"Wise. (M&L1!

The word awli"', which has been translated as 5allies,5 signifies a close working relationship. -t

can also be translated as 5friends, protectors, neighbors, or followers.5 -t comes from the root

wali"a# which means to be near or adacent to somebody or something. The same term is used to

describe the relationship between the /uhirJn (/akkan immigrants! and the *nsr (/ad0nan

helpers! (@&L9! and between Rod and Gis 5 close ones5 (1:&K9!. The above verse signifies

togetherness in prayers as well as in enoining good, forbidding evil, giving alms, and obeying Rod

and Gis )rophet. These activities clearly have a public aspect to their fulfillment and are mandated

for both men and women.

The second gender"specific verse is addressed to /ary, as follows&

# /ary Gumble yourself before your +ord, prostrate yourself, and bow down with those who bow

down. (?&;?!

The term used for 5with those who bow down5 is ma'a al-rki'n. $ki'nis the masculine plural

form. -t may or may not include women, but it must include men. The feminine plural would have

been rki't which is not used in this contet. 2o, /ary is ordered to pray with a group that includes

men. *lso interesting is the preposition ma'a# which means 5with,5 not 5behind,5 5away from,5 or

5segregated from5 in any way.5

Bevin >eda,L1then, eplained that the women enoyed full access to the three 'most important

mos$ues' of -slam, i.e., the *$s /os$ue, the 3a'bah and the )rophet's /os$ue. 2he mentioned that/ary is presented in ur'n as praying in al"*$s /os$ue in the mihrb which is the inner

sanctumL9to which only a selected few like David, 2olomon, and achariah, had access, and it

means that she had full access to that mos$ue. 2he is also presented as not being segregated from

men, since achariah entered the mihrbwhen she was there and talked with her (?&?L!. -n case of

other two high"ranking mos$ues, it is thought that in the )rophet's mos$ue his daughter %tima is

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buried net to him,L?and Gagar was buried with her son -sm'0l inside the 3a'bah, especially in the

apse, which is considered part of the sanctuary.

Thus, from the above"mentioned ur'nic evidences, both gender"neutral and gender"specific

verses, it can be safely concluded that women had full access to the mos$ue and that praying net tomen was considered normal and legitimate.

The Sunnah

The 2unnah, the )rophet's statements, actions, and confirmation or approval, contains ample

evidences for women's unbarred and uncontested space in the mos$ue, and their active participation

in all the activities performed there, even to the etent of influencing decisions and decision"making

process affecting their lives and the life of the community. When =Umar (>.! wanted to put a cap on

dowry, he was contested by a woman from the middle of the mos$ue, and pointed out that the

proposed policy violated -slamic law. =Umar (>.! conceded and that policy was never carried out.

*s directed by the ur'n (?&1AM!, the )rophet duly consulted everybody of the community about

everything, whether trivial or big, ranging from sending and receiving foreign missions to

announcing planned epeditions and strategic plans for the future. Iven the apparently simple

decision to install a mimbar(pulpit! in the mos$ue was treated by the )rophet as a matter that

concerned all /uslims.

The )rophet used to say the %riday prayers standing, leaning against a palm trunk. #ne day he

announced that standing made him tired. Tam0m al"Dr answered& 'Why not build a pulpit like - have

seen in 2yriaF The )rophet asked their advice on the $uestion, and they agreed to the suggestion.L;

Women not only visited the )rophets mos$ue due to its special distinction, but also visited all the

mos$ues inside and outside /ad0nah.LAThe followings are some of the related eamples&

*bdullah ibn =Umar said that people were saying %ar prayer in the mos$ue of ub, while a man

approached them and said& '>evelation (wh")has come to /uhammad tonight with the command todirect his face towards 3a'bah in prayer. Cou should also direct your face towards 3a'bah.' 2o they

instantly changed their direction.LK

-bn Gaar says& -n a narration concerning the event of the change of ibla, 2uhaila bint *slam

reported, 'Women turned around and took men's places while men turned around and took women's

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places, and thereafter they completed the remaining two sajda(prostration! in the direction of al"

/asid al"Garm (3a'bah!'.LL

*mr ibn 2alamah narrated from his father 2alamah that upon his (2alamah's! return from the )rophet

(sm! with all the necessary instructions about salt, he was selected to be the imm of thecongregational prayers of his tribe despite his tender age, because he was the best"versed in the ur'n

among his tribesmen. Ge had a short cloth which could not cover his whole body in salt. #nce a

woman from amongst the congregation rose up and told& 5Would you not manage to cover the buttocks of

your immF'Then, 2alamah mentioned, they purchased a cloth and made a long gown for meP'L@

Women's fre$uenting the mos$ues continued unabated, even in the situations of growing concern

about losing chastity in their ways to the mos$ues. -mm *hmad reported a story about a woman

who was violated of her chastity when she was on the way to the mos$ue in darkness to participate

in %ar congregation. 2he raised the matter to the )rophet (sm! who even after identifying the rapist

forgave him, due to his strong and sincere repentance to *llah. LMThe )rophet (sm! neither prevented

nor discouraged women from the mos$ues even after this horrendous incident.

* further deep investigation will reveal that the hadiths relating women's space in the mos$ues may

be divided into three categories.

8irst! This category includes those had0ths that speak of the merits and virtues of congregational

prayer. %or eample, the following hadith&

The )rophet said& 5


23/29

about superiority of congregational prayer is applicable to men only, there is no reason and right to

eclude women from such rewards.

Second!This category incorporates those had0ths that vehemently prohibit men from preventing

women's going out to and participating in the mos$ues. Despite clear ur'nic stand on the spiritual"moral e$uality of men and women, and his own practices entertaining women in the mos$ues, the

)rophet, recogniing the tendency of some men to be overprotective of their female relatives,

une$uivocally cautioned the /uslim community against it.

5-bn =Umar narrated, the /essenger of *llah said,5 Don't deprive women of their share of the masids,

when they seek your permission. 4ill said& 4y *llah, we would certainly prevent them. '*bdullah

said& - say that the /essenger of *llah said it and you say& we would certainly prevent them5@9

-bn =Umar also narrated& The )rophet said, '*llow women to go the mos$uesat night.'@?

-bn =Umar again narrated from the )rophet& 'Do not stop the female servants of *llah from the

mos$ues of *llah.'@;

*bu Guraira narrated& The )rophet said, ' Do not stop the female servants of *llah from going to the

mos$ues, but let them go in modest dress.'@A

>ather, the )rophet would often shorten his congregation in order facilitate and encourage women's

participation. -t is authentically reported that the )rophet said&

#n many occasions - start prayer with the intention of prolonging it and then shorten it on hearing the

cry of a baby for fear of keeping his mother away from attending him, and thus causing his pangs.@K

6hird! This category encompasses a long list of had0ths wherein the causes, occasions, and

purposes of women's attending the mos$ues in the )rophetic period are recorded. *bdul Gal0m *bJ

2hu$$ah has eamined various aspects of their participation and pointed out twelve shari'ah"

mandated areas and aspects.@LGe provided many evidences in support of each and every aspect.

Women attended the mos$ues in order to participate in the congregational prayers. They performed

there the obligatory prayers, especially %ar, /agrib, and '-sh prayers, the supererogatory prayers,

the 'V'd prayers, the Qumah prayers, and some other occasional prayers like %uneral prayer, prayer

for vow, prayer for rain, prayer for eclipse etc.

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=O'ishah said, 5Women used to offer their prayers with the /essenger of *llah and then they dismissed

while wrapping their heads in the scarps, withoutbeingrecognied because of darkness.5@@

Iven in case of the most occasional prayers like 'prayer for eclipse' their participation was

wholehearted and overwhelming. *sm bint *bJ 4akr (>.! narrated such an event where she alongwith 'O'ishah (>.! and a group of other women oined the congregation for 'prayer for eclipse'. @M

Women also attended the mos$ue to observe -'tikf or to meet those who were in the state of -'tikf,

=*l0 ibn al"Gusain narrated from 2afiya, the wife of the )rophet that she went to *llah's *postle in

order to visit him while he was in i'tikf in the mos$ue in the last ten days of >amadn. 2he had a talk

with him for a while, and then she got up in order to return home. The )rophet accompanied her unto

the gate of the mos$ue...M:

Their presence was sometimes with the obective of& earning knowledge, participating in public

gathering, attending the ceremonies, and making marriage"offer. %tima bint ays (>.! was present

during such an announcement. 2he said&

'- was in the front row meant for women and it was adacent to the last row of men, and - heard *llah's

/essenger deliver sermon sitting on the pulpitP'M1

#nce a woman approached the )rophet (sm! with a marriage"offer on her part with him. The

)rophet gave her a glance of unwillingnessP Then the )rophet (sm! married her with a simple

dowry to one of his companions.M9-bn Gaar says& 'at that moment the )rophet was in the mos$ue.'M?

*gain, in other occasions, women would go to the mos$ue only for meeting the believing women,

gossiping with them andHor spending break hours or spare times. 3hawla bint ays (>.! said&

'We, women, in the periods of the )rophet, *bJ 4akr, and the early period of =Umar, would in the

mos$ue befriend, knit, and sometimes make mat'. =Umar said& '2urely, - shall pull you out of the

mos$ueP'M;

They often went there for 'witnessing udgments and their procedures, serving (e.g., sweeping! the

mos$ue, and attending the inured. 4ukhri recorded that the )rophet pitched a tent for the treatment

of 2a'd ibn /u'd (>.! who sustained inury in the medial arm vein in the battle of 3handa$.MAThe

)rophet pitched another tent for >ufaida *slamiyah whose husband was a man of 4anJ al"RifrPMK

*bu Guraira narrated, '* black man or a black woman used to sweep the mos$ue and he or she died.

(*ccording to another report of 4ukhr0& *bJ Guraira said, 'to the best of my knowledge it was a woman! ML

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The )rophet asked about her (or him!. Ge was told that she (or he! died. Ge said& 5Why did you not inform

meF 2how me his (her! grave.5 2o he went to her grave and offered her (his! funeral prayer.' M@

Gistorical records show that women also slept in the mos$ue. 4ukhr0 constructed a chapter in his

2ah0h under the title of 5Women's sleeping in the mos$ue5 where he recorded a had0th from =O'ishah(>.!. 2he said, 'Pthat slave girl came to *llah's *postle and embraced -slam. 2he had a tent or a small room

with a low roof in the mos$ue. Whenever she called on me, she had a talk with meP'MM

-t has become evident and established, beyond any shred of doubt, from the previous eamination,

that women's participating in the mos$ues were very usual, unbarred, and unlimited in the

'formative and normative' years of -slam. This is why -bn Gam observed, 'Gad0ths on women's

participation for congregational prayers in the mos$ue are innumerable, continuously recurrent

(mutawatir)#and etremely authenticated that none but an unknowledgeable can deny it.'1::

Conclusion!

-t transpires from the foregone analysis that women like men, due to their moral e$ual status, had

full space in the mos$ue, the center for all religious, cultural, and intellectual activities, in the

)rophetic period, the sole normative period of -slam. The situation remained unchanged until

=Umars (>.! caliphate who first introduced segregation between the sees. Then, in the sith

century of Geira -bn al"Qaw0 doctrinalied women's eclusion by raising the $uestion of women's

interruption of men's prayer. +ater on, this total eclusion got institutionalied in the hands of the

ultra"conservatives who sought to find a basis of their stand in the had0th of =O'ishah (>.! which

was, in fact, a hypothetical statement from her and hence does not serve in any way as a normative

principle. -n the meantime, '%eminist /ovements' grew significantly in the West with the obective

of asserting strongly women's identity erasing all patriarchal institutions, and as 'religion' was

thought to be the source of these patriarchal institutions, any role of religion is vehemently negated

or obliterated from their policies. The /uslim women who came in close contact with them realied

their marginalied position, got influenced by their sisters' movement, and then they themselvesstarted movements to better their conditions. 2ome of these movements took men as the standard of

any change and thus claimed the right to leadership in prayer. /uslim %eminists, unlike Western

%eminists, seek the basis of their claims in the normative sources of -slam, and thus the advocates of

'women's immah' proffered the had0th of Umm Wara$ah (>.!. 4ut of $uite different implication,

Umm Wara$h (>.! led her family members, including men and women, in the prayer with the

command of the )rophet, because of her most versedness in the ur'n among her family members,9A


26/29

and it is allowable according to the maority of /uslim scholars. The had0th also lacks any element

to be of generalied application. Ividently all of these trends and later developments contrast

starkly with the ur'nic indications and the )rophetic practices eemplified in the 'ideal period' of

-slam. *s al"urn and al"2unnah are the only authorities for the /uslims, in line with the

instructions of these authorities women should be given back their legitimate right to complete

access to and full participation in the mos$ue without putting any barrier. 2till the rows of men and

women may be separately demarcated in order to avoid any unwarranted situation.

Botes&

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1 3atherine 4ullock, 5Toward the full inclusion of /uslim Women in the Ummah& *n *ctivist's )erspective,%h& m&ri(an *urnal *f !slami( S*(ial S(i&n(Eol. 1M, %all 9::9, Bumber ;, p.L9"L;

9 -bid., L:? http&HHwww.eorthodoforchrist.comHtaikistan"womenbarred.html; http&HHwww.islamonline.netHInglsihHBewsH9::A":?H1MHarticle:K.shtml ($uoting Th& N&w +*rk %im&s)A -bn Gam,l-Muhall bi al-,thr# (4eirut& Dr al"%ikr!, Eol. :?, p.11;KBabia *bbott, 5Women and the 2tate in Iarly -slam,5*urnal *f N&ar ast&rn Studi&s# no. 1 (1M;9!, p. 11;

L

-bn Gam,l-Muhall# Eol. :?, p. 1?1 X Eol. ;, p. 11M@ -bid, Eol. ?, p. 1?1M -bid., Eol. :?, p.11@"1M1: *hmad '*bd al">ahmn *l"4ann,l-ath al-$abbn /i %artb Musnad al-!mm hmad ibn 0anbal al- Sha"bn ma'a Sharhih 1ulgh al-mn(4eirut& Dr -hy al"Turth al"'*rab0!, Eol. A, 1& 1??1"?K11 %atima /ernissi, 2*m&n and !slam3 0ist*ri(al and %h&*l*gi(al nquir"# trans. /. Q.

+akeland (#ford& 4lackwell, 1MM1!, p. L:19 *bdul 3hale$ue,Nari 4%h& 2*m&n in !slam)#(-slamic %oundation 4angladesh, Qune 1MMA!, p. 1;1?1ibl& 5& eda, Women in the /os$ue& Gistorical )erspective on 2egregation, %h&

m&ri(an *urnal *f !slami( S*(ial S(i&n(Eol. 91, 2pring 9::;, Bumber 9, p.LL"ML. *lso remarkableis *bdul Galim *bu 2hu$$ah, %h& %ahrirul Mar'ah srir $islah# trans. '>asuler s. Quge Bari2hadhinota, by /aulana /uhammad /oammel Go$ue#(4angladesh -nstitute of -slamic Thought,Bovember 9::9! 9nd part

1M -bid., *l"Qaw0,8itb hkm, p. 9:M, /ernissi, %orgotten ueens, p. @19: *bJ DwJd 2ulaymn ibn al"*sh'ath, Sunan#(


28/29

2hadhinota, by /aulana /uhammad /oammel Go$ue#(4angladesh -nstitute of -slamic Thought,Bovember 9::9! 9nd part, p. 1@:"@1(citing /uslim# Sahih)

;: 2ayyid 2bi$,iqh al-Sunnah (4eirut& Dar al"%ikr, 1MM9!, vol. 9, p. 1?L"?@;1 >eda, Women in the /os$ue, %h& m&ri(an *urnal#Eol. 91, 2pring 9::;, Bumber 9, p.@:"@K;9 *l"4ann,ath# vol. A, K&1;A;.;? http&HHwww.islamonline.netHInglsihHBewsH9::A":?H1MHarticle:K.shtml ($uoting Th& N&w +*rk %im&s);; http&HHblog.lsinsight.orgH9::AH:;Hislams"encounter"with"american"culture.html

;A 2ayyid 2bi$,iqh al-Sunnah, vol. 1, p. 1MM;K -bid.,, vol. 1, p. 1MM.;L Wiebke Walther, 2*m&n in !slam# (/arkus Wiener )ublishing, 1M@1!, p. 111 (citing -bn 2a'd,8itab al- %abaqat al-8abir# . ??@);@ -bid., p. 111;M %atima /ernissi,*rg*tt&n 6u&&ns *f !slam#p. ??A: http&HHwww.altmuslim.comHperm.phpFidY1;1K:9A:

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Women's Space in the Mosque

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