Women protest against mosque segregation

[salahuldin786]

Ma’qal ibn Yassaar (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘If one of you were to be struck in the head with an iron needle, it would be better for him than if he were to touch a woman he is not allowed to.” (Reported by al-Tabaraani.

There is no doubt that for a man to touch a non-mahram woman is one of the causes of fitnah (turmoil, temptation), provocation of desire and committing haraam deeds. No one should say that their intention is sound or their heart is clean, because the one who was the purest of heart and the most chaste of all, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never touched a non-mahram woman, even when accepting bay’ah (oath of allegiance) from women. He did not hold their hands when accepting their bay’ah, as he did with men; their bay’ah was by words only, as was reported by his wife ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her). She said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would test the believing women who emigrated to him with the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “O Prophet! When believeing women come to you to give you the bay’ah (pledge), that they will not associate anything in worship with Allaah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood (i.e., by making illegal children belong to their husbands), and that thye will not disobey you in any ma’ruf (Islamic monotheism and all that which Islam ordains), then accept their bay’ah and ask Allaah to forgive them. Verily Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [al-Mumtahinah 60:12] ‘Aa’ishah said: “So whoever of the believing women agreed to these conditions, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would say to her: ‘I have accepted your bay’ah by words.’ By Allaah, his hand never touched the hand of any woman when accepting their bay’ah; he accepted their bay’ah by saying ‘I have accepted your bay’ah on this basis.’”

(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 4512; according to another report: he accepted their bay’ah by words… the hand of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never touched the hand of any woman except his wifes . Reported by al-Bukhaari, 6674).

 

[salahuldin786]

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud ( رضئ الله عنه ) reports that the Prophet ( صلى الله عايه وسالم ) said, 'The prayer of a woman in her makhda' (partition) is better than her prayer in her hujrah (chamber), and her prayer in her hujrah is better than her prayer in her bait (house).'540Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ( رضئ الله عنه ) narrates that the Prophet ( صلى الله عايه وسالم ) said, The most beloved salah to Allah of a woman is one that she performs in the darkest spot of her home.
Ibn Khuzaimah 1691, and Tabarani in al M'ujam al Kabeer as mentioned by Hafidh Haithami 2/35. Hafidh Haithami also says that its narrators are authentic.

Unlike men women should not give adhan or say the iqamah.Sayyidatuna Asmaa (R) narrates as part of a longer hadeeth that the Prophet ( صلى الله عايه وسالم ) said, 'There is no adhan iqamah or Jumuah upon women.'542Sayyidatuna Ibn Umar (R) says 'There is no adhan or iqamah upon women.
Baihaqi 1920.

There is a great difference in the awrah of a man and that of a woman in salah. Women must cover their entire body including the hair, leaving only the face, hands and feet exposed.Ummul Mu'mineen Aisha (R) reports that the Prophet ( صلى الله عايه وسالم ) said, 'Allah does not accept the salah of a mature female without a scarf.Ahmad 24012, Ibn Majah , Abu Dawood 641, Tirmidhi '• Women cannot lead men in salah.Abu Bakrah (رضئ الله عنه ) reports that the Prophet ( صلى الله عايه وسالم ) said ‘Never will those people succeed who have appointed a woman over them.’545Jabir bin Abdullah (رضئ الله عنه ) reports as part of a longer hadeeth that the Prophet ( صلى الله عايه وسالم ) said, Know that a woman should not lead a man in salah.'•
Ibn Majah 1081 and Baihaqi 5131.

 

[salahuldin786]

ahlus sunnah wal jamah: women's salah(prayer)- another salafi(wahabi) error

please visit this site and enlighten yourselfs.

 

[Omar1984]

Mosque pray-ins against segregation of sexes are springing up

The goal of protesters has also changed from city to city, with some trying to pray behind the men in the prayer hall, others wanting to pray side-by-side.

We pray shoulder to shoulder and the Mosques are always crowded on Fridays where I live. A Muslim woman can NOT touch a man whose not her husband or brother/father/grandfather. You can NOT be praying shoulder to shoulder (side-by-side) with men stupid women.

By the way, its not mandatory for women to pray in Mosques. She can pray at home while its mandatory for all Muslim men to pray in a Mosque on Fridays.

 

[Comet]

I don't understand these women. How is this segregation? They are given separate rooms for their privacy. And secondly how will they feel praying in the presence of males? Highly uncomfortable experience. It's not like that they are not allowed in mosques. So what's their point?

As they say: inhein izzat raas nahin aati.

 

[Comet]

What would be wrong with a female Imam?

Schools differ on whether a woman may be imam (leader) of a Jama'ah (congregational) prayer if the congregation consists of women alone: three of the four Sunni madhhabs—Shafi'is, Hanafis, and Hanbalis—allow this [although Hanafis consider it to be makrooh (disliked act)], while Malikis do not. In such a case, the woman stands among the congregation in the front row, instead of alone in front of the congregation.

And why should women and men not pray together in Mosques?
After women and men pray together during Hajj.

Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W) is the teacher and whatever he taught should be followed.

In Hajj, it is true that men and women are together in the same place at the same time. But you should know that this is a special concession given by Islam. And that too if you are in Ahram.

When you go or hajj, yours (and other hajjis ) intention are purely spiritual. The spirit of Hajj is turning to Allah wholeheartedly in humble and passionate yearning and ardent love and devotion. This spirit should rule the hearts of all pilgrims at all times. Pilgrims must refrain from all forms of intimate sexual contacts with spouses, including foreplay, kissing, and lustful touching; they also must shun all vain talks, wrangling and quarrels. Therefore, in Hajj Males and Females are together.



On the contrary, the same isn't true for Prayers in Masjid-e-Nabwi at the time of Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W).

Invalid Argument. I suggest you read some more about Islam in the Early Ages.

 

[ajtr]

i have a feeling that one day they would even want a female Imam, or even go to Mosque in revealing clothes

A Masjid For Sajida
A group of Muslims in Tamil Nadu is set to build the world's first women's-only mosque
S. ANAND
Around 50 women have gathered for the fifth meeting of the Tamil Nadu Muslim Women's Jamaat Committee (MWJC). The first women's jamaat in the world may well lead to the first women's mosque in history. The meeting begins with Rajab Nisha reciting prayers in Arabic to echoes of 'amin'. Slowly the register shifts to intelligible Tamil as Nisha prays: "May Rahman strengthen the women's jamaat! May Rahman weaken the male jamaats that ruin women's lives!" More amins.

Daud Sharifa Khanam, who heads the Pudukkottai-based STEPS Women's Development Organisation, introduces a frail woman from Mukkanamalaipatti village called Sajida Banu, 22.


"A women's mosque is unacceptable," says Jawahirullah, Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, TN.


"Sajida is smiling now. Do you recall how she came to our last meeting?" The women shout in unison: "She came crying."

Sharifa: "Do you know why she is smiling now? She has sent her man to jail." Sajida was a victim of dowry harassment—an un-Islamic practice—and the local jamaat refused to sympathise with her. After the MWJC intervened, an fir was filed and her husband was jailed.

Tamil Nadu has a unique system where jamaats, affiliated to the local mosque, sit in judgement on the domestic affairs of the community. A jamaat is essentially a citizen's council, but in TN it functions as a powerful dispute-settlement authority. The jamaat committees have no women on board; nor do they allow women to represent their own cases. When a battered, harassed woman approaches the local police for help, she is turned away.

Says Rahmatunissa, who sought the help of the MWJC recently, "Even the all-women police station asked me to obey the local jamaat: 'Your law is like that, what can we do?' they said." Rahmatunissa's husband, Varusai Muhammad, had two 'stepneys'—meaning mistresses. Life in purdah left Rahmatunissa unaware of her partner's ways for 10 years. After five years of separation, she realised her husband had sent a 'talaq letter' to the Al Jamiul Munavvar Masjid Jamaat Committee, Kattuthalaivasal, Karaikudi district, three years ago. The symbolic settlement offered to the jamaat was the customary Rs 1.25. Varusai has since remarried, while the wmjc is fighting for a decent settlement for Rahmatunissa.

As the nation debates triple talaq, Tamil Muslim men have been issuing talaq through e-mail, letters and telegrams, which are upheld by the jamaats. The steady stream of victims of dowry harassment, arbitrary talaqs, domestic violence, child abuse, sexual harassment and cheating—each with a common enemy in the form of the local jamaat—coming to STEPs, which has been working on women's issues since 1989, forced Sharifa to consider tackling male-dominated jamaats. As she explains, "The male jamaats are unlawful kangaroo courts that play with the lives of women. A mosque-jamaat axis is a power centre that controls the community. When women are refused representation here, we have no choice but to have our own jamaat. And since a jamaat is attached to a mosque, we have to build our own mosque."

A benevolent jamaat in Parambur village granted land for the women's mosque in November 2003. Following media reports, there was pressure from several quarters, including Delhi's Jama Masjid, on the Parambur jamaat to rescind. The resolute steps team established the Tamil Nadu Muslim Women's Jamaat Committee on February 18, 2004.

Today, with 35 members from the state's 10 southern districts, the jamaat has ensured justice for several women. Still, the steps team is finding it difficult to raise money to get 10 acres for the mosque. They have managed to raise Rs 1 lakh—a fraction of the Rs 25 lakh required for the land and Rs 50 lakh for a mosque with a trained woman priest. Says Sharifa, "Our needs go beyond prayers. The mosque will function as a space where women can meet, relax and share their problems.It will also serve as a home for destitute women and children."

Adds Rasheeda Begum, a researcher with steps, "In male-dominated mosques all they want to ensure is that the women who are begging are clad in burqa. Their uplift is not the mullah's concern. For us, the mosque is about gaining self-respect and dignity."

Tamil Nadu's male-controlled jamaats seem unimpressed. Says M.H. Jawahirullah, president, Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, "Women should have the right to offer prayers in mosques. In at least five per cent of TN's mosques there are separate enclosures for women. But a women's mosque is unacceptable. Besides, not all jamaats are anti-woman." Also, women cannot be represented in jamaats, he adds.

Meanwhile, Tahir Mahmood, a Delhi University law professor, welcomes the initiative, saying, "The teachings of Islam allow for Muslims to manage their own affairs through the jamaat, but jamaat-led dispute settlement is not universal. In UP, Delhi and several states, jamaats do not determine a community's affairs. But I've heard the stranglehold of jamaats in TN is severe. Such usurpation of legal powers by the jamaats must end."

Syeda Hamid, an ncw member who attended a steps meeting this year, sees the stirrings of hope. "Winds of change are blowing from Pudukkottai. Women are asserting themselves within the ambit of Sharia. They are

no longer victims." Rajab Nisha, a key member of the MWJC, hopes those winds reach Delhi soon: "Mosque apart, we have a long list of demands. Rajiv Gandhi bowed to the demands of Muslim men, but we hope Sonia Gandhi will lend us her ears." The mosque is but a necessary symbol. The real struggle is for Muslim women's self-respect "within the framework of Islam".