The Hadiths that speak of women frequenting the mosque during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him), or implying that, are numerous. Many also are the Hadiths that deal with a variety of topics but mention in passing the presence of women in the mosque at the time. Nowadays we find that the majority of mosques in the Muslim world do not provide a facility for women to use them. In some cases, the presence of a woman in a mosque is seen as odd. While it is easy for a man to go to any mosque, perform ablution and pray, this may be extremely difficult for a woman in certain mosques. Not only there is no ablution facilities for women, there is also no space allocated for them. While there is no need to separate the positions of men and women in the mosque, people find this strange and are often unable to accept it. Yet this was the case during the Prophet’s lifetime in his mosque, and also in all mosques in the early Islamic centuries.
We have already spoken at length about women frequenting the Prophet’s mosque during his lifetime. It is very useful to consider his reaction to women’s presence in his mosque, remembering that whatever the Prophet taught was and remains good and beneficial. We find him on one occasion delaying the obligatory prayer of Isha. Such a delay is good because it makes it part of night worship, and a good conclusion to a day’s activities. However, when someone said that women and children were falling asleep, he immediately went out to lead the congregational prayer, so that he would not cause women and children more hardship in waiting for the prayer. On another occasion, he started his prayer intending to make it long. Again this is good because the closest position to God we can attain is when we are in prayer. However, he heard a child crying and he made his prayer short, realizing that the child’s mother wanted to attend to her child. If she were to remain long in prayer she might find this exceedingly difficult. Thus, we see that the Prophet was always kind to all people and very compassionate.
At one point a woman was raped when she was on her way to the mosque for Fajr prayer, but this did not result in any restriction imposed on women attending Fajr prayers in the mosque, nor indeed any prayer at night or day. On the contrary, women will benefit by listening to the Qur’an being recited in Fajr prayer, particularly when the imam reads long passages of the Qur’an in his prayer. Nor did the Prophet ever issue an order to women preventing them from taking their young children to the mosque with them. It may happen that a woman cannot find anyone to take care of her child during her absence from home attending prayer at the mosque. Her only option if she wants to attend the prayer is to take her child with her. There is no harm in that.
All this makes clear that despite the position of distinction given to men, the doors of all mosques should be kept open for women in the same way as they are open for men. No one may claim to be more protective of the honor of the Muslim community and its members than the Prophet. No one may say that he is more eager than him to see God’s law implemented. What should be remembered is that the Prophet was also eager that women should have their chance to have the sort of knowledge that keeps their minds alive. Can we claim that our women today do not need the sort of education that the Prophet’s lady companions sought when they frequented the mosque to listen to the Qur’an being recited in prayer and to the Prophet’s admonition? Do they not need to have the religious education the Prophet’s lady companions acquired from him? Scholars are the heirs to the messages of prophets. Our women cannot gain their knowledge from the Prophet directly, but they can certainly acquire it through his heirs. To suggest that their parents or husbands can give them such knowledge is a non-starter. Needless to say, not every parent or husband can teach or give effective admonition. Yet people claim that the moral fabric of society has greatly weakened. In reply we say that one way for it to regain its strength is to encourage women to frequently go to mosques.
What is permissible and left as a matter of choice may become recommended or even a duty in certain situations. Modern societies have tended to steadily move away from religion in all aspects where women are concerned: in school, radio, television, magazines, social customs and traditions.
Therefore, our women have a stronger need to attend the mosque as frequently as possible, at any time, for all prayers particularly Friday prayer. They should go there to listen to lectures and religious discussion whenever they can. They should also attend the Taraweeh prayer in Ramadan, when long passages of the Qur’an are recited. That provides special enjoyment. Women today are subjected to an onslaught that can only be countered by intellectual and spiritual immunization. Their natural tendency to goodness must be enhanced so that they can be more active in doing what is good and beneficial. They need to have their own clean and sound environment, where good and religious women can meet and get to know each other. They will thus have a chance to strengthen their resolve to live in accordance with Islamic teaching, resisting all influences that try to tempt them away from it.
The Hadith that says, “Do not deprive women from having their share in mosques,” lays down an important rule. While a woman’s attendance at the mosque may be permissible in certain situations, rising to the rank of what is encouraged or even a duty in others, it is not permissible for a woman’s husband or father to prevent her from such attendance. Their guardianship of women does not extend to that. On the contrary, they should encourage them to do so. Let men remember the Prophet’s instructions: “If I forbid you something, you must refrain from it.”
It is unfortunate indeed that we see such prevention happening at both the individual and society level. Women have been prevented by society from attending mosques over many centuries. This was a first step of discarding the Prophet’s teachings, negating the role of Muslim women in all social activities: worship, education, jihad and entertainment. During the Prophet’s lifetime, women admirably fulfilled that role. In later generation, they gradually lost it until they became confined within the walls of their parents’ or husbands’ homes. This move, away from the Prophet’s Sunnah, has led to a steady weakening of the Muslim woman’s personality. As generations passed, the gulf between her personality and that of her counterpart during the Prophet’s lifetime has greatly widened, giving her a distorted image of a weak mind, lax morality and narrow mindedness.
