Me & The Mosque - Women in Islam (ritual, America)

[jamaesi]

Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. In North America, most converts to Islam are women, many of whom are drawn to the religion through their experiences of social injustice and political involvement.

Ironically many mosques force women to pray behind barriers away from the men, and some mosques do not even permit women to enter the building. When it comes to user-friendliness for women, Canadian mosques run the entire gamut.

In Me and the Mosque, journalist and filmmaker Zarqa Nawaz visits mosques throughout Canada and talks to scholars, colleagues, friends and neighbours about equal access for women. Discussions about the historical role of women in the Islamic faith, the current state of mosques in Canada and personal stories of anger, fear, acceptance and defiance punctuate the film. And Nawaz herself speaks of the spiritual longing that comes from belonging to an institution that doesn't want you.

With original animation, archival footage and deeply personal interviews, Me and the Mosque is a smart, self-aware and whimsical story that documents the debates and presents the personalities on all sides of the issue.


Part 1

Part 3

Part 6

(I'm sorry, but Parts 2, 4, and 5 don't seem to be on YouTube. I'm trying to find those clips elsewhere.)


This is a very important topic in our community that I hope we can have an interesting and informative discussion on.

And the video is just fun to watch, which makes learning even better.

[jamaesi]

In the time it took for this thread to (finally!) post, I found the whole video on Google Video, you can watch it here. It will take longer to load and is poorer quality than the ones on YouTube, though.

[TashaN]

Well, that's so interesting. I saw the first part in your first post to check whether i'll go on with the other parts or not.

I finished the first one and i decided to go on because it's an important issue nowadays in the west, and especially for you Maesi, but i didn't find the second part and your link in the second post is not working with me. Did you find it yet?

[AbuQuteiba]

It is, withoubt a doubt, haraam in Islam to keep women from entering mosques. But what most women seem to forget, for some odd reason, is that in Islam, it is better for a woman to pray in her own house, and not in the mosque. So i really don't know why women many woman make such a huge fuss about this issue. Okay, men in your country do not allow women to enter the mosque? They'll have to face Allah (SWT) sooner or later, right? Why not stay home, and do what's best? Allahul musta'aan.

[neves]

Originally Posted by champion

It is, withoubt a doubt, haraam in Islam to keep women from entering mosques. But what most women seem to forget, for some odd reason, is that in Islam, it is better for a woman to pray in her own house, and not in the mosque. So i really don't know why women many woman make such a huge fuss about this issue. Okay, men in your country do not allow women to enter the mosque? They'll have to face Allah (SWT) sooner or later, right? Why not stay home, and do what's best? Allahul musta'aan.

I completely agree with you... women don't have any obligation to go to the mosque... If I was a woman...ehem... I would be too lazy to go to the mosque since I get the same amount of reward praying at home...

[fullyveiled muslimah]

I think it is a travesty that women cannot go to the masjid in some places. Here in chicago it's not bad at all. Most masjid have a ladies area. There are a few though that don't and it makes me angry every time I think of it. Here in America many women do not have husbands, nor the luxury of being a housewife. So they have to work just like the men, and this makes it necessary for them to go to the masjid to pray, and to find refuge away from being surrounded by kufr. Maybe she is coming from work and it's maghrib. What vis she supposed to do, pray outside the masjid on the ground while the brothers get to pray comfortably? Maybe she does not have muslims around her and needs to come to the masjid for the sake of her iman. I think muslims forget that even though Islam has set rules, not all people fall into the same situation. We have to make due and follow Allah's law as best we can, given any situation. Even one's that aren't the ideal that Islam has set up.

I think men forget that we are also muslim and need just as much imani encouragement and environment as they do. Here in America we (women) are coming out of the same type of kufr environment the men are, yet we are expected to do everything according to the ideal even if our personal circumstances are not setup in a way that we can take advantage of it.

Believe it or not, there are women who have to come to the masjid because it is a matter of iman and kufr. Not every circumstance is so clear cut, and there was a hikmah in the Prophet saying that women should not be prohibited from the masjid.

[not4me]

Originally Posted by fullyveiled muslimah

Most masjid have a ladies area. There are a few though that don't and it makes me angry every time I think of it.

The point is why there should be a ladies area!!! A mosque is a mosque not a special place for men wether there is a separate area or room for women or not. I believe a mosque is a place where muslims should be raised up whether males or females, old or young. I also think that women should go to the mosque from time to time either to pray or to attend a tajweed lessons, lectures or khutba's or even to communicate with her muslim sisters. I can remember the first time i ever prayed al-fajr at a masjid, it was just amazing and i can't think of any thing else was more beautiful than this especially the imam's voice was sweet. Honestly i can't forget those moments and after it i said to myself how i missed all this beauty! Then, i kept going to pray al fajr, al 'isha and al mahgreb at our near masjid for some days and i 've noticed how praying at the mosque enhances my spirituality. Praying at the mosque was just as a short spiritual journey and wonderful one. After the prayer i feel that i was charged with a huge spiritual and faith charge. Moreover, i feel more khushu' in the mosque. I know that the kushu' and the spiritual charging can be said about any salah even in home but i don't know it was just different in the mosque. Being at the mosque just makes me comfortable. And when my father finds me lazy to go to pray al fajr in the masjid, he tells me the hadith of the prophet not to prohibit women from going to mosque, trying to encourage me to go. In addition, the mosque allowed me to know other muslims sisters and to communicate with them.

About the separate women areas and the barriers that the show was focusing on (i havent seen the entire show just clip #1 and a part of #3, i don't think the separation is that bad as praying in a separate ladies area allows me to be more comfortable, sometimes i take off my head scarf, laying down or sitting in a way i wouldn't do in front of men. Being with men restricts me. But i found that the special women place promotes the idea that women shouldn't go or pray at where men pray. "If there isn't a special women place, then go your home, no place for you to pray" while the whole masjid is there!!!! Or if a woman went there, she would be viewed as an alien being at the wrong place!! Once at a taraweeh prayer, the ladies area was full where there is a good space at "men's area", i suggested to go praying behind men, i found my sisters were hesitated to go there and wondering if this was okay. I told them of course, women were praying behind men without a barrier at the prophet's time (pbuh)!!!

The other point that bothers me that by default women should have a smaller area than men. For instance, at the college masjid, the ladies area is very small that make many girls don't find a place to pray at, so this leads them to leave the masjid to pray at another place which doesn't happen with my male colleagues. The females number may be larger than the males' in our college, so why is that??!!

Also, i was shocked to know that at some areas, women are not allowed to pray at the mosque. I believe this indicates that women don't have their full rights not only regarding the mosque issue but at other life aspects.

And i wonder what would happen if a woman corrected the imam during his talk like what happend with Umar ibn-il Khattab rAa??!

[fullyveiled muslimah]

I agree with having a seperate area in the masjid for women, for the reasons you mentioned. I think it's just fine as none of us have the taqwa that the prophet and sahabah had, that would make being together without it not a big deal. As long as the women area is not all crazy far away and secluded I'm fine with that. Like one masjid has a ladies section that isn't even connected to the masjid at all. I find that ridiculous. Other masajid I have been in had a ladies area seperated only by a very beautiful curtain and was very large. It is basically right where the men are, and we can hear all the talks, and yes the sisters have on many occasions corrected the male speaker without consequence.

I actually want the partition so I can be in the masjid and not have to worry about having to keep my veil on, or some weird brother looking at me. I want to read Quran and relax, and do my dhikr unobstructed, and undistracted by the presence of men. It also should be realized that men have been ordered to go to the masjid, and they are also seeking refuge from all things that disract them from their worship including us women. We are a big distraction to their concentration. We can say that "oh well they should have self control" but the reality is that we don't have the taqwa necessary to not pay any attention to one another. A sister in her proper hijab can be just as beautiful as a woman without it. Also it has been my expreinece that many women come to the masjid wearing clothes that are completely inappropriate for prayer or any worship. I am talking tight short skirts, halter tops and the whole nine yards, and these are the muslim ladies. So at least here in America I find it necessary to have such partitions, because muslims have interesting ideas about how much interaction between the sexes is okay, and how much is not okay.

[neves]

You sisters make some valid points…


If anyone restricts or closes your path to Allah…and we keep our hearths sincere and keep our aim patiently towards Allah… then surely Allah will open a new door for us… and when Allah does… who can keep it closed from us?


Here in Canada where I live… I am glad to say that ever mosque I been to… I believe about 9 plus … have had a section for the sisters to come and worship…