Khutbah Series:
Gender IssuesDr. Mohammad Omar Farooq
[This series of Khutbah was delivered during 1993 at the Islamic Center of Iowa City, Iowa. For brevity, the customary invocations toward the beginning and the end of the Khutbahs have been omitted.]
Intro Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII
III. Women's participation in the Mosque
"Allah has promised to believers, men and women, Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in Gardens of everlasting bliss. But the greatest bliss is the good please of Allah: that is the supreme felicity." [9/at-Tauba/71-72]
I. General ObservationsIn the last Khutbah, contributions of Muslim women in the earliest period of this Ummah were discussed. Throughout the period of Khilafat-e-Rashida their contributions continued. Even in the post-Rashidah period, the role continued, but gradually it changed. This part will be covered in another Khutbah, insha'Allah.
As we discuss these issues, it is important to keep in perspective that there are clear guidance for men AND women regarding how to interact in a social environment and how to dress. These aspects will be covered in another Khutbah, insha'Allah. But whatever is being presented here is in the context of that guidance about mutual interaction.
In this Khutbah, referring to our historical experience, we continue to develop the topic on women's participation in Islam, especially during our earliest era.
II. Inconsistencies and Anomalies: ExamplesWe have already established the fact that Muslim women participated in the broader life, even at the highest level of combat field. They served as nurses, as teachers, as narrators of hadith, as jurisprudents (faqiha).
Yet, in our contemporary time, we observe that many among those who claim to have religious knowledge and expertise in Islam, and also those who are traditionally committed to Islam emphatically argue to domestication of women. [I deliberately use the word, domestication.] In no case, the traditional attitude is more clear than the attitude toward women's participation in Masjid. As if, it is critical for the purity and sanctity of Masjids that women rather not come to the masjid. Why is this anomaly? Let's consider some cases in point.
Case I: Chapter titles in Abu Daud [similar titles are present in other collection]
-- Chapter 880: Women may fight in the path of Allah [Umm Sulaim's participation in combat]
-- Chapter 858: Excellence of fighting in the Sea [Umm Haram, sister of Umm Sulaim, who sought directly from the Prophet the honor of participating in the first sea battle of the Ummah and was martyred during the Khilafat of Uthman (r)]
Now compare the two above with the following:
-- Chapter 204: On STRICT prohibition of women from attending prayer in the Masjid.
First, compare the titles. Anomalies are obvious. While women can participate in the battles and there is even excellence in battles on the sea front, there is strict prohibition about participating in prayers in Masjid. Does it make sense at all? Well, these titles have nothing to do with Islam. Rather, these titles are given by the collector and reflect his own preferences in wording these titles.
Secondly, the chapter on women's participation in masjid contains one hadith and two statements from two prominent sahaba.
-- Aishah (r) said: If the Prophet had seen what women have invented, he would have prevented them from visiting the mosque (for praying), as the women of the children of Israel were prevented. [Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol. I, # 569] -- This is not a hadith in the sense of a prophetic statement. This is conjectural statement from a great Sahabah. More importantly, there is absolutely no historical corroboration available as to what women have invented that would make their participation in Masjid a negative influence, when Masjid is supposed to be source of purification for the members of the society..
-- Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: the Prophet (s) said: It is more excellent for a woman to pray in her house than in her courtyard, and more excellent for her to pray in her private chamber than in her house. [Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol. I, #570]
In contrast ...
-- When A'tikah, wife of Hadhrat Umar (r) used to ask Umar for permission to go to the mosque (for congregational prayer), he used to keep silence. A'tikah would say: By Allah, I will go unless you prohibit me. And he would not prohibit. [Muat-ta of Imam Malik, #460]
-- Ibn Umar reported: the Prophet (s) said: Do not prevent women from going to the mosque when they seek your permission. Bilal b. Abdullah said: By Allah, we shall certainly prevent them. On this Ibn Umar (r) turned towards him and reprimanded him [in another version, thumped the speaker's chest] so harshly as I have never hear him do before. Abdullah ibn Umar (r) said: I am narrating to you that which comes from the Prophet (s) and you (dare) say: By Allah we shall certainly prevent them. [Sahih Muslim, Vol. I, #885]
III. Women and Masjid at the time of the Prophet (s)
Yes, there are etiquettes of participating in Masjid for men and women. But participation of men in congregational prayers and Masjid activities are mandatory for men in general, while women are merely exempt. However, the first generation of Muslim women understood the Islamic guidance as categorically emphasizing a Masjid-bound life. It is also noteworthy that they were usually very conscious and outspoken about their rights, and they probably understood that to protect their rights and status, they can't be aloof from the Masjid, which is the focal point of the Islamic way of life. Be absent from the Masjid, and you would be marginalized in such a society! Let's have a brief survey about women's participation in the Masjid.
-- Women's participation in the Masjid/prayers:
Anas Bin Malik: I never prayed behind any Imam a prayer lighter and more perfect than that behind the Prophet and he used to cut short the prayer whenever he heard the cries of a child lest he should put the child's mother to trial. [Sahih al-Bukhari: Vol. 1, #676]
-- Women used to live in the Masjid!
Aisha narrated: A (previously mistreated) but freed slave girl came to Rasulullah and embraced Islam. She had a tent or a small room with a low roof in the mosque.. . [Sahih al-Bukhari: Vol. 1, #430]
-- Women used to clean Masjid
Abu Hurairah: "A man or a woman used to clean the mosque." (most probably a woman according to a sub-narrator). According to another hadith, the Prophet offered her funeral prayer at her grave. [Sahih al-Bukhari: Vol. 1, #450]
-- Women's attachment to the Masjid (one wife of the Prophet had so much attachment)
Anas: Once Rasulullah came to the Mosque, he noticed a rope strung between two columns. He inquired as to why that rope was so fastened between two columns. The Companions said: Hazrat Zainab had tied this rope only to take rest when tired in the course of her prayers. Rasulullah said: "Untie it. You should pray so long as you feel pleasant. When you feel tired you should go to rest." [Bukhari and Muslim as reported in Riyadus Saleheen, Vol. I, #146].
-- Women's participation in Jum'a prayer (a women memorizes one whole sura just by regularly attending Jum'a prayer)
Umm Hisham narrated: "... I learnt surah al-Qahf, By the Glorious Qur'an, from no other source than the tongue of Rasulullah (s) who used to recite it every Friday on the pulpit ..." [Sahih Muslim, Vol. I, #1894]
-- Women had programs and activities in the masjid.
Asma bint Yazid (r): Rasulullah (once) passed through the mosque, when a group of women was seated in the Masjid, he made a sign of greeting to them by raising his hand. [Sunan Abu Dawood and Sunan at-Tirmizi as reported in Riyadus Saleheen, #865]
IV. Conclusion:Even though it is unanimously agreed that women are not required to participate in Jum'ah prayer and even though I have not yet explained the importance of Muslim women's participation in Jum'ah, I offer invitation to Muslim sisters to start participating in Jum'ah prayer, not merely to listen to any khutbah selectively, but to come to Jum'ah on a regular basis as part of their regular Islamic routine. This invitation is not in any official capacity or on behalf of any Masjid committee, but as a father to my daughter and daughters of others, as a husband to my wife and wives of others, as a brother to my own sisters and to all other sisters in Islam, and even as a son to my mother and mothers of others, I must invite them all to build a masjid-oriented life. Of course, men have to be facilitators of women's participation and also they have to share responsibilities at home to facilitate as such.
Muslim women's life is masjid-bound as much as the life of men. How do we then explain those hadith that says that it is better for women to pray at home, or even in the remotest corner of the home, or that women's masjid orientation might be a source of Fitna?
That will be the topic of a future khutbah in future.
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