WOMEN JOINING THE CONGREGATIONAL SALAAH IN A MASJID

By: SHEIKH ABDUS-SAMAD ABDUL-KADER

(Sheikh Abdus-Samad Abdul-Kader, based in Lenasia, South Africa, is a prominent Islamic scholar and a radio/TV personality.  He is also an Arabic grammarian and teacher of the Arabic language whose published works are used extensively in madrasah and universities.  He has translated the first 10 parts of the Glorious Qur'an recently, using his unique two-color-coded system.)

Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur'an: "O Prophet! Why do you forbid (make Haraam) that which Allah has made lawful (Halaal) to you….." (66: 1). This verse states very clearly that what Allah Ta'aala makes lawful  (or unlawful), NOT EVEN THE RASOOL (S) HAS THE MANDAGE TO CHANGE!

Further the Almighty says: "O you have believed! Do not make unlawful (Haraam) the wholesome things which Allah has made lawful (Halaal) for you…" (5:87)

When pondering over the above two verses, we conclude that:

(i)                  Whatever Allah (SWT) has decreed as Halaal or Haraam, not even our beloved Nabi (S) had the authority to reverse;

(ii)                What Allah and His Rasool (S) ordain, NO believer- even if that person is a Khaleefah - has the right to change or contradict.

THE INJUNCTION OF SIYAAM (FASTING)

The Quran tells us: "O you who have believed! Siyaam (Fasting) has been prescribed for you as it had been prescribed upon those before you so that you may acquire Allah-consciousness (Taqwa)." (2:183). This verse is addressed to "O you who have believed!" - a Divine Command that applies to both male AND female adults!  Even the other rules regarding Siyaam, become binding upon BOTH  sexes!  We just CANNOT - arbitrarily and illogically - believe that FASTING IS COMPULSORY ON THE MALE ONLY AND THAT WOMEN ARE EXCLUDED FROM IT!  The answer is simple: in the Quranic terminology, we KNOW that "O you who have believed!" includes BOTH the Muslim AND  the Muslimah!

SALAATUL JUMU'AH

Regarding Salaatul Jumu'ah, Allah (SWT) commands: "O you who have believed! When the call (Azaan) is made for the Salaah of Jumu'ah, hasten to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off all transaction (and traffic).  That is best for you if you are aware." (62:9)

Using the same reason as we did regarding the verse about fasting, we conclude that the command and injunction regarding the Salaatul-Jumu'ah would most certainly and indisputably apply to women as well.  Allah has ordered, in the above verse, that-

(i)                  The believers should hasten to the remembrance of Allah

(ii)                They should leave off al transactions and traffic;

(iii)               It would be best for the believers.

If, as we are told by the priests, that the above verse does not apply to women, and that women may not go to the Friday congregational Salaah, then the women should also NOT LEAVE OFF TRANSACTIONS AND TRAFFIC.  In other words, they are permitted to keep open their shops and also indulge in all buying, selling, and keeping open their legal, medical practices, etc. during the time of the Jumu'ah Salaah.  BECAUSE VERSE (62:9) DOES NOT APPLY TO THEM.  Would this not be tantamount to DOUBLE STANDARDS?

Of course it is obvious that the injunctions regarding the attendance of congregational Salaah in the Masjid for women should NOT be applied so firmly, that is, in the same manner as one would apply it in the case of males.  There are personal reasons whereby they may be excused.  The bottom line, however, is that WE MAY NOT, WE DARE NOT, PREVENT THEM FROM ENTERING THE MASAAJID FOR THE PUROSE OF OFFEERING THE SALAAH!

• Bibi Ayesha (RA) narrates that women used to be present in the Masjid for the morning Salaat, which was performed very early so that when they (the women) returned home, it was still dark. (Bukhari, 8:13)

• Women with babies to suckle, also attended the mosque.  When our Nabi (S) heard a baby crying, he would shorten his prayer lest the mother should feel inconvenienced. (Bukhari, 10:65)

• One night Rasoolullah (S) was quite late in coming to lead the night prayers and everybody was waiting.  The Prophet (S) came after hearing Hazrat Umar (RA) call out: "The women and children are going to sleep." (Bukhari, 9:22)

• After completing the Salaat, our Nabi (S) used to wait a little, and did not rise until the women had left the mosque. (Bukhari, 10:152)

• Rasoolullah had given clear orders to the men NOT to stop women from going to the Masjid: "Do NOT prohibit the handmaids of Allah from going to the mosques of Allah." (Bukhari, 11:12)

• Yet another hadith records our Nabi as saying that if a woman wanted to go to the mosque at night, she should not be prohibited from doing so. (Bukhari, 10:162)

• Within the Masjid, the women worshippers were NOT separated from men by any screen or curtain, but they formed themselves into a line BEHIND the men. (Bukhari, 10:164)

• Women were enjoined to go to the place where prayers were said on the occasion of Eid (either the Eidgaah or the mosque).  Even MENSTRUATING  women were told to attend, though they would not participate in the Eid Salaat. (Bukhari, 13: 15, 20)

• Women formed themselves into back row, and the men retained their seats until the women went out of the mosque. (Muslim, 4: 28)

HAZRAT UMAR STOPPING WOMEN FROM GOING TO THE MOSQUE…

BECAUSE IT WAS UNSAFE AND THAT THEY WOULD BE MOLESTED

The story is often told by our "ulama" how, during the time of Hazrat Umar (RA), the Madeenah society had become dangerous and unsafe, and therefore he stopped the women from attending the Masjid.

This contention of the clergy is questionable and highly apocryphal.  Firstly: we know that Hazrat Abu Bakr was Khaleefah for 2 years and three months (i.e. 27 months). The Muslim Ummah was trained personally by the Noble Prophet (S). It was the era of the Wahiy (revelation of the Qur'an).  It was the Khairul Quroon (the best of times).  According to the "maulanas" story regarding Hazrat Umar, did  the Madeenah Ummah become so corrupt, dangerous and immoral that it became "dangerous" and "unsafe" for women to go to the Masjid to offer Salaah?

Some people would say that South Africa is one of the most crime-ridden countries; yet we find women, with their cloaks and niqab going around, taking their children to and fro, from school and home, and even managing their family businesses.  Nobody attacks them.  So does this mean that the South African environment is safer than that of the early days of the Madeenah era?  Allah forbid!  What an insult to the Noble Prophet (S) and the Khulafaa-e-Raashideen!!

Al-Balaagh Comment:  The conclusion from the above article is obvious: Allah allows, the mullah disallows.  Allah and His Prophet (S) say that the women must attend the mosque.  The mullah says that the women CANNOT attend the mosque.  Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an that there are 100 stripes as punishment for adulterers. The mullah says NO! The punishment for adulterers is "stoning to death" - never mind what Allah says! (Astaghfirullah!).  Therefore, O you mullah-oppressed members of the Ummah of Rasoolullah (S)! Make your choice: either accept the Shariah of Allah as enunciated in the Glorious Qur'an, OR kowtow and bow down obsequiously to the "Shariah" of the mullah (which "Shariah" the mullah derives from contradictory, absurd Ahadith that are totally at variance with Allah's Word).

En passant, in the "Shariah" of the mullah, the Command of Allah "O you who have believed!" does NOT (repeat NOT) include women.  This mullah-interpreted Order of Allah is for men only-thus establishing (in the "Shariah" of the mullah Divine discrimination!!

A VERY strange thing is that the mullah rants and raves that we MUST believe in every single Hadith; otherwise we will become "Kaafir".  Yet when the Ahadith permitting women to attend the Masjid are presented to him, he becomes distinctly uncomfortable, and his only response and self-defence is this: "You are not an Aalim, therefore you will not understand the true meanings of these Ahadith."  The conclusion from his answer is this: "The mullah is an "Aalim", therefore he and he alone has the "divine" right to reverse, reject and dismiss what Rasoolullah (S) has distinctly allowed!" YAA LAL-'AJAB!!

Courtesy:  AL-BALAAGH     VOL.29     NO.1     FEB/MARCH   2004