are they not allowed to be there ?? in canada, anybody can go into the mosque.
women are allowed in mosque’s only if they pray behind the men or in a different section.
You see women are seen to be a distraction and as such should not be infornt of the man or in his sight when he bows for he may have impure thoughts.
The mosque i goto allows women but most women chose to pary at home with a family congration.
Anyway i hope that answered your question..
Thanks
You see, one weakness of the ummah is that cultural practices are sometimes confused for religion.
Islam allows women to go to the mosque but perhaps some of the cultural restrictions placed on women are still lingering at the Pakistani mosque that u are referring to.
also in hindu and islamic funerals
the women stay at home while the body
is taken to burial ground unlike the christianity widow accompany the body
and to the cementry.
Islam does not allow women to go with the funeral....
but they r allowed to pray in mosques....
however it is preferred that they pray at home, cuz its easier for them....
but if they wish to pray in mosques, they r and shud be allowed....
especially women in pakistan miss the Jumah and Eid prayers which they MUST pray....
should there be women mullah or is it against
the religious law?
[quote]
Originally posted by armughal:
Islam does not allow women to go with the funeral....
but they r allowed to pray in mosques....
however it is preferred that they pray at home, cuz its easier for them....
but if they wish to pray in mosques, they r and shud be allowed....
especially women in pakistan miss the Jumah and Eid prayers which they MUST pray....
[/quote]
Brother, I shall appreciate a reference when you say women MUST pray Jumah and Eid. I have read that women are prefered to pray at home, but your assertion is new to me.
Rabbeshrah lee sadree; wa yassirlee amree; yafqahoo qaulee.
[quote]
Originally posted by rvikz:
should there be women mullah or is it against
the religious law?
[/quote]
The word mullah is a misuse and is used in a derogatory fashion. The correct word is Imam.
A woman can act as an imam to lead women. Women are not allowed to stand in front of men. The reason is not discrimination.
Rabbeshrah lee sadree; wa yassirlee amree; yafqahoo qaulee.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by rvikz: *
should there be women mullah or is it against
the religious law?
[/QUOTE]
I believe there can be.
I think Muslim women are blessed. Its obvious that they are cherished.
Especially, if a man fears to see a woman while he is praying, because he may get distracted.
And if a woman must walk behind, and not because of disrespect, but because she may cause her husband to forget his prayers, then must be a sign that he practises great restraint.
the answer to your ? , allupinmygrill: Women are most definitely allowed and encouraged to read in the mosque. Never ever did the prophet ordered to all women, "please exit the masjid and read in your homes instead". Hmph. If he had, I dont think I'd be a muslim.
As to being PREFERRED for a woman to pray at home, well that is debatable, since there is a theory that this is a bogus claim. The particular incident that sexist scholars have used to keep women out of masjids and esp to keep them away from INVOLVEMENT in the masjid (quite different from just praying in the building), is the incident on an elderly woman asking to be excused from prayers since she wasn't feeling well. As a consolary comment, the Prophet said that it was quite alright and its better if SHE reads at home anyway. Most scholars have interpreted this to mean that ALL WOMEN SHOULD read at home, but are not prohibited from the mosque, which in effect is telling women the better place to read is their home...which would be bogus, because a prayer is accepted no matter where its offered as long as the place is clean.
Thus, I'm with the minority interpretation of the hadith which says that women are indeed not prohibited from reading in the mosque and ENCOURAGED to pray IN the mosque. Of course, the days of your period would be an exception, although there is a terrific argument that prayers are not haraam when offered during the period.
As to Pakistan...look at all their anti-woman behavior and laws like the Hudood Ordinance (has its positives, but is regulated in an UnIslamic Fashion, rendering harm to women)...do you really need me to tell you why women are not allowed, or at least not encouraged to read in masjids in Pakistan?
However, some mosques in Karachi do have sections for women, although some mosques completely and officially bar women from entering. I'm not familiar with other areas in Pakistan, although my girl-friends have been to Shah Faisal.
as far as i know, it is preferred for a women to pray at home than in mosque, they can offer their prayer in mosque only if there is a seperate arrangement for them... but its better to pray at home.
and as FactFinder said, a women can act as an imam to lead women. I've never heard/ read anything like this before, a woman can not act as an imam, if a woman performs her prayer at the mosque then she should be lead by the imam of the mosque (i.e a man).
[quote]
especially women in pakistan miss the Jumah and Eid prayers which they MUST pray....
[/quote]
Brother, the Jumah and Eid prayers are not MUST for women.
I don't think it is a matter of preferred or encouraged. In my view, women are allowed to do it either way, whereas men, muslim men i.e., are almost required to pray in the mosque with jamaat unless they have a good excuse.
For women, the reason its upto their own will, whether they wish to go to the mosque or pray at home, is because in some typical cases, women tend to young babies, and these babies can cause distraction for other namazis, during namaz. It is for this reason, that a women can chose whether she wants to go to mosque or not. There is not compulsion on her, not for regular prayers and nor for Eid or Jummah. If someone says that a woman MUST pray Eid and Jummah in the mosque, then either they are completely wrong or they should bring forth credible evidence to back up this statement.
In Pakistan, most women chose not to go to the mosque for regular prayers. Although I have seen many women, including my mother, who attend taraweeh regularly in the mosque. In the mosque which is close to our home in Lahore, there is a separate section for women to pray, which is almost always over-crowded with women, during Jummah and Eid ki namaz.
So while I agree, that a large number of women in Pakistan may not be praying in the mosque, but there are still quite a few who go to the mosque for prayers. I think the case is similar in US or Canada, except ofcourse here the mosques are also cultural centers for the muslim community, which is not the case in Pakistan. Hence we see more women going to the mosque here, as it also serves as a get-together place for muslims.
agreed - women have baggage whereas men dont, but what about us single working women or single female students or plain single women who
- dont have babies
- aren't in the time of our period
- are not sick in any way or physically disabled
Are then we women not required to attend prayers at the mosque?
I personally feel it a requirement in my case to go to jummah because I've got absolutely no reason NOT to go.
No. There is no REQUIREMENT, as far as I know.
If you want to go, or you feel you MUST go, then you are most welcome to go to a mosque as much as you want. But you can not declare it a REQUIREMENT for all muslim women, whether they are single or married, with babies or without babies.
As I said, according to my knowledge its optional for them. They can go as much or as little as they chose. They are not even REQUIRED to go to a mosque for Eid or Jummah, let alone the other five prayers. Even if the mosque has no separate arrangements (separate section) for women, muslim women are allowed to pray in the end section of the mosque behind the rows of men. A woman can not lead the prayers. The "sawaab" of praying in "jamaat" is higher than praying alone.
[quote]
The "sawaab" of praying in "jamaat" is higher than praying alone.
[/quote]
Faisal, are u sure that is for women?
asalamu al`ykum, it might be wiser not to debate this topic based on opinions !! Here are some of the related references some might be interested in …
the correct ruling << IMO>> is as stated above .. its permitted to pray in the mosque, however its preferred to pray at home .. this again is a leeway for muslimahs .. because, it not being obligatory on them to attend any prayers with jamaa`h
Related references …,
From ’Amrah Bint ’Abdur-Rahmaan (radiyallaahu ’anhu) that she heard ’Aa‘ishah (radiyallaahu ’anhu) the wife of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) saying, “If the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) saw what was innovated (ahdatha) by the women, he would have forbidden them (li man’a hunnaa) from the Mosque like the women of the Children of Israa’eel were forbidden.” He said, “So I said to ’Amrah, 'Were the women of the Children of Israa’eel forbidden from the Mosque?” She said, “Yes.”
(Muwatta of Malik)
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A woman’s prayer in her room is better than her prayer in her courtyard, and her prayer in her cabinet is better than her prayer in her room.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 570; al-Tirmidhi, 1173.
It was narrated that Umm Humayd the wife of Abu Humayd al-Saa’idi came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, I like to pray with you.” He said, “I know that you like to pray with me, but your prayer in your room is better for you than your prayer in your courtyard and your prayer in your courtyard is better for you than your praying in your house, and your prayer in your house is better for you than your prayer in the mosque of your people, and your prayer in the mosque of your people is better for you than your prayer in my mosque.” So she issued orders that a prayer-place be prepared for her in the furthest and darkest part of her house, and she used to pray there until she met Allaah (i.e., died).”
(Narrated by Ahmad, 26550).
From Zaynab ath-Thaqafiyyah (radiyallaahu ’anhu) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said to us: ‘If one of you attends the Mosque, then do not touch perfume.’
[Mukhtasar Saheeh Muslim of Shaykh al-Albaanee (no. 245)]
“If one of your women seek permission to go to the Mosque, then do not forbid her.”
[Reported by Ibn ’Umar (radiyallaahu ’anhu)] [Related by al-Bukhaaree, Muslim, Ahmad, and Nisaa‘ee]
If one of you attends ’Ishaa, then do not touch perfume."
[Reported by Zaynab at- Thaqafiyyah] [Related by Muslim, Ahmad And Nisaa‘ee]
Note that the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) used the word ’Ishaa here. This is because the women in that time usually only attended the Mosque at night and in the dark as is reported from ’Umar(radiyallaahu ’andhu) in Saheehul-Bukhaaree under the chapter of letting the women go to the Mosque at night in the dark. Imaam al-Bukhaaree purposely used the word dark (ghalas) here, This was because the women were not seen by them men during the dark, and they used to leave before the men. They used to come and go from the Mosque according to ’Aa‘ishah in one narration, “unnoticed”.
Jazak’Allah brother Talha :k:
how come everyone seems to agree that women praying in front of men will be distracting (to the men presumably) but men praying in front of women won't distract the women?
balram, i've wondered that myself, but the more I see and observe, the more I realize that we women are much better able to control ourselves than men.
I know it sounds sexist, but hey, its what I see.