Mufti Usman Maravia
- National Director, British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA) Ethics Team
- Researcher, Lancaster University
- Alumnus of Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah (Bury) and Jamiatul Ilm Wal Huda (Blackburn)
May Allah accept the efforts of the team behind Vibrant Scottish Mosques and actualise their vision.
Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said ‘al-rijal shaqa’iq an-nisa’ which is essentially that men and women are equal before Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Al-Masjid al-Haram – the first ever masjid was built for all genders. Khalilullah Ibrahim عليه السلام built the Ka’ba, which was then managed by Hajar and her child Ismail عليهما السلام and later by the tribe of Quraysh. The purpose of the masjid was to enhance spirituality within an ever evolving community. As Islam spread further away from Mecca al-Mukarrama, more masajid were proactively built. These masajid relied on donations - the most precious of these being the gold and silver jewellery donated by women.
Al-Haramain a-sharifain was open to all – the du’a ‘Allahumm-aftah li abwaba rahmatik’ applies to all genders; ‘O Allah, open your gates of mercy for me’. Women had access to al-Masjid al-Nabawi, where they would bring their children. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم accommodated a private space for the women, not to exclude them, but to include and accommodate for their needs, so that they would be able to attend the masajid while also being mindful of the care of their children should they need to attend to the babies or suckle them. We know this because whilst the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم would leads prayer and he heard a baby cry, he would complete the salah sooner so as not to bring any discomfort to the mothers. Consideration for our mothers and sisters in the masjid is, therefore, a sunnah that must never be forgotten. The solution was never to not allow the women to the masjid, but to allow them with their considerations in mind.
The women had access to al-Sadiq al-Amin صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم who gave them a voice, he would listen to their marital concerns, their thoughts and their opinions on society and change, and even the hygeine of the masjid was managed by Umm Mihjan – an African lad woman. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم even paid a special visit to her grave to pay his respects for her services to the community.
For a woman to be heard or be allowed access to the masajid is not a privilage but a right; especially for women whose personal and family circumstances may be challenging. The engagement and contribution of these female companions of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم attest to their value for the masjid - as one that was fit-for-purpose. Our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters continue to donate to the masajid - but are our masajid fit-for-purpose? Have we listened to their concerns? Have we taken into account the situations in their lives? Concerns related to age or disability, pregnancy and maternity? The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said,
الذي ما معناه إن الله يحب إذا عمِل أحدُكم عملا أن يتقنَه
Meaning, ‘Allah loves to see His servants giving the best in everything they do’.
Are our masajid the best we can offer to our womenfolk and indeed to all genders in our community?
Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said ‘al-rijal shaqa’iq an-nisa’ which is essentially that men and women are equal before Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Al-Masjid al-Haram – the first ever masjid was built for all genders. Khalilullah Ibrahim عليه السلام built the Ka’ba, which was then managed by Hajar and her child Ismail عليهما السلام and later by the tribe of Quraysh. The purpose of the masjid was to enhance spirituality within an ever evolving community. As Islam spread further away from Mecca al-Mukarrama, more masajid were proactively built. These masajid relied on donations - the most precious of these being the gold and silver jewellery donated by women.
Al-Haramain a-sharifain was open to all – the du’a ‘Allahumm-aftah li abwaba rahmatik’ applies to all genders; ‘O Allah, open your gates of mercy for me’. Women had access to al-Masjid al-Nabawi, where they would bring their children. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم accommodated a private space for the women, not to exclude them, but to include and accommodate for their needs, so that they would be able to attend the masajid while also being mindful of the care of their children should they need to attend to the babies or suckle them. We know this because whilst the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم would leads prayer and he heard a baby cry, he would complete the salah sooner so as not to bring any discomfort to the mothers. Consideration for our mothers and sisters in the masjid is, therefore, a sunnah that must never be forgotten. The solution was never to not allow the women to the masjid, but to allow them with their considerations in mind.
The women had access to al-Sadiq al-Amin صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم who gave them a voice, he would listen to their marital concerns, their thoughts and their opinions on society and change, and even the hygeine of the masjid was managed by Umm Mihjan – an African lad woman. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم even paid a special visit to her grave to pay his respects for her services to the community.
For a woman to be heard or be allowed access to the masajid is not a privilage but a right; especially for women whose personal and family circumstances may be challenging. The engagement and contribution of these female companions of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم attest to their value for the masjid - as one that was fit-for-purpose. Our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters continue to donate to the masajid - but are our masajid fit-for-purpose? Have we listened to their concerns? Have we taken into account the situations in their lives? Concerns related to age or disability, pregnancy and maternity? The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said,
الذي ما معناه إن الله يحب إذا عمِل أحدُكم عملا أن يتقنَه
Meaning, ‘Allah loves to see His servants giving the best in everything they do’.
Are our masajid the best we can offer to our womenfolk and indeed to all genders in our community?