PRIMER

Why should I give a khutbah  

on making the masjid more  
inclusive to women?    
 
Research shows that women’s issues are among the most pressing when it comes to 
American Muslims and their mosque communities. The masjid, which functions as a 
religious center, but also as a center for civic participation and community 
development, should be accessible to all Muslims. Mosques are important because 
they are linked to more volunteerism, better mental health, and higher civic 
engagement. However, these important spaces sometimes alienate groups of 
people, including young people, women, and converts. A recent study by the 
Institute for Social Policy and Understanding shows that, on average, women and 
men attend the mosque at equal rates. What is more, among young Muslims 
between the ages of 18-29, 75% of women said religion is central to their lives, 
compared to 53% of men. At the same time, Muslim women report feeling 
unwelcome at mosques due to a lack of relevant programming, lack of women 
leadership, and inadequate physical spaces. Clearly, Muslim women are a large and 
important segment of the Muslim community whose needs should be addressed in 
the mosque.  
 
From an Islamic perspective, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬exemplified the treatment and 
inclusion toward women in community spaces like the masjid. In one hadith, the 
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said, “Do not prevent the female slaves of Allah from the houses of 
Allah.” This hadith can be understood to mean that our communities should not 
present obstacles to women being present and active in the mosque. Through 
countless examples of women leaders in Islamic history, it is clear that our tradition 
is one that values Muslim women and their contributions, and nurtures them to 
grow into leaders.   
 
Framing the topic  
 
● The responsibility to uphold the rights of men and women, the equal status of 
genders, and the command for believers—men and women—to support one 
another:  
○ The believing men and believing women are guardians of one another. 
They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer 
and give ​zakah ​and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those—Allah will 

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have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. 
[Qur’an 9:71] 
○ Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while a 
believer—We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely 
give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what 
they used to do. [Quran 16: 97] 
● The Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬changed the status of women: 
○ Through the impact of the Prophet Muhammad ‫’ﷺ‬s message, highly 
problematic cultural attitudes towards women that were widespread 
during the time later referred to as ‘the Age of Ignorance’ saw an 
extraordinary transformation. Islam’s acknowledgment of women’s 
equity in the societal, familial, and spiritual spheres was 
unprecedented at its time, and its demarcation of rights and 
obligations between men and women remains unmatched to this day. 
For example, some of the earliest verses revealed in the Qur’an 
prohibited customs like female infanticide.  
○ ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (rA) became the second Caliph of Islam and one of 
the most influential leaders in recorded history. His own view of women 
changed significantly under the Prophet ‫’ﷺ‬s gentle guidance after he 
embraced Islam. As he testifies in his own words: “In ​Jâhiliyya ​(the Age 
of Ignorance), we used to have no regard for women whatsoever. But 
when Islam came and Allah made mention of them, this caused us to 
realize that they have rights upon us…” To truly fulfill Islam’s mandate of 
justice and mercy, Umar’s realization of the proper status of women 
must continuously be revived in the hearts of all Muslims, at all places 
and times. 
● The current state of Muslim American women after the most recent 
presidential election:  
○ Nearly one in five (19%) Muslim women say they have stress and anxiety 
enough to believe they need the help of a mental health professional as 
a result of the 2016 elections, compared with 9% of Muslim men. 
○ Muslim women are more likely than Muslim men to report 
experiencing religious discrimination in the last year (68% vs. 55%). 
○ Muslim women are more likely than Muslim men to fear for their safety 
from white supremacist groups (47% vs. 31%). 
○ Despite this deficit in security and greater likelihood for experienced 
religious-based discrimination, Muslim women are no more likely than 
Muslim men to change their appearance to be less identifiable as a 
Muslim (16% vs. 15%). Instead of hiding, Muslim women responded to a 
Trump win with greater giving. Nearly 30% of Muslim women vs. 19% of 
Muslim men have increased their donations to an organization 
associated with their faith community. 

 
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● The danger of driving people away from the masjid and the importance of 
creating a welcoming space: 
○ Abu  Mas’ud  al-Ansari  reports  that  a  man  came  to  the  Messenger  of 
Allah  ‫ﷺ‬  and  said,  “I  do  in  fact  delay  coming  to  the  morning  prayer 
because  of  so-and-so,  due  to  how  long  he  makes  [us  stand].”  I  never 
saw  the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ angrier in his admonition than he was that day; he 
said,  “O  people, among you are those who chase people away! Whoever 
of  you  leads  the  people,  let  them  be  brief,  for  behind  him is the elderly, 
the  weak,  and  those  pressed  by  need.”  (Sahih  al-Bukhari  and  Sahih 
Muslim) 
○ Regarding  the  history  of  the  Ka'bah,  'Aisha  (rA)  asked  the  Prophet  ‫ﷺ‬, 
"What  about  the  door?  Why  did  they  make  it  so  high?"  He  said,  "Your 
people  (​Quraysh​)  did  that  so  they  could  let  in  whomever  they  wanted 
and  keep  out  whomever  they  wanted.  If  it  were  not  for  the  fact  that 
your  people  are  still  new  [to  Islam]  and  too  recently  departed  from 
jahiliyya​,  I  would  have  [demolished  the  Ka'bah]  and  incorporated  the 
[far]  wall  into  the  House,  and  would  bring  the  door  down  to  ground 
level." (Sahih Muslim) 
○ Even  the  Prophet  ‫ﷺ‬  himself  was  commanded  to  consult  the 
companions  in  matters,  not  because  he  needed  to,  but  in  order  to 
include  them  in  decision-making  processes  and  the  development  of 
the  community.  The  Prophet’s example teaches us to take seriously the 
opinions  and  concerns  of  those  in  the congregation. “So by mercy from 
Allah,  [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been 
rude  [in  speech]  and  harsh  in  heart,  they  would  have  disbanded  from 
about  you.  So  pardon  them  and  ask  forgiveness  for  them  and  consult 
them  in  the  matter.  And  when  you  have  decided,  then  rely  upon Allah. 
Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. [3:159]”  

 
How can we make our mosques more inclusive towards women?   
 
Rooted in our religion, there are ways to make the masjid more welcoming and 
inclusive for women, including: relevant programming, caring and accessible 
leadership, and adequate physical space. All of these contribute to an overall 
community culture that sees women as an integral part of the masjid.  
 
1. Women’s leadership and relevant programming 
a. When women are included in the decision-making and programming 
body of the masjid, it is more likely that women’s concerns will be heard 
and addressed. Also, when women see themselves reflected in ​masjid 
leadership, they will feel more welcome and valued in the ​masjid​. In 

 
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one testimonial, a Muslim woman said, “When I see women on the 

board, I automatically feel the mosque is more open to women.” 
b. Examples from the Sunnah:  
i. In the earliest days of Islam, women would feel free to speak up 
on their own behalf, and their voices would be heard. One 
chapter of the Qur’an begins by mentioning the plaintive 
entreaties of Khuwayla bint Tha’labah to the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, 
testifying: ‘Surely, Allah has heard the speech of the woman who 
argues with you [O Muhammad] concerning her husband and 
directing her complaint to Allah. And Allah hears your dialogue; 
indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing’ [Qur’an 58:1].  
ii. Not only was the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬sensitive to women’s troubles, but 
he also took heed of their advice. Following the Truce of 
Hudaybiya, a number of Muslims felt chagrined at some of the 
conditions of the truce, which they perceived as unfair. When the 
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬ordered them to sacrifice the animals they had 
brought for that purpose and to shave their heads, they initially 
did not heed his order, no matter what he told them. Upon 
noting the seriousness of the situation, Um Salamah, one of his 
venerable wives, advised the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬not to say anything 
more, but rather to simply to shave his own head and offer his 
own sacrifice. As she had predicted, the Companions quickly fell 
in line and followed suit, and any escalation was averted due to 
her wise counsel. 
iii. This respect and acknowledgment of women was something 
that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬taught the rest of his companions as well. 
Coming back to Umar ibn al-Khattab’s shifting perspective: 
during his caliphate, he appointed two different women, Samra 
b. Nuhayk and Shifa b. Abdullah, to fulfill the role of market 
supervisors. They would patrol the markets to ensure that fair 
business practices were being carried out, and proper Islamic 
behavior was maintained. 
 
2. Caring and Accessible Leadership 
a. When a male scholar comes to visit, how often do men in the 
community have special and informal access to him? With our local 
community imams, how much easier is it for brothers to approach an 
Imam who knows their name and has an informal relationship with 
them? Creating spaces and opportunities for women to have access to 
scholars and imams within the boundaries of what is deemed 
appropriate by the Shari’ah is important in their spiritual growth.  
b. Examples from the Sunnah:  

 
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i. The  role  of  women  in  propagating  Islam  has  always  been  an 
integral  part  of  the  faith.  The  Prophet  ‫ﷺ‬  himself  exemplified 
this  in  his  encouraging  attitude  towards  women’s  learning.  One 
companion  recounts  an  instance  in  which a woman came to the 
Prophet  ‫ﷺ‬,  saying:  “‘O  Messenger  of  Allah,  the  men went away 
with  [the  privilege  of]  hearing  from  you, so dedicate for us one of 
your  days  so  that  we  may  come  to  you,  and  you  can  teach  us 
from  what  Allah  taught  you.’  The  Prophet  ‫ﷺ‬  said,  ‘Gather  [the 
women]  on  such-and-such  day  in  such-and-such  place.’  So  they 
gathered,  and  he  came  to  them,  and  taught  them  of  what  Allah 
taught  him.”  His  consideration  of  women’s  desire  to  learn, 
specifically  making  the  effort  to  welcome women into a safe and 
private  group  environment  where  they  could  ask  questions  at 
their  ease,  is  especially  noteworthy,  considering  the  current 
context  in  which  women’s  access  to  Muslim  scholars  is,  for  the 
most part, limited. 
ii. Women  would  approach  the  Prophet  (‫)ﷺ‬  at  home,  to  ask  him 
questions  that  required  privacy—once  on  menstrual  bleeding, 
once  on  domestic  violence,  once  on  the  stinginess  of  the 
husband, etc.  
iii. There  is  a  story  from  the  time  of  ‘Umar  ibn  al-Khattab  that  he 
had  intended  to  try  to  limit  the  excesses  concerning  the  dower 
that  is  paid  to  women  upon  marriage.  The  story  states  that after 
‘Umar  ibn  al-Khattab had made such a plea from the minbar and 
stated  that  if  anyone  pays more as dower than what the Prophet 
(peace  be  upon  him)  used  to  pay,  he  would  put  that  excess 
amount  in  the  Public  Treasury.  A woman from the Quraish came 
to  him  and  said,  “O  commander  of  the Faithful, does the Book of 
Allah  have  more  right  to  be  followed or your statement? He said, 
“The  Book  of  Allah.”  So  she  then  told  him,  “You  have  just 
prohibited  the  people  from  giving  an  excessive  amount  for 
dower  but  Allah  has  stated  in  His  Book,  “And  if  you  have  given 
them  a  great  amount  of  gold as dower, take not the least bit of it 
back.'”  [4:20]  And  then  ‘Umar  said  two  or  three  times,  “The 
Woman  is  correct  and  ‘Umar  is  mistaken.”  Then  he  got  back  on 
the  minbar  and  said,  “O  people,  I  used  to  forbid  you  from  being 
excessive  with  respect  to  the  dower of women. Verily a man may 
do whatever he sees fit with his wealth.”  
 
3. Physical Space 
a. Oftentimes, the masjid is unwelcoming to women simply because it 
does not provide them with an adequate space to pray. Some mosques 
have no women’s section, while others have sections that are not clean, 

 
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large, or accessible enough. In one testimonial, a Muslim woman said, “I 

hate the fact that I can’t see the speaker from the balcony.” 
b. Examples from the Sunnah: 
i. “The masjid of Prophet Muhammad and the masjids during the 
time of the Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs did not have a barrier 
separating men and women. Men prayed in the front lines, 
children in the middle, and women behind the children. All the 
schools of Islamic Law, Sunni and Shi’ah, agree on this point. So 
why should we adopt any other ideal? When women are in the 
main musalla, they are naturally more attentive, more engaged 
and thus better able to fulfill their function as awliya’—supporters 
and contributors to establishing the Muslim community.”1 
ii. “The active presence of women in the masjid during the time of 
the Prophet Muhammad is shown in numerous hadith. Hadith 
confirm that in the Prophet’s masjid women prayed salah 
regularly, attended Jum’ah Prayer, made optional prayer 
(nawafil), and met in the masjid. The Prophet demonstrated the 
welcoming nature of his masjid, for example, by shortening 
prayers when children started crying.”2 
 
Additional Resources  
 
1. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/en/maryam-al-dabbagh/we-used-to-have-no-regar
d-for-women-gender-equity-the-advent-of-islam/ 
 
2. Diwan, Jamal. “Gems from the Messenger of Allah.” Virtual Mosque. September 
2010. h​ttp://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/ 
prophet-muhammad/gems-from-the-messenger-of-allah 
 
3. Gallup. “Muslim Americans: Faith, Freedom and the Future.” August 2011. 
 
4. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU). “Reimagining Muslim 
Spaces: Creating a Welcoming, Inclusive, Dynamic Mosque.” February 2016. 
 
5. Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU). “American Muslim Poll: 
Participation, Priorities and Facing Prejudice in the 2016 Elections.” March 2016. 
 
6. Pew Research Center. “Muslim Americans: No Signs of Growth in Alienation or 
Support for Extremism.” August 30, 2011. 
 
7. Pew Research Center. “America’s Changing Religious Landscape.” May 12, 2015. 
 

1
https://isgh.org/2016/05/isna-statement-on-the-inclusion-of-women-in-mosques/
2
https://isgh.org/2016/05/isna-statement-on-the-inclusion-of-women-in-mosques/
 
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8. Pew Research Center. “Millennials: A Portrait of a Generation.” February 2010. 

 
9. Riyad us-Saliheen. https://sunnah.com/riyadussaliheen/6 
 
10. “Unmosqued: A Documentary Film about Immigrant Founded Mosques in 
America.” 2014. http://www.unmosquedfilm.com 
 

 
7 
 KHUTBAH  
Women’s Inclusivity 
And  who  are  more  unjust  than  those  who  prevent  the name of Allah from being 
mentioned in His mosques? ​[al-Baqarah 2: 114] 
ْ ‫اﷲ َأن ﯾُ ْﺬ َﻛ َﺮ ِﻓﯿﻬَﺎ‬
 ‫اﺳ ُﻤُﻪ‬ ِ‫ﺎﺟَﺪ ﱠ‬ َْ َ
ِ ‫َو َﻣ ْﻦ أﻇﻠُﻢ ِﻣ ﱠﻤﻦ ﱠﻣﻨَ َﻊ َﻣ َﺴ‬
 
Abu  Mas’ud  al-Ansari  (rA)  reports  that  a  man  came  to  the  Messenger  of  Allah  (‫)ﷺ‬ 
and  said,  “I  do  in  fact  delay coming to the morning prayer because of so-and-so, due 
to  how  long  he  makes  [us  stand].”  I  never  saw  the  Prophet  (‫)ﷺ‬  angrier  in  his 
admonition  than  he  was  that  day;  he  said,  “​O  people,  among  you  are  those  who 
chase  people  away​!  Whoever  of  you  leads  the  people,  let  them  be  brief,  for 
behind  him  is  the  elderly,  the  weak,  and  those  pressed  by  need.”  (Sahih 
al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) 
 
 ،‫ ِﺑﻨَﺎ‬ ‫ﯿﻞ‬ ُ ‫ُﻄ‬ ِ ‫ﯾ‬ ‫ ِﻣ ﱠﻤﺎ‬ ‫ﻼ ٍن‬ َ ُ‫ﻓ‬ ‫َأ ْﺟﻞ‬ ‫ ِﻣ ْﻦ‬ ،‫اﻟﻐَﺪا ِة‬ َ  ‫ﻼ ِة‬ َ‫ﺻ‬ َ  ‫ َﻋ ْﻦ‬ ‫ﻷﺗََﺄ ﱠﺧ ُﺮ‬ََ  ‫إﻧﱢﻲ‬ :‫ﺎل‬ َ ََ ‫ﱠ‬ َ ُ ‫ َ ﱠ‬ ‫اﻟﻨﱠﺒ ﱠﻲ‬ ‫ َر ُﺟ ٌﻞ‬ ‫َأﺗَﻰ‬ :‫ﺎل‬ َ َ‫ ﻗ‬ ،‫ َﻋﻨُْﻪ‬ ‫اﷲ‬ ُ‫ ﱠ‬ ‫ﺿ َﻲ‬ ٍ ‫ َﻣ ْﺴ ُﻌ‬ ‫َأ ِﺑﻲ‬ ‫َﻋ ْﻦ‬
ِ ِ ‫ﻓﻘ‬ ‫ َو َﺳﻠَﻢ‬ ‫ َﻋﻠﯿِْﻪ‬ ‫اﷲ‬ ‫ﺻﻠﻰ‬ ِ ِ ‫ َر‬ ‫ﻮد‬
 ‫ َﻣﺎ‬ ‫ﻓََﺄﯾﱡ ُﻜ ْﻢ‬ ،‫ﯾﻦ‬ َ ‫ ُﻣﻨَﻔﱢ ِﺮ‬ ‫ ِﻣﻨْ ُﻜ ْﻢ‬ ‫ِإ ﱠن‬ ،‫ﺎس‬ُ ‫اﻟﻨﱠ‬ ‫َأﯾﱡﻬَﺎ‬ ‫​»ﯾَﺎ‬ :‫ﺎل‬ َ ‫ﻓََﻘ‬ :‫ﺎل‬َ َ‫ﻗ‬ ،‫ﯾ َْﻮ َﻣﺌٍِﺬ‬ ‫ ِﻣﻨُْﻪ‬ ‫ َﻣ ْﻮ ِﻋ َﻈٍﺔ‬ ‫ﻓِﻲ‬ ‫ﻀﺒًﺎ‬ َ ‫ َﻏ‬ ‫َأ َﺷﱠﺪ‬ ‫ﻗَ ﱡﻂ‬ ‫ َو َﺳﱠﻠَﻢ‬ ‫ َﻋَﻠﯿِْﻪ‬ ‫اﷲ‬ ُ  ‫ﺻﱠﻠﻰ‬ َ  ‫اﷲ‬ ِ‫ ﱠ‬ ‫ﻮل‬ َ ‫ َر ُﺳ‬ ‫ْﺖ‬ ُ ‫ َرَأﯾ‬ ‫ ﻓَ َﻤﺎ‬ :‫ﺎل‬ َ َ‫ﻗ‬
َ ‫ﯿﺮ َوَذا‬ َ ‫ﯾﺾ َو‬ َ ‫اﻟﻤ ِﺮ‬ ْ
َ ْ َ َ ‫ﺻﻠﻰ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﱠ‬ ‫ﱠ‬
 (‫ﺎﺟِﺔ« )رواه اﻟﺒﺨﺎري ﻣﺴﻠﻢ‬ َ ‫اﻟﺤ‬ َ ‫اﻟﻜ ِﺒ‬ َ ‫ﯿﻬُﻢ‬ ِ ‫ ﻓِﺈ ﱠن ِﻓ‬،‫ﺎس ﻓﻠﯿَﺘ َﺠ ﱠﻮز‬ ِ ِ َ
 
Jabir  b.  ‘Abdillah  (rA)  reports  that Mu‘adh b. Jabal (rA) was once leading his people in 
prayer,  and  recited  Surat  al-Baqarah.  A  man  exited  the  prayer,  offered  a  lighter 
prayer  on  his  own,  then  left.  When  news  of  this  reached  Mu‘adh,  he  accused  him  of 
being  a  “hypocrite”.  When  the  words  of  Mu‘adh  reached  this  man,  he  came  to  the 
Prophet  (‫)ﷺ‬  and  said,  “O  Messenger  of  Allah,  we  are  a  people  that  toil  with  our 
hands  (hard  labor)  and  water  our  camels.  Last  night,  Mu‘adh  was  reciting  Surat 
al-Baqarah  as  he  led  us  in  prayer.  I  left  and  prayed  separately,  and  for  that  he called 
me  a  hypocrite!”  Upon  hearing  this,  the  Prophet  (‫)ﷺ‬  summoned  Mu‘adh  and  said 
to  him  three  times  over,  ​“​O  Mu‘adh,  are  you  of  those  who  put  people  through 
fitnah  (trials)?!​”  He  (‫)ﷺ‬  then  instructed  him  to  recite  the  likes of Surat ash-Shams 
and Surat al-A‘la. (Sahih al-Bukhari & ٍSahih Muslim) 
 
 ‫ ِﺑ ِﻬ ْﻢ‬ ‫ﻓََﻘ َﺮَأ‬ ‫اﻟﺼَﻼ َة‬
‫ ﱠ‬ ‫ ِﺑ ِﻬ ْﻢ‬ ‫ُﺼﱢﻠﻲ‬ ْ
َ ‫ﻓَﯿ‬ ‫ﻗَ ْﻮ َﻣُﻪ‬ ‫ﯾَﺄﺗِﻲ‬ ‫ﺛُﱠﻢ‬ ‫ َو َﺳﱠﻠَﻢ‬ ‫ َﻋَﻠﯿِْﻪ‬ ‫اﷲ‬
ُ‫ ﱠ‬ ‫ﺻﱠﻠﻰ‬ َ  ‫اﻟﻨﱠ ِﺒ ﱢﻲ‬ ‫ َﻣ َﻊ‬ ‫ُﺼﱢﻠﻲ‬ َ ‫ﯾ‬ ‫ﺎن‬َ ‫ َﻛ‬ ‫ َﻋﻨُْﻪ‬ ‫اﷲ‬ ُ‫ ﱠ‬ ‫ﺿ َﻲ‬ ِ ‫ َر‬ ‫َﻞ‬ َ ِ‫ ﱠ‬ ‫ َﻋﺒِْﺪ‬ ‫ ﺑ ُْﻦ‬ ‫ َﺟﺎﺑ ُﺮ‬ ‫ﻋﻦ‬
ٍ ‫ َﺟﺒ‬ ‫ ﺑ َْﻦ‬ ‫ ُﻣ َﻌ َﺎذ‬ ‫ أ ﱠن‬ ‫اﷲ‬ ِ
 ‫ﻮل‬َ ‫ َر ُﺳ‬ ‫ﯾَﺎ‬ ‫ﺎل‬ َ ‫ﻓََﻘ‬ ‫ َو َﺳﱠﻠَﻢ‬ ‫ َﻋَﻠﯿِْﻪ‬ ‫اﷲ‬ ُ‫ ﱠ‬ ‫ﺻﱠﻠﻰ‬ َ  ‫اﻟﻨﱠﺒِ ﱠﻲ‬ ‫ﻓََﺄﺗَﻰ‬ ‫اﻟﺮ ُﺟ َﻞ‬‫ ﱠ‬ ‫ َذِﻟ َﻚ‬ ‫ ﻓَﺒََﻠ َﻎ‬ ‫ ُﻣﻨَﺎﻓِ ٌﻖ‬ ‫ ِإﻧﱠُﻪ‬ ‫ﺎل‬ َ ‫ ﻓََﻘ‬ ‫ ُﻣ َﻌ ًﺎذا‬ ‫ َذِﻟ َﻚ‬ ‫ ﻓَﺒََﻠ َﻎ‬ ‫ َﺧِﻔﯿَﻔًﺔ‬ ‫ﺻَﻼ ًة‬ َ  ‫ﺼﱠﻠﻰ‬ َ َ‫ ﻓ‬ ‫ َر ُﺟ ٌﻞ‬ ‫ ﻓَﺘَ َﺠ ﱠﻮ َز‬ ‫ﺎل‬ َ َ‫ ﻗ‬ ‫ْاﻟﺒََﻘ َﺮ َة‬
 ‫ َو َﺳﱠﻠَﻢ‬ ‫ َﻋَﻠﯿِْﻪ‬ ‫اﷲ‬ ُ‫ ﱠ‬ ‫ﺻﱠﻠﻰ‬ َ  ‫اﻟﻨﱠ ِﺒ ﱡﻲ‬ ‫ﺎل‬ َ ‫ﻓََﻘ‬ ‫ ُﻣﻨَﺎ ِﻓ ٌﻖ‬ ‫َأﻧﱢﻲ‬ ‫ﻓَ َﺰ َﻋَﻢ‬ ‫ﻓَﺘَ َﺠ ﱠﻮ ْز ُت‬ ‫ ْاﻟﺒََﻘ َﺮ َة‬ ‫ﻓََﻘ َﺮَأ‬ ‫ ْاﻟﺒَﺎر َﺣَﺔ‬ ‫ﺑﻨَﺎ‬ ‫ﺻﱠﻠﻰ‬ ً ِ ‫ ِﺑﻨَ َﻮ‬ ‫ َوﻧَ ْﺴِﻘﻲ‬ ‫ ِﺑَﺄﯾِْﺪﯾﻨَﺎ‬ ‫ ﻧَ ْﻌ َﻤ ُﻞ‬ ‫ ﻗَ ْﻮٌم‬ ‫ ِإﻧﱠﺎ‬ ‫اﷲ‬
ِ‫ﱠ‬
ِ ِ َ  ‫ ُﻣ َﻌﺎذا‬ ‫ َوِإ ﱠن‬ ‫اﺿ ِﺤﻨَﺎ‬
َ َ ْ
 ‫اﺳَﻢ َرﺑﱢﻚ اﻷ ْﻋﻠﻰ َوﻧَ ْﺤ َﻮ َﻫﺎ‬ َ ْ ‫ﺿ َﺤﺎ َﻫﺎ َو َﺳﺒﱢ ْﺢ‬ ‫ﱠ‬ ْ ْ
ُ ‫ﺎن أﻧْ َﺖ ﺛﻼﺛﺎ اﻗ َﺮأ َواﻟﺸﻤْﺲ َو‬ً ََ َ ‫ﱠ‬ َ َ ُ
ٌ ‫ﯾَﺎ ُﻣ َﻌﺎذ أﻓﺘ‬
ِ
 
If  some  of  the  great  Sahaba fell into this oversight, is it anything short of arrogant for 
us  to  dismiss  the  possibility  that  we  may  chase  people  from  Allah,  His  house,  His 
religion? 
------ 

 
1 
 
A  recent  ISPU  study  has  polled  and documented what many of us already know; too 
many  of  our  mosques  are  particularly  unwelcoming  to  women.  Some  mosques  are 
guilty  of  allocating  to  sisters  the  smelly  basement  or  tight  boiler-room,  others  fail to 
offer  programs  that  serve  them,  and  others  are  plagued  with  belligerent  attendees 
that harshly receive them. But the dilemma is one and the same. 
 
Our  Prophet  (‫)ﷺ‬  said,  ​“Do  not  prevent  the  female  slaves  of  Allah  from  the 
houses  of  Allah.”  (al-Bukhari  &  Muslim)  This  is  not  just  about  the  husband  keeping 
her  in—it’s  also  about  the  masjid  keeping  her  out.  Keeping  her  out  doesn’t  just 
happen  via  a  sign  or  security  guard,  but  by sending clear messages that ​this is not a 
place  for  people  like  you​.  And  when  mosques  are  the  clearest  tangible  symbol  of 
Islam,  especially  in  non-Muslim  majority  societies,  “this  place  is  not  for  you”  =  “this 
religion is not for you.” 
 
One  ISPU  response  was:  ​“A  sister  in  her  twenties  was  recently  married  and  had  a 
two-month  old  baby,  and  had  not  met  anyone  in  the  community  yet.  One  Sunday, 
she  and  her  husband  pulled  into  the  mosque  parking  lot  for  ‘Asr.  The  baby  was 
asleep in her car-seat, and so the parents just carried it into the mosque. There were 
only  a  few  cars  in  the  parking  lot,  but  both  were excited at the prospect of meeting 
some  of  the  members  of  their  new  community.  Passing  by  the  bookstore  on  route 
to  the  women’s  entrance  of  the  mussalla,  this  sister  was  met  by  an  older  woman 
who  immediately  frowned  and  said,  “We  don’t  allow  children  in  the mussalla.”  The 
sister  was  sort  of  taken  aback.  “She’s  sleeping...  If  she  cries  I  can  definitely  take  her 
out of the prayer area.” The older woman just sort of grunted. “You know, a woman’s 
prayer  is  better  in  the  home  than  in  the  mosque!”  The sister felt her eyes fill up with 
tears. This was not how she was expecting to be welcomed to her new mosque.” 
 
--- 
 
Feeling  unwelcome  does  not  just  cause  our  sisters  emotional  pain.  It  many  times 
gets  in  the  way  of  their  most  pressing  religious  needs  which  they  will  not  find 
outside.  Sisters  need  inspiration,  education,  counsel,  social  support,  just  as  much  as 
men do—if not more. Consider this: 
 
❖ When  a  scholar  comes  to  visit,  how  often  do  the  men in the community have 
special and informal access to him? 
➢ On  Eid  prayers,  the  Prophet  (‫)ﷺ‬  would  walk  over  to  the  women  with 
Bilal (rA) and address them nearby, and they would ask him questions. 
 
❖ With  our  local  community  imams,  how  much  easier  is  it  for  brothers  to 
approach  an  Imam  who  knows  their  name  and  has  an  informal  relationship 

 
2 
 with them? 
 
➢ Women  would  approach  the  Prophet  (‫)ﷺ‬  at  home,  to  ask  him 
questions  that  required  privacy—once  on  menstrual  bleeding,  once  on 
domestic  violence,  once  on  the  stinginess  of  the  husband,  etc. 
Approachability requires familiarity—trust. 
 
■ Of  course,  this  need  not conflict with the firm safeguards against 
khalwa  ​(even  with  an  Imam):  a  woman  is  allowed  the  privacy  to 
explain  herself  freely,  without  being  locked  behind  closed  doors 
with  a  man.  Privacy  without  seclusion is possible by being within 
visibility, and out of earshot. 
■ The  Prophet  (‫)ﷺ‬  allocated  a  day  to  address  women’s  inquiries 
and particular needs. 
 
Abu  Sa‘id  al-Khudri  (rA)  reports:  The  women  said  to  the  Prophet  (‫)ﷺ‬,  ​“The  men 
have  beaten  us  to  you,  so  specialize  for  us  a  day  with you.” He promised them a day, 
and  met  them  in  it,  wherein  he  exhorted  and  instructed  them​.  Of  what  he  said  to 
them  was,  ​“There  is  no  woman  that  out-survives  three  of  her  children,  except 
that  they  will  be  a  barrier  between  her  and  the  Fire.”  A  woman  said,  “And  [even] 
two [children]?” He said, ​“And [even] two.” ​(Sahih al-Bukhari) 
 
‫ َﻟِﻘﯿَﻬ ﱠ‬ ‫ ﯾ َْﻮ ًﻣﺎ‬ ‫ ﻓَ َﻮ َﻋَﺪ ُﻫ ﱠﻦ‬ ،‫ ﻧَ ْﻔ ِﺴ َﻚ‬ ‫ ِﻣ ْﻦ‬ ‫ ﯾ َْﻮ ًﻣﺎ‬ ‫ َﻟﻨَﺎ‬ ‫ﺎﺟ َﻌ ْﻞ‬
 ،‫ ﻓِ ِﯿﻪ‬ ‫ُﻦ‬ ُ ‫اﻟﺮ َﺟ‬
ْ َ‫ ﻓ‬ ،‫ﺎل‬ ‫ ﱢ‬ ‫ َﻋَﻠﯿ َْﻚ‬ ‫ َﻏَﻠﺒَﻨَﺎ‬ :‫ َو َﺳﱠﻠَﻢ‬ ‫ َﻋَﻠﯿِْﻪ‬ ‫اﷲ‬ُ  ‫ﺻﱠﻠﻰ‬ ُ  ‫ َﺳ ِﻌ ٍﯿﺪ‬ ‫َأﺑِﻲ‬ ‫َﻋ ْﻦ‬
َ  ‫ ِﻟﻠﻨﱠﺒِ ﱢﻲ‬ ‫ اﻟﻨﱢ َﺴﺎ ُء‬ ‫ ﻗَ َﺎﻟ ِﺖ‬ ‫اﻟﺨ ْﺪ ِر ﱢي‬
 :‫ﺎل‬ َ
َ ‫ ﻓََﻘ‬ ‫ َواﺛْﻨَﺘَﯿْﻦ؟‬ :ٌ‫ ْاﻣ َﺮأة‬ ‫ ﻓََﻘ َﺎﻟ ِﺖ‬ «‫ اﻟﻨﱠﺎر‬ ‫ ِﻣ َﻦ‬ ‫ ِﺣ َﺠﺎﺑًﺎ‬ ‫ َﻟﻬَﺎ‬ ‫ﺎن‬ ً
َ ‫ َﻛ‬ ‫ ِإﱠﻻ‬ ،‫ َوَﻟِﺪ َﻫﺎ‬ ‫ ِﻣ ْﻦ‬ ‫ﻼﺛَﺔ‬ َ
َ َ‫ ﺛ‬ ‫ ﺗَُﻘﱢﺪُم‬ ٌ‫ ْاﻣ َﺮأة‬ ‫ ِﻣﻨْ ُﻜ ﱠﻦ‬ ‫»ﻣﺎ‬
َ  :‫ُﻦ‬ ‫ َﻟﻬ ﱠ‬ ‫ﺎل‬ َ َ‫ ﻗ‬ ‫ﯿﻤﺎ‬َ ‫ ِﻓ‬ ‫ﺎن‬ َ ‫ ﻓَ َﻜ‬ ،‫ َوَأ َﻣ َﺮ ُﻫ ﱠﻦ‬ ‫ُﻦ‬
‫ﻓَ َﻮ َﻋ َﻈﻬ ﱠ‬
ِ ِ
  «‫»واﺛْﻨَﺘَﯿ ِْﻦ‬
َ
 
1) This is how the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬made arrangements to tend to women’s needs. 
2) This  is  how  he  knew  to  share  a  word  about  patience  over  loss;  privy  to  its 
relevance. 
 
This starts with them feeling welcome to request and extend feedback.  
But when there is:  
(1) a lack of women or a lack of women’s input in mosque leadership,  
when (2) programming doesn't always reflect the needs of women congregants,  
when  (3)  some  physical  prayer  spaces  in  mosques  are  not  planned  adequately  for 
women  attendees  (whether  mothers  or not), ​it should not surprise us that ISPU polls 
report  women  feeling  particularly  unwelcome  at  the  mosque​.  Again,  this  eventually 
translates for many into gravitating away from Islam. 
--- 
 
I  am  certainly  against  oversimplifying  the  reasons  behind  this  happening.  The 
causes  for  this  problem  cannot  be  reduced  to  “99%  of  Imams  and  masjid 

 
3 
administrations  hate  women”  nor  to  “all  aunties  are  intolerant  of  children  in 
masajid”. ​So what are some major reasons behind this? 
 
1) Limited  Resources.  Us  being  1st  and  2nd  generation  populations  in  America, 
we  felt  forced  to  build  a  facility  for the most attended hour (​jumu‘ah​) which is 
not ​farḍ on women. 
 
❏ Mosques  being  ​jumu‘ah  junctions  cannot  continue.  The  transition  to 
multipurpose  Islamic  centers  must  happen  before  a  generation  gap 
that  cannot  be  recovered  from.  (Churches  are  in  rapid  decline  because 
50+% of attendees are elderly) 
 
2) Masjid  Culture.  Some  of  us  Muslims  have  this  mental  image  of  the  masjid  as 
an  extremely  quiet  place  where  nobody  smiled,  only  religion  was  spoken 
about,  children  were  not  present,  women  hardly  attended,  and  people 
dispersed  right  after  prayer.  This  causes  unnecessary  restrictions  that  make it 
unwelcoming  even  for  men,  not  just  women  and  children.  Ill  informed  + 
ungentle people policing the audience must stop. 
 
❏ Touring  the  masjid  of the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬ during his time may help us rid 
ourselves  of  this  false  conviction.  He  (‫)ﷺ‬  did  emphasize  that  nothing 
should  compromise  the  primary  function  of  the  masjid,  but  people 
sometimes  ate there, kids climbed on his back while in ​sujūd, and some 
women prayed Ishā’ / Fajr there. 
 
❏ “Houses  better  for  them”  must  be  understood  in  light  of  Mothers  of 
Believers  praying  in  the  ​masjid​.  They  would  not  do  what  is inferior; this 
must  mean  do  not  chase  the  reward  at  the  expense  of  your  family 
duties, nor worry about missing it! 
 
❏ Some  past  scholars  cited  ‘Aisha  (rA)  &  ‘Umar (rA) on preventing women 
from  mosques  when corruption increases & ​fitnah is feared. Forget that 
the  majority of f​ uqahā’ did not accept this position. Is the greater ​fitnah 
the  coexistence  of  men/women  in  ​masjid​,  or  the  absence  of  being 
informed  by  Islam  via  the  ​masjid  on  the  immodesty  on  their  screens 
and  the  anti-Islamic  worldview  in  their  schools?  The whole point of this 
fatwa  was  to  shelter  society  from  its  increasingly  prevailing  ills,  not  to 
shelter them from the cure. 
 
Regarding the history of the Ka‘bah, ‘Aisha (rA) asked the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬, “What about 
the  door?  Why  did  they  make  it  so  high?”  He  said, ​“Your people (Quraysh) did that 
so  they  could  let  in  whomever  they  wanted  and  keep  out  whomever  they 
wanted. If it were not for the fact that your people are still new [to Islam] and too 

 
4 
 recently  departed  from  j​ āhiliyya,  I  would  have  [demolished  the  Ka‘bah]  and 
incorporate  the  [far]  wall  into  the  House,  and  would  bring  the  door  down  to 
ground level.”​ (Sahih Muslim) 
 
Is  there  a  more  powerful  message  than  this?  The  Prophet  (‫)ﷺ‬  was  willing  to  tear 
down  the  Ka‘bah  and  rebuild  it  in  a  way  that  was  more  welcoming and inclusive. To 
him,  such drastic measures were warranted to undo Quraysh’s selectively permitting 
who enters God’s house. 
--- 
 
Qurra  b.  Eyās  al-Muzani  (rA)  reports  that the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬ once asked a man whose 
son  always  accompanied  him  [to  the  masjid],  ​“Do  you  love  him?”  He  said,  “May 
Allah  love  you  as  [much  as]  I  love  him.” Then the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬ noticed the man was 
no  longer  around,  so  they  told  him,  “His  son died.” So the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬ ​went to him 
and  said​,  ​“Does  it  not  please  you  that  you  do  not  approach  any  door  of  Paradise 
except that he beats you to it and opens it for you?” ​(Ahmad & an-Nasa’i) 
َ  :‫ َﻟُﻪ‬ ‫ﺎل‬
 «‫​»أﺗُ ِﺤﺒﱡُﻪ؟‬ َ ‫ ﻓََﻘ‬ ‫ َﻟُﻪ‬ ‫ اﺑ ٌْﻦ‬ ‫ َو َﻣ َﻌُﻪ‬ ‫ َو َﺳﱠﻠَﻢ‬ ‫ َﻋَﻠﯿِْﻪ‬ ‫اﷲ‬
ُ  ‫ﺻﱠﻠﻰ‬ َ  ‫ اﻟﻨﱠ ِﺒ ﱠﻲ‬ ‫َأﺗَﻰ‬ ‫ َر ُﺟًﻼ‬ ‫َأ ﱠن‬ ،‫ َﻋﻨُْﻪ‬ ‫اﷲ‬
ُ‫ ﱠ‬ ‫ﺿ َﻲ‬ ِ ‫ َر‬ ‫َأ ِﺑ ِﯿﻪ‬ ‫ َﻋ ْﻦ‬ ،‫ ﻗُ ﱠﺮ َة‬ ‫ ﺑ ُْﻦ‬ ‫ﺎوﯾَُﺔ‬ َ
ٍ ‫ ِإﯾ‬ ‫ أﺑُﻮ‬ ‫َﺣﱠﺪﺛَﻨَﺎ‬
ِ ‫ ُﻣ َﻌ‬ ‫ َو ُﻫ َﻮ‬ ‫َﺎس‬
 «‫َﺴ َﻌﻰ ﯾَﻔْﺘَ ُﺢ َﻟ َﻚ؟‬ ْ ‫اب اﻟْ َﺠﻨﱠِﺔ ِإﱠﻻ َو َﺟ ْﺪﺗَُﻪ ِﻋﻨَْﺪ ُه ﯾ‬ َ ْ َ َ ُ ‫»ﻣﺎ ﯾ‬ َ ‫ ﻓََﻘ‬،‫ ﻓَ َﺴَﺄ َل َﻋﻨُْﻪ‬،ُ‫ ﻓََﻔَﻘَﺪه‬،‫ﺎت‬ َ ‫ ﻓَ َﻤ‬،‫اﷲ َﻛ َﻤﺎ ُأ ِﺣﺒُﱡﻪ‬
ُ‫ﱠﻚ ﱠ‬ َ ‫ َأ َﺣﺒ‬:‫ﺎل‬
َ ‫ﻓََﻘ‬
ِ ‫َﺴ ﱡﺮك أ ْن َﻻ ﺗَﺄﺗِ َﻲ ﺑَﺎﺑًﺎ ِﻣ ْﻦ أﺑْ َﻮ‬ َ :‫ﺎل‬
 
1) This man left the masjid, and he was noticed. 
2) This man was not just invited back, he was sought out and located. 
3) This man could have been on the brink of his faith, like so many of us are 
today, and was recovered in time. 
 
We  cannot  afford  to  underestimate  the  importance  of  dignified  accommodations, 
relevant  programming,  and  even  a  warm  welcoming  committee  for 
newcomers—especially  sisters.  And  we  all  need  to  rehearse  the  Sunnah  of  being 
inclusive, approachable, and sensitive. 
 
Women  are  a  vital  part  of  any  community.  They  are  half  of  society  and  give  birth  to 
the  other  half.  In  the  Prophet’s  times,  they  were  nurtured  into  fulfilling  their  roles, 
trusted  with  some  of  the  most  sensitive  sectors  of  the  community,  like  conveying 
the sacred hadith(s) and rearing the future generations of the Ummah. We can bring 
that  back,  by  reinstating  the  Prophet’s  (‫)ﷺ‬  guidance  on  the  matter.  Otherwise, 
they  will  either  walk  away,  or  if  they  survive  our  negligence  as  an  unmosqued 
Muslim,  their  children  definitely  will  not.  The  masjid  is  the  ark  of  Noah;  only  those 
who ride are saved. 

“And  you  will  remember  what  I  [now] say to you, and I entrust my affair to Allah. 

Indeed, Allah is Seeing of [His] servants.” ​[Ghafir 40: 44] 

ِ ‫ﯿﺮ ِﺑ ْﺎﻟ ِﻌﺒ‬

‫َﺎد‬ ٌ ‫َﺼ‬ َ‫اﷲۚ إ ﱠن ﱠ‬
ِ ‫اﷲ ﺑ‬ ‫َ ﱠ‬ َ ُ َ ُ ُ َ ُ َُ َ ‫ﻓَ َﺴﺘَ ْﺬ ُﻛ ُﺮ‬ 
ِ ِ ‫ون َﻣﺎ أﻗﻮل ﻟﻜ ْﻢۚ َوأﻓ ﱢﻮض أ ْﻣ ِﺮي إِﻟﻰ‬
 
5