It has already been explained that women have no such right of admission to a Musjid as the Maulana/Sheikh contends. His view is utterly baseless, having no Shar'i basis. He has mentioned women's "Islamic duties of Ibaadaat" in relation to their attendance of the musjid. What are these Islamic duties of Ibaadaat which they have to fulfil inside the Musjid? Can the votary of modernity enumerate these supposed duties of women in relation to the Musjid? The Shariah has not prescribed any acts of Ibaadaat for women for fulfilment in the Musjid. The question of such duties does not apply to women.
Islam does not impose on women Jamaa' Salaat. There is no obligatory Eid Salaat for them. Women are not required to participate in Jamaa' Taraaweeh Salaat nor are they required to execute I'tikaaf in the Musjid. Juma' Salaat is neither compulsory nor Sunnat for them. There is not a single act of Ibaadat connected with a Musjid which has been imposed on women by the Shariah. When Islam does not impose any Musjid acts of Ibaadaat on women, then the claim of duties relative to the Musjid made by the Maulana/Sheikh is misleading and baatil. What constrains a Muslim to emphasise a course of action which Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and his Sahaabah discouraged verbally and practically? What motivates a Muslim to take a stance in direct opposition to the exhortation of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)? For a short while let us forget about the technical rulings of the Fuqaha, Let us even cast a blind eye at the practical example of the illustrious Sahaabah Let us merely look at Rasulullah's (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) attitude and exhortation regarding the question of women's attendance of the Musjid. What were Rasul - ullah's {sallallahu alayhi wasallam) feelings on this question?
(1) Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (radhiallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said;
"The Salaat of a woman in her bedroom is better than her Salaat in (another) room (of her house), and her Salaat in the innermost recess of her home is better than her Salaat in her room." (Abu Dawood)
(2) Imaam Ahmad Bin Hambal (rahmatullah alayh) narrates that Umm- e- Salmah (radhiallahu anha) said that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:
"The best Musaajid for women are the dark est corners in their homes." (Umdatur Riaayah)
(3) Baihaqi narrates that Ibn Mas'ud (radhiallahu anhu) said:
"I take oath by the One Being that a woman has never performed a better Salaat than the Salaat she per forms in her room." (Umdatur Riaayah)
(4) Imaam Ahmad Bin Hambal and Tibraam record the Hadith of Umm- e- Humaid Sa'diyah who came to Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and said:
“ O Rasulullah! I love to perform Salaat behind you.' Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) replied: 'I am aware of it. But, your Salaat in the innermost recess of your house is better than Salaat in (other places) of your house................."
On the basis of this Hadith, Ibn Khuzaimah(rahmatullah alayh), a leading
member of the Shaaf'i Fuqaha stated:
"The Salaat of a woman in her room is superior than her Salaat in the Musjid of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) even if her Salaat there be the equivalent (in quality) of a thousand Salaats performed by males." (Al-Fataawal Kubraa)
(5) Even in the ahadith which record the ini tial permissibility, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) stated the best course for women. Thus, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam} said:
"Do not prevent your womenfolk from the Musjid, but their homes are best for them." (Sahih Muslim)
The permissibility stated in this Hadith shall, Insha'Allah, be explained later.
From the narrations mentioned above, it will be abundantly clear that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) far from encour aging women to attend the Musjid, exhorted them to perform their Salaat at home. The discouragement from the Musjid was emphasised to the extent that he described the woman's Salaat in her home to be far superior to her Salaat in Musjid- e- Nabwi where the Imaam was none other than Rasulullah (sallallahu alay hi wasallam).
Since the Sahaabah understood Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) more than the entire Ummah can ever hope to understand, we observe them (Sahaabah) giving practical expression to the exhortation which Nabi-e -Kareem (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) gene rally gave women in regard to Salaat. Inspite of the existence of all the conditions for the permissibility in large measure during the age of the Sahaabah, they, nevertheless, did not go by the initial permissibilitywhich existed during the time of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi was allam). On the contrary, they accorded priority to the exhortation of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) --his exhorting women to perform Salaat in their homes. In direct contrast, today we find that Mau lana/Sheikh Makda and other modernists actively encourage female attendance of Musaajid inspite of the total absence of the conditions which accompanied the initial permissibility in the early days of Islam. Can anyone then claim that these modernist devia tes are marching in the spirit of Rasulullah's advices? If they are concerned of the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), then what constrains them to act in conflict with the wishes of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Leaving aside all technical arguments, the love which a Mu'min should have in his heart for Nabie -e -Kareem (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) must necessarily impel him towards obedience and submission to the beloved Sunnah of the beloved Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) But, we observe the direct opposite in regard to the modernists -modernist sheikhs, modernist maulanas and modernist laymen. Inspite of their vociferous slogans of "SUN NAH", they are not at all keen to follow the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasalla m), hence they fabricate a plethora of technicalities and baatil interpretations to give substance to a practice which was not favoured by Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) or his Ashaab. In fact, they move with their times -they move in total conflic t with the exhortation which Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) advocated for women.
When Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) advocated that the noblest Salaat of women is their Salaat at home, then the fallacy of the claim of women's Islamic duties of Ibaadaat in the Musjid should be apparent for all to see. How can it be asserted that she has a right to fulfil acts of Ibaadat in the Musjid, when Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) exhorted the opposite --that she should execute her Ibaa daat in the darkest corner of her home? In view of the fact that women have absolutely no undeniable right" of attending the Musjid and that the venue for the fulfilment of their acts of Ibaadaat is NOT the Musjid, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) did not institute separate facilities for women in the Musjid. Instead of creating or ordering separate facilities for women in the Musjid, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) exhorted the separate facility of their homes. Their homes constitute the separate facilities so absolutely necessary for Muslim women.
It is indeed incomprehensible to hear of a learned man speaking about the fulfilment of women's acts of Ibaadaat in a Musjid. When Islam has not decreed fulfilment of their Ibaadaat in Musjids--when the Musaajid play absolutely no part in regard to women's Ibaadaat, the claim by the Maulana/Sheikh is shockingly baatil. It is a claim unbecoming of one who raises his stand on the foundation of Knowledge. Let the Maulana/Sheikh who has rendered such a disservice to Islam by his baatil view and claim explain the prohibition which has been in the Ummah for the past fourteen centuries. Let him explain the attitude of the Sahaabah. Let him explain how was it possible for the Sahaabah and the Fuqaha to have cancelled the supposed undeniable right of women. Let him explain how was it possible for the Sahaabah and the Fuqaha to prohibit women from fulfilling their Islamic duties of Ibaadaat in the Musjid, if indeed their duties did relate to the Musjid. Let him explain the reasons for the Sahaabah and the Fuqaha considering it necessary to prohibit women from the Musjid. Let him explain the practice of the Ummah as it has been transmitted down the centuries from generation to generation. Why does he wish to contradic t the Sunnah of the Sahaabah and the course which the Ummah has followed these past fourteen centuries?
It is noteworthy that the Maulana/Sheikh is silent regarding the large volume of Islamic writings explaining the prohibition of women from attending the Musjid. He makes no mention of the rulings of the authorities of Islam. He seeks justification for his baatil opinion by tendering some ahadith in the light of his personal understanding. Ho behaves as if the history of Islam from the age of the Sahaabah is something to be ignored. His attitude implies that the statements and rulings of the Sahaabah are of no significance, hence he adopts silence in this regard. Isolating the Sahaabah from the Ahadith and discarding their interpretation and understanding are tantamount to scuttling the Ship of Islam. There is no Islam without the Sahaabah. Whoever seeks to interpret the Sunnah by isolating the Sahaabah is clearly plodding the path of dhalaal (deviation) and baatil (falsehood).
THE INITIAL PERMISSION
There is no denying the fact that during the time of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) women were allowed to visit the Musjid for Salaat. However, this permission was accompanied by a number of very strict conditions which are all non -existent in our times. Again, although there was this initial permission, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasaIlam) discouraged women from availing themselves of this permission. His exhortation that women perform Salaat at home paved the way for the prohibition which came into effect later by the authority of the Sahaabah and the Fuqaha. We shall now proceed to outline the strict measures which accompanied the initial permission.
THE CONDITIONS FOR THE INITIAL PERMISSION
(1) Attractive garments were forbidden. Women who came to the Musjid were not permitted to don fine and attractive clothing. It was declared that they had to dress shabbily and unattractively Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (radhiallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: " ............. but, they should emerge while they are shabbily dressed." (Abu Dawood)
In Ibn Majah it is narrated that once while Rasulullah (sallallahu alay hi wasallam) was seated in the Musjid, a woman dressed and adorned in her finery entered and walked proudly in the Musjid. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) then proclaimed:
"0 people! prohibit your women from wearing beauti ful garments and from showing off in the Musjid, for verily, Bani Israeel were not cursed until their women started to
wear beautiful garments and show off inside the Musjid."
Ibn Arabi in his Sharhut Tirmizi commenting on the type of dress which women should wear according to the Hadith which permits them to come to the Musjid, says:
"When she emerges to go to the Musjid, she should come out dressed in dirty and shabby garb as it has been reported in the Ahadith."
(2) Perfume was forbidden. Women who came to Musjid in the early days were not permitted to apply perfume. In this regard Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:
"Any woman who applies perfume and passes by a gathering is like an adultress." (Tirmizi)
"The woman who applies perfume must not be present with us for Isha." (Muatta Imaam Maalik)
Since it is not permissible for women to emerge from the house with perfume applied, be it night or day, the reference to Isha in this Hadith should not be understood to be confined to only Ishaa Salaat. The word Ishaa appears in the Hadith in view of the greater danger of mischief and evil during the night time. The Ahadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) clearly brands a woman as immoral for applying perfume and passing by a gathering.
(3) The Jilbaab or outer -covering. When women emerged in those days, they were thoroughly concealed in their jilbaabs which were very large outer garments or sheets of unattractive colour. The sheets were so big that normally two women could be wrapped up in a single jilbaab. The jilbaab was not merely flung over the shoulders. It covered the entire head and the face as well. The jilbaab which the ladies wo re during the time of Rasululllah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was not a stylish garment with a decorative niqaab (face-veil). It was not designed for beauty as are some of the burqahs of modern times. The jiIbaab covered every part of t he body, the head and face included. It had to be left slightly open to enable the women to see where they were walking. In other words they had to peep through an opening to see their way. Such garments will not be worn by women of today. About these outer-garments, Hadhrat Aishah (radhiallahu anha) narrates:
"After Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had made the morning Salaat, the women would return thoroughly wrapped in their sheets. So thoroughly were they wrapped that they could not be distin-guished from the dark ness (The cloth persumably being black as the darkness)." (Bukhaari)
(4) The women would leave immediately after the Fardh Salaat. The following narration in Bukhaari explains the practice which was adopted to ensure absolutely no contact with any of the men in the Musjid:
"Hind Bintul Haarith said that Umm-e-Salmah (radhi- allahu anha), the wife of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), informed her that during the lifetime of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) the women would get up after t he Salaam of the Fardh Salaat while Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and the menfolk who made Salaat with him remained seated After Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)stood up, the men would do likewise."
Commenting on this procedure adopted in the early days, Imaam Zuhri (rahmatullah alayh) states:
"The reason for Rasulullah's delay in rising after the Fardh Salaat was to give the women the opportunity of leaving the Musjid before the men. (This prevented intermingling)."
(5) Intermingling was prohibited even outside the Musjid, in a narration in Abu Dawood, the Sahaabi, Abu Usaid Ansaari (radhiallahu anhu) says that once outside the Musjid men and women had mixed. Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) then said:
"(O Women!) Move back! Verily, it is not permissible for you to spread in the road. The edges of the road are compulsory on you."
The Sahaabi narrating this Hadith says: "As a result the women would walk so close to the sides that their clothing would brush against the walls (of the houses)."
The introduction of these conditions is not possible in this day. After the demise of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), even the Sahaabah discerned the difficulty in enforcing the strict or the exceptionally high degree of piety which had prevailed during the presence of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). They did not therefore concern themselves with remedial measures. On the con trary, they banned the practice of women coming to the Musjid. Their high degree of Deeni intelligence and insight convinced them that if women are not prevented from the Musaajid, the situation will deteriorate to the extent where the Musaajid will be no better than the Christian churches. The consequences of females participating in public worship in congreg ational form are aptly mirrored in the churches But, today modernists in religious garb are attempting to destroy the atmosphere of piety which still prevails inside the Musaajid of the Ummah.
THE CONDITIONS FOR THE INITIAL PERMISSION
(1) Attractive garments were forbidden. Women who came to the Musjid were not permitted to don fine and attractive clothing. It was declared that they had to dress shabbily and unattractively Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (radhiallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: " ............. but, they should emerge while they are shabbily dressed." (Abu Dawood)
In Ibn Majah it is narrated that once while Rasulullah (sallallahu alay hi wasallam) was seated in the Musjid, a woman dressed and adorned in her finery entered and walked proudly in the Musjid. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) then proclaimed:
"0 people! prohibit your women from wearing beauti ful garments and from showing off in the Musjid, for verily, Bani Israeel were not cursed until their women started to
wear beautiful garments and show off inside the Musjid."
Ibn Arabi in his Sharhut Tirmizi commenting on the type of dress which women should wear according to the Hadith which permits them to come to the Musjid, says:
"When she emerges to go to the Musjid, she should come out dressed in dirty and shabby garb as it has been reported in the Ahadith."
(2) Perfume was forbidden. Women who came to Musjid in the early days were not permitted to apply perfume. In this regard Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:
"Any woman who applies perfume and passes by a gathering is like an adultress." (Tirmizi)
"The woman who applies perfume must not be present with us for Isha." (Muatta Imaam Maalik)
Since it is not permissible for women to emerge from the house with perfume applied, be it night or day, the reference to Isha in this Hadith should not be understood to be confined to only Ishaa Salaat. The word Ishaa appears in the Hadith in view of the greater danger of mischief and evil during the night time. The Ahadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) clearly brands a woman as immoral for applying perfume and passing by a gathering.
(3) The Jilbaab or outer -covering. When women emerged in those days, they were thoroughly concealed in their jilbaabs which were very large outer garments or sheets of unattractive colour. The sheets were so big that normally two women could be wrapped up in a single jilbaab. The jilbaab was not merely flung over the shoulders. It covered the entire head and the face as well. The jilbaab which the ladies wo re during the time of Rasululllah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was not a stylish garment with a decorative niqaab (face-veil). It was not designed for beauty as are some of the burqahs of modern times. The jiIbaab covered every part of t he body, the head and face included. It had to be left slightly open to enable the women to see where they were walking. In other words they had to peep through an opening to see their way. Such garments will not be worn by women of today. About these outer-garments, Hadhrat Aishah (radhiallahu anha) narrates:
"After Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had made the morning Salaat, the women would return thoroughly wrapped in their sheets. So thoroughly were they wrapped that they could not be distin-guished from the dark ness (The cloth persumably being black as the darkness)." (Bukhaari)
(4) The women would leave immediately after the Fardh Salaat. The following narration in Bukhaari explains the practice which was adopted to ensure absolutely no contact with any of the men in the Musjid:
"Hind Bintul Haarith said that Umm-e-Salmah (radhi- allahu anha), the wife of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), informed her that during the lifetime of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) the women would get up after t he Salaam of the Fardh Salaat while Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and the menfolk who made Salaat with him remained seated After Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)stood up, the men would do likewise."
Commenting on this procedure adopted in the early days, Imaam Zuhri (rahmatullah alayh) states:
"The reason for Rasulullah's delay in rising after the Fardh Salaat was to give the women the opportunity of leaving the Musjid before the men. (This prevented intermingling)."
(5) Intermingling was prohibited even outside the Musjid, in a narration in Abu Dawood, the Sahaabi, Abu Usaid Ansaari (radhiallahu anhu) says that once outside the Musjid men and women had mixed. Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) then said:
"(O Women!) Move back! Verily, it is not permissible for you to spread in the road. The edges of the road are compulsory on you."
The Sahaabi narrating this Hadith says: "As a result the women would walk so close to the sides that their clothing would brush against the walls (of the houses)."
The introduction of these conditions is not possible in this day. After the demise of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), even the Sahaabah discerned the difficulty in enforcing the strict or the exceptionally high degree of piety which had prevailed during the presence of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). They did not therefore concern themselves with remedial measures. On the con trary, they banned the practice of women coming to the Musjid. Their high degree of Deeni intelligence and insight convinced them that if women are not prevented from the Musaajid, the situation will deteriorate to the extent where the Musaajid will be no better than the Christian churches. The consequences of females participating in public worship in congreg ational form are aptly mirrored in the churches But, today modernists in religious garb are attempting to destroy the atmosphere of piety which still prevails inside the Musaajid of the Ummah.
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