Can Women Go to the Mosque?
Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Question: Assalamu alaykum
A scholar talked about the issue of women attending the mosque.
He said that women should be allowed to go to mosques contrary to what has been said in the past because in today’s world they have nowhere to go if they are looking for an islamic environnement. Instead they only have the choice to go to bad places like the mall or movie theaters and so on.
What do you think about it?
Answer: Wa ‘alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh
I pray you are well.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I wasn’t able to pick up on a specific question, however.
Rulings Changing With The Times
Some of the rulings of the Shariʿa change depending on the situation of Muslims. In the time of the companions and the following generation society was more conservative in certain matters, and consequently scholars felt that it would be safer if ladies stayed at home and prayed. This was in the interest of their safety.
In our times, many ladies need to be out of the house for extended periods for various legitimate reasons, such as work, education etc. The Shariʿa recognises these needs; and, clearly, the obligation of praying the daily prayers on time remains for them.
Based on this, it becomes a communal obligation for there to be safe and adequate prayer and washroom facilities for them. The absence of such facilities renders communities sinful. It’s surprising how many mosques do not have these facilities.
There are other reasons why going to a masjid is beneficial for them, as you pointed out. Steps should be taken to fulfil these communal needs with the proper Islamic decorum.
May Allah enable us to do what pleases Him in all aspects of life.
Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 to study and sit at the feet of some of the most erudite scholars of our time.
Over the following eighteen months he studied a traditional curriculum, studying with scholars such as Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh Abdurrahman Arjan, Shaykh Hussain Darwish and Shaykh Muhammad Darwish.
In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years, in Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Theology, Hadith Methodology and Commentary, Shama’il, and Logic with teachers such as Dr Ashraf Muneeb, Dr Salah Abu’l-Hajj, Dr Hamza al-Bakri, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Dr Mansur Abu Zina amongst others. He was also given two licences of mastery in the science of Qur’anic recital by Shakh Samir Jabr and Shaykh Yahya Qandil.
His true passion, however, arose in the presence of Shaykh Ali Hani, considered by many to be one of the foremost tafsir scholars of our time who provided him with the keys to the vast knowledge of the Quran. With Shaykh Ali, he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Qur’anic Sciences, Tafsir, Arabic Grammar, and Rhetoric.
When he finally left Jordan for the UK in 2014, Shaykh Ali gave him his distinct blessing and still recommends students in the UK to seek out Shaykh Abdul-Rahim for Quranic studies. Since his return he has trained as a therapist and has helped a number of people overcome emotional and psychosomatic issues. He is a keen promoter of emotional and mental health.
