Is It Permissible to Restrict a Masjid Lecture to Women Only?


Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

Our mosque’s girls’ committee plans to organize a religious lecture by a sister trained in Islamic theology. Is it permissible to restrict the masjid to women only during the lecture, likely held after Maghrib or Isha?

Answer

Thank you for your question. It is permissible to do so but impractical.

Considerations

I’m sure that the imam of the mosque would understand why this lesson would be for only women, but it’s a matter of how to do it. If there is a separate room at the mosque, then the women’s lesson can be held there, and men would not have to leave. It would be a great inconvenience to ask them to leave because men want to stay in the mosque from Maghrib to `Isha for their supererogatory prayers, Quran, and dhikr.

Timing

`Ata’ related that he heard Jabir ibn `Abdullah (Allah be pleased with them both) say that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “When the darkness of the night envelops–or it becomes nightfall–withhold your children (from going outside). Verily, the jinn spread out at this time. Then, when part of the night has passed, let them go outside. And lock the doors whilst mentioning Allah’s name. Verily, the devil cannot open a locked door.” [Bukhari]

Keep in mind that having a lesson after Maghrib or `Isha can be very impractical for women because it is at nighttime, and it is a practice of religious women to prefer staying indoors after dark. You would get more attendance if it is held during the day.  Then you would not run into the problem of inconveniencing the men wanting to stay in the mosque.

Please see more details here:
Can Women Go to the Mosque?
Is It Permissible for a Woman to Pray in All Prayer Spaces?
What Measures Should Women Take Upon Sunset to Protect Them From the Jinnbeings?
Can a Woman Go to the Mosque in Her Free Time?

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.