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Jharkhand’s groundbreaking women-only mosque challenges traditional gender roles, empowering women in Islamic leadership
A groundbreaking initiative is underway in Jharkhand, India, where a women-only mosque is being established. This significant move towards gender equality in the Muslim community aims to empower women by allowing them to fulfil all authoritative roles, including those of the Imam and guards – a departure from the traditional practice of having men exclusively in these positions.
The visionary behind this mosque is Dr Nuruzzaman Khan, a dedicated social worker who has been running a high school for underprivileged girls through the Al-Imdad Education Welfare and Charitable Society for nearly 25 years.
The Muslim place of worship is reportedly coming up in the Kapali Tajnagar area of Jamshedpur. The name of the masjid is Sayyeda Zahra Bibi Fatima, the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
The women-only mosque is an extension of Dr Khan’s efforts to uplift and empower women in the community.
However, the initiative has faced opposition from some Islamic clerics who disapprove of women taking on the role of the Imam. Their objections are based on religious and cultural reasons, asserting that women are considered inferior to men in matters of religious knowledge and leadership.
Despite the criticism, the establishment of this women-only mosque will represent a profound challenge to traditional gender roles within the Muslim community. It will provide a platform for women to assume leadership roles and actively contribute to religious practices.
The response from the Muslim community has been mixed, with some supporting it as a crucial step towards gender equality, while others view it as a deviation from conventional Islamic practices.
In this evolving landscape, the under-construction women’s-only mosque in Jharkhand stands as a symbol of progress and inclusivity. It showcases the willingness of some segments of the Muslim community to embrace change and provide women with equal opportunities for spiritual leadership and engagement.
As the mosque takes shape, it will undoubtedly continue to spark discussions and debates about the role of women in religious spaces and the path towards a more equitable future.
It is important to note that not all mosques practice gender segregation, and interpretations of Islamic teachings vary among different Islamic traditions and schools of thought. In recent times, there has been a growing movement within the Muslim community advocating for more inclusive and equitable mosque spaces that allow for greater participation by women.
Progressive Muslim scholars and activists argue for a reinterpretation of religious texts and a return to the early Islamic model, where women actively participated in mosque activities and even served as teachers and leaders in religious matters. They emphasise the importance of creating welcoming and inclusive spaces for all Muslims, regardless of gender, to foster a more egalitarian and spiritually enriching community.
The orthodox position is that women cannot lead prayers for men, which is justified by the different roles that men and women take in society. However, historically, certain sects have considered it acceptable for women to function as imams.
In recent years, there has been a growing movement of Muslim feminists who advocate for female imamat in mixed and non-mixed congregations. They point to Umm Waraqah, one of Prophet Mohammed’s female companions, who led prayers in her house, as an example of a female imam. However, this is a controversial practice in Islam, and there are clerics who oppose it.
Ziya us Salam in his book Women in Masjid: A Quest for Justice, asks the questions, ‘Why do we not see Muslim women heading to a mosque for prayers on Fridays? Why don’t they participate in funeral prayers in the Indian subcontinent? Men and women pray at al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. They pray in al-Masjid al-Nabvi in Medina. Why cannot they pray in their neighbourhood mosques in India?’
His book elaborates that Islam does not discriminate between men and women. The Quran promises as much reward for a roza (fast), a Hajj or an act of charity for a woman as a man. At nearly 60 places, it asks both men and women to establish prayer, as opposed to merely offering prayer. Establishing prayer, scholars agree, is done through the congregation. Men do it by praying in mosques. But what about women? They are denied the right to enter mosques across the Indian subcontinent.
Ziya us Salam further aims to give voice to those women who have been denied their due by patriarchal society. His book tells the readers that the Prophet clearly permitted women to enter a mosque. It is a permission well respected in mosques across West Asia, Europe, and America. Yet, in the overwhelming majority of mosques across India, women are virtually barred from entry. There is no explicit ban, just a tacit one.
Drawing his arguments from the Quran and Hadiths, Ziya us Salam exposes the hypocrisy of men who deny women their right to pray in mosques in the name of religion, thus revealing entrenched patriarchal beliefs masquerading as faith. It also tells the stories of those brave women who are fighting for their space in mosques across the world. From Nizamuddin and Haji Ali Dargah to mosques in lanes and bylanes of India, the fight is on. Women in the Masjid is all about righting a historical wrong.
In the United States, the Women’s Mosque of America is a women-led Muslim house of worship located in Los Angeles, California. It was founded by M Hasna Maznavi, a WGA comedy writer/director, to empower Muslim women and uplift the entire Muslim community.
The mosque had its first public town hall meeting on August 23, 2014, and its inaugural Jumu’ah on January 30, 2015, with the khutbah delivered by Edina Lekovic.
The Women’s Mosque of America is the first women-led Muslim house of worship in the United States. The mosque holds monthly jumma’a prayer services. The mosque is housed in rented interfaith spaces in downtown Los Angeles and is led by women.
The Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque is a self-described liberal mosque located in Berlin, Germany. It was founded by Seyran Ateş, a German lawyer and Muslim feminist of Kurdish descent, in June 2017. The mosque is housed in a Protestant church in Berlin’s Moabit district. It is named after the mediaeval Andalusian-Arabic polymath Ibn Rushd and the German writer and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The mosque is characterised as liberal and inclusive, welcoming everyone regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, or religious background.
The mosque’s practice of men and women praying side by side has been criticized by some Islamic institutions, including Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta al-Masriyyah and al-Azhar University, which issued a fatwa on the foundation of liberal mosques per se. Despite the pushback, the mosque remains open and continues to attract worshippers from different backgrounds.
Despite these challenges, there has been a growing movement for more inclusive and equitable mosque spaces for women. Many Muslim women, scholars, and activists have been advocating for change and working towards creating spaces that allow for more active and visible participation by women in religious activities.
Some mosques have started to implement more inclusive practices, such as providing designated prayer spaces for women within the main prayer hall or holding women-led events and programmes. Organisations like the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) are working to improve female access to mosques in the UK. They aim to empower future female leaders and raise awareness about the importance of women’s inclusion in mosque spaces.
Some research suggests that support from male allies is crucial for the inclusion of women in mosque governance. Men can play an important role in challenging dominant gender norms and advocating for women’s access to mosques. Additionally, many Muslim women are actively involved in community organising and advocacy to raise awareness about the importance of women’s participation and to challenge traditional practices that restrict women’s access to mosque spaces.
The struggle for mosque space and access for Muslim women is a significant issue that reflects broader discussions on gender equality, inclusivity, and representation within religious spaces. While progress has been made in some places, there is still much work to be done to ensure that all Indian Muslim women have equal and meaningful opportunities to engage in religious practices and activities within Indian mosques.
Arshia Malik is a Delhi-based writer, blogger and social commentator
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own
