Assalamu alaikum all,
I have not been around for awhile, but I was interested to see what everyone here had to say about the woman who led the Friday prayer.
If you have not already heard, the prayer was performed a couple weeks ago. I was shocked when I heard the plans for it, and even more shocked when I heard the circumstances of its execution.
But first, some history...
The woman-led Friday prayer is a continuation of a fight for Muslim women's rights and equality in the United States, which also made headlines in June of 2004. Seven Muslim women in Morgantown, West Virginia peacefully demanded the right to pray in the main men's prayer hall at their local masjid. Normally at this masjid, women are given a private section in a balcony in which to pray, but these women wanted equality with men and wanted to pray in the main hall.
American Muslim women announce campaign to pray inside mosques
I have several comments on this:
1. At my masjid, the women also have a private section upstairs. They can see the imam from a window looking out over the men's prayer section, and can hear the imam through a speaker system. There is nothing wrong with following the imam in this manner. The advantages of this arrangement mean that women can come to the masjid and relax with their sisters, not worrying about removing their hijab because no men are present.
2. Having women and men separated at a masjid is a convenience, and supports the Islamic ideal of maintaining modesty and family integrity. We do not go to the masjid to see or interact with members of the opposite sex. We go to worship Allah.
3. On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with women praying in the same section as men. In fact, this is the Sunnah, as in the Prophet Mohammed's saws time, men and women prayed in the same space. It is well known that in such situations, men are in the front lines, children behind them, and women in the back lines. This has several logical reasons; with the children between the adults they can be supervised, and with the women in the back their modesty is preserved, and women with infants are able to leave the prayer if needed without disturbing the entire congregation.
4. At my masjid it has never been stated that women are not allowed to pray in the men's section, and as far as I know no one can forbid a woman from praying there; the Prophet saws stated not to prevent the women from attending the masjid. However, at my masjid, women just don't go into the men's section, because there is no need. And frankly, it's more comfortable to be in a private section.
5. On top of all of this, by forcing their way into the men's section, these women, in my opinion, achieved nothing. They want equality with men, but they already have it. If they were to pray in the balcony, they would have received equal reward for the prayer as the men received. The arrangement at their masjid is not a matter of inequality. It is simply the structure of the building that affords women a separate, private section in which to pray. Not only is this completely legitimate, but affords greater respect to the women and their privacy.
***
On to current events.
Woman leads US Muslims to prayer
Woman leads Muslim prayer service
It was these same women who implemented the recent woman-led Friday prayer. Again, the goal is to promote Muslims women's rights. Here is a summary of the notable points of this prayer:
1. A woman gave the khutbah (sermon) and led the prayer to a mixed gender congregation.
2. A woman gave the adhan. She did not wear hijab.
3. The event was held in a christian church (because no masjid would host the event).
4. Women and men prayed standing shoulder to shoulder.
5. Some women prayed with no hijab (so they could be "equal" with men).
Only Allah knows if the prayers of the congregation were accepted. To me, it seems doubtful. These women think they are fighting for women's equality and rights. But they are blinded by the same flawed logic that plagues the Western feminist movement. And that is, that equality means sameness.
Men and women are equal in the sight of God. But they are not the same. Men and women will be held equally accountable for their actions, and they will receive equal reward for fulfilling their obligations in life. But they do not have the same obligations. A man's job is to protect and provide for his family. For this he will get reward. A woman's job is to nurture her family and care for her family's home. For this she will get reward.
A man prays in a man's clothing. A woman prays in a woman's clothing. They both receive equal reward for the prayer.
Equality does not mean sameness. Think about how women in the United States go against their very basic nature to try to be "equal" to men. What's the point? And if everyone is doing what a <i>man</i> can do, then who's doing what a <i>woman</i> can do?
Allah created us, He knows our nature, He knows what is good for us. Who are we to question it?
True, women are slighted. If those seven women truly felt a need to pray in the men's section, they should not have been prevented. But they do not need to try to "reform" Islam to acheive equality. Islam is perfect and complete as it was revealed to Mohammed saws. We need to be putting our efforts toward achieving an accurate Islamic state, as some others on this board have mentioned (not just in the west; from what I have observed of many Muslim countries, this effort needs to be applied world-wide, as those countries are significantly deviated from Islam).
Don't reform Islam. Implement it.
Thanks for reading the long post.
Assalamu alaikum [img]style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img]
