In these cities, Muslim women will offer Friday prayers in masjids

A small group of 200 Muslim women would offer Friday prayers or Jumah Namaz at women's mosques in Mumbai, Nagpur and 14 other Indian cities on November 4.

The weekly congregation is obligatory for all observant Muslims. It comprises sermons and special prayers which makes it unique from the daily evening prayer 'Zohar'. The lack of separate arrangements and the prevailing male hegemony had prevented women from offering prayers in mosques for a long time.

Friday prayers in masjids

According to the Times of India, the initiative is planned under the Muslim Women in Masjid project started by a collective Muslim Women Study Circle (MWSC) formed during the protest against the CAA in 2019. The group aims to initiate, inspire and document the prayer spaces of women in India.

MWSC has launched the 'Women in Masjid' campaign in Guwahati, Dimapur, Jamshedpur, Bengaluru, Saharanpur, Kolkata, Purnea, Agra, Berhampore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Srinagar and Aligarh in addition to Nagpur and Mumbai.

Mosques identified as friendly to women have been profiled through the personal experiences of these women who entered into conversations with imams and management to allow them entry in the last few years.

Tuba Sanober, a law student and project program manager for MWSC, said many mosques already have special arrangements for women to offer prayers every day and at any time, not just on Fridays. “Our members, including myself, realized that some mosques may not have enough space to accommodate women on Fridays, but are also open for us on other days when footfall is low,” she said.

She said that it is a Sunnah (tradition of the Prophet) to offer namaz in the mosque. “We must remember the clear orders of the Prophet and make sure that one prevents women from coming to the mosque. We strive to make the doors of the mosque open for everyone: men, women, people with special needs and children. Mosques must be accessible as they were in the time of our beloved Prophet,” she said.

What is Friday Prayer?

When Muslims gather for congregational devotion during Friday noon prayer, it is known as "Jummah".

An imam delivers a sermon (khutbah) after the prayer. Only men are expected to pray on Fridays, but women are welcome to attend. The Friday prayer brings together Muslims from all walks of life in one community.

The Friday prayer is like the weekly ritual prayers, or salat, except that on Friday the imam, or leader of the congregation or prayer leader, delivers a two-part sermon known as a khutbah, with a pause between the two sections to allow personal prayer, or dua.

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