A mosque designed exclusively for women is very rare to come across. Most of us are conventionally used to walking into mosques that have designated sections allocated solely for women that are usually in the smaller, darker less-maintained areas of the mosque. As a response to this disparity, Qatar’s Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned has inaugurated Al Mujadilah: Center and Mosque for Women, offering women a spiritual haven with an aim to reinforce Islamic identity among Muslim women, while creating a space for their active participation in public debate and enriching contemporary Islamic discourse.
Alongside the mosque, which officially opened in February, the space offers an expansive library, gathering spaces, cafes, and gardens. The Center section of Al Mujadilah offers social, developmental, religious and research programs through short classes and group activities— some of which examine the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and soul in Islamic tradition.
Additionally, in an effort to fully understand and decipher the women’s role in Islam, an Islamic law session, led by Dr. Sohaira Siddiqui, Executive Director of Al-Mujadilah, took place at the opening where participants were invited to examine hadith (statements attributed to the Prophet Muhammad [PBUH]) pertaining to women, to understand its context, its utility, and its relevance to the contemporary lives of women in today’s world.
Attendees of the opening also got to explore the historically significant contributions of Muslim women, from their political and economic participation to their intellectual engagements and influential assertions of power. The session also examined how narratives about women in Islamic history have been built and authored, and the various currents from Orientalism to colonialism that affect how women’s stories are told.
“We designed programs for public education around these four areas– the social, the religious, the developmental, and the research– with the ultimate goal of addressing the multifaceted needs of Muslim women,” reads a statement by Dr. Dr. Sohaira Siddiqui
Kholood Nooh, Programs and Impact Specialist at Al-Mujadilah, adds: “All our learning spaces have been designed in a way that facilitates conversation and discussion, which are key to all of our programming, because we want to have Muslim women continuously engaged.”
A gift that keeps on giving for anyone who has been remotely curious about the women of Islam, and the role of women in Islam, Al-Mujadilah will open avenues to Islamic learning, research, and the study of historical and contemporary Islam. One of its key features is a library with an extensive collection covering Islamic history, the history of women, and a collection of fiction and nonfiction books by Muslim female authors. Al-Mujadilah will have two book clubs that are always running, one in Arabic and one in English, that will feature conversations with authors.
More information on the Center and Mosque, including a full list of programs and activities, can be found at www.almujadilah.qa.
