Reclaiming the Mosque: The Role of Women in Islam’s House of Worship – Jasser Auda

“A few years ago, the British Channel 4 Dispatches programme aired an interesting episode about Muslim women in the UK. They investigated the role of Muslim women in London mosques and their contribution to their communities. To their shock, and my embarrassment as a viewer, it concluded that women have no role in most of the mosques they surveyed. This was due to the simple fact that women were not even “allowed” to enter them in the first place.”

At a time when misogyny and hostile attitudes towards women are plaguing Muslim communities throughout the world, Dr Jasser Auda presents a timely and vital challenge to the contentious issue of women’s access to the mosque, expounding an Islamic perspective. Using multiple references to the Quran and the Prophetic traditions, Auda builds a provocative and eye-opening narrative which tackles the issue of women in the mosque had on.

Auda explores the controversial interpretations that arise from so called ‘problem’ hadiths, and addresses the topic of female leadership from both theological and social angles, as well as tackling the ongoing issue of gender segeration.

Reclaiming The Mosque is a crucial response to the current trials facing Muslim communities, and moreover, it offers a clear and cohesive call to action that harks back to the Islamic principles of freedom, justice and human rights.