About Muslim women in regards to praying...?

Question

I watched this BBC report about Muslim women in England protesting because they weren't granted equality with male muslims in regards to praying... they wanted to pray with the men instead of being seperated in typical Islamic style.

But that goes against the style of Islamic praying, right? The sexes must be seperated and so these Muslim women aren't really true muslims, right - just angry arabic people with excessive headgear?

What are the muslim views of this?

Answer 1

There is nothing that states women are to be separated at all. Men are supposed to be in front so they don't eye up the woman and start having bad thoughts. Women have just as much right to pray and speak in the mosque as the men, as Islam says. For example, Umar (I think) put the dowry for marriage at 40 pieces of silver. A woman spoke up and said "But Islam says there is no limit, so who are you to put one on it?". Umar thought about it for a moment, and realized she was right. He said to the entire crowd of men, women, and children "The woman is right. I take back my statement'. There are many such instances as this, where the women were proven right when they were and it was admitted publicly. The "men" of today are nothing but overgrown babies throwing tantrums at every turn. I was married to a "muslim" man like that. He knew nothing of Islam, tried to stop me from pursuing my college degree and tried to force me to quit my job. Islam says he has no right to do any of this, that it's my duty to get the highest education possible, and that I have the right to work and do with my wages as I choose even if I'm a millionaire. The "men" of today are just pathetic. You won't find many real ones in there. They've all been taught by their fathers to follow screwed up insensible culture while claiming it's Islam.

Answer 2

If you were to see people praying in Mecca Hajj men and women pray together. There is no separation of the sexes.

Now lets look at the Mosque. Men are in the front and women are in the back, behind a screen, or in another room. Many ask why. The answer is for modesty. When Muslims pray they place their forehead on the floor. When doing this (to put it bluntly) the rear is in the air. These are people that you see all the time and most women would prefer not to pray in front of these men.

So to answer your question. These women have the right to pray how they wish it just is not the norm.

Answer 3

Many people believe that Islam gives men more rights than women. That could not be further from the truth. Islam allows women to have the same rights as any man. My boyfriend, who is a practicing Muslim told me that the women pray behind the men for the reason that it is not in the man's best interest to be behind a women during prayer (due to distractions, sexual thoughts, etc.) because muslims bend over when they pray. When you at prayer, that is your focus. It shouldn't be on anything else. They don't want men seeing women an object of sexual desire but for who she is on the inside. Makes sense to me.

Answer 4

there is a difference between rights and part of islam. i get worked up about anything regarding ill treatment of women but this isn't really about that. separation of sexes in no way treats women lower unless they are given a worse place to pray. in that case a protest would make sense. protesting to pray with the men doesn't make sense. it is prayer; you shouldn't even be focusing on these things. the Prophet (pbuh) never prayed like this so we shouldn't either. nothing wrong with that. i wouldn't say that these weren't true muslims i'm only going to say that they are confused muslims

Answer 5

As with many parts of the Muslim world, it may depend on the culture, and whether the Muslims are Sunni or Shia. Really, all Muslims are to be in submission, to God. That's the fundamental meaning of Islam, "submission." But culturally, Muslim men expect additional submission from their wives, especially Sunni Muslim men. I once had a friend from Pakistan, a Sunni Muslim, who was married to an American woman. Need I say more, lol? She wound him around her little finger.

Answer 6

I am a Muslim woman who prays regularly. Now, when praying, would you as a Muslim woman, a true muslim woman with modesty feel comfortable praying next to strange man you've never met before? And this excessive headgear you speak of, is a symbol of modesty, not oppression. we choose who we want to be and personally i admire women with headscarves, for they are declaring that women are not a sexual object.

Answer 7

It really depends on the sect and where the praying takes place. I have prayed alongside men, and have no problem with this. But then I am an American Sufi, and Sufis are often very liberal.

I can say, however, that there is a difference if the sexes pray seperately--there is more power when one prays shoulder to shoulder with one's sisters-it is as if we are praying as one unit. When I pray in a mixed group, this feeling is not as strong.

Answer 8

I'm a Muslim myself and I believe the women that protested are damn hypocrites. They stir so much ****. First with the veils. If you really want to hide your face, then why not go and do it in Saudi arabia, or another place where you're allowed to do it. If the UK doesn't like it, why do it. I mean you live here? But you want to abuse the system AND stand up for pointless things.

Sorry for going off topic, but back to your original question.

I believe it's all a big damn conspiracy. First they say we can't show our faces to other men and we wear veils. OK, fair enough, BUT now, you want to pray together with men.

Where's the sense in that? And if that's not hypocrisy, I don't know what is. It's about time we stopped lying and admitted we have some serious issues.

Answer 9

In Mecca al-Mukarrama, during times of prayer, I've seen both Muslim men and women standing next to each other in small groups of each gender, during prayer outside the Haram al-Shereef.

Answer 10

this is ridiculous...i doubt those were really muslim women. This goes completely against the ways of the righteous and what Allah has decreed. I don't believe it

it is different and permissable for Hajj and Umra