Islam Women As Imams

[namjiwankaur]

Sat Nam _/|\_

One of things I love about Sikhi is the way women participate equally in the Gurdwara. Many religions didn't allow women to serve equally this way until recently and some still don't.

There is a lot of debating in the Muslim community about the way women are given inferior prayer spaces (and sometimes no prayer space at all). Muslims are also discussing allowing women to be imams.

There is no reason men and women can't be on opposite sides like Sikhs do in the gurdwara. As far as having inferior space or no space for women in the masjid, it is important to ask, "would I invite the beloved Aisha, Khadijah or Fatima to pray in this space?"

Nothing in Quran forbids women from leading the prayer or giving the sermon. Here is a video which I find informative. Although I'm not usually on the same page as Hamza Yusuf, I am grateful that he speaks for women's equality regarding their roles in the mosque.

'Women Leading Prayer & Ibn Taymiyyah' - Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Nam Jiwan peacesign

 

[aristotle]

Sat Nam _/|\_

One of things I love about Sikhi is the way women participate equally in the Gurdwara. Many religions didn't allow women to serve equally this way until recently and some still don't.

There is a lot of debating in the Muslim community about the way women are given inferior prayer spaces (and sometimes no prayer space at all). Muslims are also discussing allowing women to be imams.

There is no reason men and women can't be on opposite sides like Sikhs do in the gurdwara. As far as having inferior space or no space for women in the masjid, it is important to ask, "would I invite the beloved Aisha, Khadijah or Fatima to pray in this space?"

Nothing in Quran forbids women from leading the prayer or giving the sermon. Here is a video which I find informative. Although I'm not usually on the same page as Hamza Yusuf, I am grateful that he speaks for women's equality regarding their roles in the mosque.

'Women Leading Prayer & Ibn Taymiyyah' - Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Nam Jiwan peacesign

Isn't there any example where a woman has served as an imam?
I mean, like in Christianity, there are some exceptions in denominations, for eg. the Calvinists accepting married priests..

 

[BlazinSikh]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh!

Do my fellow brothers (every man on this earth), still believe that women have coodies (forgive for incorrection). I am sorry if i sound a bit ignorant, but why is it so bad for women lead a pray, as a man, a femenist, and a child of Akal Purakh, there is nothing much more bueatifull than a woman leading a pray. Forgive me if i sound a bit weird, but to me i find women to serve Waheguru ji, my dream of a dream women.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh!:happysingh:

 

[spnadmin]

There have been recently news stories of women who are imams. Even in Saudi Arabia. I do not have time to search these out for posting at this time. However, one story still remains with me where a female imam openly challenged a fatwa of a leading male imam in the Middle East. When time permits I will search for this information. Right now I cannot do it but maybe some other forum members would like to visit Google and see what they can see.

 

[Ishna]

Its a great idea, but in the framework of Islam, if there was a female imam she would need someone to cover for her for a week every month. :S

 

[spnadmin]

Here is one example,

Female imams and women’s mosques are not “a new thing here. It’s just a cultural tradition that was never interfered with,” Ms. Shui, an author and researcher at the Henan Academy of Social Sciences in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, said in an interview.

That is what makes it so important, said Khaled Abou El Fadl, a prominent Islamic legal scholar.

“The Chinese tradition of women’s mosques is rooted in Islamic history. It is not novel, a corruption or innovation or some type of heretical practice,” Mr. Abou El Fadl, a professor of Islamic law at the University of California, Los Angeles, said in a recorded interview.

Complete story at this link http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/world/asia/10iht-letter10.html?_r=0

Here is another one

Female Imam Leads Eid Prayer at

http://insideislam.wisc.edu/2010/11/female-imam-leads-eid-prayer/

“By segregating [men and women during prayer], you sexualize the area in ways that it wouldn’t be sexualized if the area was mixed.”

Those are the words of Pamela Taylor, a European-American female imam who embraced Islam twenty-five years ago. This past Tuesday, Taylor led a mixed congregation of 50 men, women, and children observing the Eid Al-Adha prayer. There was nothing particularly exceptional about the content of the annual prayer, or khootbah (sermon), that followed, but a female Imam leading men and women praying side-by-side is anything but typical.

Yes it is not widespread. Yes it is controversial. The world of Islam is having the debate. According to Wikipedia the controversy and the debate revolves around interpretation of the Hadi'ths governing women leading prayer in mixed congregations.

Female leadership in prayer also seems to vary according to country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgk5JFGUkRw

And, really I am not in the habit of making wild assertions. Google is the brain of the world.

 

[aristotle]

Its a great idea, but in the framework of Islam, if there was a female imam she would need someone to cover for her for a week every month. :S

Haha, I know where it goes....
Lovely