Islamic texts allow entry of women to mosques: Muslim law board to SC

Women are allowed to enter mosques and offer prayers, according to Islamic texts, and any fatwa that contradicts this principle can be ignored, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court.

The law board said Muslim women could enter a mosque for prayers but highlighted that it was not compulsory for women to offer Friday prayers in congregation, unlike men.

The Board’s affidavit came after a petition was filed by a Pune-based Muslim couple who asked the top court to declare the prohibition on entry of women into mosques as illegal and unconstitutional.

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The petition said, “… Such practices are not only repugnant to the basic dignity of a woman as an individual but also violates fundamental rights,” according to Hindustan Times.

The petition also argued that women could only offer prayers at mosques of the Jamaat-e-Islami and Mujahid denominations but were barred from mosques under the predominant Sunni denomination. Even if women are allowed, there were separate entrances and barred areas for them to worship.

The petition was based on the top court’s Sabarimala verdict which ruled that religion could not be used as a cover to deny rights of worship to women.