RE: RE: ProgressiveMuslims digest, Vol 1 #360 - 3 msgs

I think that anytime a man can't focus on his deen and needs arbitrary 
barriers to keep him from folding under "temptation" . . . WHILE IN SALAAT 
AT THE MASJID, he's seriously on the wrong track. that has nothing 
whatsoever to do with the sister who might be standing next to him or 
making salaat elsewhere in the space or away from it (unfortunately for 
some of our sisters).

I never understood this concept in the religion and the more and more I 
think about it, it's because Allah's blessed me with a sense of reason and 
a a moral compass from birth. People have seriously corrupted and twisted 
the religion. In fact, I don't think this is a part of the religion at all, 
I think it's something people just came up with to serve their own 
purposes. The Qur'an speaks of modesty and averting our gaze, not banishing 
behind screens and fold of fabric our sisters, mothers, daughters, and 
female companions and relations otherwise.

The angels on our shoulder are making a note of our actions whether they be 
sincere salaat or disengenuous excuses for distractions.

When will we wake up and realize that the distinctions we make matter not 
to allah and won't make a dime worth of difference during the reckoning?

Without a doubt, all who come in peace and sincerity should and must be 
allowed to pray together.

Enough of this angry, incoherent rant,
moo  :(



--On Wednesday, February 04, 2004 3:36 PM +1100 Kate Ahmad 
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Salaam,
> I return your question back to you?  Why should men and women not pray
> together? That is my point - freedom.  If you are so concerned about
> fitna - then remove yourself from the main body of people, but dont force
> people to be apart.  Part of the joy of group salat is standing next to
> fellow muslims.  I know that I am often on my own down the back when I go
> to the mosque for Isha, and it is disheartening.  When I pray I dont
> think of how good looking the man next to me is - and no good muslim
> would - so let us control ourselves rather than creating situations where
> we dont have to.  If there are no tests in life - then we can never
> improve as people.  And while overt temptation is silly, there shouldn't
> be a problem with us lowering our gaze around fully clothed men and women
> in a mosque,
>
> Wa'salaam
> Aisha
>
>
> > From: "Yamin Bismilla" <[email protected]>
> > Reply-To: [email protected]
> > To: <[email protected]>
> > Subject: [Progressivemuslimsnetwork] RE: ProgressiveMuslims digest, Vol
> > 1
> ># 360 - 3 msgs
> > Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2004 22:07:21 -0500
> >
> > Slaams,
> >
> > Well while I'm sure some mosques have a 'elite' I think a big part of
> > islam is recognizing our faults.  Why should men and women pray
> > together?    Why not pray separately but equally?  Why would a woman
> > feel inferior praying alongside her fellow woman instead of with men?
> > Why shouldn't women lead their own prayers with women as the prayer
> > leaders?
> >
> > I'm sorry to say, but believing that you can totally remove sexuality
> > from any person(man or woman) is ridiculous.  No person can be without
> > sexuality,
> > just as people cannot be without some measure of happiness, honour,
> > sadness...We all have wants and needs and recognizing that is crucial
> > for all.
> >
> > This is not to say anything of the hijab/burka/niqaab or any such
> > things, but I'm speaking specifically of the segregated mosque
> > situation.
> >
> > Slaam,
> >
> > Yameen
> >
> >
> > > Salaam,
> > > I agree, and I also thought the letter was great.  Being in
> > > australia I cant
> > > offer my support in person, but I would like to in some other form.
> > > Do you think muslims over sexualise the female body, or perhaps its
> > > something else?  To me, it seems a lot about keeping women in a less
> > > powerful position than men.  Everything from hijab,
> > > segragated mosques, the
> > > lack of female imams etc - they all add up to make women inferior and
> > > submissive to the will of men.  The hijab, progressing to the
> > > niqaab and
> > > burqa really serves to depersonalise women - and women can never be
> > > prominent in society if they have no identity.  So - if you
> > > cover your wife,
> > > and make her stay at home, or in a back room at the mosque -
> > > you can be sure
> > > she will never have any influence on the outside world.
> > > Thats why you see 2
> > > year old girls in hijab - its not a sexual thing - its a power thing.
> > > The whole situation is ridiculous.......... why have muslims
> > > come to this
> > > point where most of our effort go into rabidly enforcing
> > > rules to keep women
> > > out of public life, in fear that they might incite the
> > > dreaded fitna!!!?
> > > Insha'allah women will one day pray with men, and maybe even
> > > behind a female
> > > imam one day - that would be fantastic!!!
> > >
> > > Wa'salaam
> > > aisha
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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>
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