114- WHO DOES MORE WRONG THAN HE WHO PREVENTS ALLAH’S NAME FROM BEING MENTIONED IN HIS MOSQUES AND SEEKS TO RUIN THEM, THOSE SHOULD NEVER ENTER THEM BUT IN FEAR.  THEY WILL SUFFER HUMILIATION IN THIS LIFE, AND IN THE HEREAFTER, THEY WILL SUFFER GREAT PUNISHMENT.

There are two perspectives to this Ayah, a historic one and a contemporary one:

HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE: 

It has been reported that this Ayah was sent down commenting on a historic event which was the destruction of Al-Aqsa Mosque by a king called Bekhentaser. 

It has also been said that it was concerning the Idolaters in Makah preventing the Muslims from worshipping in the sacred mosque in Makah. 

These historic events and many others point towards preventing believers from worshipping in places of worship, which was, is and will always be a great sin.  The believers should be after them, strike fear into their hearts, and not allow them to enter mosques willingly, for they have been expelled from Allah’s grace and Mercy.  Allah the Highest promised them humiliation in this life and great punishment in the Hereafter.

Contemporary perspective:

Before we think of putting what others do to us write we should put ourselves right first.  Sadly, this Ayah applies to the Muslims at the present time, more than applying to non Muslims.  We just have to look at what some Muslims do which prevents others from worshipping in Mosques.  This prevention is sometimes direct and open but is often indirect, which is just as wrong.   One should always remember that a Mosque does not belong to any one, it is Allah’s house.  It does not belong to the person or group of people who built it or keep it, it belongs to Allah the Highest and they keep it and look after it for the Muslims to use in the Salah, Zekr, learning, and reciting Quran.

To be in charge of a mosque, Allah’s house is to facilitate for all the Muslims to worship them, not some to the exclusion of others, or to make some feel welcome while others feel unwelcome.  One might does this in his own house, but Allah’s house does not belong to any one but Allah the Highest and all His slaves should feel welcomed in His House.

Any action which makes one group of Muslims more welcomed in a mosque more than others on terms of their language, ethnic origin, colour, gender, country, or any other reason, is dividing Allah’s nation.  Allah the Highest said: “AND HOLD FAST TO ALLAH’S ROBE AND DO NOT DIVIDE YOURSLEVES”.  (S:3 A:103)

And said: “THIS NATION IS ONE NATION AND I AM YOUR LORD, SO WORSHIP ME”.  (S:21 A:93)

And said: “UPHOLD THE RELIGION AND DO NOT DIVIDE CONCERNING THE RELIGION”.  (S:42 A:13)

Let us see the many reasons for which Muslims stop others praying in Mosques:

1-    One might be discouraged from praying in a mosque as the language used is not a language they know, particularly on Friday Prayer.  Then the person just site and does not understand the Khotba, which is in an alien language to them.  I feel that the Khotba should be understood by every one, so it should be in the language of the country the mosque is in.  Then the Mosque will not be seen to be for a particular group of people from a particularly country.

2-    The Language used in the Mosque in lessons and teachings should be in the countries language.  If different, some lessons should be advertised to be specific to those who can only speak a particular language.

3-    A mosque should never be advertised to belong to any particular group of Muslims or the followers of a particular sheikh, or Mazhab.  This discourages others from praying there, as they feel strangers to this group. 

4-    The largest group of Muslims which is prevented from praying in mosques is the Women.  Neither did Allah the Highest nor do His messenger prayer and peace upon him prevent women from praying or learning in the mosques.  They are half the Muslims; they are our daughters, mothers, sisters, and wives.  They bring up our children and they have as much right as we have to the Mosques, according to this Ayah.  Allah the Highest also said: “AND THEY HAVE AS MUCH RIGHTS AS THEY HAVE OBLIGATIONS”.

 (S: 2 A: 228)

In fact, Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him forbad men from preventing women from going to the mosques to pray or learn; He said: “If the wife of one of you asks for his permission to go to the mosque, he should not prevent her”. 

(M: Salah; 134 & Da: Salah; 57)

And he said prayer and peace upon him: “Do not prevent Allah’s women slaves from going to Allah’s Mosques”.

(B:Jomah;13 & M:Salah;135-136 & D:Salah;52 & Mal:Qibla;12 & A:2:36,43  5:292,198)

And he prayer and peace upon him said: “Do not prevent women from going to the Mosques by night”. 

(B:Jomah;13 & M:Salah;137 & D:Salah;52 & T:Jomah;48 & A:2;49,57,98)

When Abd Allah Ibn Omar narrated this Hadith to one of his sons, his son said to him: “We will not let them go out to make mischief”.  Abd Allah Ibn Omar reprimanded his son, hit him in the chest and said to him: “I tell you what Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said and you say, we will not let them”.

It is not forbidden for the women to go to the Mosques, preventing them is forbidden.

Some say that there is not enough space for women to pray.  They do not need a walled area, not even a curtain to separate them from the men although it might be more convenient for them.  Women should line up from the back of the mosque first and their next row will be in front of this.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “The best of the men’s rows is the foremost and the worst is the hindmost.  And the best of the women’s rows is the hindmost and the worst is the foremost”.  

(M:Salah;132 & D:Salah;97 & T:Mawaqeet;52 & N:Emamah;32 & Ma:Eqamah;52 & D:Salah;52 & A:2;485 3;3,16)

Rules for women going to the mosques: 

-         Women should not be menstruating or in the period after child birth when they have discharges and can not pray.

-         Women should be dressed in descent cloth, with Khemar, showing only their hands and face.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Allah does not accept the Salah or a woman past the age of menstruation without a Khemar”. 

(T: Salah; 160 & Ma: Taharah; 132 & A: 6; 150,218, 259)

-         Women should not wear perfumes when going to the mosques.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said to a group of women: “If one of you is going to the mosque, she should not touch perfume”. 

(M: Salah; 142)

-         If the mosque is small or there is not a separate door for women, men should remain seated for few minutes after the end of the Salah to allow time for the women to leave without having to be behind them when wearing their shows, or having to push against them.  Om Salama Allah’s messenger’s wife reported: “Women used to rise and leave one Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him did the salaam (finishing Salah) while he (and the men) remained seated for a little while before them rising to leave”. 

(B: Azan; 156)

Later, Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him told the Muslims to leave the hind door of the mosque for the women to use.

As we should not allow non Muslims from preventing us from praying in the Mosques, we should not let ourselves commit the same wrong or indeed, great sin against other Muslims.  We should not do that on the basis of language, ethnicity, religious creed, gender, or any other reason.  The Mosques are Allah’s House, they belong to Him only

B: Bukhari        M: Muslim        Mal: Malek        A: Ahmed        D: Abu Dawood      

Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah                            N: Nesae          T: Termezi