Slate raised the issue of the salaries of religious clergy highlighting salaries of Priests and Rabbis. Data about Imam salaries was (un)surprisingly hard to find.

The topic of imams' salaries is for some reason a touchy one, but it is not a complicated issue if approached objectively. We have previously discussed what to look for when hiring an imam. Communities though, set extremely high expectations of what they want.

If those qualifications and expectations were to be put on someone in any other working environment, I would venture to guess the salary discussion would start somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000 a year.

If your community wants a Superman imam, then they need to be ready to pay a Superman salary.

Aside from that, an imam should be assessed by any other normal scale. Check a person's qualifications. Someone with a Master's in Islamic Law and 15 years experience leading a community should command a higher pay than a fresh graduate with no experience. Most masjids though, just have a set amount that they throw at whoever fills the position regardless of qualification.

Along with qualification there needs to be a built in growth mechanism (or career advancement). As the imam gains tenure in the community, the salary should be raised accordingly based on their performance [something ideally settled on in the interview process].

The problem that we run into is we want imams who will give 80 hours a week, but be paid based on 20. In our secular fields, if we have a 4 or 6 year degree, we expect a certain minimum salary to be commensurate with our experience and education. For some reason, we feel this does not apply to imams as if studying Islam and serving or leading a community do not really count.

If we need someone to spend 30-40 hours a week in the masjid, provide 10-20 hours a week of counseling, and on top of that be constantly on-call for marriages, funerals, and other emergencies, then a pay structure should be built to reflect that. Regular jobs that have such requirements will either pay high enough that they can make someone salaried and they will deal with the hours, or there are incentives built in (overtime and on-call pay).

Unfortunately, not only are we not there yet, but we don't even offer the most basic of benefits yet such as healthcare and reimbursements for education and development. The fact that Slate could so readily collect salary data from the Jewish and Christian communities, but had no starting point for the Muslim community speaks volumes about how far behind we are.

If we truly want community leaders who lead us in prayer, deliver the khutbah on Fridays, counsel our families, and teach our children then it behooves us to make sure they are so well paid that they never have to worry about money. Buy them a house and pay them a full time salary on top of it. We need to take the benefits of a corporate pay structure and apply it to the masjid – with one huge caveat. We cannot adopt the ruthlessness and attitude that people are dispensable that permeates corporate leadership. These are our community leaders, the people we have entrusted our spiritual education to – make sure they are taken care of.

I personally feel that the imam position should be a 6 figure income (adjusted according to cost of living and so on). Smaller communities should still aim to pay at least 50-60 (if not closer to 80). These are simply rough numbers, but I want to throw them out there and move our communities past the expectation that we get tenured scholars who are on the same paygrade (or less) than most entry level positions.

Many communities are still living in a naive reality where they expect an Imam to take a pay of 30-40k just because they are “working for Islam” without any regard to supporting their family. Then we get upset when they take a second job to make ends meet, insisting instead that they dedicate their time to the community. In our non-Islamic professions we aim to secure the highest salary possible and feel insulted if someone offers less than our worth. Let's stop doing that to our community leaders.

We don't live in a Muslim country where there are endowments and government grants to support our scholars. Our communities have the money. Fund-raising is not the problem. We just need to understand that our investment in human resources should take precedence over our investment in architectural ones.

Epilogue

In the 2 days since posting this article on muslimsi.com, there has been an outpouring of feedback via comments, Facebook shares, and even personal emails. Based on that feedback I felt it important to highlight a few points.

Most obviously, this is an extremely contentious issue in our community, and it is one that must be resolved in a way that allows our communities to grow and move forward.

When it comes to opposing higher pay (or even pay altogether) for Imams, it comes from a few very specific perspectives. First is the view that people who do Islamic work should not be paid at all (a view that I feel is naive and somewhat ignorant). Second is the view that if an Imam is paid, then it means he must be a perfect human being, or at worst, be like one of the Sahabah in all his actions. Third is the view that if a board pays an Imam, then it means they somehow have total ownership of him.

In all these cases, the root of the problem is a lack of respect for the scholars and community leaders of our ummah. They are not perfect, but if they don't guide us, who will? Our responsibility as community members is to help them grow, because the more that they grow, the better equipped they are to lead our communities. Instead, we find masjids that are expecting one of the khulafā' al-rashīdūn to magically come and lead their masjid (and do so for a minimum wage salary at that). Many of our boards have yet to realize that the job description of an Imam in America is vastly different from what an imam does in nearly any other country in the world. The expectations we put on them are herculean to say the least.

This lack of respect comes from not understanding what function the Imam plays in the community. 99% of the people will never see the hours of marital counseling, family counseling, and late night phone calls that imams have to yield. They'll never see the people who randomly walk into the masjid at odd hours dealing with drug abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sometimes worse trying to find help from the imam. They won't see the hours of work that will go into preparing a 45-minute halaqah that is then only attended by 10 people.

Our communities are growing rapidly, and with that growth comes new problems and new situations that we must deal with. If we want to live our lives in a way pleasing to Allāh, then it is imperative we supply our communities with people capable of leading them and helping us deal with those problems. I find instead that many masjids treat their imams even more ruthlessly than the worst of corporations, not realizing the need the community has for spiritual leadership. They nitpick at them in ways that make it appear as if they consider themselves to be angelic.

Aside from the arguments resulting from a lack of respect, the only other issue is money. I do not think money is an issue. In some smaller communities, it will be, and they'll have to work through it. But I cannot fathom how seemingly every other masjid has multi-million dollar blueprints and expansion plans, but they can't afford to invest in quality human resources. This is a joke. Without proper human resources, we will just have empty (but beautiful) structures. Put the money where it's needed most.

One of the most promising developments I have seen is that there is a surge of people who want to serve this deen full time. They want to study Islam, they want to work for the community full time. But they are held back. Their parents will not stand for them taking a career in the service of Islam and instead push them into other professions. Now it may be easy to criticize a parent and say they are being short-sighted or materialistic, but I do not think that is the case at all. I think most parents have seen the way our communities treat Imams – the most telling sign of which is their low salary (as the saying goes, “put your money where your mouth is”) – and they do not want their children to have to face that.

If our masajid do not get their acts together on this issue, then we are planting a destructive seed that will prevent our development of sustainable scholarship in this country.

(Note: Muslim Kids Matter is a monthly feature at Muslim Matters. You're welcome to send in your entries to muslimkidsmatter@muslimmatters.org!)

__________________________________________________________

I've been working on a project for kids to enjoy learning about the Qur'an and Ahadith.

Last Saturday was the first day of the Learning the Deen Class at the Zakat Foundation Community Center for this January/February session. The students from grades 3-5 (and one second-grader) were very attentive and enthusiastic during the class. I was surprised that they could learn the meaning of the ayahs in Surah Fatiha so quickly.

I told the students that their goal should be to get 100 points so that they could get a prize from the Treasure Box.  By memorizing the meanings of the ayahs, Ahadith, completing worksheets, completing Challenge Projects, and other such activities, they can get points. They also each have their own username and password with which they can go to the online website for the Learning the Deen class and can see their grades and points.

The students found the class more interesting and interactive because they could see their lists of weekly homework assignments there and they had fun taking the online quizzes.  The online quizzes were great learning tools for the students and is aimed to help them  study for their tests easily.

Even kids who don't live in Delaware and can't physically attend the class can still participate.  If you're interested in taking this free class, you can email me at nrkose@gmail.com and I'll send you the information as well as the worksheets you will need to participate in the class.  You may also send me your completed homework assignments and I'll grade them for you.

Learning the Deen Class Website:

www.wix.com/nrkose/learningthedeenl

Here is a sample worksheet from the class:

___________________________________________________

Using Lessons from Surah Fatiha in Our Daily Lives

Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow:

“Sparkles!” Hafsa exclaimed when she entered her room.  “What did you do?”

Her pet cat purred and jumped up, paws dancing in the air.

“Bad Kitty!” Hafsa shouted when she saw what Sparkles had done.  “You ruined my favorite doll.  You're the worst cat in the whole world!  I don't want to take care of you anymore.”  With that Hafsa picked Sparkles up and put her in the hallway.  She slammed the door shut and locked it even though she knew there was no way Sparkles could open the door.

1.      What did Hafsa do wrong?

________________________________________________________________________________________

2.      What do you think she should have done instead?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

3.      What ayah or Hadith would you tell Hafsa to explain to her what she did was wrong?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

“Finally!” Hamza exclaimed.  “Thank you so much!”  He excitedly took the wrapped package from his elder brother and ripped off the wrapping paper.  He had been waiting to get this remote control car for so months and his brother had finally saved up enough money to buy it for him.

“Red?!” Hamza groaned.  “I wanted a blue one!”  He threw the remote control box onto the floor and stormed out of the room.

1.      What did Hamza do wrong?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

2.      What do you think he should have done instead?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

3.      What ayah or Hadith would you quote to him to tell him what he did was wrong?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Khadijah angrily stormed into her room and slammed the door shut behind her.  Why did she always have to say mean things to her little brother and make him cry?  She hadn't meant to say anything but the words just spilled out.

“I hate you Shaytaan!” she exclaimed.  “You always tell me to do bad things.  Why do you tell me to do bad things?  Why can't you just leave me alone?”  She kicked her foot hard against the side of her bed and threw a pillow across the room.

1.      What did Khadijah do wrong?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

2.      What do you think she should have done instead?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

3.      What ayah or Hadith would you quote to her to tell her what she did was wrong?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

I've been having as much fun as the kids in preparing the worksheets, making the website look fun, and teaching them special things about the Qur'an.  I hope lots of other kids will join too, inshā'Allāh.
- Nur

Domestic Violence Series: A Hidden Evil and Muslim Communities

An Imam's Guide to dealing with Domestic Violence

Psychological Tsunami: Effects of Domestic Abuse
 

By Shaykh Joe Bradford

First Half of Khutbah
God says:
“And we wrote in the Psalms (zabur), after having sent down the Torah, that “the righteous will inherit the earth”; in this is a message for the worshipful; and we have sent you only as a mercy to all of creation.” [Sūrah al-Anbiyā: 105-108]

The Messenger of God was mercy to all of creation; to Muslim and non-Muslim; to young and old; to man and woman; to adult and child. He exemplified for us merciful acts and how to realize God's mercy in our lives. He guided us to the etiquette and ethics of all we need to gain salvation in this life and the next, through submission to the word and command of God and realizing his word in our daily lives.

Was this mercy unrestricted? Was his mercy and compassion unregulated, so much that he allowed for everyone to do anything without consequence, without speaking out against injustice and wrong?

There were, on a few occasions, instances where some people had transgressed so far that the Prophet gave up on them, supplicating to God to handle them.

Here are a few examples:

a) While in Makkah, the Quraysh would harass the Prophet and throw animal remains on his back, he supplicated “Oh God, deal with Quraysh.” [1]

b) The Messenger sent a letter to Khusro, emperor of Persia, inviting him to Islam. He tore it up, so the Prophet supplicated “They will be torn apart as a nation.” [2]

c) Due to the high level or transgression, aggression, torture and enmity shown by some of the leaders of Quraysh, the Prophet supplicated against them saying “Oh God deal with Abū Jahl; deal with `Utbah ibn Rabīah; and Shaybah ibn Rabīah; and al-Walīd ibn `Utbah; and Umayyah ibn Khalaf; and Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt.” [3]

How many of us want to take the chance?

How many of us would like to place ourselves in the shoes of Khusro, Abū Jahl, `Utbah, Shaybah, al-Walīd ibn `Utbah, and Umayyah ibn Khalaf?

How many of us could deal with knowing that the Messenger of God, whose supplications are accepted by default, has supplicated against us?

How many of us would be comforted to know that due to our own transgressions have become so despicable that the man entrusted by God himself to establish God's will on earth has called upon the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth to deal personally with us?

I'll tell you of one such man:

`Alī ibn Abī Tālib narrated that the wife of a man in Madīnah came to the Messenger of God, complaining of her husband. The Messenger of God heard her case, and said to her: “Go back and tell him that I am in the Messenger of God's protection”. So she went back, and after some time she came back to the Messenger saying “He hasn't stopped/Hasn't left me alone”. At this, the Messenger of God took his shirt and cut a piece off of it, gave it to the woman, and said “Go back to him and tell him that the Messenger of God said: This is a piece of my shirt.” (as evidence and a summons so that he could be tried for his actions) She left and later returned saying “Oh Messenger of God! He only beat me more!” He then raised his hands and supplicated:“Oh God, deal with Walīd! Oh God, deal with Walīd! Oh God, deal with Walīd!” [4]

How many of us could deal with knowing that the Messenger of God, whose supplications are accepted by default, has supplicated against us?

That we, due to our own transgressions, have become so despicable that the Prophet had given up on us and called upon God himself to deal with us?

Domestic Abuse is a reality in our communities, it is not something that affects non-Muslims alone, but all of humanity.

Did you know?

- Around the world at least one woman in every three has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Most often the abuser is a member of her own family.

- Twelve million women (25% of the female population) will be abused in their lifetime.

- Up to 35% of women and 22% of men presenting to the emergency department have experienced domestic violence.

Abuse is not exclusive to one gender, age group, ethnicity, or national origin. But it is an issue that we as a community must come to terms with, and must not tolerate.

There are many types of abuse, and many of you may be saying “The vast majority of us have never inflicted physical, emotional, or verbal abuse, never will, and can never imagine it.” Some of you may even think that this message has no weight. But it does, because like it or not we have people that frequent our congregations that abuse their families. And if, alḥamdulillāh, you are not one of those people, it is your responsibility to take this message today to others and help to prevent abuse before it occurs.

Physical Abuse

When speaking on physical abuse, some of you may be saying to yourselves “I have license to do such a thing”; i.e. that mentioned in the verse 4:34.

I don't want to get into too many specifics about that verse, or even quote it here. But let's be honest, you won't find abusive people thumbing through the Qur'ān and ḥadīth to find out what he or she should or should not be doing before they lash out at their loved ones. You will find them trying to justify their actions afterwards by misapplying this verse.

Abusive people are not following God's guidance, and are certainly not following the injunctions in the verse to advise, then to separate, so-on and so-forth. But to prevent any further misuse of this verse, let's make it clear, authorities on the Qur'ān have read this verse in three ways:

1. Some held that this verse means for a man to show he is angry to his wife, nothing more. This is the explanation made by `Atā, one of the greatest scholars of the Quran. [5]

2. Others state that what God permitted in 4:34 was only after a series of conditions are met as a way of restricting already rampant abusive behavior.

3. Another restricts that to only those that have state authority to reprimand and penalize its citizenry. Just as the only person that will apply the law to men are the state authorities, the same goes with applying this verse to women. The verse, read contextually with those before and after it, point to this.

In short, arguments can be made for days on end as to which of these positions is more correct. The real test of this verse is what we as believers are going to do with it. In other words, what responsibility will you take for your actions when situations like this occur? How will we react?

Regardless of interpretation one thing is clear: those that are abusive are not in line with any of these three readings of the verse. Can anyone actively abusing a loved one honestly say that they have fulfilled any of the stipulations above?

Let's be honest with ourselves, the answer is no. Had they been, they would have sought counsel beforehand, and the problem would not have escalated.

Other forms of Abuse

While many of us may have not committed physical abuse, we have, however committed lower levels of abuse. By neglecting our loved one's needs, by raising our voices at home and not holding back anger, or by being demeaning and being condescending when speaking to our family members.
These constitute domestic abuse as well, and they embolden the anger and resentment within us to build up to the point where few who had never imagined that they would, will commit the unimaginable.

Let me ask the men in the room: If I were to tie you down in a chair, and say all of the worst things to you, things that I won't mention on the Minbar, then spit in your face, what would you want to do to me?

Let's say that you were pulled over by the police, and the policeman said the same to you. You would probably want to deck him, but you wouldn't; you'd show restraint. Why is it easy for you to restrain yourself with those that have no relation to you, but not with those that you love? These are honest questions that you have to ask yourself.

Verbal Abuse

The Prophet warned of verbally abusing each other, and our families have the most right to be safe from our tongues.
He (ṣallallāhu `alayhi wa-sallam) said: “Whoever says to his brother “Oh Kāfir”, then its applies to at least one of them.” [6]

He (ṣallallāhu `alayhi wa-sallam) also said “To curse a believer is like murdering him.” [7]

Because of this danger, he also said “Whoever preserves that between his jaws will have paradise.” [8]

Is not calling someone a disbeliever a form of verbal abuse? Why then do we use the term “kāfir” to refer to our loved ones when they do something that we feel is improper or un-Islamic? Why do we hear about men calling their wives prostitutes, or mothers and fathers using that word to refer to their daughters? Is this not verbal abuse? Would you like for people to refer to you in this way?

Emotional Abuse

We all know of the story of two of the Sahabah, one of whom his wife was distraught and in a bad physical and mental shape; the Prophet informed this women's husband: “Your body has rights, your Lord has rights, your guests have rights, your family has rights; given everyone that has a right their due.” [9]
At times we say and do things, even if we are doing something that is correct, that can cause neglect to be shown to those that we are entrusted with caring for.

Remember: Prevention is better than cure

The Prophet said “The worst of people are those that are quick to anger, but slow to self-correct.” [10]

He (ṣallallāhu `alayhi wa-sallam) also said “The best of acts is to cause another Muslim to feel joy.” [11]; can we say that the opposite is true then, that the one of the worst acts is to cause another Muslim to be depressed and sad?

He (ṣallallāhu `alayhi wa-sallam) said “The strong amongst you is not one of physical strength; the strong is the person who restrains themselves when angry.” [12]

Allāh praises restraint saying:

“Race to forgiveness from your Lord, and paradise; the expanse of which is like the heavens and earth; prepared for the believers. Those that spend in hardship and ease; restrain their anger; and they forgive the people. And God love those that strive for excellence.” [Sūrah Āl-`Imrān: 133-134]

May God make us from those that strive for excellence, restrain our anger, and respect our families.

Second half of Khutbah:

God says:
“We presented the trust to the Heavens, the earth, and the mountains; but they refused to carry it; frightened by the responsibility. But instead Man carried it; he was iniquitous and very ignorant.” [Sūra al-Aḥzāb: 72]

The Qur'ān calls human responsibility “the Trust.” God offered the Trust to all of creation, but only we as human beings agreed to carry it. The burden of this Trust is that we have the ability to create and destroy; we have the free-will that not even the Angels are endowed with, whom we can choose to be higher than in our character. We can as well, be as hard-headed and stubborn as a rock, or as low and detestable as a beast.

The Prophet said that for “Every person who betrays his trusts, a banner will be placed for him on the Day of Judgment, as long as his betrayal…” [13]

Our families are trusts from God, trusts that we cannot betray; once the Prophet got word that some people were beating their wives, he declared “Those are not the best of you”. He asked his congregation once “How is it that one of you can beat your wife, like an animal … then go and try to cozy up to her?” [14]

I want to remind you all of a very important point; that for these reasons and more, scholars of Islamic law have said that a person is innocent until proven guilty in everything, except physical abuse. If a woman brings proof of abuse against her husband, he is tasked with disproving that evidence, not the other way around.

As a community, both as leaders and lay people, we have a responsibility to ensure that those entrusted in our care are not abused. We can't hide the realities of abuse when they are known. The Prophet clearly would not hide such things; Fatima bint Qays came to him seeking his advice on marriage. She said that Muawiyah and Abū Jahm had both proposed to her. The Messenger of God told her “As for Muawiyah, he is poor and has no money; as for Abū Jahm, then he is a wife-beater; marry Usāmah instead.” [15]

Abuse is not the only thing that we need to stop; as we said prevention is better than cure. Sometimes when warning signs present themselves, we must be proactive, when the signs appear, in curbing even possible abuse.

One example of the past was family strife. This was enough to disqualify one man from his position of power.

One of `Umar ibn Al-Khattāb's employees came to him one day, finding him lying on his back, with his children playing around him. He became angry and told them to stop. `Umar said to him: “How are you with your family?” He replied: “When I come in the house those talking go silent!” `Umar said to him “You are officially fired; if you can't show compassion to your own wife and children, how can I expect you to do so with the Ummah of Muḥammad?” [16]

So I ask in closing, which of us…

… is strong enough to hold back his anger?

…is strong enough to fight his own soul instead of his spouse?

Who from amongst us can strive to be the best of us, and not act like a beast?

And if we cannot achieve that, if we can't prevent ourselves from such injustice, then we have ask ourselves:

“If the Prophet were to supplicate saying “Oh God, you deal with him” would you have anywhere to run to, and anywhere to hide from in this life or the next?

Closing Du`a

Oh Allāh forgive us our sins, and our transgressions, pardon our lapses, and make us from amongst the guided.

Oh Allāh give us happy lives, vibrant livelihoods, and make us couples whom between them is mercy and tranquility, and guide us to the best of practices.

Oh Allāh pardon those who have repented to you, and have turned away from abuse, and sought your forgiveness.

Oh Allāh, those who refuse to cease from their abuse, and do not repent, then deal with them.

Oh Allāh deal with those that transgress against their spouses and children, those that have transgressed your boundaries, and sinned against you.

Those that have harmed your servants and betrayed their trusts.

Oh Allāh forgive us all, Muslim men and women, believing men and women, and make us from those that abide by your commands, and follow the guidance of your Messenger.

References

[1] Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim from Ibn Mas`ūd.

[2] Narrated by al-Bukhārī from Ibn `Abbās.

[3] Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim from Ibn Mas`ūd.

[4] Narrated by al-Bazzār with this wording, aṭ-Ṭabarī declaring this isnād authentic. Al-Bukhārī declared a similar wording authentic in his Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn.

[5] See the Aḥkām al-Qur'ān of Ibn al-`Arabī.

[6] Narrated by al-Bukhārī from Ibn `Umar.

[7] Narrated by al-Bukhārī from Thābit ibn Dahhāk.

[8] Narrated by al-Bukhārī from Sahl ibn Sa'd.

[9] Narrated by al-Bukhārī from Wahb ibn `Abdullāh.

[10] From the ḥadīth of Abū Saīd al-Khudrī as in al-Amālī al-Mutlaqah. Ibn Ḥajar declared it ḥasan. A similar narration is found in at-Tirmidhī which he declared ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ.

[11] From the ḥadīth of `Abdullāh ibn `Umar, Al-Albānī declared it ḥasan li ghayrihī in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhib.

[12] Narrated by al-Bukhārī from Abū Hurayrah.

[13] Narrated by Muslim from the ḥadīth of Abū Saīd.

[14] Narrated by al-Bukhārī from `Abdullāh ibn Zam'ah.

[15] Narrated by Muslim from Fatima bint Qays.

[16] Mentioned in Kitāb al-Mustatraf

Printable pdf attached

The month that we have sought out all year is here! inshā'Allāh we prepared ourselves, our families and our homes to maximize the blessing of Ramadan. However, unlike stocking our refrigerators, preparing our mosques for non-Muslim visitors and members of the Media are essential tasks that we often neglect. Here are some easy last-minute steps!

Public relations is all about positively managing relationships. As you read this, please adopt the vantage point of a non-Muslim who has never been to your center. Walk yourself step by step in their shoes, starting with googling the local Muslim community, their attempts at calling the local mosques, their commute, parking, signage (especially at the entrance and in lobby area), what might happen when they enter the building, what they will do while they are there and how will the visit be concluded.

The following are key items to consider.

Section 1 – Correspondence before a visit:

Many Islamic centers fail horribly in their phone and email communication. However, the good news is technology is on your side! Create a system to respond to incoming calls and e-mails in a timely manner. Few things can be more frustrating than trying to schedule a visit at a Muslim community center, so let's streamline this as much as we can.

We have all had the experience; you know, calling a mosque and one of several things happens or fails to happen:

1)      The phone rings FOREVER! During normal business hours it is inexcusable to not have a live person answering the phone, let alone a functioning voicemail system.

2)      The receptionist is a “chacha” (uncle) or an auntie with little to no command of the English language! Nothing says welcome to the center like a complete failure to communicate.

3)      The person who answers the phone is rude!

4)      You are put on hold FOREVER

5)      You are told that you are going to be transferred … and you get the dial tone!

Enter Google Voice (it's free) or any service for that matter, just make sure that you have the following:

1)      A clear greeting. If you say Asalaam Alaikum or Ramadan Mubarak, then you have to translate it too. OK, OK, May God's Peace be with you and May you have the blessings of Ramadan.

2)      Ask the caller to leave their number; this tells them you are responsive and that you care that they called.

3)      Ask them to state why they called; this will help you prioritize your responses.

4)      List the hours of operation and any special instructions for guests or first time visitors. Try to put visitors at ease by helping them know what to expect and that visitors ARE welcome. Be sure to include Iftar (fast-breaking meal) details (explain what it is) and prayer times.

5)      Include an assurance that you will call them back within __X__ hours/days

6)      Finish by thanking them and listing your website address with the language of: Visit us online at www.yourlocalislamiccenter.com

NOTE: The same information should be posted on a “Visit Us” page on your website. It would be even better to have a “Schedule Your Visit” form that would e-mail you appointments and group details.

7)      Lastly, set up a call forwarding service that you can turn off and on when needed. This will allow staff or volunteers to take calls remotely. A good service will show that the call was originally for the mosque, alerting the answerer to use the appropriate greeting. This is important during emergency situations or when a high priority call is expected.

8)      Whoever is trusted with answering the phones should always keep a pen and notepad with them.

Section 2 – Create a welcoming committee:

Imagine that all you know about Islam and Muslims is what you've seen online and on cable news. Then, Allāh (God) inspires you to visit a mosque and you get past the website, email and telephone issues. So you drive to the center and (if there is no welcoming committee) one of two scenarios are likely:

Situation #1 No one is there! The door was unlocked. So you hesitantly go inside, call out a questioning “hello?” and it just echoes. You look around, no information table, no sign that says “Welcome,” no community bulletins and no visitor sign-in sheet. In many cases, it is just a hallway with a bunch of dusty bookshelves serving as shoe racks and a bunch of random fliers for events that have already taken place in random and haphazard stacks. Then you notice doors to a big, empty but carpeted space and the only signs you see says “No Shoes.” Next to those doors you see a bathroom and you think to yourself… did I enter in the backdoor?

Situation #2 No one who is there works there! You walk in, and no one smiles. (We won't touch what might happen if a woman entered a door designated as the men's entrance.) Then, no one greets you. Next it becomes clear that there is no plan to accommodate visitors and you find out very quickly that you are in the way and disrupting people's schedules.

* NOTE: Of course there are millions of alternatives on how an unannounced visitor could play out; it may even be a very positive experience, but why risk it? Having a welcoming community that plans for visitors is a proactive, low cost way to get your community members involved in the center's success. That old saying — you only get one chance to make a first impression — is true, so let's put our best foot forward inshā'Allāh. Just ask yourself how you would like to be treated if you were a visitor at someone else's house of worship and then make it happen.

The Basics of a Great Welcoming Committee:

A great welcoming committee should be made up of friendly and knowledgeable Muslims and Muslimahs (Muslim women). At least one person should be “on duty” during operational hours (anytime the building is open to the public), but at a bare minimum you should have someone ready for visitors during events and community functions like tarawih (night prayers). These people need to have enough standing in the community that they could manage other community members' reactions while showing visitors around.

Example: Enter that one brother who wants to ask every non-Muslim he meets controversial questions… before he even knows their names. Your welcome committee members must be able to shut someone like this down politely and have the full support of the Imam and the mosque board.

They should be friendly, dress appropriately, have a good command of English and should be knowledgeable enough to defer difficult questions to the Imam and to admit that they don't know the answer to every question. Most importantly they must be passionate about Islam AND be well-adjusted and happy people!

Tools for the Welcoming Committee:

Printed Materials:

Have some materials about the center, Islam and Ramadan ready to offer. For printed materials about the center, be sure to use lots of photos. A simple tri-fold will serve the purpose. It should feature some historical information like when the center was founded or when it was built, what services are offered, how many attendees it currently has, include any distinguishing features or interesting facts and be sure to highlight some biographical information about the Imam and other community leaders to help humanize the center and finish by listing the website, phone number and hours of operation.

Dress Codes & Clothing:

Have a stock of extra hijabs (scarves) and clothes to offer if a visitor indicates that they feel self-conscious about the clothing they are wearing. If the center has a dress code, it should be posted and clearly visible and well thought through. Any dress code should be consistently applied and should feature minimum requirements for both males and females. You do not want to ask a non-Muslim to take on special clothing requirements and then have them see Muslims who are dressed less modestly than they are at the center. Make these items gifts. Let the person know that it is/will be theirs so they do not have to worry about hygiene. Do not force women to wear a scarf or other clothing except in extreme circumstances. 99% of the time people who will come to the mosque will be open minded and will appreciate and want to adhere to the social norms. Your guidance before visitors arrive will be crucial; people generally do not want to cause offense, especially once they arrive and are in a public setting. How we treat non-Muslim visitors will reverberate throughout the community.

Space reserved for visitors in the center and in the prayer hall:

TRUE STORY: I once was asked to make sure that no non-Muslim females entered the prayer hall if it was that time of the month during their visit!

Create a designated space for your guests. Make it a space that is not distracting for the congregation and that is also respectful of the visitors. Do not make them feel like they were shoved into a dusty corner or are being hidden from the people. Have easy-to-set-up chairs and people to answer their questions, explain rituals or even to translate, if needed, during a lecture.

TIP: Nearly everyone loves kids, so find a way to have a young Muslim child offer them something even if it is just a greeting and a smile.

Have a security and/or parking team:

Train your security and parking teams to direct people who look lost or confused to the lobby or other location where a welcoming committee member can meet them. If you are expecting guests, your security and parking teams need to know. At all times they need to know who is on the welcoming committee and who from the committee is on call at that time so they can instruct the visitors to them.

While we are on the subject of parking, take steps to be more courteous to your neighbors. This is especially important if the mosque is in a residential area. Let them know in advance when you expect a lot of traffic.

TRUE STORY: A few years back a pretty large mosque in North Texas had its first candidate forum. The major politicians for each race showed up and as did the invited non-Muslim neighbors. The event was a big success, the mosque was packed and at least half of the attendees were non-Muslims. During the Q&A session, the first question was given to a little elderly blue-haired lady who stood up, and in front of everyone asked: “How come you all are so uncivilized that you park in my yard every Friday?”

Section 3 – The Media:

With the current climate surrounding Islam and Muslims in America, the upcoming presidential elections, the 24-hour news cycle and the 10 year memorial of Sept. 11^th just around the corner, this Ramadan may present more than the normal potential for members of the media to drop by unannounced. For all visitors to your center, sections 1 and 2 above are important. However, for visitors from the mass media, who will be seeking to film your center, interview your staff and your community members and then publish or broadcast what they recorded at your center, the following steps are vital.

1)      Always have one person who can make decisions for the mosque or community center on site during events.

2)      Train your receptionist/administrator on how to handle a call from the media. More here.

3)      Train your parking and security teams for the arrival of media professionals. When they are expected have designated parking spaces for them.

TIP: make sure that no one will double-park behind them, or any visitor for that matter. Media professionals live by tight schedules and have to be able to move on quickly.

4)      Know the difference between speaking to a member of the media and being in an interview with the media. Never start answering questions without a clear understanding of the situation. Remember that all mics are always on!

5)      Know the difference between a community member speaking and a representative of the Islamic center speaking. A community member only represents themselves. At most, a community member can be seen as voicing popular sentiment. A verifiable representative of the Islamic center has a title and authority to speak on behalf of the congregation even if acting alone. You cannot prevent a willing community member from talking to the press but you can clarify who and what that person represents.

6)      Know your scope. As a local mosque, you represent your local constituents. Do not exceed your mandate, and never speak for a group larger than you really represent.

7)      Be honest.

8)      Send a thank you note for accurate and positive coverage.

Again, this was written to cover common issues and simple steps that can be implemented fairly quickly. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask them below in the comments. I will only publish questions that I believe will benefit the majority of our readers, but I will try to respond to specific questions via e-mail.

JazakAllahu Khairan and may Allāh help us to improve ourselves and the image of Islam and Muslims.  āmīn.

Seeking well qualified Imam for our masjid in the middle of nowhere. New facility with 50 families. Seeking an Imam with the following qualifications:

• PhD. in Islamic Studies
• Bachelor's from American university
• Fluent in English, Arabic, and Urdu
• Charismatic khateeb (preferably with lots of popular videos on YouTube)
• 15 years of Imam experience
• Can serve as principal of Islamic school
• Can increase youth involvement
• Teach children how to read Quran
• Teach Sunday School
• Perform weekly halaqahs
• Provide around the clock marital and family counseling
• Leads Tarawih with a voice that sounds like a CD recording
• Accounting, janitorial, and website building experience is a plus
• Superman cape is optional.

So what is a more realistic way to figure out who is qualified to be the masjid imam, or community leader? That's the question we tackled in Muslim Strategic Initiative's Part 2 of Conversations About Masjid Leadership – Finding the Right Imam [for Part 1, click here: The Role of the Masjid].

Check out the video below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our Muslim community first faced a crisis of survival – when the first wave of immigrants rose to the challenge and established institutions such as Masjids, community centers, and Islamic schools. The new crisis we face is one of relevancy. Our comm
unities are struggling to take the next step to make sure our community infrastructure is ready to meet the demands of the coming generation.

It is with this in mind that we are launching this important series of interviews with Shaykh AbdulNasir Jangda. We hope to cover more topics and also involve other speakers as well.

The first video is entitled, 'Role of the Masjid'.

This video covers a number of issues, among them:

• What is the true role and purpose of the masjid? (Refer to this MuslimSI article on an organization's true purpose)
• How does a community balance competing objectives with limited resources? Specifically, how to balance between the demands of Islamic schools, Sunday schools, and Friday prayer.
• How to make women's prayer space?
• What is most pressing when embarking on a new masjid project?

Enjoy the first video below. The next video will cover how to find the right imam.

Click here to view the embedded video.

My gut reaction upon hearing this news was shock, but not in the sense that you might expect. I was shocked that these types of stories have not been more frequent. On face value, it appears we are looking at the perfect recipe for bringing down an Islamic organization: the intersection of shoddy and shady masjid practices meeting a fishing expedition audit.

Before continuing on to the lessons that we can all learn from this episode, there's a number of things that must be mentioned.

Firstly, the article linked to is only one side of the story, and it mentions that the other side is legally restricted at this time from mentioning theirs. None of us yet know the whole story, so it is unfair to jump to assumptions, especially as it pertains to the veracity of guilt and innocence regarding the claims made.  If anything, our deen, and the law, teach us innocent until proven guilty.

Secondly, due to the popularity of this story [earlier today it was on the front page and at the top of the site's most read articles], it is worth taking heed of lessons that can be learned so the same mistakes are not repeated. With that in mind, please remember that what follows is written in a general sense, and is not specific to the context of this story.

***

One issue facing most Islamic organizations is a lack of implementing appropriate policies and procedures. A number of organizations struggle to even have the right policy on paper, and the vast majority that even make it that far usually cannot implement those policies in practice.

There are always extremely stringent regulations regarding the management of registered non-profit organizations. It requires a high level of transparency. Those who have taken it upon themselves to be in leadership, shura, or board positions at a masjid need to be familiar with these regulations. An example of this is something as simple as meeting minutes. Non-profits are required to keep meeting minutes. If they do not, it provides an easy excuse for someone auditing you to make an issue out of it.

In regard to finances, I am appalled that many organizations do not even take the basic step of having accounting sheets that are double-counted with the appropriate number of witnesses, and physically signed. Most of the time funds are simply thrown together and one person is given the task of counting them. Additionally, the budget and cashflow expenditures are not made public such that each penny can be accounted for. Personally, I have heard horror stories of $1.5 million dollars in a masjid construction project being accounted for “penny by penny” to the community in simply a half page “executive overview.”

These are two examples of shoddy and shady practices that Islamic organizations currently engage in, and in reality, they are a microcosm of other issues. The carelessness and laziness that is exhibited here is equivalent to a person slowly digging his or her own grave. Should someone take issue with the organization, or simply want to give them a hard time, the organization has left itself open to an easy attack.

By definition, an audit is a detailed examination of each and every penny, policy, procedure, and practice. If any of these are out of line, then there are negative consequences. This, of course, can be prevented by following the rules stringently. It is baffling though, how careless organizations are in shooting themselves in the foot in this manner.

Lastly, I want to mention two pieces of advice. The first is for those in leadership over Islamic organizations and the second is for the community in general. For those in leadership, you have a great responsibility on your shoulders. You are accountable for managing the affairs of the community, and laziness and ignorance is not an excuse. If you do not know something, go find out about it, and implement it. Think about your legacy if your (avoidable) missteps are the reason for the downfall of an Islamic organizaiton – if your actions are the reason that someone else's sadaqah jariyah is cut off. That's not a happy place to be in. Remember when you were busy lobbying to get yourself elected to the board of the masjid? This is the responsibility that came with it.

To the community, it is not enough to shift the blame to the leadership. We all play a role, and until the community steps up and holds its leadership accountable, change will not happen until forced. And if it is forced, it will not be pretty, nor good for anyone involved. In fact, in such cases, regardless of who is responsible, it is the average community member [aka innocent bystander] who ends up suffering most.

May Allāh (swt) put barakah in all of our organizations and keep us steadfast on the truth, and give us the guidance to always do things with ihsan and in the most correct manner.

When the Prophet (SAW) was suffering his final illness, he became too unwell to even leave his room and participate in the congregational prayers. As the Muslims prayed in unison behind Abu Bakr there was a commotion in the crowd. The curtain covering the doorway to Aisha's room had lifted a little and the Prophet (SAW) looked out on his people. He looked out and he smiled, his face beaming with joy. What made the Prophet (SAW) smile? I'd like to think that it was nothing other than seeing his ummah united upon Islam. The appearance of the Prophet (SAW) was so striking that a wave of excitement rippled through the crowd and the Muslims were in danger of being distracted from their prayers. Then, just as quickly as it had been raised, the curtain dropped. This would be the last public appearance made by a Prophet in the history of mankind. Within hours he (SAW) would be no longer with us.

The Muslim ummah stayed united after the Prophet (SAW) passed away and it was this unity upon Islam that led an ill-equipped and illiterate nation to conquer the majority of the known world within decades. Although, the unity fractured slightly through the centuries for a variety of reasons, the ummah still existed as more than just a theoretical concept. My, how we have fallen from the heady heights that we used to occupy. Just as Allāh used to give us honour and dignity for our unity upon Islam, our wholesale rejection of that very fundamental principle has led to nothing but misery.

But a group of Muslim students in the UK decided that instead of being passive spectators in this destruction, they would stand up and act. They would implement the advice given to us in the Quran, “Allāh does not change the condition of a people unless they change themselves.” Just one of the vehicles that they hoped would help bring about this change was a project that would unite Muslim students whilst raising money for orphans and needy children.

After years of hard work, countless meetings, thousands of dollars worth of phone calls and night after night of heartfelt duas – Charity Week was born. The first one took place in 2004 in London and at first only a few universities took part raising £30,000 (over $50,000) – a record for Muslim student fundraising at the time. Over the years, more and more organizations and universities have been drawn to the project and it has grown to encompass most of the universities in the UK and Ireland through the efforts of organizations as diverse as Islamic Relief, Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) and the University of London Union Islamic Society (ULU ISoc). This year, the 7th Annual Charity Week has raised over £370,000 (more than $1/2 Million) so far.

Impressive as the amounts raised are, heartening as it is to see the exceptional dawah opportunities being harnessed during it, amazing as it is to watch Muslim students having fun and being innovative on a scale previously unprecedented – these accomplishments are small compared to the real barakah of Charity Week. That barakah is nothing less than unity upon Islam, that precious commodity that we lost so long ago and that lies at the heart of many of our problems today. Seeing brothers with big beards and those who are just getting to grips with Surah Fatiha work together, watching a sister without hijab have her preconceptions of covered sisters broken down by organizing the same fundraiser and vice-versa, having a committed Tablighi brother work in perfect harmony with the Salafi khatib – these are things that money cannot buy.

For far too long we have continued to face the trials of this world separate and apart. For far too long we have forgotten that what binds us together is so much more than what divides us. For far too long we have talked about unity and failed to take the first steps towards it. No longer. Charity Week is just one proof that a new world is possible – our Lord is one, our book is one, our Prophet (SAW) is one. It is time that the ummah was one once more.

We hope that if the Prophet (SAW) was alive today, he would see with happiness the legions of Muslim students wearing the same T-shirt, using the same posters, moving for one cause – despite their different backgrounds and personalities, united upon Islam. We hope that on the Say of Judgment, he (SAW) will smile on us just as he smiled at the sahaba all those years ago. Āmīn.

Related on MM: Charity Week 2009: Raising Money for Orphans Worldwide

Click here to view the embedded video.

While most people were preoccupied with the Park51 debate and the American Muslim community battled a slew of Islamophobic attacks, a different story, a more hopeful one, developed north of the border. Quite a bit north actually, about 4000 kilometres north to be more specific. This is the story of a new chapter in the lives of the Muslims in Inuvik, Canada.

Inuvik is an arctic town in Canada’s Northwest Territories with a population of about 3500 people. It’s located right at the tip of North America facing the Arctic Ocean. With a polar climate and harsh living conditions, one wouldn’t expect to find a town there, let alone a town with Muslims. But there is a Muslim community there and a growing one, too. So much so that the trailer that was being used as the mosque ran out of room and this community now needed a new mosque.

Building a mosque in the Arctic, however, is far more complicated than it is anywhere else. The scarcity of skilled labour and material makes the cost of such a project skyrocket and this undertaking is simply impossible for a small community of a 100 people. Their situation is akin to that of the Muslims in Edmonton, who despite all odds managed to erect Canada’s first mosque in 1938. With faith in God anything is possible. At a time like this, the Inuvik Muslims could have simply prayed for a mosque to be shipped over. And that’s exactly what they were about to get.

Enter, the Zubaidah Tallab Foundation. The Zubaidah Tallab Foundation is a charity based out of Manitoba. The remarkable individuals at this organization decided to give the Inuvikans a hand and took it upon themselves to ensure that the mosque got built. After evaluating the cost of locally building the mosque, they came up with a plan which at first sight would easily be dismissed as insanity. Build the mosque in Winnipeg and ship it 4000 kilometres away to Inuvik in the Northwest Territories.

As insane as that may sound, this was the most economical way of getting the mosque built. Part of the mosque’s journey was going to be on roads (2400km) and part on water (1800 km). The goal was to get the mosque on to the last barge heading towards Inuvik for the season. Not only was this going to be a logistical nightmare but it was to be a race against time as well. With receding water levels in the Mackenzie River, the shipping company decided to push up the departure date by 3 weeks.

The 1500 square-foot mosque was built in Winnipeg and started its journey on a semi-trailer. The over-sized trailer made its way through back roads and country highways, struggling to make it to the barge in time; it was delayed further by Labour Day celebrations and highway regulations. To complicate matters even more, the bridge across Reindeer Creek proved too narrow for the trailer. The driver had to remove the back wheels and a second truck was brought in to balance the back of the flatbed as the mosque was moved carefully across bridge. But this wasn’t the biggest scare. All hopes and dreams came close to being shattered when the mosque almost fell off the trailer into a creek near the Alberta border.

The organizers managed to request the shipping company to hold the barge for two extra days and perhaps by divine intervention, the barge was delayed further due to poor weather. With lots of prayer and a little bit of luck, the trailer managed to get to the barge just in time. The mosque was loaded on to the barge and set off for its journey towards the North Pole.

The barge arrived in Inuvik, on September 24^th2010. After an excruciating 3-week journey, the little mosque arrived at its destination; all in one piece. The Inuvik Muslims gathered around the port to witness the historical event. They chanted prayers to praise and thank God as they waited. Some jumped around with joy while others were overwhelmed with gratitude and came to tears.

Numerous finishing touches needed to be added and it took about a month to get the mosque ready for use. Fathallah Fargat, a carpenter from St. Catherines, Ontario was inspired by the story and traveled all the way to Inuvik to help set up the mosque. He even helped build a 10-meter minaret to accompany the newly erected mosque. The Midnight Sun Mosque, as it is now called, was inaugurated on November 10^th 2010 to become North America’s northern most mosque. All in all, the entire project cost about $300,000. The Zaid Tallabah Foundation, which still has outstanding payments to make, is looking to raise another $21,000.

The Inuvik mosque is a stellar example of what can be accomplished by unity, hard work and faith in God. For those let down by the petty attacks on mosques around the West, this story should rejuvenate your spirit and give you hope. If people can manage to build a mosque in the Arctic, then building one anywhere else should be far from impossible.

Below is a video of the mosque being moved (music-alert):

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sources Used:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2010/11/10/arctic-mosque-inuvik-opening.html

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/866258–little-mosque-on-the-tundra

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11403604

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11731017

http://www.cbc.ca/video/player.html?category=News&zone=canada&site=cbc.news.ca&clipid=1639690331

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2010/09/23/north-mosque-inuvik-arrives.html

http://zubaidahtallab.com/TEMP_content.php?section=ArcticMasjid

We’ve all been there at least once. In the corner of a dusty and briyani-debris ridden floor. In the windowless basement. On the second floor, inaccessible balcony with frosted viewing windows. In the front room of a house, with boarded up windows and a tv projection. In a barren false room with a tv projection. Behind a curtain. Under the stairs next to the janitorial closet. Behind a wall. In the room across from the morgue. In the back, past the garbage collector, up the fire escape, down a long hallway, up the narrow stairs, and finally into a room that doubles as a classroom and has 20 screaming Sunday school kids with an overworked male Arabic teacher who expects you to wait outside until he completes the lesson.

And some of us have just been turned away at the door.

Navigating terrible, inhospitable, and downright hostile space for women in the mosque is nothing new. There’s even a movie on the subject. Not every mosque is like this, but a good majority are.

Constructing woman-friendly spaces depends on whether or not women sit on mosque administration boards, is sometimes hindered by spacing issues when constrained buildings are converted into mosques, and is largely ignored as an important issue because of a convenient belief that it is better for women to pray at home.

Despite the fact that Islam is a communal religion — a brother and sisterhood — making women feel unwelcome at the mosque is endemic in the Muslim world.

Back in the summer, I wrote a post on the exclusion of children in our mosques. Particularly, how many mosque prayer spaces are not child-friendly, and when they are, the onus is placed on mothers to take care of the children while the men are free to worship. Naturally, when children are excluded, it really means that women are excluded from religious, communal worship.

Some great dialogue was generated from that post, and one commenter asked for my take on this belief that the “best place for a woman to pray is in her home.”

Let me begin by saying categorically, that Islam does NOT forbid women from going to the mosque. In fact, it was encouraged by the Prophet when he said, “‘Do not prevent the female servants of Allāh from going to the mosque…” (Muslim, Abu Dawud). The mosque is the center of the community, of access to Islamic education, and is key to fulfilling certain religious rites. So why then are some women barred outright by male family members? Why is there a global adherence to this belief that’s also being maintained by scholars, laypeople and by women themselves?

The Qur’an does not say where Muslims should pray. There are verses that say simply for worshipers to turn towards Mecca (2:149), and to not build a house of worship upon deceit, opposition or disbelief, but that it is better to build one’s faith on a foundation of love and piety (9:107-110). Unless referring to the mosque at Mecca, the Qur’an is silent on where Muslims need to congregate.

The traditions of the Prophet tell us that any place on Earth is suitable for prayer — any place except anything blatantly inappropriate. Like a bathroom, sewage drain, or bar serving baby back ribs wrapped in bacon and sauteed in a nice brandy sauce (well even so, I know a NYC Muslim liquor store owner who prays in the back).

It’s also in these traditions however, and particularly in the subsequent centuries of predominantly male interpretations of these traditions, that we find support for a whole slew of places for women to pray: behind men, above men in balconies, beneath men in mosque basements, or just not being allowed in the mosque.

Now, the most oft-quoted tradition supporting women praying at home states, “It is more excellent for a woman to pray in her house than in her courtyard, and more excellent for her to pray in her private chamber than in her house” (Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi). In context, this saying was related to the people after the Prophet had announced that men gain more reward when they pray in congregation at the mosque. Nonplussed by this announcement, a woman approached him and said, “but I’m at home with the kids and the housework. I can’t get to the mosque — that’s not very fair, is it?” The Prophet agreed, but explained it in terms of a woman’s responsibility in the private sphere: In context, the tradition is saying that while men get more reward by going to the mosque, women who have responsibilities at home get the same reward when they pray at home.

I’ve already discussed the issue of women maintaining the private sphere here. And for some mothers (myself included) this saying makes sense. Hubby and I both work to maintain the home — but let’s face it, it’s easier for him to get to the mosque. When I couldn’t attend evening prayers at the mosque because they were held during Eryn’s bedtime, I prayed at home. Apparently, I received more reward doing that, than if I had actually gone to the mosque.

But here’s the thing that bothers me: when this tradition is misused to discourage women from the mosque, people are told that it’s because women beautify themselves when going out, and cause fitna or religious strife in the community by “showing off their nakedness.” Because, you know, men are COMPLETELY INCAPABLE of ignoring their sexual urges. So ladies, put down that makeup and perfume and put on that burqa — the men are coming.

This has nothing to do with familial responsibility and everything to do with the subjugation of women.

This interpretation sets women up for failure. When women are relegated to the back, on a balcony, in the basement, and are forbidden from attending, we are effectively removed from the community. When women are removed, we’re forgotten. When we’re forgotten, it’s normal to construct a small women’s prayer space as an afterthought. It’s not very welcoming to be an afterthought. It becomes disused. Women stop coming. People internalize. Children are brought up not attending mosque. Women believe they don’t have to attend mosque. Male interpretation reinforces this. More mosques are built without prayer space for women. And to top everything off, the justification for kicking women out is linked to her body and men’s inability to deal with their own two bits.

Really? Is that how low the scholars think of humanity?

Let’s revisit for a moment: Tradition holds that women should be encouraged to attend the mosque, but for women who have responsibilities in the home, they’ll get the same reward when they pray at home. Not everyone has responsibilities. Some have maids. Some share responsibilities with their husbands. Some don’t have families. Some are converts looking for support. Some are students looking for Islamic education. Some are female scholars looking to educate other women. Some are looking for charity. Some are abused women looking for community support. None of them will get what they need from the mosque if as a global community we truly believe that the “best” place for a woman is to pray in her home.

I started this post painting a pretty bleak picture of our mosques. On one hand, I will go out of my way to avoid the mosques in which I don’t feel welcome. If Hubby, Eryn and I are out for the day and the closest mosque is “unfriendly,” I actually start feeling a little sick to my stomach thinking of praying there. I will actively refuse to pray and wait for Hubby to finish, convince him to just pray with me at home, or we’ll drive further until we come cross a “friendly” mosque.

On the other hand, there are beautiful, women friendly mosques that inspire me and expose me to leaders and scholars that help empower women and allow me to become acquainted with others (women AND men). Together we strive for the betterment of our community, which is what Islam is all about. I jump up excitedly when we go.

I wonder though if I should be attending the mosques that make me uncomfortable. A clean prayer place for women, or not having to use the back entrance shouldn’t be a surprise. It should be the norm. Women need to demand equal space and treatment in the mosque, and not pray in a “penalty box.” The more women become involved in the mosque culture and demand to be representatives on administration boards, the better the situation can become.

But that can never happen as long as women (and men) believe that it’s better for them not to attend the mosque.