From the Mosque to the Mahfil: Regulations, Limitations, and Opportunities in the Development of Women’s Religious and Educational Rights

Authors : Süleyman Gümrükçüoğlu

Pages : 329-368

Doi:10.21798//kadem.2025.186

View : 123 | Download : 337

Publication Date : 2025-12-29

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :In the early years of Islam, mosques were not merely places of worship; they served as centers of education, social solidarity, political decisionmaking, and cultural interaction, thereby serving as foundational institutions that fostered social cohesion. The Prophet’s era offers the most salient examples of women’s active participation in the mosque. During this period, women took part not only in congregational prayers but also in study circles, social welfare activities, and scholarly debates. The Prophet’s practice of allocating separate days for women through special lessons and conversations enhanced their access to knowledge. In subsequent periods, however, social transformations, security concerns, and discourses of “fitna” curtailed women’s visibility in mosques; restrictive juridical interpretations developed within the fiqh tradition further reinforced this trend. In the Seljuk and Ottoman eras, women’s experiences of the mosque were largely confined to special days and nights, and the introduction of designated women’s sections (mahfil) physically separated them from the main body of the congregation. Today, the inadequacy of mosques in meeting women’s needs for worship, education, and social engagement is widely debated. In this context, revitalizing the socially integrative role of mosques and interpreting women’s relationship with the mosque in line with Islam’s universal principles are crucial for religious equality and social inclusivity.
Keywords : Cami, Din Eğitimi, Kadınların Katılımı, Fitne, Mahfil

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