AIMPLB Tells Supreme Court Women Can Enter Mosques, But Cannot Insist On Entry Rights
AIMPLB tells Supreme Court women can enter mosques, restrictions apply.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) told the Supreme Court on Friday that Muslim women are permitted to enter mosques and offer namaz, but cannot insist on specific entry routes or demand structural changes such as the removal of gender-based arrangements inside places of worship. The submissions were made before a nine-judge Constitution Bench hearing broader constitutional questions linked to the Sabarimala reference.
Senior Advocate M.R. Shamshad, representing the AIMPLB, argued that Islamic practice clearly allows women to enter mosques and participate in prayers. He stated that there is consensus across Islamic schools of thought that women are not barred from entering mosques, and that the Prophet himself did not prohibit their access to places of worship.
However, the AIMPLB clarified that while entry is permitted, certain practices and discipline within mosques are traditionally followed. It submitted that women cannot insist on using a particular entrance, such as the main door, or demand the removal of physical partitions that separate male and female worshippers during prayers. The board maintained that such arrangements are part of established religious practice.
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The organisation further told the court that participation in congregational prayers is obligatory for men but not mandatory for women. It argued that while women are allowed to join congregational namaz if they choose to visit a mosque, it is considered preferable in Islamic tradition for women to pray at home, where they are believed to receive equal spiritual reward.
During the hearing, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant sought clarification on whether women could be part of the congregation if they enter a mosque. The AIMPLB responded that women do participate in congregational prayers when they attend mosques, confirming that their participation is permitted within Islamic practice, though not compulsory.
Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah observed that there has historically been no dispute regarding women entering mosques, noting that such practices date back to the time of the Prophet. The hearing also touched on historical and social reasoning behind prayer arrangements, including references to family responsibilities and traditional roles within households.
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