Fatima.Mernessi_The-Forgotten-Queens-of-Islam-EN

The Criteria of Sovereignty in Islam 81
regulate the coexistence of the sexes in the mosque and not to
forbid it, as happened later.
Imam Nisa'i begins by declaring that 'the Prophet said that saying
one's prayers in the mosque is worth a thousand prayers said
elsewhere, with the exception of the Ka'ba.' 30 Then he added that
the best way to wash away sin is to go to the mosque. The Prophet
said: 'When a man leaves his house to go to the mosque, the foot
that advances exhibits a good act, and the other wipes out a bad
act.' 31 And he concludes naturally by saying that a man has no right
to forbid his wife to go to the mosque. The Prophet said: 'When a
woman asks authorization from one of you to go to the mosque,
let him grant it to her.' 32 He terminates the question of access
to the mosque by asking 'Who is really forbidden access to the
mosque?' And he replies that, according to the Prophet, only those
who have eaten garlic or onion are excluded. The Prophet had a very
keen sense of smell; he loved perfumes, emphasized cleanliness, and
had a horror of dirt and slovenliness. According to him, coming to
the mosque after letting yourself be tempted by garlic was unbearably
gross:
'Umar Ibn al-Khattab said: 'I see you, O people, eating of those two
plants that are so bad, garlic and onion. I saw the Prophet, peace be
on him, require those who came smelling of garlic and onion to leave
the mosque. May those among you who are tempted by these two
things have them cooked in order to lessen the odour.' 33
For Nisa'i, access to the mosque had nothing to do with one's
sex, and the importance of attending the Friday service is for women
the proof of that fact. Three centuries later the Hanbali imam, Ibn
al-Jawzi (died in year 597 of the Hejira) wrote a book on the laws
that govern women in Islam and devoted his chapter 24 to 'Women's
Friday Service'. He had to acknowledge that they had a right to it
since the Hadith on that subject were incontrovertible. However,
he took four steps that created doubt. First, when he took up the
question of rows, he said that 'the prayers of men who are seated
behind women are worthless.' 34 It often happened that men came
to the mosque late and were blocked by the rows of women who
had taken the pains to arrive on time. It is very easy to imagine the
fatal next step: ban women from the mosque, since the mere presence
of women risked creating a problem. So Ibn al-Jawzi then asks
a question which in itself constitutes a betrayal of the ancient texts:
'Is it permitted for women to go to the mosque?' And here is his