More women coming to mosques for Taraweeh

ISLAMABAD: More and more women are finding their segregated place in Mosques to offer Traweeh prayers in Ramazan giving them a sense of inclusiveness.

Earlier, a very miniscule minority of women would go to a limited number of mosques. However, in recent years, women attending public prayers has become a norm.

Taraweeh prayers are arranged each Ramazan to recite the whole 30 paras of Holy Quran in the month. The 20-rakat long prayer session ends with a sermon about what had been recited. Women find it an ideal time to learn about Islam. These years, special arrangements are made in all major mosques to accommodate the extra stream of worshippers who come to offer Taraweeh in Ramazan.

While larger mosques have purpose-built women sections complete with prayer area, ablution area and a madrassa, smaller ones create space for women by drawing a curtain on one side.

Besides, there are also devout women who make special arrangements for Taraweeh prayers in their neighborhood, using a house where they assemble for the prayer.

Fatima Saeed, a housewife at mosque, said in previous years the number of worshippers varied from day to day, but this Ramazan the mosque was always full. “Probably this is due to the holidays. There are no schools so everybody has more time for worship,” she said.

A 45-year-old schoolteacher said: “It is a growing phenomenon between housewives, neighbours and young ladies to go to the mosque for taraweeh, because there are more people praying together at the mosque, and when you stay at home you might feel lazy.” She said some women liked to hear the imam recite the Holy Quran, because some imams recited the whole Quran throughout Ramazan.

No matter what the circumstances, she and her friends would continue to come to the mosque, she said.

Ushna Imran, a citizen said it is believed that those who offer the prayers in a congregation will get more rewards. “Several working women and homemakers go to places where congregational prayers are held. Compared to previous years,” she said.

Many women, who do not know much of the Holy Quran like to listen to the recitation and to seek forgiveness for their sins in supplications, said another woman.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2018.