Al Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women is now open to the Public

Al Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women

The Al Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women unveiled its facilities to the public during a special event yesterday.

The occasion featured a presentation of the center's amenities, introduction of instructors and staff, and an overview of available programs to provide attendees with insight into what the center offers. 

Visitors were also encouraged to explore the mosque, library, communal spaces, cafe, and gardens, which are all open to the public.

Established by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, the Al Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women aims to strengthen Islamic identity among Muslim women and provide a space for their active participation in public discussions, contributing to the enrichment of contemporary Islamic discourse. While scheduled programming begins on February 6, women can visit the center without registering for a program between 10 am and 8 pm to enjoy the public facilities.

“Al Mujadilah is a centre and mosque that offers religious, developmental and social programming to Muslim women of all ages and backgrounds to study, dialogue and worship together… (it) aims to be a gathering place for Muslim women to address contemporary issues and provide them a space for conversation,” said Dr. Sohaira Siddiqui, Director of Al Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women speaking to the media during a tour held prior to welcoming the public.

The women's mosque in Al Mujadilah has enough room for about 800 people and offers a peaceful place to pray. The other areas of the building can accommodate about 400 women at any given time.

“It’s a women only space - idea on building on the tradition of women leading one another in prayer,” said Dr. Sohaira, adding that Friday prayers and Tarawih prayers will be held during the holy month of Ramadan.

About 30 programs in various streams and research projects are available at the Al Mujadilah Center and Mosque for Women. 

“In terms of our programming, we have social programming, religious programming, developmental programming and research programming. All of our programming was created in conversation with Muslim women; we spoke and identified what are the issues that they want to discuss about,” said Dr. Sohaira, adding that have research workshops and conferences will be held in the future. 

Al Mujadilah boasts a notable feature in the form of a library that houses an extensive collection encompassing Islamic history, women's history, and a diverse assortment of fiction and nonfiction works authored by Muslim women.

Dr. Sohaira mentioned that Al Mujadilah will host two book clubs, one in Arabic and another in English, providing opportunities for engaging conversations with authors. The learning spaces are thoughtfully crafted to offer a positive and enriching experience for women.

“All our learning spaces have been designed in a way that facilitates conversation and discussion, which are key to all of our programming, because we want to have Muslim women continuously engaged. You can register for our programming online at almujadilah.qa, and we really hope that Muslim women take advantage of the range of programmes that we’re offering,” Kholood Nooh, Programmes and Impact Specialist at Al Mujadilah said.

Another significant aspect is the specially designed garden area, intended for women to unwind and participate in discussions. The garden features various sculptures, including one crafted from stone, symbolizing women as the cornerstone of knowledge.

Source: The Peninsula