At a time when misogyny and hostile attitudes towards women are plaguing Muslim communities throughout the world, Dr Jasser Auda presents a timely and vital challenge to the contentious issue of women's access to the mosque, expounding the Islamic perspective.

Reclaiming The Mosque is a crucial response to the current trials facing Muslim communities, and moreover, it offers a clear and cohesive call to action that harks back to the Islamic principles of freedom, justice and human rights.

The first book of its kind, Reclaiming the Mosque presents a compelling argument for the presence and participation of women in the mosque. Written in a question and answer format, Auda leaves no stone unturned, answering questions as simple as ‘What does the Sunnah say about women and mosques?’ and as charged as ‘Are the hadith narrations that ridicule women true? Are most women “dwellers of hell”?’

Auda uses critical analysis of the sources to reach a balanced viewpoint. He points out that women-only mosques are a temporary solution to the problem of marginalisation, but that in the long term, they are no more fair that men-only mosques.

‘The Prophet’s Mosque was for everyone: for the Arab, the African, the Persian, the Roman, for men, women, and children, and for Muslims and non-Muslims who wished to visit. This demonstrated the strength of the early Muslim community’s “state of the union.” Today it is likewise a measure of how weak this union has become.’

Both highly readable and well-researched, this book is a must-read for everyone who occasionally visits, regularly frequents, or runs a mosque.

Hear what readers are saying:

“Simple to follow . . . everything is backed up by hadiths. Every imam should be using this book during their khutbahs.” —Maaria Y.

“This book needs to be read by every Muslim . . . [it] would enable a revitalization of Muslim communities.” —Matthew G.

Professor Jasser Auda is author of 25 books in Arabic and English, some of which have been translated into 25 languages. He is the President of Maqasid Institute Global, a member of the Fiqh Council of North America, the European Council for Fatwa, and a fellow at the Fiqh Academy of India. He has PhDs in the philosophy of Islamic law and in systems analysis. He has memorized the Quran and studied at the Study Circles of Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt.