Reclaim Islam for women: Al-Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women
By New Age Islam Special Correspondent
14 February 2026
Al-Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women is one of the first of its kind centres to allow women centric public space. Through this centre, Muslim women across the globe are given a prototype for the organic growth of women believers.
Major points:
· Officially launched in January 2024 Al-Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women in Qatar is the first of its kind women-exclusive religious centre in the modern Islamic world.
· Headed by Qatar royal member Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, founder of Al-Mujadilah, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, is a creative disruption to bring back lost Muslim heritage of women-led community development and scholarship.
Website link: https://almujadilah.qa/en
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Officially launched in January 2024, Al-Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women in Qatar is the first of its kind women-exclusive religious centre in the modern Islamic world. Headed by Qatar royal member Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, founder of Al-Mujadilah, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, it is a creative disruption to bring back lost muslim heritage of women-led community development and scholarship.
Muslim women and the degradation of religious citizenship
Islam started off with sweeping changes in social hierarchies brought out to relieve the oppressed classes of Arabian society. Islam promulgated social and economic equality into the basic foundations of Islam, enabling the new Muslim community to produce eminent women scholars. The Prophet himself showed the path in empowering women.
When Islam started its expansion and many more civilizations and communities were brought under its influence, this brought a converse effect on the Muslim community structures. Due to political reasons and conservative Ulama leadership, Muslim societies soon warmed up to patriarchal governance, and women became passive members of Muslim society.
But still ample differences were evident in relation to Islam and women. While South Asian countries, Indonesia and Malaysia, continued their matriarchal lineage into Islam, South Asian countries, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh appropriated the patriarchal structure of prevailing society.
When the feminist movement started across the world, in its second wave around the 1960s, Muslim women scholars bravely resisted the gender-discriminatory approaches of Islamic practices. They boldly started reinterpretation of Islamic scriptures and owned the lost agency Islam and Prophet Muhammad conferred upon them. Al-Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women is the functional and intellectual result of this positive churning.
Muslim women as educators, rulers and intellectual leaders
Islam had plenty of examples to show in the early period where women led the mantle of society and dictated its terms. The first wife of the Prophet was Hazrat Khadija, a well-known businesswoman of the time. All the prophet's wives were educators and community leaders. Hazarat Ayisha even led an army in the battle.
In sufism no one can ignore Rabia, the icon of divine love. In Sufi annals, we can see many women who challenged the arid legal interpretation of Islam and countered through mystical teachings. Akram Nadwi’s famous work ‘Women Hadith Scholars’ (Muhaddithat) exploded the popular view that women were not engaged in Hadith studies. He brought out many forgotten names of Muslim women scholars.
More such works in the fields of Tafseer, Fiqh and rational knowledge have to be undertaken to reclaim the lost history of Islamic inclusive development. Never forget the first proper university in the world was founded by a Muslim woman, Fatima Fihri.
Al-Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women is attempting to revive this lost heritage of women's contributions to Islam, along with charting a new path ahead.
Mujadala in the Quran
The name of the centre comes from the first verse of 58 sura, titled Mujadila. The verse reads this:
قَدْ سَمِعَ ٱللَّهُ قَوْلَ ٱلَّتِى تُجَـٰدِلُكَ فِى زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَآ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌۢ بَصِيرٌ
Indeed, Allah has heard the argument of the woman who pleaded with you ˹O Prophet˺ concerning her husband, and appealed to Allah. Allah has heard your exchange. Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing
The verse was very important in the Islamic conception of women. One of the prophet's female disciples, named Khawla approached the prophet seeking guidance on the pagan practice of “Lihar”. The practice prevented women from divorce and living with husbands, making life hell for women. Khawla had a heated discussion with the Prophet regarding this practice.
In Arabic, “Jadala” means to dispute. Through this verse, Allah invalidated this pagan practice affecting women. Islam also reckoned the freedom of women also to dispute the Prophet or any following religious leadership to engage in debates regarding their rights and practices. The centre gets its name from this historical narrative. The website of the centre mentioned thus: “The name Al-Mujadilah — meaning “she who engages in dialogue” — draws inspiration from Surat Al-Mujadilah in the Qur’an and reflects the idea of women’s active role in discourse and faith.”
What is Al-Mujadilah Center
The founder explains the centre in her eloquent terms: “Women are, and continue to be, the cornerstone of society. Their impact throughout history has been powerful and significant, and their legacy continues, as witnessed by the many female leaders among us today. I founded Al-Mujadilah to nurture the next generation of Muslim women. I envision it to be a beacon for the women in our society and beyond to explore, dialogue and contemplate. I pray that they find in Al-Mujadilah a place where they can speak candidly, build communities, and discover new horizons.”
This is women only space to explore womanhood without the prejudice and surveillance of society. This has been framed as an inclusive space for all kinds of activities, including prayers, talks, leisure and academic discussions.
According to Executive Director Dr. Sohaira Zahid Siddiqui, Al-Mujadilah seeks to create one such community grounded in the lived realities of Muslim women, relevant research and thoughtful programming. Al-Mujadilah aims to be a destination where Muslim women can gather, debate, and dialogue with one another in pursuit of a community of learning, exchange, and growth. While within this community, we seek to uplift one another as women, our transformational mission extends beyond those who visit us.
The centre offers a wide range of pprogrammes tailored to Muslim women, including:
Religious education and study circles
Developmental and personal growth workshops
Social and dialogue events
Global exchange programs and research dialogue forums (e.g., annual Jadal summit
Library spaces focused on Islam, women’s issues, and scholarship
The mosque also functions as research and learning hub, encouraging women to take active roles in shaping discourse around Islamic thought and contemporary society.
More details on the programs of the centre can be found at: https://almujadilah.qa/en/programs-events?is_event=1
Conclusion: What this signifies to Indian Muslim women
Due to historical and social reasons, South Asian Muslim women are most oppressed internally. The current political and cultural conditions prevent Muslim women's mobility and restrict their choices. Although some positive changes are visible, these are not extensive enough to be popular. Indian Muslim women have to occupy leadership positions of religious authorities and drive changes.
Al-Mujadilah Centre and Mosque for Women is a prototype for future activities. Women have to design and implement exclusive spaces and ascertain their presence in important positions in society. Such places will foster intellectual and political growth and thus enable their wider application in the Muslim polity.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/reclaim-islam-women-al-mujadilah-centre-mosque-/d/138858
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