Whilst most mosques in Britain still do not provide space for women to pray, this Ramadan three women are visiting diverse mosques for evening prayers to experience the rich tapestry of nationalities, denominations and mosque structures that make up Islam in London today.
The Suleymaniye Mosque was built in 1999 to cater for the large Turkish Muslim community in the Hackney area. The Turkish architect designed the beautiful blue building to reflect the Ottoman style, particularly the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The main entrance gives access to the whole mosque, including the women’s gallery, which overlooks the main hall and has prime views of the magnificent custom-made Turkish chandelier.
Aqeelah Malek says:
I was really excited to pray Taraweeh at a London mosque having just moved here from lovely Leicester. The Suleymaniye Mosque couldn’t have been a better first choice! We parked up and followed the green minaret lighting our way (we will try to walk next time!) I really liked how normal it was to actually use the main entrance – a pleasant surprise as the women’s entrance for some mosques is sometimes hidden away and feels like a completely separate (often not as fancy) part to the main mosque itself. I experienced the mosque’s Ottoman influence as soon as I entered – different shades of turquoise adorned the walls with patterned ceramic tiles that kept the building cool. We made our way upstairs to the women’s section and lined up to pray.
The women’s hall was half full but it being a weekday (and knowing how hard it is to get around London) I didn’t think much of it. It felt nice to have so much space with less chance of overheating – unlike my previous experiences at other mosques.
After having our last sips of water and adjusting ourselves to the perfect position, we stood to begin. At this very moment, a woman in the front row beckoned me to come and stand next to her. It is common practice to leave little or no space when praying in congregation, to stand shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee, ankle to ankle, leaving no room for Satan to fill the gaps. But the space that this woman was beckoning me towards was non-existent! There was no space for one toe, let alone another body. I declined her invitation and with the Imam’s ‘Allah-hu Akhbar (God is great)’ I raised my hands and started my prayers.
Day 2 of #OpenHouseLondon – main prayer hall of the Suleymaniye Mosque
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Overall
The overall experience was very calming; the Quran recitation was so beautiful and soothing. Someone switched the lights off mid-prayer but I wasn’t complaining – it added to the feeling of serenity and tranquillity. By the end of the Taraweeh prayer, I felt like I had received that ‘soul food’ that everyone talks about during Ramadan. I was really happy with the experience and wish we lived closer so we could join Taraweeh prayers at the Suleymaniye Mosque every day!
Hirra Khan Adeogun says:
We stood outside the main entrance for a moment, wondering whether we could go in from the front when a sister saw us on her way in and held open the door. “Welcome to the Turkish Mosque,” she laughed, “it’s everyone’s mosque now!” Immediately I was enveloped by the soothing blue interior, reminding me of the sky, the water, the heavens, God. We climbed the stairs just as the call to prayer was sung and rushed to join a hundred other women to pray Isha. There is something very powerful about congregational prayer and I felt grateful and humbled to be able to stand in unity with other humans, in submission to our God.
Once Isha was over and we waited to start taraweeh, I began noticing how spacious the women’s gallery was, how the carpet was already demarcated with lines signalling the direction of Makkah, and how beautiful it was to be in sisterhood.
My enthusiasm was cut short by a woman who pushed past me and said, “Sister, this is no good, no good” whilst gesturing at her neck. Yes, I had covered my hair with a scarf tied in a turban-style which left my neck exposed. What could I do but smile and nod?
“I’m sorry you had to experience that,” said Mamataj.
“There’s always one,” said Aqeelah.
“She meant well,” I said, trying to rationalise her behaviour, trying not to take it personally.
As the taraweeh prayers began I couldn’t help but feel stung by the woman’s behaviour. I struggled to concentrate and kept replaying the incident in my head. I tried hard to excuse her words. She didn’t know that I only cover my hair for prayer. She didn’t know that I hadn’t prayed taraweeh in years. Maybe she didn’t know that in a different mosque her outfit would be considered too fitted for some, too colourful for others. Nevertheless, with each prostration, her words stung less and less and by the end of 4 taraweeh cycles I felt my heart eased – no longer worrying about the words of humans but listening attentively to the words of God. I felt cleansed and at peace, ready for the next day’s fast.
Mamataj Begum says:
We walked to the mosque with a sense of urgency, for fear we’d be late for taraweeh. But once at the entrance, we hovered wondering where the entrance was. It was the same door for the men! It was difficult not to be taken aback by the Ottoman inspired architecture, inscriptions on the wall and details in the ceiling. Prayer had already started so we quickly joined to pray Isha. We stood among strangers, young and old, to submit to God. It was reaffirming to see the women’s space at Sulelymaniye Mosque open, and spacious, to have women welcome us into their mosque. Unfortunately, a comment about Hirra’s hijab reminded me of how imposing and unwelcoming these spaces can be. Ramadan can be a difficult month for Muslims, whether observing or not. For those who have mental or physical health barriers that make it difficult to observe, the pressure to do so can be heightened, and demoralising.
My experience of taraweeh has been that it’s prayed in pairs of twos. Interestingly, here they were grouped, and it felt a lot shorter than usual. The recitation was fluid and softly spoken, with the lights turned off to cool down the room, it felt like no time had passed.
It was the first time the three of us had prayed together, we walked in excited and enchanted. We left refreshed and humbled.
Hirra Khan Adeogun
Hirra is currently kickstarting the process of making private cars obsolete in our cities, accelerating the move to a zero-carbon Britain built by, and for everyone. She is also trustee of the Women's Environmental Network (Wen). Hirra previously managed events for Amnesty International UK, extensively explored British Muslim identities, and used evidence and insight around the experiences of underrepresented people to drive positive change. She is passionate about designing sustainable futures that centre social justice, human rights and community cohesion. Follow her on Twitter on @hirr4.
