- A vacant terraced house next to a mosque in a Victorian town center set to become a women-only prayer space
- Muslim women usually ask for their special place inside mosques to feel connected to the community
Muslim women in Blackburn are getting a new place of worship after a proposal by Darwen Madina Masjid to turn a nearby vacant terraced house into a women-only Muslim prayer space has been approved.
Blackburn with Darwen Council granted planning permission for the scheme proposed by Darwen Madina Masjid in January. The new place of worship will cater to around 20 female worshippers, Lancashire Telegraph reported.
Following concerns expressed by Blackburn with Darwen Council planning officers this was withdrawn and a new smaller proposal submitted.
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A report by planning officer Martin Kenny recommending approval says: “The proposal relates to an existing mid-terraced property located within the Darwen Town Centre boundary and the Darwen Town Centre conservation area.
“Darwen Madina Masjid is noted as an established place of worship, affording several service offerings such as a madrassah, marriage, funerals, and community engagement projects.”
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Muslim Women & Mosques
Muslims pray five times a day, with each prayer made up of a series of postures and movements, each set of which is called a rak‘ah.
The five prayer times are divided all through the day which starts with Fajr prayer at dawn.
While men should pray at mosque, there is no obligation for women to pray in congregation. Yet, many Muslim women usually ask for their special place inside the mosque to feel connected to the community.
Earlier this year, Easton Jamia Mosque in Bristol used `Eid celebration to open a new space for women to pray in the mosque, following many requests for one.
In 2019, Utah Muslims started building their “women-friendly” Utah Islamic Center which included two domes and equal men and women prayer sections.