HOUSTON – Thanks to Kaukab Jafry, there will no shortage of ladies-only and ladies-led activities at Houston’s Islamic Education Center during Ramadan.

Jafry heads up the mosque’s Ladies’ Al Zahra Committee, serving as chairperson, and also works as the mosque’s Islamic Sunday School coordinator.

This Ramadan, she has a litany of activities and classes planned, including the mosque’s first-ever women’s only recitation event.

“This will be a class for ladies, separate from the men, and it will be beautiful recitations for the women to hear and enjoy in a nice, private atmosphere,” Jafry told AboutIslam.net.

She said women in her mosque had been requesting the separate event so that they might better engage with the Qur’anic recitation.

“We have a scholar this year who is coming and we’ve decorated a room specifically for that so we can make it a beautiful experience for everyone,” she said.

There will also be a Qur’an recitation competition for women who want to take part.

Youth activities will also fall under Jafry’s supervision.

She said she and other members of her committee will host several activities for children based on their age.

Engaging Muslim Children

While at the mosque with their parents for prayer or communal Iftar dinners, children ages 3-16 can take part in crafts, Qur’an recitation competitions, sports, age-appropriate classes and sermons, audio visual presentations, faith-based lessons, and much more.

Jafry said developing programs exclusively for the younger Muslims among them is important not only to keep them connected to Ramadan and Islam, but to each other as well.

“Every day there are people here at the mosque so we want to get the kids busy with all the special things we have planned for them, and we also want to give them a chance to socialize with each other and make (their experience) fun,” she said.

“We want them to have something to look forward to when coming to the mosque.”

The women leaders of Houston’s Islamic Education Center also work to support their mosque during Ramadan, hosting bake sales and hosting a bazaar to raise money.

At Hamza Masjid, also in Houston, women there organize Qur’an and Islamic studies classes for women and a variety of programs for young children.

Sessions include studies about performing Hajj and a class called “Welcome Ramadan” for youngsters.