A place to pray

Suddenly,I had a “crazy” idea. I told my friends we should go inside the mosque and pray. I call that a “crazy idea” because of my audacity in thinking I would be allowed to enter in what I was wearing—an animal-printed flowing skirt that ended a little above my feet and a half-sleeved top (any imagery that resembles human or animal form is considered by most Muslims as not fitting to be worn while offering prayers).

My friends went along with the idea. We decided to wait till the men went inside the mosque. An old man in a skullcap stood at the gate of the mosque. We presumed he was the caretaker and asked him if we could pray inside. I was quite sure he wouldn’t let me in (I was once refused entry inside the India Islamic Cultural Centre because I was wearing a dress; though they had let me dine in their restaurant Dilli Dastarkhwan.)

He let me in. He led us to a door that was at the back of the mosque that opened into the basement. He unlocked the door and let us in. The condition of the women’s praying area was appalling. Filled with dust,it was obvious that the area had never been used. We asked where we could perform the obligatory ablution before we could offer namaz. There was no designated area where women could perform ablution. So,the caretaker got us a lota filled with water.

I waited till my two friends offered the namaaz. After they finished,the burqa-clad friend offered her black cloak and scarf to me so that I could wear them and pray. Contrary to the Islamic rule that the place you pray should be spick and span,I could feel my nose rubbing the dust on the carpet when I prostrated. Despite the dirt,I was glad and felt victorious that I had won my right to pray.

That experience—over two years ago—was followed by being refused entry into a mosque next to the Ghalib academy in Nizamuddin last December on the excuse that “right now,women students who’ve come from abroad are praying there,so please don’t come inside” and not being able to find a place to pray in the India Islamic Cultural Centre (they have a prayer area for men and so I was led to the basement—which looked like a party hall—to pray and I was the only one there.)

Shia mosques though allow women to pray inside and so does the Sunni Jama Masjid. I guess there are no rules followed here. But I think it’s best I pray at home.