About us
Al-Mujadilah
Why establish a women's mosque?
For fourteen centuries, the mosque has been far more than a place of prayer. It was where the Prophet ﷺ taught, where the poor found shelter, and where people brought their questions and their hopes. It was the heart of the community and a place of social transformation.
Yet its role today has narrowed, too often to worship alone. And women, who have always been the stewards at the heart of families and communities, have too often found little space within it.
Al-Mujadilah was founded to change that. We are reviving the mosque as a place of learning, dialogue, and transformation, with women and their needs at its centre.
Our work spans learning, research, and civic engagement. One conviction runs through all of it: faith is not separate from everyday life. It shapes how we work, raise our families, serve our communities, and meet the challenges of our time. When faith is lived fully, it uplifts individuals, families, and whole societies.
Our vision is broad and bold because the need is great. We want Muslim women to be firmly rooted in their faith and confident as they face a changing world, here in Doha and around the globe.
Why call it Al-Mujadilah?
Inspired by Surah Al-Mujadilah (She Who Discourses), our name intentionally invokes the legacy of Khawla bint Tha’labah, a companion of the Prophet who sought to rectify her improper divorce. Khawla’s grievance resulted in the revelation of the opening verses and gave the Surah its name, Al-Mujadilah. Beyond this, it led to a change in the laws of divorce that continues to have impact on Islamic law until today.
Khawla embodies the legacy of women in Islam who identify problems and beseech Allah directly for assistance. In the stories of Hajar, Maryam, Asiyah, we witness women who faced seemingly insurmountable challenges, and in their moments of greatest need, implored Allah directly. In each case, their prayers were answered, and their actions left an indelible mark not only on their immediate communities, but on society more broadly.
Focus areas
At Al-Mujadilah, four focus areas inform all our learning, research, and community initiatives.
Mission and vision
Our mission
For women to study, dialogue, and worship in a community inspired by the tradition of the Mosque as the axis of society.
Our vision
Al-Mujadilah will foster a Muslim society where all women are engaged, their participation and contributions acknowledged and recognized, and their concerns and perspectives shape contemporary Muslim thought and open public discourse.
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 they can speak candidly, build communities and discover new horizons.
Al-Mujadilah exists because knowledge and community belong together, and both depreciate when they come apart.
I spent years teaching and researching in Muslim and non-Muslim spaces, and I saw that loss manifest in one of two ways. Sometimes, there was extraordinary knowledge, but little sense of the communities it was meant to serve. Other times, there was deep commitment, but little access to the knowledge that could sustain it, especially for women.
That distance explains why so much of our religious conversation feels thin: knowledge circulates among specialists but rarely returns to the places it sought to understand, and communities are left with slogans and soundbites where rigor and substance were needed.
Women carry this cost unevenly. Many are asked to bridge the gap alone: translating scholarship informally, mentoring without recognition, speaking publicly without institutional backing or community support.
