Tablighi Jamaat - Role of Women

Role of Women

Women were encouraged to participate since the beginning of the movement. Some scholars objected on the participation of women but Muhammad Ilyas slowly gained their support and the first jamaat of women was formed in Nizamuddin, Delhi. Accompanied by a close male relative, women are encouraged to go out in jamaats and work among other women and family members while following the rules of modesty, seclusion and segregation. They observe strict rules of hijab by covering their faces and hands. Jamaats of women sometimes participate in large annual meetings; otherwise, they commonly hold neighborhood meetings. Since South Asian Islamic culture discourages women to go to the mosque and saintly shrines, these venues offer an opportunity for women to pray together and congregate religiously.

In many modern Islamist movements, women have been relegated to a domestic role. Tabligh Jamaat tends to blur the boundaries of gender roles and both genders share a common behavioral model and their commitment to tabligh. The emphasis is on a common nature and responsibilities shared by both genders. Just as men redraw the gender roles when they wash and cook during the course of da'wa tours, women undertake the male responsibility of sustaining the household. Women do not play any role in the higher echelons of the movement but they may assume roles of leadership in the their own gatherings.