We are fortunate to be able to air our views in Asian Image (so thank you!) and once again I feel the need to post these comments.

I spent over 15 years thinking about Islam and what it meant but unfortunately only reverted at the age of around 28.There just didn't seem to be anywhere that I knew of that I could go to ask for help and guidance.

As a Christian it is so easy for any man or woman to walk into a church and ask for help. So why is that not the case in the mosques?

I do truly believe that if I had been able to go to the mosque and see the other women pray and talk to them about Islam, I would have become a Muslim much sooner.

Nevertheless I was very lucky to have some very close friends who helped me in my quest for understanding and eventually find the right path.

Despite ringing and writing to Imams of the mosque I have sadly got no help or in some cases not even a reply. So I have decided to write to you in the hope that the region's Ummah can get together and help change the situation. By this I mean that facilities for women to pray in the mosques should be made available.

I know that some people believe that women should not pray in the mosques but there are many Hadeeth which state otherwise.

For example, Hadhrat Umar (Radhiallaahu inhu) said that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ilayhi Wasallam) said, 'When your women folk request permission of you to attend the Masjid at night, grant them permission.' (Sahih Bukhari)

"When women ask permission for going to the mosque, do not prevent them." (Saheeh Muslim)

"Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from going to the mosque of Allah." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

It is not just reverts who want to pray in the Masjids either, there are many females who would love to be able to go to the mosques to pray including Alimas.

For the past few months I have been travelling to London at every opportunity, so that I can pray in a mosque.

Should not the mosque be a place where I could go for help?

Surely it is more beneficial to the Muslims in the region to allow the women to pray and learn in the mosques? After all, the more Islamic knowledge the women have, the easier it will be for them to teach their children an Islamic way of life. And maybe it will help the younger generation to stay on the right path?

Do you know someone who didn't use to pray, but now prays 5 times a day? Sometimes this happens because they joined their friends in mosque before going to play football together.

If females could pray in the mosque too, then just perhaps something similar could happen to our girls as well.

And Allah knows best

Miss S Moore

Audley

Blackburn