Masjid-ul-Abrar at Sirvodem in Margao is the first known mosque that has allowed women to enter the state post-liberation premises and perform namaaz. Going beyond, the Al-Aman Society, which manages the Masjid-ul-Abrar, has made the mosque a center of learning and development for women. "According to the Islamic teachings, a mosque is not only a place for prayers and worship but a learning center in the society. And knowledge should be accessible to all, men as well as women," stated Mohammed Ismail, secretary of Al-Aman Society. He stated that the initiative to allow women to perform namaaz in the mosque met with a lot of opposition when the mosque's managing committee decided to grant the permission in the year 1995, twelve years after the Masjid-ul-Abrar was inaugurated. The year 1995 saw the formal process of women entering this mosque for namaaz. However, before its inception in 1983, girls were tutored in the Quran, contrary to the existing traditions of females being provided the Quranic education either madrasas or homes. The 'maktab' as known in Arabic, is the organized traditional Islamic elementary school, primarily teaching literacy and the Quran. He further said that until 1995 the mosque couldn't provide adequate separate facilities for women to perform namaaz, and hence till then, the restrictions were followed. But after the extended portion of the premises women were permitted to attend and perform namaaz in the mosque. Women are provided with a separate entry and exit to the mosque, and the men are not allowed to access the area, especially during the prayer timings. It is done to let women move freely without any hesitation and discomfort, he added. The managing committee of the mosque has been providing equal opportunities of learning to boys and girls, rather with additional facilities to the womenfolk of the community. Ismail thinks that the Friday sermons have been the most crucial and holy to the Islamic teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. The khatib (the one who delivers the sermon) addresses issues varying from Islamic traditions to world affairs, including family life, interpersonal relations, and social affairs. He stated, "We believe that the mosque is a center for development and training, and if women are not allowed to listen to these sermons, then they are losing out on knowledge. Fifty-two sermons in a year when added together is a lot of knowledge and food for thought, training, and development." The Al-Aman Society established the Masjid-ul-Abrar in 1983 with Shaikh Abdul Rahim as its founder president. Over the years, treating women with a preference has grown with successive managements, and the current president of the society is Shaikh Tajoddin. "Apart from being the first mosque in the Goan society to allow women to perform namaaz within the premises of the mosque, Masjid-ul-Abrar was also the first mosque in the state to organize programs for people of other faiths in the late 1980s," Ismail stated. He further said, "We have been organizing Iftar get-togethers during the month of Ramazan and inter-faith dialogue programs within the premises of the mosque." People from all walks of life, including swamis, Catholic priests, religious leaders of other communities, politicians, and academicians, have participated in programs organized by the mosque managing committee. "In recent times, due to space constraints, such programs are being organized at a hall adjacent to the mosque," he added.
