Space Provision and Privacy Quality of Women’s Praying Area in Mosque: Case Study of Masjid Raja Haji Fii-Sabilillah, Cyberjaya

Abstract

Woman participation in mosque is allowable although it is non-compulsory in Islam. For some other culture, this may seem at awe thus leads to the ignorance towards the design quality of the women’s praying area in the mosque. In Malaysia, besides for the main purpose of praying, woman participation in mosque for community, and educational activities is a common scenario. Never the less, it is identifiable in some mosques that the design sensitivity of the women praying area are still questionable. This research examines the space provision and the privacy issues of the woman’s praying area of Masjid Raja Haji Fii-sabilillah, Cyberjaya. The objectives of this paper is to investigate the space provision and spatial quality of the women praying quarters of the studied mosque. Due to its exploratory nature, qualitative methods were employed through observation of the case study and analytical analysis of the mosque layout. Data collected are analysed in order to derive on the planning and design quality of the women praying area of the mosque. The findings indicate that the praying area of the mosque is of the insensitive state towards women in terms that of it lacks of privacy through the screening material selection and accessible route from the ablution area to the praying hall.