Ajmer, a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, is the site of the tomb of a Sufi holy man, Moinuddin Chishti. Namaaz is Islamic prayer. Those who want to ban women from the shrine are probably heeding the ancient dictum that “Prayer is annulled by a dog, a donkey and a woman (if they pass in front of the praying people)” — which nettled Muhammad’s wife Aisha (Bukhari, vol. 1, bk. 9, no. 490).
Sharia Alert from Ummah News, with thanks to Mathew:
Ajmer – The Khadims, traditional servers, of the Sufi shrine in Ajmer have decided to ban women from the dargah at the time of prayers as they purportedly distract men.
Several Islamic saints including Moinuddin Chishti, the Sufi saint of the Ajmer dargah, may have advised complete equality for women, but their present day religious heirs seem reluctant to follow them.
The dargah in Ajmer symbolises tolerance and spiritual solace for millions. However, in a letter to the Dargah Committee, the Khadims claim that under Islam if a man sees a woman while performing namaaz, it becomes a futile exercise.
“We have a lot of rush at the time of namaaz, and we hardly have any space left particularly during the Friday prayers.”
“But if a woman sits in front, then the man’s prayer becomes unacceptable. That is why we have raised this demand,” says Zahoor Chishti, Joint Secretary, Khadim Association, Ajmer Dargah.