[2][3] Maznavi had a childhood dream[4] to build a mosque before she died as her sadaqa jariyah (ongoing charity), and she was further inspired by reading the Qur'an in English in entirety and her own study of Islamic history which revealed a rich history of female Muslim religious leadership[5] before she decided to establish her dream mosque with rotating women khateebahs (preachers), which sets a precedent for women's leadership in American Islam.
Southern California Muslim women meet for Friday prayers on a monthly basis, with some programming during the week.
[8] Housed in rented interfaith spaces in downtown Los Angeles, the mosque is led by women.
She wrote to clarify that The Women's Mosque of America was a revival of Islamic tradition as taught by Muhammad, and that Muslim men were involved and supportive of her work.
[9] Women's mosques can be found in various countries, including China,[10][11] India, Chile, Egypt, Palestine, Sudan, and Syria.