Question
Salaam.
I just want some form of reassurance or rather justification as to why women generally from south Asian Muslim communities are not allowed or have no facilities from these communities to attend prayer at mosque.
We say we follow the Quran and Sunnah and we do not innovate. Is there a Hadith where Muhammad saw explicitly stated it is disliked for a woman to attend the prayer at mosque. Is it an action that he prevented or deprived women from in his time ?
Answer
There are two types of narrations in relation to women performing salat in the masjid. The first type are those that encourage women to perform their salat at home. They are as follows:
1. Ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) reports the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said: A woman’s salat in her house is more virtuous than in her courtyard, and her salat in her private chamber is more virtuous than in her house.
2. Umm Humayd (may Allah be pleased with her) once requested the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) that she wishes to perform salat with him. The Prophet responded saying, “I know that you would love to perform salat with me, however, your salat in your house is better than your salat in your courtyard, and your salat in your courtyard is better than your salat in your compound, and your salat in your compound is better than your salat in the masjid of your people, and your salat in the masjid of your people is better than your salat in my masjid.” The narration then goes on to mention that a prayer space was then made for her in the darkest part of her house and she performed her salat there until she passed away, may Allah be pleased with her.
3. A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “If the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) knew what women have started to do he would have prevented them.” She said this some time after the demise of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace).
These narrations clearly indicate that it is preferred for a woman to perform her salat at home and not in the masjid.
On the other hand the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) also said, “Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from the masjid, rather, they may go without having applied perfume.”
When issuing a ruling on such a matter a jurist would have to take into consideration the various narrations as well as a variety of other factors such as temptation (fitnah) and safety. This is why jurists have differed in regards to the ruling of women going to the masjid with some prohibiting all women from going to the masjid and others allowing elderly women to attend certain prayers. We cannot comment for all masjids in question, however, it could be based on these opinions that some masjids have restrictions on women attending.
One must bare in mind that in the UK many masjids are small and unable to provide a dedicated space for women. If a masjid is able to suitably accommodate women, then they should provide this facility. This will ensure that if a woman needed to perform salat and there was no alternative place for her, she would have a place where she could perform her wudu and salat.
سنن أبي داود (1/ 156)
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: «صَلَاةُ الْمَرْأَةِ فِي بَيْتِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهَا فِي حُجْرَتِهَا، وَصَلَاتُهَا فِي مَخْدَعِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهَا فِي بَيْتِهَا
بذل المجهود 421:3
افضل من صلاتها في حجرتها
اي صحن الدار قال ابن الملك اراد بالحجرة ما تكون ابواب البيوت اليها وهي ادني حالا من البيت
مسند أحمد ط الرسالة (45/ 37)
عَنْ عَمَّتِهِ أُمِّ حُمَيْدٍ امْرَأَةِ أَبِي حُمَيْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ، أَنَّهَا جَاءَتِ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، إِنِّي أُحِبُّ الصَّلَاةَ مَعَكَ، قَالَ: ” قَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكِ تُحِبِّينَ الصَّلَاةَ مَعِي، وَصَلَاتُكِ فِي بَيْتِكِ خَيْرٌ لَكِ مِنْ صَلَاتِكِ فِي حُجْرَتِكِ، وَصَلَاتُكِ فِي حُجْرَتِكِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صَلَاتِكِ فِي دَارِكِ، وَصَلَاتُكِ فِي دَارِكِ خَيْرٌ لَكِ (1) مِنْ صَلَاتِكِ فِي مَسْجِدِ قَوْمِكِ، وَصَلَاتُكِ فِي مَسْجِدِ قَوْمِكِ خَيْرٌ لَكِ (1) مِنْ صَلَاتِكِ فِي مَسْجِدِي “، قَالَ: فَأَمَرَتْ فَبُنِيَ لَهَا مَسْجِدٌ فِي أَقْصَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ بَيْتِهَا وَأَظْلَمِهِ، فَكَانَتْ تُصَلِّي (2) فِيهِ حَتَّى لَقِيَتِ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ
صحيح البخاري (1/ 173)
عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ عَمْرَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا، قَالَتْ: «لَوْ أَدْرَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا أَحْدَثَ النِّسَاءُ لَمَنَعَهُنَّ كَمَا مُنِعَتْ نِسَاءُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ» قُلْتُ لِعَمْرَةَ: أَوَمُنِعْنَ؟ قَالَتْ: نَعَمْ
عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري (3/ 272)
الثَّالِث: فِيهِ جَوَاز خُرُوج النِّسَاء أَيَّام الْعِيد إِلَى الْمصلى للصَّلَاة مَعَ النَّاس. وَقَالَت الْعلمَاء: كَانَ هَذَا فِي زَمَنه صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم، وَأما الْيَوْم فَلَا تخرج الشَّابَّة ذَات الْهَيْئَة، وَلِهَذَا قَالَت عَائِشَة، رَضِي الله تَعَالَى عَنْهَا لَو رأى رَسُول الله، صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم مَا أحدث النِّسَاء بعده لمنعهن الْمَسَاجِد، كَمَا منعت نسَاء بني إِسْرَائِيل. قلت: هَذَا الْكَلَام من عَائِشَة بِعُذْر من يسير جدا بعد النَّبِي صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم، وَأما الْيَوْم فنعوذ بِاللَّه من ذَلِك، فَلَا يرخص فِي خروجهن مُطلقًا للعيد وَغَيره، وَلَا سِيمَا نسَاء مصر، على مَا لَا يخفى.
وَفِي (التَّوْضِيح) رأى جمَاعَة ذَلِك حَقًا عَلَيْهِنَّ، يَعْنِي: فِي خروجهن للعيد مِنْهُم: أَبُو بكر وَعلي وَابْن عمر وَغَيرهم،
وَمِنْهُم من منعن ذَلِك، مِنْهُم: عُرْوَة وَالقَاسِم وَيحيى بن سعيد الْأنْصَارِيّ وَمَالك وَأَبُو يُوسُف، وَأَجَازَهُ أَبُو حنيفَة مرّة وَمنعه أُخْرَى، وَمنع بَعضهم فِي الشَّابَّة دون غَيرهَا، وَهُوَ مَذْهَب مَالك وَأبي يُوسُف، وَقَالَ الطَّحَاوِيّ: كَانَ الْأَمر بخروجهن أول الْإِسْلَام لتكثير الْمُسلمين فِي أعين الْعَدو. قلت: كَانَ ذَلِك لوُجُود الْأَمْن أَيْضا، وَالْيَوْم قلَّ الأمنُ، والمسلمون كثير، وَمذهب أَصْحَابنَا فِي هَذَا الْبَاب مَا ذكره صَاحب (الْبَدَائِع) أَجمعُوا على أَنه لَا يرخص للشابة الْخُرُوج فِي الْعِيدَيْنِ وَالْجُمُعَة وَشَيْء من الصَّلَوَات، لقَوْله تَعَالَى: {وقرون فِي بُيُوتكُمْ} (سُورَة الْأَحْزَاب: 33) وَلِأَن خروجهن سَبَب للفتنة وَأما الْعَجَائِز فيرخص لَهُنَّ الْخُرُوج فِي الْعِيدَيْنِ، وَلَا خلاف أَن الْأَفْضَل أَن لَا يخْرجن فِي صَلَاة مَا، فَإِذا خرجن يصلين صَلَاة الْعِيد، فِي رِوَايَة الْحسن عَن أبي حنيفَة، وَفِي رِوَايَة أبي يُوسُف عَنهُ، لَا يصلين، بل يكثرن سَواد الْمُسلمين وينتفعن بدعائهم
سنن أبي داود (1/ 155)
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَا تَمْنَعُوا إِمَاءَ اللَّهِ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ، وَلَكِنْ لِيَخْرُجْنَ وَهُنَّ تَفِلَاتٌ
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (1/ 566)
ويكره حضورهن الجماعة) ولو لجمعة وعيد ووعظ (مطلقا) ولو عجوزا ليلا (على المذهب) المفتى به لفساد الزمان، واستثنى الكمال بحثا العجائز والمتفانية
Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow
Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel