Question:
assalaamu alaikum hazrat.
I have a question for you. it’s about women. to what extent are women restricted from going to mosque. if we look at everyday life we see that women go everywhere and do everything like doctor, pilot, judge, president, you name it.
the only place women are prevented from going is the mosques.
we also see it during taraweeh that the men go for taraweeh but the women just stay at home and then they just sit behind the TV or mobile but, if they would come to the mosques they would at least have performed taraweeh.
and maybe this is also the reason why our muslim sisters are so far from islam and just marry a non muslim because they miss the religious environment.
with the point on Suriname, where hardly anything Islamic is organized for the sisters.
looking forward to your reply with patience.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Women Attending Congregational Salaah in the Masjid.
The era of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) was a mubaarak and blessed era. It was an era where Wahi (revelation of the Qur’aan) was being received from Allah Ta’ala. New Shar’ee laws regarding various issues were constantly being revealed by Allah Ta’ala and there was a need for the Sahaabah to learn the laws of Deen relating to salaah, fasting and other injunctions directly from Nabi ﷺ .Generally, Nabi ﷺ. would educate the Sahaabah after salaah. Hence women were permitted to attend the congregational salaah in the musjid in order to learn the laws of Deen.
However, it should be borne in mind that the era of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) was the khairul quroon (the best of eras). The greatest honour of that era was to perform salaah behind Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam). People were protected and safeguarded from fitnah’s.
The levels of imaan, taqwa and piety were so high that all the Sahaabah, whether men or women, were prepared to make any type of sacrifice for the cause of Deen. The ardent love within the hearts of the Sahaabah for Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) was unimaginable and inconceivable. Similarly, there can be no match or comparison for the unflinching commitment and submission they displayed before the command of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam). When Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) commanded them to segregate men and women and prohibited them from intermingling, they immediately surrendered before the command of Allah Ta’ala and His Rasul ﷺ
When Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) commanded the women to dress in a shabbily, unattractive state and not to apply any perfume when leaving their homes for salaah (so as not to be a means of fitnah in attracting the gazes of men towards themselves), they spontaneously submitted and obeyed.
Nevertheless, as time passed and the laws of Deen were learnt, Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) began encouraging women to perform their salaah within the confines of their homes and discouraged them from attending the congregational salaah.
Shari’ah Commanding Women to Remain within the Confines of their Homes.
The command of Shari’ah exclusive to women is that they should remain within the confines of their homes and that they should not leave their homes except at the time of need. Addressing the Azwaaje Mutahharaat (the mubaarak wives of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) and the women of this Ummah, Allah Ta’ala says:
وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى
“Remain in your homes, and do not display (your) beauty as it used to be displayed in
the earlier days of ignorance” (33:33)
It is reported from Anas (Radhiallahu Anhu) that a group of women once came to Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) and complained, “O Messenger of Allah, the men have excelled the women through the abundant virtues that they acquire (in your company) and through striving in the path of Allah in jihad. Is there any action by means of which we could receive the same rewards of those fighting in the path of Allah?” Nabi ﷺ responded saying, “Those among you who remain within the confines of their home (worshipping Allah Ta’ala), they will acquire the reward of those striving in the path of Allah Ta’ala.” (Musnad AlBazzaar 6962)
It is reported from Abdullah bin Mas’ood (Radhiallahu Anhu) that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) said: “A woman should be concealed (from the eyes of strange men). When she exits from her home Shaitaan stares at her (i.e. he causes men to cast lustful glances towards her and he strives to mislead her by committing sin). The time that she is closest to her Lord is when she is concealed within her home.” (Musnad AlBazzaar 1820)
Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) encouraging Women to Perform Salaah within the Confines of the Home.
It is reported from Abdullah bin Ma’sood Radhiallahu Anhu) that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) said: “The salaah of a woman in her bedroom is more rewarding than her salaah in the communal room of her house and the salaah she performs in the inner most portion of the bedroom (i.e. a small room within the bedroom or a corner of her bedroom) is greater and more rewarding than her salaah in her bedroom.” (Abu Dawood 570)
Hadhrat Ummu Humaid, the wife of Abu Humaid As-Saa’idi (Radhiallahu Anhuma) once came to Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) and said, “O Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) , I long to perform salaah behind you.” Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) replied, “I am aware that you long and desire to perform salaah behind me, however your salaah in your bedroom is more rewarding than your salaah in any other part of your home. The salaah in any other part of your home is more rewarding than the salaah in your courtyard. The salaah in your courtyard is more rewarding than the salaah in the musjid of your locality. The salaah in the musjid of your locality is more rewarding than your salaah in my musjid (i.e. Musjid Nabawi).” Hadhrat Ummu Humaid (in compliance and obedience with the mubaarak desire of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) instructed that a small place be reserved for her salaah in the innermost and darkest portion of her bedroom, and she would devotedly perform all her salaah here until the end of her life. (Ibn Hibbaan 2217)
The Verdict of Umar (Radhiallahu Anhu)
Though women were allowed to attend the congregational salaah and the Eid salaah in the mubaarak era of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam), however it was the burning desire of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) that women perform their salaah within the confines of their homes.
Subsequently, during the era of the khilaafah of Umar, this permission for women attending the congregational salaah was revoked on account of the fitnah witnessed due to women attending the congregational salaah. All the Sahaabah concurred with the verdict of Umar (Radhiallahu Anhu). The following Hadith of Aaishah (Radhiallahu Anha) sufficiently explains the necessity of revoking the previous permission which existed in the mubaarak era of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam).
It is reported by Amrah that Aaishah (Radhiallahu Anha) said, “ Had Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) been alive today and witnessed the fitnah (corruption) being caused through the women leaving their homes and attending the congregational salaah, Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) would have surely prohibited them in the same manner as the women of the Banu Israa’eel had been prohibited from attending the congregational salaah.”(Abu Dawood 569)[1]
It is therefore understood clearly from the mentioned Ahadith that women should perform salaah at her home as it is more virtuous rather than to perform Salaah at the Masjid. This is the view of the Hanafi Madhab[2] and the mainstream view of the Shafi’, Maaliki and Hanbali Madhaahib also.
The underlying probation in the Ahadith is not prohibiting women from attending the masjid specifically, rather to abstain from any such places where there are non Maharim strange men and intermingling of genders. In the time of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam), unnecessary intermingling did not take place. A Hadith narrated by Umm Salamah (RadiyAllahu Anha) states that when the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) completed the prayer, the women would get up to leave. He would then wait awhile before standing. Ibn Shahab said: “I believe he waited for a while to give the women an opportunity to depart before the men”. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
The situation however nowadays, where our Muslim sisters are all over the market places, malls, jobs etc, it may not seem proper to completely disallow them from attending the Masaajid. This need may be even more in certain countries and areas where there are no specific facilities for women to learn about Deen, attend classes and listen to lectures etc.
Ideally, separate facilities and Madrassas should be made for our Muslim sisters to connect with the Deen and seek Islamic education. In the absence of such, there should at least an adjoining facility completely separate from the males with separate entrances, not for the purpose of attending daily Salaah, but to learn sacred knowledge, attend a spiritual gathering, lectures etc., on condition that intermingling of the two genders must be avoided.In such a case of women coming to the Masjid, extreme care and precaution should be taken of observing the rules of Hijab, so that there is no fear of any Fitna and mixing.
Also, at times there may be a genuine need for women to perform Salaah at the Masjid when travelling and the Salaah time is about to come to an end. There have been cases where a sister had to miss her prayer, as there were no facilities for women to perforn Wudhu and pray in the Masjid. A small room separate from the males’ prayer area will fulfill this need.
In many cases, the laws of Allah are openly violated in Masaajid. Men and women are seen praying in the Masjid in such an informal and improper manner that the rules of Shariah are overlooked. The rules of Hijab are violated and men and women intermingle freely and openly in the Masjid and Halls.Regardless of one’s intention or however innocent it may seem; such actions are totally impermissibleand cannot be justified.
May Allah Ta’ala guide us all and bless us with the true understanding of Deen, Ameen
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Arshad Ali
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)
www.fatwa-tt.com /www.jaamia.net
[1] Excerpt from Salaah of Women in the Light of the Sunnah by Madrasah Ta’leemuddeen, Isipingo Beach, Durban, South Africa
[2] لا أرخص للنساءفي شيء من الْروج إلا العجوزة الكبيرة فإني أرخص لها فى الْروج فى العيدين وفي صلاة الفجر والعشاء
(الأصل،الأوقاف،ج١ص٣٦٥)
أجمعوا على أنه لا يرخص للشواب منهن الْروج فى الجمعة والعيدين وشيء من الصلاة(بدائع الصنائع، ج٢ص٢٣٧)
وفى الكافي: الفتوى اليوم على غرر الحكام، جى الكراهة في كل الصلوات لظهور الفساد (درر الحكام شر١ص٨٦)، وعلق
عليه الشرنبلالي: قال غيره: وأفتى المشايخ المتأخرون بمنع العجوز من حضور الجماعات كلها.
