Prayer TimesThe Prophet (ﷺ) permitted Muslim women to attend the mosque and perform the obligatory prayers in congregation. However, Islamic law sets certain conditions for this. Specifically, when a woman goes to the mosque, she should avoid mixing with men and should not wear perfume.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from going to the mosques of Allah. But let them not go out perfumed.” (Abu Dawood). This hadith instructs not to prevent women from attending congregational prayers, while also emphasizing that they should avoid any actions that would attract the attention of non-mahram men.
After the Prophet (ﷺ) passed away, during the caliphate of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), women were prohibited from attending the mosque. None of the prominent Companions of that era objected to Umar’s decision. When some women complained to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), saying, “What was not forbidden during the Prophet’s time is now being forbidden,” she replied: “If the Prophet (ﷺ) had seen what women do today, he would have forbidden them from the mosques just as the women of Banu Israel were forbidden.” (Bukhari, Muslim).
The women of Banu Israel were initially permitted to attend places of worship, but when inappropriate behaviors such as mixing with men began to occur, they were then prohibited from entering the places of worship.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “A woman’s prayer in her courtyard is better than her prayer in her house, and her prayer in her private room is better than her prayer in her courtyard.” (Abu Dawood, Bazzaar). This means that the more secluded a woman’s place of prayer is, the better it is. If women pray in places where they can be seen by non-mahram men, it may lead to situations contrary to Islamic guidelines.
Mulla Ali al-Qari (may Allah have mercy on him) thoroughly researched this issue and concluded: “The ruling that women, whether young or old, are not permitted to attend the mosque for any prayer has been adopted.” (Fath Bab al-Ghinaya, 1/413). Thus, according to the Hanafi school, it is not encouraged for women of any age to openly participate in congregational prayers, including Friday and Eid prayers.
However, when performing Hajj or Umrah, women may attend congregational prayers in the sacred mosques with their mahrams. This is due to the special status of the two holy sanctuaries. Additionally, if women are traveling from other regions and cannot find a suitable place to pray other than the mosque, or if they risk missing the prayer time by returning home, they may enter the mosque and pray as long as they do not mix with men. In all other cases, it is preferable for women to pray at home.
Hasan AMANKUL
Munara newspaper, No. 5, 2023
This content was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor.