Sermon Details
Womens Prayer In Congregation (Masjid) in the light of Authentic Hadith
ABOUT SERMON: Women Prayer in the Masjed
Womens Prayer In Congregation (Masjid) in the light of Authentic Hadith
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ خَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ.
All Praise is due to Allah, we praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allah, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, peace and blessings on him, is His servant, and His messenger.
Dear Brothers and Sisters … السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ –
O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except in a state of Islam.
Brothers and Sisters today I have chosen the most important topic and it is about Womens prayer in the Masjed in congregation. I would like to explain this in the light of authentic hadith.
Be a true follower of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), I ask Allah to provide me with sincerity in speech and action and to bless the Muslim Ummah with beneficial knowledge, righteous actions and to bring benefit from what I have written. Using only Quranic ayahs and sahih hadiths to enable readers and listeners to learn and expel any false narratives and teachings surrounding sharia matters. May Allah reward you, oh listener, may He elevate your place in heaven and keep you on the straight path.
Remember, our dear Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said in his farewell speech, I have left you with two matters which will never lead you astray, as long as you hold to them: The Book of Allah and the Sunnah of his Prophet (ﷺ). [Al Mutta Imam Malik: 899/2].
One must always keep this blessed hadith in mind when practising their religion. Such a hadith should have us separate our cultural values from religious values. Let start with authentic hadith which allow women to pray in the Masjed.
1.
Salim narrated it from his father (‘Abdullah b. Umar) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When women ask permission for going to the mosque, do not prevent them. Sahih Muslim 442a. https://sunnah.com/muslim:442a
2.
It was narrated from Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The best rows for men are the first rows, and the worst ones the last ones, and the best rows for women are the last ones and the worst ones for them are the first ones. Sahih Muslim 440a. https://sunnah.com/muslim:440a
3.
Sahl b. Sa’d reported: I saw men having tied (the ends) of their lower garments around their necks, like children, due to shortage of cloth and offering their prayers behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). One of the proclaimers said: O womenfolk, do not lift your heads till men raise (them). Sahih Muslim 441. https://sunnah.com/muslim:441
4.
Abdullah b. Umar reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) say: Don’t prevent your women from going to the mosque when they seek your permission. Bilal b. ‘Abdullah said: By Allah, we shall certainly prevent them. On this’Abdullah b. Umar turned towards him and reprimanded him to harshly as I had never heard him do before. He (‘Abdullah b. Umar) said: I am narrating to you that which comes from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and you (have the audacity) to say: By Allah, we shall certainly prevent them. Sahih Muslim 442b.https://sunnah.com/muslim:442b
5.
lbn Umar reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: When your women seek your permission for going to the mosque, you grant them (permission). Sahih Muslim 442d. https://sunnah.com/muslim:442d
6.
Ibn ‘Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Do not prevent women from going to the mosque at night. A boy said to ‘Abdullah b. Umar: We would never let them go out, that they may not be caught in evil. He (the narrator) said: Ibn Umar reprimanded him and said. I am saying that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said this, but you say: We would not allow! Sahih Muslim 442e. https://sunnah.com/muslim:442e
7.
Narrated Um `Atiya: We were ordered to bring out our menstruating women and veiled women in the religious gatherings and invocation of Muslims on the two `Id festivals. These menstruating women were to keep away from their Musalla. A woman asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) ‘ What about one who does not have a veil?” He said, “Let her share the veil of her companion.” Sahih al-Bukhari 351. https://sunnah.com/bukhari:351
8.
Narrated Ibn `Umar: One of the wives of `Umar (bin Al-Khattab) used to offer the Fajr and the `Isha’ prayer in congregation in the Mosque. She was asked why she had come out for the prayer as she knew that `Umar disliked it, and he has great ghaira (self-respect). She replied, “What prevents him from stopping me from this act?” The other replied, “The statement of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ): ‘Do not stop Allah’s women-slaves from going to Allah’s Mosques’ prevents him.” Sahih al-Bukhari 900. https://sunnah.com/bukhari:900
Based upon this, many early jurists understood the hadith allowing women to attend mosques to be an unqualified statement, which is qualified by the night hadith. In other word women can attend the mosque for fajr and Isha prayers when it is dark; for darkness will help conceal them.
9.
Narrated `Aisha: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to offer the Fajr prayer and some believing women covered with their veiling sheets used to attend the Fajr prayer with him and then they would return to their homes unrecognized. Sahih al-Bukhari 372. https://sunnah.com/bukhari:372.
10.
Narrated Ibn `Umar: The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “Allow women to go to the Mosques at night.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 899. https://sunnah.com/bukhari:899
11.
The above-mentioned tradition has also been narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas to the same effect through a different chain of transmitters. This version adds: He (the Prophet) thought that women could not hear (his sermon). So, he went to them and Bilal was in his company. He gave them exhortation and commanded them to give alms. Some women put their ear-rings and other their rings in the garment of Bilal. Sunan Abi Dawud 1143 https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1143
12.
Narrated Abu Hurayrah: Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from visiting the mosques of Allah, but they may go out (to the mosque) having no perfumed themselves. Sunan Abi Dawud 565. https://sunnah.com/abudawud:565
13.
sahl b. Sa’d said; Fighting took place amongst the tribe of Banu ‘Amr b. ‘Awf. This (the news) reached the prophet (May peace be upon him). He came to them for their reconciliation after the noon prayer. he said to Bilal; If the time of the afternoon prayer comes, and I do not return to you, then ask Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. When the time of the afternoon prayer came, Bilal called the Adhan and pronounced the Iqamah and then asked Abu Bakr (to lead the prayer). He stepped forward. The narrator reported this tradition to the same effect. In the end he (the prophet) said; if anything happens to you during prayer, the men should say” Glory be to Allah,” and the women should clap. Sunan Abi Dawud 941. https://sunnah.com/abudawud:941
14.
Umm Salamah said, When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave the salutation, he stayed for a while. By this people thought that women should return earlier than men. Sunan Abi Dawud 1040
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1040
Brothers and Sister above are all the authentic hadith regarding women praying at the masjed and now let’s look into the hadith which is being used to stop the women.
15.
Ibn ‘Umar reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying; Do not prevent your women from visiting the mosque; but their houses are better for them (for praying). Sunan Abi Dawud 567
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:567
Brothers and Sisters, There is two message in this Hadith, 1 Don’t prevent women visiting and 2nd but their houses are better for them.
Few take the opinion from above hadith and actually prevent women from going to the mosque which is against the order of Rasool Allah (ﷺ). Secondly the prayer is better in the house for those women who is fully follow the rule of sharia in Islam. For example, do not go out without mahram even for school, shopping, doctors, and working as employee having interaction with Ghair Mahram.
But where the women’s who are daily getting ready with full makeup looking better presented to the people and going out for work, college/Uni and any other gathering without mahram. But for Masjed she knows homes is better for her. Also for elderly women there is no excuse for them. Allah Mercy on us how we pick and choose the hadith.
16.
A’isha (Allah be pleased with her), wife of the prophet (ﷺ), said; if the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had seen what the women have invented, he would have prevented them from visiting the mosque (for praying), as the women of the children of the Israel were prevented. Yahya (the narrator) said; I asked ‘were the women of Israel prevented? She said: yes. Sunan Abi Dawud 569. Sahih Muslim 445a https://sunnah.com/abudawud:569.
This hadith widely used for stopping women for Masjed rather than giving the right message that do not dress up and makeup like children of Israel.
17.
Let’s look into another hadith which also used to stop the women going to Masjed. Which is totally in errors, it is alleged, lied and faulty understanding concerning the hadith of Umm Humayd. Umm Humayd, wife of Abu Humayd al-saidi narrated.: She came to Allah’s messenger and said: O messenger of Allah I love to pray with you. He replied, I know that you love to pray with me, however, praying in your house is better for you than praying in your courtyard: and praying in your courtyard is better for you than praying in the mosque of your people; and praying in the mosque of your people is better for than praying in my mosque. So, she ordered a prayer place be built for her in the darkest part of her home and she always prayed there until she met Allah. Musnad Ahmed no. 27090 and Ibne Habban no. 2217
Now, this is a reply to those who taking out bizarre juristic claims. First all prominent scholars know about this hadith the reality behind Umm Humayd and why her husband objected to his wife due to the long distance as evident in other hadith reference. But Umm Humayd insisted because this is order of Prophet do not stop women from going to the Masjed, and she was continuing to do this which became a marital dispute (Al Behqi sunan al qubra. 5437) and then Prophet only made this particularly for Umm Humayd to save the marriage and also on her request Rasool Allah made a Musallah for her in the house of Umm Humayd.
Secondly, even if we were to concede that such was the case just for Umm Humayd, what previous authentic hadith quoted. So, this is again false. Also, we must need to keep in mind the following hadith.
18.
Women Travelling alone. it is clearly not allowed, as in the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhari (1729) and Muslim (2391) from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No woman should travel except with a mahram, and no man should enter upon her unless a mahram of hers is present.” A man said: “O Messenger of Allah, I want to go out with such and such an army and my wife wants to go for Hajj.” He said: “Go out (for Hajj) with her.” Narrated by al-Bukhari (1729) and Muslim (2391).
19.
Abd Allah (b. Mas’ud) reported the prophet (ﷺ) as saying; it is more excellent for a woman to pray in her house than in her courtyard, and more excellent for her to pray in her private chamber than in her house. Sunan Abi Dawud 570. (Daif) https://sunnah.com/abudawud:570.
20.
Abdullah narrated that The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The woman is Awrah, so when she goes out, the Shaitan seeks to tempt her.” Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1173. Hassan Ghareeb.
https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:1173
21.
The hadith of Al-Fadl b Abbas is interesting in this regard. His brother, Abd Allah b Abbas relates Al-Fadl b Abbas rode behind the Prophet (ﷺ) upon the back of his she-camel, on the Day of sacrifice (Yawm-al-nahr); and Al-Fadl was a handsome man. The Prophet (ﷺ) stopped to give people speech. Meanwhile, an attractive lady from the Khath’am tribe came seeking a ruling from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). Al-Fadl began staring at her, being enamoured of her beauty. The Prophet (ﷺ) glanced behind while Al-Fadl was still gazing at her. The Prophet (ﷺ) then extended his hand backward and turned al- Fadl’s cheek, so he would stop staring at her. Jami at Tirmidhi. 885. https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:885
Again, the above hadith is just a story of a young man who was starring at a beautiful lady and rasool Allah return his face to other side. It does not prove that women should not go to the Masjed. Hence Prophet did not send the beautiful girl back and rather turned Fadl’s face.
Brothers so women’s are allowed to go Masjed in the light of Authentic hadith and also the question is why not this same rule (stopping women) applied when you visiting Harram, and too be honest at that time these were the only Masjed when prophet allowed them to go to the Masjed. But people make their own choices rathe following Rasool Allah (ﷺ).
Brothers it is mentioned in the Quran.
اُتْلُ مَاۤ اُوْحِیَ اِلَیْكَ مِنَ الْكِتٰبِ وَاَقِمِ الصَّلٰوةَ ؕ اِنَّ الصَّلٰوةَ تَنْهٰی عَنِ الْفَحْشَآءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ ؕ وَلَذِكْرُ اللّٰهِ اَكْبَرُ ؕ وَاللّٰهُ یَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُوْنَ
Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.
Also mentioned in the Quran.
(9:71) The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakāh and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those – Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.
We ask Allah to guide and protect Us and where we wrong correct us.
I conclude here by send the Darood on our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
For Any further Information please contact me at info@irlammosque.org. By Imam Mahboob Rasool.