Fatwa #163711 March 2008Mauritius
The women came and joined the Esha prayer Jamaat
Question
A lecture was organised in our local masjid and special provision was made for women to attend the lecture in a completely separated ward at the top of the mosque.The lecture took place after salaatul isha , but some women came before the isha jamaat and they performed salaatul isha with jamaat.After that , our imam came to know about this, and he objected to the fact that women were praying in jamaat behind him.Was it so wrong for these women, who came before the lecture started, to have prayed salaat in jammat? If we allowed those women to attend the lecture, should they be disallowed to pray in jamaat if they have come before the prayer started?
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
In principle, if females perform salah behind an Imam, and the Imam made intention to lead the women also, then the salah of the women will be valid. If the Imam did not make intention to lead the women behind him, their salah will not be valid. We do not know the reason the Imam objected to the women performing salah behind him and therefore we are not in a position to comment further.
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Mufti Ebrahim Desai