Is it permissible to have a women’s programme in the Musjid?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

In view of the fitna and immoralities of the time, a woman should not attend the masjid.  Shari’a has not made it compulsory upon her to perform salat with congregation or to attend a musjid for any other purpose, but it is wajib to abstain from fitna. Since, there is no compelling need for her to attend the masjid, and the order is to abstain from fitna, it will be makrooh for women to go to the masjid, whether it be for the daily salat, Jumu’ah, Eid, or to listen to a lecture¹. Consider the following hadith:

حَدَّثَنَا هَارُونُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي دَاوُدُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ، عَنْ عَمَّتِهِ أُمِّ حُمَيْدٍ امْرَأَةِ أَبِي حُمَيْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ، أَنَّهَا جَاءَتِ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، 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 مِنْ صَلَاتِكِ فِي مَسْجِدِ قَوْمِكِ، وَصَلَاتُكِ فِي مَسْجِدِ قَوْمِكِ خَيْرٌ لَكِ مِنْ صَلَاتِكِ فِي مَسْجِدِي» ، قَالَ: فَأَمَرَتْ فَبُنِيَ لَهَا مَسْجِدٌ فِي أَقْصَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ بَيْتِهَا وَأَظْلَمِهِ، فَكَانَتْ تُصَلِّي فِيهِ حَتَّى لَقِيَتِ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ (مسند أحمد مخرجا (45/ 37)

Translation: Umm Humayd, the wife of Abu Humayd, narrates that she went to Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and said, “O Rusulullah, I wish to perform salat with you.”  Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) replied, “I am aware that you wish to perform salat with me.  However, the salat you perform in your room is better than your salat performed it in your flat, and the salat performed in your flat is better than it performed in the building, and the salat performed in the building is better than it performed in the local masjid, and the salat performed in the local masjid is better than it performed in my masjid.” The narrator says, “She ordered for a prayer area to be built for her in the farthest and darkest corner of the house and she performed her salat there until she met her Lord.” (Musnad Ahmad)

This Hadith implies that the place of Ibadat for a woman is her house. It is possible to have programs for women via live streaming etc.

However, we are aware that in many communities in the different parts of the world, women attend the musjid for salaah and participate in other Islamic programs. If such situations are inevitable, some guidelines must be adhered to.

• There should be a separate entrance and exit for men and women.
• The ladies’ salaah or seating area should be separate from the men’s area.
• Precaution should be taken that no form of intermingling or any type of communication takes place between the men and women. Seclusion is maintained at all times.
• Modesty is maintained and one should refrain from wearing immodest clothing.

If the aspect of the programme taking place after maghrib is the intention of the query, then this will not affect the ruling directly. Fuqaha clearly mention that the ruling is based on the presence of fitna. If a difference between night and day were to be made, it will be based on the presence of fitna and not solely the time of the day. Hence, after maghrib may be further disliked as the presence of fitna is greater at nights². 

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Abdullah Noorgat

Student Darul Ifta

South Africa

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

________

1)      م: (قال: ويكره لهن حضور الجماعات) ش: أي يكره للنساء م: (يعني الشواب منهن) ش: وهي جمع شابة، وهذه اللفظة بإطلاقها تتناول الجُمَع والأعياد والكسوف والاستسقاء. وعن الشافعي: يباح لهن الخروج م: (لما فيه) ش: أي في حضورهن الجماعة م: (من خوف الفتنة) ش: عليهن من الفساق، وخروجهن سبب للحرام وما يفضي إلى الحرام فحرام. وذكر في كتاب الصلوات مكان الكراهة الإساءة والكراهة فحش.قلت: المراد من الكراهة التحريم ولا سيما في هذا الزمان لفساد أهله. (البناية شرح الهداية (2/ 354)

(ويكره حضورهن الجماعة) ولو لجمعة وعيد ووعظ (مطلقا) ولو عجوزا ليلا (على المذهب) المفتى به لفساد الزمان (الدر المختار شرح تنوير الأبصار وجامع البحار (ص: 77)

2)      (قَوْلُهُ عَلَى الْمَذْهَبِ الْمُفْتَى بِهِ) أَيْ مَذْهَبِ الْمُتَأَخِّرِينَ. قَالَ فِي الْبَحْرِ: وَقَدْ يُقَالُ هَذِهِ الْفَتْوَى الَّتِي اعْتَمَدَهَا الْمُتَأَخِّرُونَ مُخَالِفَةٌ لِمَذْهَبِ الْإِمَامِ وَصَاحِبَيْهِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ نَقَلُوا أَنَّ الشَّابَّةَ تُمْنَعُ مُطْلَقًا اتِّفَاقًا. وَأَمَّا الْعَجُوزُ فَلَهَا حُضُورُ الْجَمَاعَةِ عِنْدَ الْإِمَامِ إلَّا فِي الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ وَالْجُمُعَةِ أَيْ وَعِنْدَهُمَا مُطْلَقًا، فَالْإِفْتَاءُ بِمَنْعِ الْعَجَائِزِ فِي الْكُلِّ مُخَالِفٌ لِلْكُلِّ، فَالِاعْتِمَادُ عَلَى مَذْهَبِ الْإِمَامِ. اهـ.

قَالَ فِي النَّهْرِ: وَفِيهِ نَظَرٌ، بَلْ هُوَ مَأْخُوذٌ مِنْ قَوْلِ الْإِمَامِ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ إنَّمَا مَنَعَهَا لِقِيَامِ الْحَامِلِ وَهُوَ فَرْطُ الشَّهْوَةِ بِنَاءً عَلَى أَنَّ الْفَسَقَةَ لَا يَنْتَشِرُونَ فِي الْمَغْرِبِ لِأَنَّهُمْ بِالطَّعَامِ مَشْغُولُونَ وَفِي الْفَجْرِ وَالْعِشَاءِ نَائِمُونَ؛ فَإِذَا فُرِضَ انْتِشَارُهُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الْأَوْقَاتِ لِغَلَبَةِ فِسْقِهِمْ كَمَا فِي زَمَانِنَا بَلْ تَحَرِّيهِمْ إيَّاهَا كَانَ الْمَنْعُ فِيهَا أَظْهَرَ مِنْ الظُّهْرِ. (الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (1/ 566)