Maryam Amir – Is it better for a woman to pray at home or in the masjid
AI: Summary ©
The presence of the Prophet Muhammad in their homes is a common consequence for those who have been praying in their homes for a long time. praying in a home means praying in a presence of the Prophet Muhammad, and it is important for women to pray in their own homes during difficult times. The lack of a barrier between men and women and the lack of a woman to pray in their home are common reasons for praying in a home, and the presence of the Prophet Muhammad is a place for comfort and love for women.
AI: Summary ©
The hadith of umpham, in which the prop Muhammad peacey upon him
tells her that would be better for her to pray in the innermost part
of her home, is often used to explain that it would be better
for women in general, to pray in their homes than in the masjid.
However, while this narration and when similar to it, are
encouraging women to pray in their home, scholars also discuss
whether or not that was meant to be for these particular
individuals or for all women through all of time. Let's take
Abu Harim, Abu Shaka, for example, who states that in the home,
usually a woman might be living with her dad, her husband, her
brother, her son. So why? If the issue that scholars talk about, it
being so that a woman will be seen less by men as she goes to the
masjid, Why is she being being encouraged in her own home to pray
in the innermost part of it, instead of like the living room?
Is it really about men seeing her, or is it about something else in
these contexts? And another point, Ibn heza mentions that there are
so many narrations of woman going to the masjid with the Prophet
Muhammad, peace be upon him, but the only person who could deny
that reality is someone who is ignorant. Ibn Hazm also states
that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, encouraged women to
go, invited women to go to the masjid in so many different
circumstances, in the night and in the day, carrying their children
with all of this difficulty. Why would he have done that?
SallAllahu, alayhi wa sallam, unless there was more reward for
going to the masjid than staying in their own home with ease and
simply praying there. Abu Shak also mentions that, for example,
the wife of Ibn muda scholar, amongst the Companions royalty,
Allahu Anhu Zainab, radila Huang ha would pray in the masjid. There
are so many narrations of female companions who would go actively
praying in the masjid at all times of the day and night. This is the
best generation of women, and yet they would actively pray in the
masjid, including in Sahih al Bukhari, a wife of the Prophet
Muhammad, peace be upon him who, in isti habla would put a tray
underneath her to catch it when she was praying in the masjid. And
there was no barrier between men and women. Why didn't she just
pray in the masjid? Excuse me, in her home, in that type of
circumstance, unless she saw some sort of benefit to praying in the
masjid. This might not be the majority opinion, but scholars
like Ibn dafiq mentioned that a woman praying in the masjid
receives the same type of reward that a man would receive when he
was praying in the masjid in congregation, and that just
because the Hadith uses the word men, this in Arabic includes women
as well. Imam as Sarasi mentions that it's not an obligation for a
woman to go to the masjid because of the responsibilities that are
unique to women at times. Rather, that doesn't mean that it's not an
a recommendation or an encouragement for a woman to go to
the masjid Ibn Hazm mentions. Are we really going to say that with
all of the difficulty of getting to the masjid, of the weather
being difficult, of relieving responsibilities, of all of those
things, that she's not going to get more reward because she makes
all of that effort simply because it would have been better for her
to pray in her home, of course, for any woman to take the opinion
that it is better for her to pray in her home that's in line with
scholars. So may Allah accept that effort from you. It's just
important to know that this is not the only opinion. It is a
difference of opinion, and therefore we need to teach sisters
that if you love going to the masjid, if that's your refuge, if
that's where you feel like you connect to Allah, that's not
something you should feel guilty about. Women go through so much.
There is so much toxicity, trauma, pain, abuse that women face. And
women in our community are expected and where hijab
appropriately as we walk through society. But then when someone
yells at us, when someone commits a hate crime against us, we go to
the masjid seeking some sort of refuge, a safe space, a place of
support and comfort. To be told that we shouldn't even be there.
To be told that women do not have space here, to be told that this
Masjid is only for men, to be told that a woman's prayer place is
closed. Not all Masjid are like this, but many are. Women
consistently feel isolated, excluded, like they don't belong
in a masjid. And that is not a reflection of the method of the
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The Prophet Muhammad, peace
be upon him. Said, do not prevent the female slaves of God from
going to the houses of God. Aisha, later on, said that if the Prophet
sallallahu, alayhi wa sallam had seen the way that woman dressed
and behaved in her time period, he would have prevented women from
going to the masjid. But Ibn Hajar, the commentator of sahih al
Bukhari, mentions that even a great companion who is a scholar
like Aisha, radiAllahu anha, their words do not override the words of
the Prophet Muhammad. Peace be upon him in the ruling and Abdul
Halim Abu Shak he mentions that if the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam had seen the way that women in his time had access to
everything, went everywhere and were tempted by the evils and
challenges inside and out that they the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam wouldn't have said, as Aisha said, that they should be
prevented from the masjid rather the Prophet Muhammad, peace be
upon him, would have said.
That a woman should be obligated to go to the masjid when you talk
about it being better for a woman to pray in her home, that is
absolutely acceptable, if you take that opinion and may Allah bless
you. But also recognize that scholars throughout history have
differences of opinion on this issue. So don't teach it as this
is the only authentic Quran and Sunnah. This is the Haqq. Teach it
as this is a difference of opinion and as a misad, as misajid, we are
not going to create policies that push women out, that make women
feel like they don't belong, that make women feel like in the
architecture, in the infrastructure of the masjid that
they should not be there, because in our concern for the fitna that
we want to prevent for men, we have a greater fitna, and that is
woman leaving and never coming back, and that is so antithetical
to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him who would prayer making
it shorter if he heard a baby crying just to ensure that a
mother felt at ease, praying longer is obviously more rewarded,
but it was more important for the Prophet Muhammad. Sallallahu
alayhi was SallAllahu, alayhi wa sallam, to create access for women
to feel comfortable, feel like it's their space, feel like they
want to come, that they want to bring their children, that they
know that the house of God is a house for them.