Detailed Shari‘ah Ruling on Women Leading Prayer
Source: Fatawa ‘Ilmiyyah, Vol. 1, Kitab al-Salah, p. 287
Question:
Can a woman lead other women in prayer, or lead both men and women together? Please explain in the light of the Qur’an and Hadith.
(Asked by: Ch. Muhammad Akram Gujar, Jalal Balghan, District Gujranwala)
Answer:
Wa ‘alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh!
Alhamdulillah, wa-s-salatu wa-s-salamu ‘ala Rasulillah, amma ba‘d:
Scholarly Difference
Scholars differ in this matter:
◈ Some permit a woman to lead other women in prayer.
Evidence from Umm Waraqah (RA)
Hadith:
“وكان رسول اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَزُورُهَا في بَيْتِهَا وَجَعَلَ لها مُؤَذِّنًا يُؤَذِّنُ لها، وَأَمَرَهَا أَنْ تَؤُمَّ أَهْلَ دَارِهَا”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would visit her in her home, appointed a mu’adhdhin for her, and commanded her to lead the prayer for the people of her household.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Bab Imamat al-Nisa, Hadith 593; al-Bayhaqi in al-Khilafiyyat 4/B)
— Chain: Hasan.
— Authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah (1676) and Ibn al-Jarud (al-Muntaqa: 333).
Narrators’ Reliability:
◈ Waleed ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Jami‘: truthful, Hasan al-Hadith, narrator in Sahih Muslim, trustworthy.
◈ ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalad: trustworthy according to Ibn Hibban, Ibn Khuzaymah, and Ibn al-Jarud.
◈ Layla bint Malik: considered reliable.
Interpretation of the Hadith
Two principles:
① The meaning of a Hadith is determined considering other narrations.
② The understanding of the Salaf is given preference, provided there is no disagreement among them.
Titles Used by Scholars
◈ Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (رحمه الله):
“Chapter: A woman leading other women in obligatory prayer”
(Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 3/89, Hadith 1676)
◈ Imam Abu Bakr ibn al-Mundhir (رحمه الله):
“A woman leads women only in obligatory prayers”
(Al-Awsat fi al-Sunan wa al-Ijma‘ wa al-Ikhtilaf, Vol. 4, p. 226*)
These indicate that “Ahl Daraha” refers to women, not men.
Evidence from Imam al-Daraqutni’s Narration
“أن رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أذِن لها أن يؤذن لها ويقام وتؤم نساءها”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ permitted Umm Waraqah (RA) to have the adhan and iqamah given, and to lead her women in prayer.
(Sunan al-Daraqutni 1/279, Hadith 1071 – Hasan chain)
Practice of the Salaf
◈ Aishah (RA):
“أَمَّتْنَا عَائِشَةُ فَقَامَتْ بَيْنَهُنَّ فِي الصَّلَاةِ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ”
She led us in obligatory prayer, standing among us.
(Sunan al-Daraqutni 1/404, Hadith 1429 – Hasan chain; Nimawi in Athar al-Sunan: Isnad Sahih)
◈ Al-Sha‘bi (رحمه الله):
A woman leads women in Ramadan prayer, standing in their row.
(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 2/89, Hadith 4955 – Sahih chain)
◈ Ibn Jurayj (رحمه الله) and Ma‘mar ibn Rashid (رحمه الله) both held that a woman stands in the row when leading women.
Points Derived from These Reports
✔ Women leading other women in prayer is established.
✔ The woman imam stands within the row, not ahead of it.
✔ There is no evidence in the Qur’an, authentic Hadith, or Athar that a woman led men in prayer.
Refutation of Unsupported Claims
Some late scholars, e.g., Ibn Rushd, claimed that Abu Thawr and Imam al-Tabari allowed a woman to lead men, but these are unsourced statements and thus unacceptable.
(Bidayat al-Mujtahid 1/145; al-Mughni 2/15)
Summary of Research
① A woman leading women in prayer is permissible.
② A woman leading men is not established from any authentic source.
③ The practice of the Salaf supports only women leading women.
“وما علینا إلا البلاغ“
3 Rabi‘ al-Awwal 1426 AH (Al-Hadith: 15)
