Question:
Can a man lead women in congregational prayer? If he can, in what manner: will the women’s row be directly behind the imam, or must there first be a row of men behind the imam, and then the women’s row after it?
Answer:
A man may lead women in prayer. The women will form rows behind the man and will not join alongside him. Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates:
“I prayed at the side of the Prophet ﷺ, and Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) prayed behind us.”
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
“The Prophet ﷺ led him and his mother or aunt in prayer. He made me stand on his right side and made the woman stand behind us.”
Qadi Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“These two hadiths indicate that when there is one man and one woman with the imam, the man stands on the right and the woman stands behind both of them. She does not join the men’s row, and the reason for this is fear of temptation.”
From the above hadiths it is clear that if there is a man with the imam, women may pray standing behind. Now, as for the case where only a man is the imam and the women are the followers, is such a prayer permissible and valid?
Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“There is no disagreement about women praying behind a man in the presence of other men. The disagreement is over whether a man alone may lead women in prayer. Whoever holds that this is not valid bears the burden of presenting evidence.”
The fact that Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) led women in prayer in his house, and that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ remained silent about it, is also evidence that the prayer of women behind a man is valid, as in
In the verification by Mustafa Abdul Qadir Ata, this hadith is found: Allamah Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) said its chain is hasan.
Similarly, the case in Sahih al-Bukhari and elsewhere of the slave of Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), Dhakwan, leading her in congregational prayer also supports this. For further detail see:
