Ruling on a Lone Woman Standing in a Prayer Row
Source: Fatāwā Amunpūrī by Shaykh Ghulām Muṣṭafā Ẓahīr Amunpūrī
❖ Question
Can a lone woman stand in a prayer row (ṣaff) by herself?
❖ Answer
Yes, a lone woman constitutes a row by herself. If she is the only woman in the congregation, she may stand alone in a separate row behind the men.
❖ Evidence
◈ Anas ibn Mālik (RA) reported:
((صليت أنا ويتيم فى بيتنا خلف النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، وأمي أم سليم خلفنا))
“I and an orphan prayed in our house behind the Prophet ﷺ, and my mother Umm Sulaym (RA) stood behind us.”
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 727, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 658
❖ Scholarly Consensus
◈ Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728H):
((قد اتفق العلماء على صحة وقوفها منفردة إذا لم يكن فى الجماعة امرأة غيرها، كما جاءت به السنة))
“The scholars are agreed that if there is only one woman in the congregation, her standing alone in a row is valid, as established by the Sunnah.”
— al-Fatāwā al-Kubrā 2/326
Conclusion
- A lone woman may stand in a separate row by herself if she is the only female present.
- This is supported by authentic Sunnah and scholarly consensus.
