Etiquettes for Women When Going to the Mosque
This excerpt is taken from Muhammad Ayyub Supra’s book Khawateen ka Masjid Namaz Mein Ba-Jamaat Parhne ka Mas’alah.
General Mosque Etiquettes from the Ahadith
- Eating raw onions or garlic before coming to the mosque is prohibited.
- Spitting or spreading filth in the mosque is forbidden.
- Buying and selling inside the mosque, or announcing lost items, is not allowed.
Supplication When Leaving for the Mosque
Whoever leaves home for the mosque should ideally be in a state of wuḍū, step forward with the right foot, and recite:
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللّٰهِ لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ
“In the Name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah. There is no power to do good and no strength to refrain from evil except through Allah.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī)
Manner of Walking to the Mosque
- It is prohibited to rush or run towards the mosque.
- One should walk calmly and with dignity.
- On the way, every step raises the person’s rank and removes a sin.
- As long as the worshipper remains seated in the prayer place after prayer, the angels keep praying for him/her.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
إذا أتيتم الصلاة فعليكم بالسكينة فما أدركتم فصلوا وما فاتكم فأتموا
“When you come to prayer, walk with tranquility. Pray whatever you catch (with the congregation), and complete what you missed afterward.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 635)
Guidelines to Avoid Free Mixing
Ḥamzah ibn Abī Usayd al-Anṣārī (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was coming out of the mosque and saw that men and women were mingling. He said to the women:
فاستأخرن فإنه ليس لكن أن تحققن الطريق عليكن بحافات الطريق
“Move back, for you have no right to walk in the middle of the road. You should walk along the sides of the road.”
(Abū Dāwūd, Kitāb al-Adab)
