Ruling on Women Attending Tarawih Prayer in Mosques in the Present Era
This excerpt is taken from Muhammad Ayyub Supra’s book Khawateen ka Masjid Namaz Mein Ba-Jamaat Parhne ka Mas’alah.
Summary of the Pamphlet’s Position
In certain mosques in Karachi, a booklet titled “Participation of Women in Tarawih Prayer at the Mosque” was distributed, compiled by Ḥaḍrat Mawlānā Mufti ʿAbd al-Raʾūf Sukharvī. It was published in October 2003 by Maktabah al-Islām, Korangi, Karachi, via al-Qādir Printing Press.
The booklet instructed that mosque imams should not allow women to come to the mosque or allocate them a place for congregational prayer. It argued that in today’s era of fitnah, women’s attendance in mosques leads to temptation and therefore, they must be prevented from coming.
The pamphlet further stated:
- Women should perform Tarawih at home, just as they perform the rest of their prayers.
- In this time of corruption, it is makrūh and prohibited for women to leave their homes to perform obligatory prayers, Tarawih, or ʿEid prayers in congregation with men at mosques or Eid grounds.
- Reports were cited from Musnad Aḥmad and statements of certain Companions to support prohibiting women from attending mosques.
- Examples included narrations that ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما) and ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه) would prevent women from attending Jumuʿah and remove them from the mosque.
- The pamphlet even claimed that women’s congregation is impermissible (makrūh taḥrīmī) and that women are not allowed in al-Masjid al-Ḥarām or al-Masjid al-Nabawī.
Response: Evidences from the Sunnah and Statements of the Companions
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) granted women permission to attend the mosque and ordered men not to prevent them:
إذا استأذنت امرأة أحدكم فلا يمنعها
“If the wife of any of you seeks permission to go to the mosque, do not prevent her.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
إذا استأذنكم نساؤكم بالليل إلى المسجد فأذنوا لهن
“If your wives ask your permission to go to the mosque at night, permit them.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Adhān, Bāb Khurūj al-Nisāʾ ilā al-Masājid, ḥadīth 865)
لا تمنعوا نساءكم المساجد إذا استأذنكم إليها
“Do not prevent your women from going to the mosques if they ask your permission to do so.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Khurūj al-Nisāʾ ilā al-Masājid, ḥadīth 989)
Practice of the Companions
- ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما) narrated this ruling directly from the Prophet (ﷺ). When his son Bīlāl said, “We will definitely prevent them,” Ibn ʿUmar rebuked him and never spoke to him again until his death. (Musnad Aḥmad, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
- In another narration, Ibn ʿUmar harshly criticized his son for opposing the hadith, saying, “I narrate to you the ḥadīth of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and you say: ‘Allah knows best; we will prevent them!’” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Women Leading Women in Prayer
- Umm Waraqah (رضي الله عنها): The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered her to lead the members of her household in prayer. (Abū Dāwūd: 592)
- ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) led women in prayer, standing in the middle of the row. (al-Mustadrak of al-Ḥākim)
- Umm Salamah (رضي الله عنها) also led women in prayer, standing in the middle. (Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah)
Women’s Presence in the Prophet’s Mosque
- Anas (رضي الله عنه): “I stood to the right of the Prophet (ﷺ) and a woman stood behind us.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
- Abū Qatādah (رضي الله عنه): The Prophet (ﷺ) shortened his prayer when he heard a child crying in the women’s row, out of compassion for the mother — not by telling her to pray at home. (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
Separation After Prayer
In the Prophet’s time, women would leave immediately after the salām, while the men remained seated until the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up — preventing unnecessary mixing. (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
Example from ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه)
He disliked his wife ʿĀtikah (رضي الله عنها) going to the mosque but did not forbid her, showing that the Companions did not prevent women from attending.
Conclusion from the Evidences
- Women may attend congregational prayers, including Tarawih, with proper conditions and modesty.
- Attendance is permissible, not prohibited, as long as there is no unlawful mixing and they have their husband’s permission.
- Preventing women altogether from the mosque contradicts clear prophetic commands and the practice of the Companions.
