Separation of Women from Men in the Mosque
This excerpt is taken from Muhammad Ayyub Supra’s book Khawateen ka Masjid Namaz Mein Ba-Jamaat Parhne ka Mas’alah.
Designating a Separate Entrance for Women
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
لو تركنا هذا الباب للنساء
“If we could leave this door for the women (and the men not enter through it), it would be much better.”
Nāfiʿ (رحمه الله) said: After hearing this instruction, Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما) never entered through that door until he died. Other narrators (besides ʿAbd al-Wārith) attribute it to ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) as his own statement — and this version is stronger.
The author of ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd states that this narration can be considered both marfūʿ and mawqūf, and since ʿAbd al-Wārith is trustworthy, his additional wording is acceptable.
Shaykh Abū Fārūq Saʿīdī comments:
“If even in a pure environment like the mosque, free mixing between men and women was not allowed, then in other places and occasions greater caution is required.”
Position of Women in Congregation
- Women may go out from their homes for Ṣalāt al-Istisqāʾ (prayer for rain) but should remain behind the men, and the farther they are from men, the better.
- The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
خير صفوف النساء آخرها وشرها أولها
“The best rows for women are the last, and the worst are the first.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Abū Dāwūd)
- A woman leading other women in prayer should stand in the middle of the row, as ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها) did when leading women in prayer.
(Sunan al-Dāraquṭnī, ḥadīth 1429) - Umm Waraqah (رضي الله عنها) reported:
أمرها أن تؤم أهل دارها
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered her to lead the women of her household in prayer.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Imāmat al-Nisāʾ, ḥadīth 592)
Order of Rows in the Mosque
- Women should stand together in their own rows and straighten them.
- If children are present, the rows should be arranged as follows: men, then children, then women.
- Very young children should preferably not be brought to the mosque unless necessary, and then only with proper arrangements to avoid disturbance.
Voice and Interaction in Prayer
- Women’s voices should be low in prayer.
- Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
التسبيح للرجال والتصفيق للنساء
“Tasbīḥ (saying ‘Subḥān Allāh’) is for men, and clapping is for women.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
Straightening the Rows
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
سووا صفوفكم فإن تسوية الصفوف من إقامة الصلاة
“Straighten your rows, for straightening the rows is part of establishing the prayer.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 723)
Women should form a single straight row together, avoiding standing in scattered groups.
No Extra Prayer After Iqāmah
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
إذا أقيمت الصلاة فلا صلاة إلا المكتوبة
“When the iqāmah for prayer is given, no prayer should be offered except the obligatory one.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 710)
Conclusion
These ahadith show that during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), women attended the mosque and prayed just as men did, but with clear rules to maintain separation and modesty.
Instead of preventing women from attending, the stated conditions and etiquettes should be taught and implemented, and necessary facilities provided so that women can benefit from this important act of worship.
When women attend the mosque, they can learn the religion and impart correct Islamic upbringing to their children, resulting in a cleaner, more religious society.
May Allah protect us from actions that block entry into Paradise and grant us the ability to do deeds that make us worthy of His mercy and forgiveness. Āmīn.
