Women Going to the Mosque is Permissible

Written by: Hafiz Abu Yahya Noorpuri

Women play a vital role in the formation of Islamic society. Whether as mothers, sisters, or daughters, they are an integral part of the family. This is why their education and upbringing have always been given special attention, as it paves the way for the betterment of future generations. Conversely, their ignorance can lead to the downfall of many future generations. A renowned Egyptian poet, Hafiz Ibrahim, beautifully expressed this idea:

"The mother is a school; if you prepare her, you prepare a nation with good roots."

In Islamic society, the mosque is the largest educational center. Unfortunately, some people, instead of understanding the malicious policies that aim to distance people from religious knowledge, have become instruments of this scheme by preventing women from going to the mosque. However, these same people do not react when their women go to schools, colleges, and universities for worldly knowledge, or when they shop in markets and interact with non-mahram shopkeepers. But when it comes to the mosque, they express concerns about potential fitna (temptation).

Let's look at the actions of women during the Prophet's time, specifically the female companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the decisions made by the divine revelation-speaking tongue:

Evidence 1:​

"Narrated Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her): The women used to leave after the Prophet (peace be upon him) finished his prayer, and they would enter their homes before he turned his face (to the congregation)."

(Sahih Bukhari: 850)

This Hadith demonstrates that during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), women used to attend the mosque for prayers. There was no prohibition for them. Further clarification comes from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):

Evidence 2:​

"Narrated Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would pray the Fajr prayer, and the women would leave wrapped in their cloaks and not be recognized due to the darkness."

(Sahih Bukhari: 867, Sahih Muslim: 645)

Evidence 3:​

"Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'The best rows for men are the first rows, and the worst are the last. And the best rows for women are the last rows, and the worst are the first.' "

(Sahih Muslim: 440)

These Hadiths make it clear that women attended the mosque during the Prophet's time.

Evidence 4:​

"Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from the mosques of Allah, but they should go out without wearing perfume.' "

(Musnad Ahmad: 528/2, Sunan Abi Dawood: 565, Hasan)

Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (1679), Imam Ibn Hibban (2214), Imam Ibn al-Jarud (332), and Imam Nawawi (al-Majmu: 4/199) declared this Hadith authentic.

Imam Nawawi also notes: "This Hadith is narrated by Abu Dawood with the chain of Sahihayn."

(Khulasa al-Ahkam: 979/2, Hadith: 2353)

Evidence 5:​

"Narrated Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'Permit women to go to the mosque at night.' His son, named Waqid, said, 'Then they will use it as an excuse.' He struck him in the chest and said, 'I am telling you a saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and you say no!' "

(Sahih Muslim: 442)

This Hadith not only establishes the permissibility of women going to the mosque but also serves as a warning to those who prevent women from attending.

In another narration from Sahih Muslim (443/135), it is reported that when Ibn Umar's son refused to allow women to go to the mosque, he was rebuked severely by his father.

This was the spirit of the Companions' adherence. If someone today makes excuses to prevent women from going to the mosque, they should consider how they will face the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his loyal Companions on the Day of Judgment.

Evidence 6:​

"Narrated Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'I stand in prayer intending to prolong it, but then I hear a child crying and shorten my prayer, lest I should make it difficult for the child's mother.' "

(Sahih Bukhari: 868)

Those who prevent women from the mosque should consider that during the Prophet's time, women would come to the mosque with their children, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not prevent them, despite the potential disruption.

Evidence 7:​

"Narrated Zainab, the wife of Abdullah: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to us, 'When any one of you comes to the mosque, she should not wear perfume.' "

(Sahih Muslim: 443)

Thus, if a woman has not applied perfume, there is nothing to prevent her from entering the mosque.

Evidence 8:​

"Narrated Umm Hisham bint Haritha (may Allah be pleased with her): I memorized (Surah Qaaf) from the mouth of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) as he used to recite it on the pulpit every Friday when he delivered the Khutbah to the people."

(Sahih Muslim: 873/52)

This Hadith shows that during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the most virtuous women, including the wives of the Prophet, regularly attended the mosque for the Friday prayer. These women were allowed by the most honorable and protective of men.

Evidence 9:​

"Narrated Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Umar's wife used to attend the Fajr and Isha prayers in the congregation in the mosque. It was said to her, 'Why do you go out when you know that Umar dislikes it and is sensitive about it?' She replied, 'What prevents him from stopping me?' He said, 'The words of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from the mosques of Allah.' "

(Sahih Bukhari: 858, Sahih Muslim: 443)

Even Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), despite his reservations, did not prevent his wife from going to the mosque, respecting the directive of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Evidence 10:​

"Narrated Asma bint Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her): I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say, 'When any of you believes in Allah and the Last Day, she should not raise her head before the men raise their heads (from prostration), lest she should see the private parts of men.' "

(Sahih Bukhari: 814, Sahih Muslim: 441)

These ten authentic Hadiths establish our argument, and they are all from the Sahihayn (Bukhari and Muslim), whose authenticity is unanimously agreed upon by the Ummah.

Opinions of Some Scholars on This Matter​

1. Amir al-Mu'minin in Hadith, Faqih of the Ummah, Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) (194-256 AH), provides the chapter heading: "The Women's Going Out to the Mosques at Night and in the Darkness."

This heading indicates that, according to Imam Bukhari, whether a woman is young or old, and whether it is day or night, she can go to the mosque.

1. Imam al-A'imma, Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) (223-311 AH), provides the chapter heading: "The Permission for Women to Come to the Mosques."

(Al-Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, Book of Salah, Chapter 169)

And: "The Prohibition of Preventing Women from Going to the Mosques at Night."

(Chapter 171)

1. Imam Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Abdul Rahman al-Darimi (may Allah have mercy on him) (181-255 AH), provides the chapter heading: "The Prohibition of Preventing Women from the Mosques and How They Should Go Out."

In another notable chapter heading: "The Hastening of Punishment for the One Who Does Not Magnify the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him)."

(Al-Musnad of Al-Darimi: 456)

In this chapter, he presents incidents from the Companions to demonstrate that when they confronted someone who opposed a Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him), they severed ties with that person.

1. Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 354 AH), provides the chapter heading: "The Warning Against Preventing Women from Going to the Mosque for Salah."

(Sahih Ibn Hibban: 578/5, Hadith: 2209)

1. Hafiz Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 456 AH) writes: "There is consensus among the people that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) never prevented women from praying with him in his mosque until he passed away, nor did the rightly-guided caliphs after him. Therefore, it is established that this act is not abrogated. If it were, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would not have continued it, nor would he have left the women to endure such a burden without benefit, which could be harmful, and this hardship and trouble would not be an act of kindness."

(Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm: 831/3, Issue: 321)

Examining the Arguments of Those Who Prohibit

As narrated by Hafiz Ibn Hazm, the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the rightly-guided caliphs never stopped women from coming to the mosque. It is clear that this practice is not abrogated. How then, can the prohibitions be justified? Let us examine the arguments:

Argument 1:​

"Narrated Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): If the Prophet (peace be upon him) had seen what the women have introduced, he would have prevented them from coming to the mosque as the women of Bani Israel were prevented."

(Sahih Bukhari: 831, Sahih Muslim: 445)

Commentary:

1. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) intended to admonish the women, not to prohibit them. If she considered it impermissible, she would have prevented them herself, but there is no record of her doing so. On the contrary, she continued to go to the mosque after the Prophet's (peace be upon him) death and even performed i'tikaf in the mosque.
2. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that if the Prophet (peace be upon him) had seen such evils, he would have prevented women from going to the mosque. If he had prohibited them, we would prevent them too. But since he did not prohibit them, and Allah, the Wise and All-Knowing, was aware of future evils, who are we to prohibit?
3. What greater evil could there be concerning women than adultery? Even when the punishment of stoning was carried out during the Prophet's time, women were not prohibited from the mosque.
4. Not all women engage in such behavior; only a few do. Thus, why should all righteous women be deprived of good deeds because of a few?
5. If women should be prevented from going to the mosque due to potential evils, then logically, they should also be prohibited from going to the market, or anywhere outside their homes, which no one advocates.
6. The distinction between old and young women and the specification of day and night are not proven from this narration.

Thus, those who claim:

"It is disliked for young women to attend the congregation due to fear of fitna, but it is not wrong for elderly women to go to Fajr, Maghrib, and Isha prayers."

(Al-Hidayah with Al-Dirayah: 128/1)

How can they present this narration as evidence?

Evidence 2:​

Narrated Umm Humayd, the wife of Abu Humayd Al-Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with her): She came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I love to pray with you." The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, "I know that you love to pray with me, but your prayer in your house is better than your prayer in your courtyard, and your prayer in your courtyard is better than your prayer in your family's mosque, and your prayer in your family's mosque is better than your prayer in my mosque."

Umm Humayd (may Allah be pleased with her) then ordered a mosque to be built in the farthest and darkest part of her house, and she continued to pray there until she met Allah, the Exalted.

(Musnad Ahmad: 6/371, Sahih)

This Hadith has been authenticated by Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (1689) and Imam Ibn Hibban (2217).

Commentary:

Observe the chapter heading given by Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him):

"The Preference of a Woman’s Prayer in Her House Over Her Prayer in the Courtyard, and Her Prayer in the Courtyard Over Her Prayer in the Mosque of Her People, and the Preference of Her Prayer in Her Own Mosque Over Her Prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque, even though a prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque is better than a thousand prayers in any other mosque. This applies to men, not women."

(Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 177)

We affirm that it is preferable for a woman to pray in her home. However, if she chooses to pray in the mosque, it is permissible, and preventing her from doing so is impermissible. We never claimed that attending the mosque is obligatory or superior for women.

There is no explicit and clear evidence prohibiting women from attending the mosque, nor is there a distinction between young and old women in this context.

Evidence 3:​

Narrated Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): "There is no better place for a woman to pray than in her house, except in the case of the Sacred Mosque or the Prophet's Mosque. It is better for a woman to go out wearing her slippers."

(Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Tabarani: 9/293)

Al-Haythami has noted in "Majma' al-Zawa'id" (2/34) that the narrators of this hadith are the narrators of the Sahih.

Commentary:

1. Hammād ibn Salamah suffered from confusion in his later years, and we do not have evidence that his student, Hajjaj ibn Minhal, heard from him before this confusion occurred.
2. This narration establishes that Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) preferred a woman’s prayer in her home, which aligns with our view. We seek evidence that prohibits women from going to the mosque.

Evidence 4:​

Narrated Abu 'Amr al-Shaibani: "I saw Ibn Mas'ud expelling women from the mosque on Friday."

(Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Tabarani: 9/294, Sahih)

Commentary:

1. It is clear that the prohibition of preventing women from attending the mosque did not reach Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him). Otherwise, it is inconceivable that he would act against a command of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
2. The opinion of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) — that preventing women from attending the mosque is against the Sunnah — aligns with the transmitted hadiths and the consensus among scholars.
3. Several issues did not reach Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), causing him to act contrary to the majority of the Companions. For instance, after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Ibn Mas'ud performed the act of "Tatbiq" (clasping hands together in prayer) during Ruku and positioned two followers beside him rather than behind.

Evidence 5:​

Narrated Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): "In Bani Israel, men and women used to pray together. If a woman had a lover, she would wear wooden shoes to make herself look taller to attract her lover. Consequently, Allah imposed menstruation on them. Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) then said, 'Keep them away as Allah has kept them away.'"

(Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Tabarani: 9/295)

Commentary:

1. This narration is weak due to the issue of Tadlis (obfuscation) in the chain of narrators involving Imam Abdulrazzaq, Imam Sufyan Thawri, and Imam A'amash.
2. Even if women in the time of Bani Israel were kept away from the mosque, our Shariah permits women to attend the mosque, as evidenced by numerous authentic hadiths.
3. Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) is addressing women being kept away from the mosque in general, without distinguishing between old and young women or differentiating between day and night.

Evidence 6:​

Narrated Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "A woman's prayer in her house is better than her prayer in her courtyard, and her prayer in her courtyard is better than her prayer outside."

(Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat by Tabarani: 9/48)

Commentary:

1. This narration is weak, as the narrator Zayd ibn al-Muhajir is not well-known, and its reliability has not been established.
2. The narration does not prohibit women from attending the mosque.
3. There is no distinction between old and young women, nor a differentiation between day and night in this narration.

Evidence 7:​

Narrated Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): "A woman is an 'awrah (something to be concealed), and when she goes out, the devil looks at her with interest. She says, 'No one sees me without being attracted to me.' The closest a woman is to Allah is when she is in the innermost part of her house."

(Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Tabarani: 9/295, Sahih)

Commentary:

1. This narration does not explicitly prevent women from attending the mosque or mention prayer.
2. As previously stated, the prohibition against preventing women from attending the mosque did not reach Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him).
3. Women attended the mosque during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). What ruling would apply to them based on this narration?

Evidence 8:​

Narrated Sulaiman ibn Abi Hathmah from his mother: "I saw the elderly women praying with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)."

(Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Tabarani: 24/317)

Commentary:

1. This narration is weak, as both Ibn Abi Layla and Abdulkarim ibn Abi al-Mukhariq are unreliable.
2. There is no indication in these weak narrations about preventing women from attending the mosque, nor is there a specification for night.

Evidence 9:​

Narrated Abu Amr al-Shaibani: Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) swore an oath, emphasizing, "There is no place better for a woman to pray than her house, except in the case of Hajj or Umrah, or if the woman is old and has lost hope of marriage and goes out wearing socks."

(Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Tabarani: 9/294)

Commentary:

1. This narration does not establish the prohibition of women attending the mosque.
2. The chain includes Muhammad ibn al-Nadr, whose details are not known, and the corroborating report by Sharik ibn Abdullah al-Qadi in Musnad Ali ibn al-Ja'ad (2290) is weak due to Sharik's Tadlis. Furthermore, it is not established that Saeed ibn Masruq heard from Abu Amr al-Shaibani.

Evidence 10:​

Narrated Umm Hakim bint Abi Hakim: "I saw the elderly women praying with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)."

(Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Tabarani: 25/130)

Commentary:

1. This narration is also weak due to the unreliability of both Ibn Abi Layla and Abdulkarim ibn Abi al-Mukhariq.
2. Even in these weak narrations, there is no mention of prohibiting women from attending the mosque, nor is there a specification of night.

Evidence 11:​

Narrated Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "The best mosques for women are the innermost rooms of their houses."

(Musnad Ahmad: 6/297)

Commentary:

1. This narration is extremely weak as Rushdein ibn Sa'd is generally considered unreliable, and Sahib Mawla Umm Salamah is unknown.
2. The other chain of transmission is even weaker because it includes Ibn Lahi'ah, who is weak and unreliable due to confusion in his later years.

Conclusion:

It is evident that preventing women from attending the mosque is not correct, and there is no Shariah evidence supporting such a prohibition. Those who prevent women from going to the mosque must reflect on whether their actions align with or contradict the Hadith.