The woman plays an important role in the formation of Islamic society. The Muslim woman, whether as mother, sister or daughter, is an indispensable part of the household. For this reason, her education and upbringing have received special attention in every era, because her education is, as it were, the forerunner of the reform of future generations, and her ignorance is tantamount to ruining several generations to come. Therefore, the Egyptian poet Hafiz Ibrahim rightly said:
الأمّ مدرستہ ان أعددتّھا أعددتّ شعبا طیّب الأعراق۔
” The mother is a school; if you have prepared her well, you have prepared a people of sound principles and pure lineage.”
In Islamic society, the greatest educational center is the mosque. But sadly, some people, instead of recognising the satanic policy that keeps people away from religious knowledge, have become its instruments and are preventing women from the mosques. Yet if the women of these very people go to schools, colleges and universities to acquire worldly knowledge, their zeal for honour does not stir; and if they roam around shopping with non-mahram shopkeepers in bazaars and markets, their sense of honour does not die; but if they come to the mosque, they fear that it will lead to temptation.
Let us settle the matter by the practice of the women of the Companions in the time of the Prophet ﷺ and by the tongue that spoke divine revelation:
❀Proof No. 1:
’’عن أمّ سلمۃ رضی اللہ عنھا قالت: کان یسلّم فینصرف النّسا؍، فیدخلن بیوتھن من قبل أن ینصرف رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ و سلّم۔‘‘
”It is narrated from Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would finish the prayer with the salam, the women would immediately return and enter their homes before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned his blessed face (towards the congregation).”
This hadith proves that in the blessed era of the Prophet ﷺ women used to go to the mosque to pray, and there was no prohibition for them. Now let us see its explanation from the words of ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her:
❀Proof No. 2:
’’عن عائشۃ رضی اللہ عنھا قالت: ان کان رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ و سلّم لیصلّی الصّبح، فینصرف النّساء متلفّعات بمروطھن، ما یعرفن من الغلس۔‘‘
”It is narrated from Sayyidah ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who says: There is no doubt that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed the Fajr prayer, the women would immediately return wrapped in their sheets, and they were not recognised because of the darkness.”
❀Proof No. 3:
’’عن أبی ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ قال: قال رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ و سلّم: خیر صفوف الرّجال أوّلھا و شرّھا آخرھا، و خیر صفوف النّساء آخرھا و شرّھا أوّلھا۔‘‘
”It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Among the rows of men, the best row is the first and the worst is the last, while among the rows of women the best row is the last and the worst is the first.”
After these hadiths there remains no doubt that in the blessed era of the Prophet ﷺ women used to come to the mosque for prayer.
Furthermore, there is also the permission of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in this regard:
❀Proof No. 4:
عن أبی ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ أنّ رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ و سلّم قال: لا تمنعوا اماء اللہ مساجد اللہ، ولکن لیخرجن و ھنّ تفلات۔
”It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from the mosques of Allah, but they should go out without applying perfume.”
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (1679), Imam Ibn Hibban (2214), Imam Ibn al-Jarud (332) and Hafiz al-Nawawi (al-Majmu’: 199/4), may Allah have mercy on them, have declared this hadith “sahih”.
❀Moreover, Hafiz al-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:
رواہ أبو داوٗد باسناد الصّحیحن۔
”Imam Abu Dawud, may Allah have mercy on him, has narrated this hadith with the chain of Bukhari and Muslim.”
Now read also the faith-enlivening incident of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them:
❀Proof No. 5:
عن ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنھما قال: قال رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلم: ائذنواللنّساء باللّیل الی المساجد، فقال لہ ابن لہ، یقال لہ واقد: اذن یتخدن لہ دغلا، قال: فضرب فی صدرہ وقال: أحدّثک عن رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلّم وتقول: لا۔
”Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: (If women ask permission) permit your women to go to the mosques at night. His son Waqid, who was called by that name, said: (I will not permit them), for they will make it a pretext for mischief. He struck him on the chest (with a forceful blow) and said: I am narrating to you the hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and you say: (I will not permit them).”
Where this hadith proves the permissibility of women going to the mosque, for those who prevent women from the mosques there is also a lesson in the Companions’ (may Allah be pleased with them all) adherence to the Sunnah.
In another narration in Sahih Muslim (443/135), Salim, may Allah have mercy on him, the other son of Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, relates that when Ibn ‘Umar’s son, having heard the hadith, still refused to permit women to go to the mosque and said: We will certainly prevent them, then:
قأقبل علیہ عبداللہ، فسبّہ سبّا سیّئا، ما سمعتہ سبّہ مثلہ۔
”Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, turned towards him and rebuked him so harshly that I had never heard such harshness from him.”
This was the zeal of the Companions in following; even now, if anyone makes an excuse and prevents women from going to the mosque, let him think for himself: on the Day of Resurrection, what face will he show to the Prophet ﷺ and his devoted Companions after opposing this Sunnah?
❀Proof No. 6:
عن أبی قتادہ رضی اللہ عنہ عن النّبی صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلم قال: انّی الأقوم فی الصّلاۃ، أرید أن أطوّل فیھا، فأسمع بکاء الصّبی، فأتجوّز فی صلاتی، کراھیۃ أن أشقّ علی أمّہ۔
”Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: When I stand in prayer, I intend to lengthen it, then on hearing the crying of a child I shorten my prayer, lest I put its mother to hardship.”
Those who prevent women from the mosques should explain: in the blessed era of the Prophet ﷺ, women came to the mosque with great devotion, and the Prophet ﷺ did not stop them from coming to the mosque despite the crying of their children, which was itself a kind of disturbance. Then after that, to whom has this authority been granted?
Furthermore, this hadith shows that making distinctions regarding women going to the mosque, namely prohibiting young women in general and older women from going to the mosque during the day, is completely baseless, because women with small children are indeed young, not “ajoor” meaning old. Likewise, there is no specification of any prayer in this hadith; rather, the hadith is general. It is established that such talk is not sincere advice based on the Quran and Sunnah.
❀Proof No. 7:
عن زینب امرأۃ عبداللہ قالت: قال لنا رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلم: اذا شھدت احداکنّ المسجد فلاتمسّ طیبا۔
“Sayyida Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her), who is the wife of Sayyidna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him), narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to us: when any of you (women) comes to the mosque, she should not apply perfume.”
It is established that if a woman has not applied perfume, nothing prevents her from entering the mosque.
❀Proof No. 8:
عن اُمّ ھشام بنت حارثۃ رضی اللہ عنھا قالت: ما أخذت (قۗ ڗوَالْقُرْاٰنِ الْمَجِيْدِ) الّا عن لّسان رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلّم، یقرأھا کلّ جمعۃ علی المنبر اذا خطب النّاس۔
“Sayyida Umm Hisham bint Harithah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that I memorised Surah Qaf only by hearing it from the blessed tongue of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; he used to recite it on the pulpit every Friday when addressing the people in the sermon.”
Now, if we reflect, it becomes clear that in the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the most chaste women in the world, and the wives of the most chaste husbands, used to attend the mosque very regularly to offer the Friday prayer. The most jealous of creatures and the guardians of chastity permitted their wives, yet today these so-called religious people, even after the Prophet ﷺ’s prohibition (of preventing them) has come, why do they insist on keeping women away from the mosques?
❀Proof No. 9:
عن ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنھما قال: کانت امرأۃ لعمر تشھد صلاۃ الصّبح والعشاء فی الجماعۃ فی المسجد، فقیل لھا: لم تخرجین و قد تعلمین أنّ عمر یکرہ ذلک ویغار؟ قالت: و ما یمنعنہ أن ینھانی؟ قال: یمنعہ قول رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلم: لا تمنعوا اماء اللہ مساجد اللہ۔
“Sayyidna Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that a wife of Sayyidna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to attend the Fajr and Isha prayers in congregation in the mosque. She was asked: why do you go out, when you know that Sayyidna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) dislikes this and feels jealous? She said: what prevents him from forbidding me? He said: the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, that you should not prevent the female servants of Allah from the mosques of Allah.”
Dear readers! When a companion of such high rank as Sayyidna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not prevent his wife from going to the mosque, keeping in view the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ despite disliking it, how can later muftis dare to do so?
❀Proof No. 10:
عن أسماء بنت أبی بکر رضی اللہ عنھا قالت: سمت رسول اللہ صلّی علیہ وسلم یقول: من کان منکنّ تؤمن باللہ والیوم الآخر فلا ترفع رأسھا حتی یرفع الرّجال رؤوسھم، کراھیۃ أن یرین من عورات الرّجال۔
“Sayyida Asma bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that she heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say that (O women!) whoever among you believes in Allah and the Last Day, should not raise her head before the men raise theirs (from prostration) (in those days the Companions had very little cloth and their izars were small). He said this so that the men’s private parts would not be seen by them when women raise their heads first.”
تِلکَ عَشَرَۃٌ کَامِلَۃٌ
This whole collection of ten authentic hadiths is our proof; all of them are related to the two Sahihs, whose authenticity the Ummah has agreed upon.
The views of some muhaddithun on this matter:
1. The Amir al-Mu’minin in hadith, the jurist of the Ummah, Imam Muhammad ibn Isma’il al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) (256-194 AH), arranges the above-mentioned hadith of Sayyidna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) under the following chapter heading:
باب خروج النّساء الی المساجد باللّیل والغلس:
“The chapter on women going out to the mosques at night and in darkness.”
From this it is established that, according to Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him), a woman, whether young or old, and whether it is day or night, may go to the mosque without restriction, because if she can go in the darkness, why can she not go in the daylight, when there is far greater safety than in darkness?
2. Imam al-A’immah, Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) (311-223 AH) establishes a chapter on these hadiths as follows:
باب الاذن اللنّساء فی اتیان المساجد۔
“The chapter on the permission for women to come to the mosques.”
and
باب النّھی عن منع النّساء عن الخروج الی المساجد باللّیل
“The chapter on the prohibition of preventing women from going to the mosque at night.” (chapter 171)
3. Imam Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Darimi (may Allah have mercy on him) (255-181 AH) establishes a chapter on the hadith of Sayyidna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) as follows:
باب النّھی عن منع النّساء عن المساجد، وکیف یخرجن اذا خرجن۔
“The chapter on the prohibition of preventing women from the mosques, and also (clarifying) how they should go out when they do.”
In one place, the chapter heading of this esteemed Imam is especially worthy of attention:
باب تعجیل العقوبۃ من بالغہ عن النّبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلّم حدیث فلم یعظمہ ولم یوقّرہ۔
“Whoever does not accept the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ after it has reached him should be punished as soon as possible.”
In this chapter he has established, through the incidents of the companions, that when, after they had narrated the Prophet’s ﷺ hadith, someone opposed it in front of them, they cut off relations with that person. While mentioning the hadith of Sayyidna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) in this same chapter, he has shown that whoever prevents women from the mosques after the Prophet ﷺ’s permission is not a well-wisher of the religion but, on the contrary, an opponent of the Prophetic Sunnah.
❀4. The chapter of Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 354 AH) may be seen:
ذکر الزّجر عن منع النّساء عن اتیان المساجد للصّلاۃ۔
“The chapter on the Prophet ﷺ’s rebuke of those who prevent women coming to the mosque for prayer.”
❀5. Hafiz Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 456 AH) writes:
وقد اتّفق أھل الأرض أنّ رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلّم لم یمنع النّساء قطّ الصّلاۃ معہ فی مسجدہ الی أن مات علیہ السّلام ولا الخلفاء الرّاشدون بعدہ، فصحّ أنّہ عمل غیر منسوخ، فاذ لا شکّ فی ھذا، فھو عمل برّ، ولو لا ذالک ما أقرّہ علیہ السّلام، ولا ترکھنّ یتکلّفنہ بلا منفعۃ بل بمضرّۃ، وھذا العسر والأذی، لا النّصیحۃ۔
‘‘ All people are agreed that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never prevented women from attending the prayer with him in his mosque until he died, nor did the rightly guided caliphs after him. Thus it is established that this practice was not abrogated. When its non-abrogation is certain, it is an act of righteousness. Had it not been so, the Prophet ﷺ would not have approved of it, and he would not have left these women in a futile, even harmful, hardship. Such a thing may be hardship and affliction, but it is not sincere advice (while the Prophet ﷺ was the greatest well-wisher).’’
Examination of the Arguments of Those Who Prevent
As you have heard from Hafiz Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him), the decisive point is that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the rightly guided caliphs never prevented women from entering the mosques. It is clear that this practice was not abrogated, and if that is so, how can prevention be permissible? Judge for yourself: a practice that continued after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the rightly guided caliphs, how strong would the evidence for its abrogation or prohibition have to be?
Let us examine these arguments:
❀Argument No. 1:
عن عائشۃ رضی اللہ عنھا قالت: لو أدرلک النّبی صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلم ما أحدث النّساء لمنعھنّ المسجد کما منعت نساء بنی اسرائیل۔
‘‘ It is narrated from Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: If the Prophet ﷺ had seen what the women have introduced now, he would have prevented them from the mosque, just as the women of the Children of Israel were prevented.’’
Commentary:
1. The intent of Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was to admonish the women, not to forbid them. Had she considered women’s attendance at the mosque impermissible, she would certainly have prevented them, yet it is not proven that she ever did so even once. On the contrary, after the death of the Prophet ﷺ she herself continued to go to the mosque, and even remained in i’tikaf in the mosque.
Therefore, those who today use this hadith as a basis to prevent women from the mosques are opposing the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as well as Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).
2. According to Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), had the Prophet ﷺ seen such corruptions he would have prevented women from attending the mosques. If he had forbidden it, we would have prevented women from the mosque. Since he did not prevent them, although the Wise and All-Aware Allah, who was making the religion come forth from the tongue of His Prophet, knew well what corruptions would arise later, who are we to prevent them now? Moreover, you have already learned the position of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, from the incident of Sayyidina Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) mentioned above.
3. What greater corruption (concerning women) could there be than adultery? During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, the punishment of stoning was established for adultery, yet women were not prevented from the mosque. So what “great corruption” is kept in view today when women are prevented?
4. Such corruption is not found in all women, but only in some. So why should all the other righteous women be prevented from goodness because of a few?
5. If a woman’s going to the mosque can be prohibited because of these corruptions, then going to the market should be even more prohibited. Likewise, leaving the house for any purpose should be forbidden. But no one holds this view. Today women are not prevented from the markets, while entry into the mosque is restricted, even though mosques are centres of peace, and worshippers are mostly righteous people. Now tell us: are market people a source of danger, or those worshippers, before whom even most market women veil themselves out of modesty?
6. The distinction between old and young women, and the specification of day and night, are by no means proven from this narration.
As for those who say:
و یکرہ لھنّ حضور الجماعت یعنی الشّوابّ منھنّ لما فیہ من خوف الفتنۃ ولا بأس للعجوز أن تخرج فی الفجر والمغرب والعشاء۔
‘‘ It is disliked for young women to join the congregation, because of the fear of temptation; however, for old women there is no harm in joining in Fajr, Maghrib and Isha.’’
With what face do they present this narration?
❀Argument No. 2:
عن أمّ امرأۃ أبی حمید السّادی رضی اللہ عنھا انّھا جاءت الی النّبی صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلّم، فقالت: یارسول اللہ! انّی أحب الصّلاۃ معک، فقال: قد علمت أنّک تحبّین الصّلاۃ معی، وصلاتک فی بیتک خیر من صلاتک فی حجرتک و صلاتک فی حجرتک خیر من صلاتک دارتک دارک وصلاتک خیر من صلاتک فی مسجد قومک و صلاتک فی مسجد قومک خیر من صلاتک فی مسجد قومک خیر من صلاتک فی مسجدی، قال: فأمرت، فبنی لھا مسجد فی أقصی شیء من بیتھا وأظلمہ و کانت تصلّی فیہ حتی لقیت اللہ عزّوجلّ۔
‘‘ Sayyidah Umm Humayd, the honoured wife of Sayyidina Abu Humayd al-Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him), narrates that she came into the presence of the Prophet ﷺ and said: O Messenger of Allah! I love to pray with you. He said: I know that you love to pray with me, but your prayer in your inner room is better than your prayer in your courtyard, and your prayer in your courtyard is better than your prayer in your house, and your prayer in your house is better than your prayer in the mosque of your people, and your prayer in the mosque of your people is better than your prayer in my mosque. The narrator says: She gave an order, and a mosque was built for her in the furthest and darkest part of her house, and she kept praying in it until she met Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.’’
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (1689) and Imam Ibn Hibban (2217) rahimahumallah have declared this hadith “sahih”.
Commentary:
Observe the chapter heading of the Imam of Imams, Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him), on this hadith:
باب اختیار صلاۃ المرأۃ فی حجرتھا علی صلاتھا فی دارھا وصلاتھا فی مسجد قومھا علی صلاتھا فی مسجد النّبی صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلم و ان کانت صلاۃ فی مسجد النّبی صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلم تعدل ألف صلاۃ فی غیرھا من المساجد، والدّلیل علی أنّ قول النّبی صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلم صلاۃ فی مسجدی ھذا أفصل من ألف صلاۃ فیما سواہ من المساجد، أراد بہ صلاۃ الرّجال دون صلاۃ النّساء۔
‘‘ A woman’s prayer in her house is better than her prayer in the courtyard, and her prayer in the mosque of her people is superior to her prayer in the mosque of the Prophet ﷺ, even though one prayer in the mosque of the Prophet ﷺ is better than a thousand prayers in other mosques; by this is meant men, not women.’’
This is exactly what we say: a woman’s prayer at home is more virtuous, but if she goes to the mosque and prays there, it is permissible. Preventing her from the mosque is forbidden. When have we ever declared her going to the mosque to be preferable or obligatory?
A clear and explicit proof is required for the prohibition of women going to the mosque, and for distinguishing between an elderly woman and a young woman in this regard.
❀Argument No. 3:
عن ابن مسعود رضی اللہ عنہ قال: ما صلّت المرأۃ فی مکان خیر لھا من بیتھا الّا أن تکون المسجد الحرام أو مسجد النّبی صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلم الّا امرأۃ تخرج فی منقلیھا یعنی خفّیھا۔
‘‘ Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: There is no place of prayer better for a woman than her home. However, if it is the Masjid al-Haram or the Masjid of the Prophet, and the woman goes out wearing socks (then it is better).’’
Allama al-Haythami (Majma’ al-Zawa’id: 2/34) said about its narrators: rijaluhu rijal al-sahih (its narrators are the narrators of Sahih [al-Bukhari]).
Commentary:
1. Hammad ibn Salamah suffered from “ikhtilat” (confusion of memory) in his final years, and the narration of his student Hajjaj ibn al-Minhal from him before the ikhtilat has not been found by us.
2. In this narration Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) has declared a woman’s prayer at home to be better and more virtuous, which we also affirm. The evidence for prohibiting women from going to the mosque is still required. For further clarification, please see the next narration.
❀Argument No. 4:
عن أبی عمرو الشیبانی قال: رأیت ابن مسعود یطرد النّساء من المسجد یوم الجمعۃ۔
‘‘ Abu Amr al-Shaybani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I saw Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) driving women away from the mosque on Friday.’’
Commentary:
1. Certainly the prohibition of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not reach Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him); otherwise, how could it be possible that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade preventing women from the mosques, yet Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) still drove women away? No Muslim’s faith permits such a thought.
2. Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who narrated the prohibition of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ against preventing women from the mosques, held the view that preventing women from the mosque is contrary to the Sunnah, as we have established with our evidence. Moreover, according to the muhaddithin and the Hanafi imams, the established principle “the narrator of a hadith knows best what is in it” (Ravi al-hadith adri bima fihi) means that his opinion will be given preference.
3. There are several matters of which Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) was not informed, and he acted against the majority of the Companions. Do you also treat the statements and actions of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) as proof in those matters? Here is just one example: in Sahih Muslim (534), after the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) performed tatbiq in ruku’ (keeping both hands joined together), and he even struck the hands of the two Tabi’un praying with him, asking why they were not doing tatbiq. Moreover, instead of standing the two followers behind him, he had them stand on his two sides.
Now, in these two matters, the blessed practice of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has reached us: that the hands are to be placed on the knees in ruku’, and when there are three worshippers, the imam stands in front and the two followers stand in the rows behind. Are these two individual positions of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) also practicable? If the answer is negative, then how is it just to make the action of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) a proof against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the rightly-guided caliphs, and the other majority of the Companions regarding preventing women from the mosques?
4. In this narration there is no self-invented distinction between an elderly and a young woman, nor between day and night.
❀Argument No. 5:
عن ابن مسعود رضی اللہ عنہ قال: کان الرّجال و النّساء فی بنی اسرائیل یصلّون جمیعا، فکانت المرأۃ اذا کان لھا الخلیل تلبس القالبین، تطول بھما لخلیلھا، فألقی اللہ علیھنّ الحیض، فکان ابن مسعود یقول: أخروھنّ حیث أخرھنٔ اللہ۔
‘‘ Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the men and women of the Children of Israel used to pray together. When a woman had a lover, she would wear wooden clogs so that she would appear taller and be visible to her lover. Then Allah cast menstruation upon the women. Then Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Move them from where Allah has moved them.’’
Commentary:
1. The chain of this narration is “da’if” (weak) due to the “tadlis” (concealment of defects) of Imam Abd al-Razzaq, Imam Sufyan al-Thawri, Imam al-A’mash and Imam Ibrahim al-Nakha’i (may Allah have mercy on them all). The chain in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah (1700) is also “da’if” due to the tadlis of Imam al-A’mash.
2. If the women of the Children of Israel were prevented from the mosque, then in our Shari’ah women have been permitted to go to the mosque, as we have shown with authentic and explicit evidence.
3. Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) in this narration is prohibiting women from coming to the mosque in an absolute manner; so from where did the distinction of an elderly woman and the difference between day and night come?
❀Argument No. 6:
عن أمّ سلمۃ رضی اللہ عنھا قالت: قال رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلم: صلاۃ المرأۃ فی بیتھا خیر من صلاتھا فی حجرتھا و صلاتھا فی حجرتھا فی دارھا و صلاتھا فی دارھا خیر من صلاتھا خارج۔
‘‘ It is narrated from Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: A woman’s prayer in her home is better than her prayer in her courtyard; her prayer in her courtyard is better than her prayer in her enclosure; and her prayer in her enclosure is better than her prayer outside.’’
Commentary:
1. Its chain is “da’if”; the biographical details of the narrator Zayd ibn al-Muhajir could not be found. Whoever claims its authenticity must provide evidence of its authentication (tawthiq).
2. In this narration, preventing women from the mosques is definitely not established.
3. Where is the distinction between an elderly and a young woman, and the differentiation between day and night?
❀Argument No. 7:
عن ابن مسعود رضی اللہ عنہ قال: انّ المرأۃ عورۃ و انّھا اذا خرجت من بیتھا استشرفھا الشّیطان، فتقول: ما رآنی أحد الا أعجبتہ، و أقرب ما تکون الی اللہ اذا کانت فی قعر بیتھا۔
‘‘ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that a woman is a veil (of concealment); when she leaves her house, Satan looks at her intently. She says: whoever sees me will be pleased with me. A woman is closest to Allah when she is in the innermost room of her house.’’
Commentary:
1. In this narration there is no proof of preventing a woman from the mosque; rather, there is not even mention of prayer.
2. It has already been mentioned earlier that the hadith forbidding the prevention of women from the mosque did not reach Sayyidna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him), so how can his statement become evidence?
3. In the blessed era of the Prophet ﷺ too, women used to come to the mosque. According to this narration, what ruling will they apply to them?
❀ Argument No. 8:
عن سلیمان بن أبی حثمۃ عن أمّۃ قالت: رأیت النّساء القواعد یصلّین مع رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلّم۔
“Sulayman bin Abi Hathmah narrates from his mother, who says: I saw elderly women performing prayer with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
Commentary:
1. Its chain is severely “da’if” (weak); both Ibn Abi Layla and Abdul Karim bin Abi al-Makhariq are “da’if.”
2. This narration does not even hint at preventing women from the mosque. Moreover, where is the specification of night? Clearly, it could only be seen in daylight.
❀ Argument No. 9:
عن أبی عمرو الشّیبانی قال: حلف عبد اللہ، فبالغ فی الیمین: مامن مصلّی لا مرأۃ خیر من بیتھا الّا فی حجّ أو عمرۃ، الّا امرأۃ قد ینست من البعولۃ ، فھی فی منقلیھا۔
“Sayyidna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) swore with great emphasis and said: For a woman there is no prayer place better than her house, except if the woman is in Hajj or Umrah, or if the woman has become elderly and has despaired of marriage and is wearing socks.”
Commentary:
1. This narration also does not establish the permissibility of preventing women from the mosque.
2. Information about Muhammad bin al-Nadr could not be found in its chain. In Musnad Ali bin al-Ja’d (2290), it is supported by Sharik bin Abdullah al-Qadi, but this narration is “da’if” due to Sharik’s “tadlis.” Furthermore, the claim of its authenticity cannot be considered worthy of attention unless Sa’id bin Masruq’s hearing from Abu Amr al-Shaybani is established.
❀ Argument No. 10:
عن أمّ حکیم أبی حکیم انّھا قالت: أدرکت القواعد و ھنّ یصلّین مع رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلم۔
“Sayyidah Umm Hakim bint Abi Hakim (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I saw elderly women performing prayer with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
Commentary:
1. The chain of this narration is also “da’if” due to Ibn Abi Layla and Abdul Karim bin Abi al-Makhariq.
2. Through these “da’if” narrations too, specification of night could not be established.
❀ Argument No. 11:
عن أمّ سلیم رضی اللہ عنھا رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ علیہ وسلّم أنّہ قال: خیر مساجد النّساء قعربیوتھنّ۔
“Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: The best places of prayer for women are the innermost rooms of their houses.”
Commentary:
1. Its chain is severely “da’if,” because Rushdin bin Sa’d is severely “da’if” according to the majority, and Sa’ib, mawla of Umm Salamah, is “majhul al-hal” (unknown in condition).
The second chain is even worse, because:
a. In it, Ibn Lahi’ah is “da’if and mukhtalit” (weak and confused in memory).
b. It is not established that Hasan heard from him before his confusion.
c. Sa’ib mentioned is “majhul al-hal” (unknown in condition).
In summary:
It is established that preventing women from going to the mosque is not correct, and no valid legal evidence indicates it. Now, let those who prevent women from the mosques state whether their practice agrees with the hadith or opposes it???
