Is salah in the home or masjid better for a woman?
Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah,
Q:”Is it best for a woman to perform the night pray in Ramadhan (Taraaweh
) in her home or at the mosque?”
Shaikh Albani : “Particularly for the night pray in Ramadhan, the best thing is what the righteous believing women of the Righteous Predecessors (Salaf As Saalih) used to do, which is performing it with the congregation of Muslims in the mosques, as opposed to the rest of the months in which case ‘their houses are better for them’ as the Prophet ﷺ said.”
“So it is recommended (Mustahab) for a woman, as you said, to go out to pray Taraaweh?”
Shaikh Albani: “Didn’t you get the answer to this question already?”
Q: “Yes but just to confirm.”
Shaikh Albani: “Yes it is as you said. And even it is more recommended on the 27th night.”
(Al Fataawa Al Muhimmah 431/ Alalbaany.com)
Please clarify the matter. Is it better for women to pray in mosque or home? I am confused.
Walaikum Assalaam,
A: With respect to women performing Salah, the Prophet ﷺ has recommended and encouraged women to perform salah at their homes. This is applicable to all types of salah including the taraaweh salah.
In this regard, Umm Salma (RA) the wife of the Prophet ﷺ reports that the Prophet ﷺ said ‘The best masjid (place for salah) for women is the inner most part of their homes.’ (Hakim in his Mustadrak Vol. 1, Pg. 209)
In another tradition, Umm Salma (RA) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘ A woman’s salah in the inner most room of her house is better than her salah in her verandah, and her salah in her verandah is better than her salah in her courtyard.’ (Tabrani Majma’uz Zawaa’id Vol. 2, Pg. 334)
Another narration states that Umm Humaid (RA) relates ‘ The men folk of our tribe use to prevent their women folk from attending the masjid. I approached the Prophet ﷺ and told him that we (women) desire to attend the masjid and perform salah behind him, but our men folk prevent us.’ Upon this, the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Your salah which you perform in the inner most portion of your home is better than the salah performed in your verandahs, and your salah performed in your verandahs is better than the salah performed in your courtyards, and the salah performed in your courtyard is better than the salah performed with jamat.’ (Tabrani Majma’uz Zawaa’id)
It is also narrated that Aisha (RA) once said during her time, after the Prophet ﷺ had passed away, ‘Had the Prophet ﷺ seen the condition of the women at that time he would have prevented them from the masjid.’ (Sahih Al Bukhari)
Based on the above guidelines given to women by the Prophet ﷺ, it is evident that indeed the best place for a woman’s salah is at her home. The general body of jurists experts (Fuqaha) of the four schools of Islamic Jurisprudence have stated it is not encouraged that women go to the masjid for salah. Instead, it is best for them to perform salah in the privacy of their homes. (Ash Sharah Al Muhazab, Vol. 4, Pg.198. Al Mughni Vol.2. Vol.18 Kitabul Fatawa (Allama Khalid Saifullah Rahmani Vol. 2 Pg. 413-414).
Hence, it is best for women to perform the Taraweh Salah in her house, instead of going to the mosque. (Kitabul Fatawa Vol. 2 Pg. 414)
And Allah Knows Best,
Mufti Waseem Khan.
26/06/15