Prayer is considered the pillar of Islam, it’s a fundamental pillar that every Muslim man and woman must perform at its times correctly, because it’s the first thing a person will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgment. If he performs it, he has succeeded, and if he doesn’t perform it, he has lost.
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رَأْسُ الْأَمْرِ الْإِسْلَامُ، وَعَمُودُهُ الصَّلَاةُ، وَذِرْوَةُ سَنَامِهِ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ.
“The pinnacle of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the prayer, and its highest peak is striving in the cause of Allah.”
Prayer is of great importance in the life of every Muslim, and he must be concerned with achieving humility in it in order to gain the pleasure of Allah. There are two basic types of it: obligatory prayers (Faridah), which include the five prayers of al-Fajr, Adh-Ẓuhr, Al-‘Aṣr, Al-Maghrib, and Al-‘Ishā, and voluntary prayers (Sunnah), including Duha, Qiyam al-Layl, and others. In this article, Sheikh Saleh Academy basically answers this important question: do Muslim women pray?
Do Muslim Men and Women Pray Differently?
First, before answering the question: do Muslim women pray? It’s important to know that most of the provisions of Islamic Sharī‘ah include men and women alike. Therefore, a Muslim man and woman pray in the same way, starting from Wudu and intention before prayer, all the way to performing the steps of prayer. However, it’s preferable for a man to pray in the mosque, while a female muslim praying in her home is better; Because it’s thus farther from temptations.
عَنْ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: “صَلَاةُ الْمَرْأَةِ فِي بَيْتِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهَا فِي حُجْرَتِهَا، وَصَلَاتُهَا فِي مَخْدَعِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهَا فِي بَيْتِهَا.” رَوَاهُمَا أَبُو دَاوُد.
Ibn Mas’ud reported that the Prophet (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 private chamber is better than her prayer in her house.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).
Are women allowed in mosques?
After knowing the ruling on a muslim prayer for woman, many people wonder about the ruling on a woman praying in the mosque. A woman is allowed to pray in the mosque, but she must maintain wearing covering clothes that don’t reveal any of her body or are transparent, but her reward is greater when she prays at home, but we can’t prevent her from praying in the mosque.
عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: “لَا تَمْنَعُوا نِسَاءَكُمُ الْمَسَاجِدَ، وَبُيُوتُهُنَّ خَيْرٌ لَهُنَّ.”
Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “don’t prevent your women from going to the mosques, but their homes are better for them.”
If a woman is new to Islam and doesn’t know how to learn the Muslim prayer correctly and accurately, she can go to the mosque until she finds someone to teach her. This method may be one of the most important ways to learn prayer, but there are certain cases in which a woman isn’t allowed to go to the mosque or pray at all, such as a menstruating woman and a woman in a state of major ritual impurity. She can receive knowledge in a place other than the mosque by listening to recorded lessons, for example.
قول الله عز وجل: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلاةَ وَأَنْتُمْ سُكَارَى حَتَّى تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ} [النساء:٤٣].
Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā taqrabū aṣ-ṣalāta wa antum sukarā ḥattā ta‘lamū mā taqūlūna wa lā junuban illā ‘ābirī sabīl.
“O you who have believed, don’t approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying, nor in a state of janabah (major impurity), except while traveling through.” (Surah An-Nisa: 43).
Read more: Where can a Muslim pray?
The Importance of Salah for Muslim Women
Prayer is the spirit of worship, as it’s a connection between a person and his Lord, and it’s also a means by which a Muslim woman can present her complaints and the pressures she is suffering from so that she can emerge into real life stronger and more resilient in the face of crises. It also makes the Muslim gain a lot of reward and reward, and it’s the most important duty after the two testimonies, and makes the Muslim prayer feel great tranquility because it strengthens the faith.
ويقول النبي « العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة، فمَن تركها فقد كفر»
“The covenant between us and them is the prayer; whoever abandons it has committed disbelief.”
Prayer before eating muslim isn’t preferable, as Muslim must pray with concentration, so he must eat before praying if he feels hungry so that his prayer isn’t affected by that.
قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم «لا صلاة بحضرة الطعام ولا هو يدافعه الأخبثان».
There is no prayer when food is present, nor when one is battling the calls of nature.”
Can women pray in a congregation?
Some people may wonder do Muslim women pray in a congregation? A woman can pray in a congregation, whether with other women or with her husband or father at home. The mothers of the believers (Ummahat al-Mu’minīn), Umm Salamah and Aisha, used to pray with women to teach them and guide them to what is right, but there is no blame on her if she prays alone.
When a woman prays with other women, it’s preferable for this woman to have knowledge of how to perform the prayer, as she must know how to pray 4 rakat as well as two rakats and the method of humility in prayer and to know the pillars, duties and recommended acts.
What is the dress code for women during prayer?
It’s important for a woman to be careful to wear loose clothing that covers the entire body except for the face and hands, knowing that it’s strongly disliked for a woman to pray in tight clothing, but her prayer is valid. It’s important to know how does praying affect the daily lives of muslim so that she can be more careful about it and not miss it, because by praying, a person becomes calmer and reassured of Allah’s will and destiny.
وعن أسامة بن زيد ـ رضي الله عنهما ـ قال: كساني رسول الله قبطية كثيفة مما أهداها له دحية الكلبي، فكسوتها امرأتي، فقال: ما لك لم تلبس القبطية؟ قلت: كسوتها امرأتي، فقال: مرها فلتجعل تحتها غلالة، فإني أخاف أن تصف حجم عظامها.
Usama bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gifted me a thick Coptic garment from what Dihyah al-Kalbi had given him. I gave it to my wife. He (the Prophet) asked: ‘Why aren’t you wearing the Coptic garment?’ I said: ‘I gave it to my wife.’ He said: ‘Tell her to wear a liner underneath it, for I fear it may outline the shape of her bones.
Read more: Can you pray if you are spotting before your period
What about women who are menstruating or postpartum?
During menstruation and postpartum bleeding, a woman isn’t allowed to pray, and she isn’t required to repeat the prayers again, as is evident in the hadith of the Prophet to Fatima bint Abi Hubaish:
«إذا أقبلت الحيضة فدعي الصلاة، وإذا أدبرت فاغتسلي وصلي».
When menstruation begins, refrain from prayer, and when it ends, perform ghusl (ritual purification) and pray.”
Can women lead prayer?
Prayer is considered an obligation and this applies to women as it does to men, but a woman isn’t allowed to lead the prayer if there are men present, but she is allowed to lead the prayer if all the prayers are women.
It’s preferable to teach the child at a young age so that he gets used to all these rulings over time. Many people may wonder how long does prayer last for muslim? The duration may vary from person to person, but prayer doesn’t take a long time in most cases, but it’s necessary to be reassured in every corner of it.
قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : مروا أولادكم بالصلاة وهم أبناء سبع سنين، واضربوهم عليها وهم أبناء عشر سنين؛ وفرقوا بينهم في المضاجع.
Command your children to pray when they are seven years old, and discipline them for it when they are ten years old; and separate them in their beds.”
How do Muslim women pray with their husbands?
A woman prays behind her husband in prayer, and if there are other women with her, the man becomes the imam and they stand behind him.
Read more: Why can’t Muslim woman pray on their period
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