The women's rows are in front of the imam and the congregation
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Praise be to Allah alone, and may peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. After that: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufti from the esteemed Director of the Dawah and Guidance Center in the province of Jeddah , in his letter number (269/9/20/J) dated 7/4/1432 AH, along with the attached inquiry submitted by: Sa'id ibn Fayt ibn Mu'awwad al-Sufyani , and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with number (517) dated 11/4/1432 AH. The inquirer asked a question, the text of which is: (The women's prayer area in our mosque is located to the side of the rows of worshippers on the right. In the five daily prayers, the rows are sometimes delayed to the back of the mosque, so that the women's rows end up in front of the imam and the congregation . What is the ruling on this? I ask you to kindly provide a written fatwa to present to the worshippers, and may Allah reward you with good).
After studying the inquiry, the Committee responded: It is prescribed that the women's rows be behind the men; based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 678Sahih (Al-Albani), narrated by Muslim , from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). It is not permissible for a follower, whether male or female, to be in front of the imam; based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih al-Bukhari 1236 narrated by
al-Bukhari , and Muslim , and because one who is in front of his imam is unable to follow him in prayer. There is no harm in the women's rows being in their prayer area alongside the rows of the male worshippers on the right or left in the mosque, provided that they do not go ahead of the level of the imam and are separated from the men.
After studying the inquiry, the Committee responded: It is prescribed that the women's rows be behind the men; based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
the best of the men’s row is the first and the worst of them is the last, but the best of the women’s rows is the last
خير صفوف الرجال أولها وشرها آخرها ، وخير صفوف النساء آخرهاThe Imam is to be followed
إنما جعل الإمام ليؤتم بهal-Bukhari , and Muslim , and because one who is in front of his imam is unable to follow him in prayer. There is no harm in the women's rows being in their prayer area alongside the rows of the male worshippers on the right or left in the mosque, provided that they do not go ahead of the level of the imam and are separated from the men.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.