I would like to perform the congregational prayer with my wife if I miss the congregation in the mosque. Is it permissible for me to ask her to do so?
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The questioner:
May Allah reward you. A questioner says: Sometimes I miss the Friday prayer or the congregational prayer. I would like to pray it with my wife to attain the virtue of the congregation. Sometimes she agrees to do so, and sometimes she refuses. What is your guidance on this? And should I compel her to do it? I say that I dislike compelling her to do it, because I do not like to force her to do something that is not obligatory upon her.
The Shaykh:
First, you must strive to attend the congregational prayer and not be late. However, if it happens that you miss it at times, you should pray with men who also missed the prayer. Go to the mosque to find someone who missed the prayer, and pray with him. Strive to do this. As for your wife praying with you, this does not constitute a congregation. A congregation is only established with two men or more. A woman praying with a man does not establish a congregation. However, doing so is valid, and this falls under the category of following the imam.
The presenter:
Following what?
The Shaykh:
Following the imam in prayer, not for the purpose of establishing a congregation.
The presenter:
And a congregation is not established except with two men.
The Shaykh:
Two men or more, yes. It should also be noted that if his wife or women pray with him, they must stand behind him. Even if it is just one woman, she stands behind him and does not stand in a row beside him, even if she is one of his mahram relatives or his wife, because the position of women is behind the men. Yes.
The presenter:
And a congregation is not established by them, even if there are many of them.
The Shaykh:
A congregation is not established among them, but it is valid for them to pray with the men, and they receive the reward of following the imam. Yes.
May Allah reward you. A questioner says: Sometimes I miss the Friday prayer or the congregational prayer. I would like to pray it with my wife to attain the virtue of the congregation. Sometimes she agrees to do so, and sometimes she refuses. What is your guidance on this? And should I compel her to do it? I say that I dislike compelling her to do it, because I do not like to force her to do something that is not obligatory upon her.
The Shaykh:
First, you must strive to attend the congregational prayer and not be late. However, if it happens that you miss it at times, you should pray with men who also missed the prayer. Go to the mosque to find someone who missed the prayer, and pray with him. Strive to do this. As for your wife praying with you, this does not constitute a congregation. A congregation is only established with two men or more. A woman praying with a man does not establish a congregation. However, doing so is valid, and this falls under the category of following the imam.
The presenter:
Following what?
The Shaykh:
Following the imam in prayer, not for the purpose of establishing a congregation.
The presenter:
And a congregation is not established except with two men.
The Shaykh:
Two men or more, yes. It should also be noted that if his wife or women pray with him, they must stand behind him. Even if it is just one woman, she stands behind him and does not stand in a row beside him, even if she is one of his mahram relatives or his wife, because the position of women is behind the men. Yes.
The presenter:
And a congregation is not established by them, even if there are many of them.
The Shaykh:
A congregation is not established among them, but it is valid for them to pray with the men, and they receive the reward of following the imam. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، أحب أن أقيم صلاة الجماعة مع زوجتي إذا فاتتني الجماعة في المسجد، فهل يجوز لي أن أحملها على ذلك؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.