Women’s Friday Prayer via the Radio
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The first question of Fatwa No. ( 2437 )
Q1: Is it permissible for women to pray the Friday prayer in their homes, as well as all prayers by listening to the microphone in the village or town, where every house in the village can hear the preacher clearly via the microphone, as if he were with them? Also, if they gather in a house and pray following the imam’s prayer, if that is permissible, do the people of the houses that are in the qiblah direction of the mosque have the right to pray with the imam while they are in front of him, and they cannot pray in the mosque due to its narrowness, as it does not accommodate the male worshippers? And also, is it permissible for the sick person who cannot pray in the mosque to follow the imam from his home via the microphone?
A1: It is not obligatory for women to perform any of the five obligatory prayers in congregation, and their prayer in their homes is better for them than their prayer in the mosques, whether it is an obligatory or voluntary prayer. However, if she wants to pray in the mosque, she is not prevented from doing so, provided she observes the etiquettes of Islam in her going out and in her prayer; by going out covered and not wearing perfume, and praying behind the men. If they pray in congregation in the house, that is better, and their imam should be in the middle of them in the first row, and the one who leads them should be the one who is most knowledgeable of the Quran and the rulings of the religion.
And it is not obligatory for the weak who cannot attend the mosques due to their illness or old age to attend the mosques to perform the obligatory prayers in congregation; due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:286] , and His saying: [Al-Hajj 22:78] . It is not permissible for men or women, whether weak or strong, to pray in their homes, one or more, in congregation with the imam in the mosque, linking their prayer with his by the sound of the loudspeaker only, whether the prayer is obligatory or voluntary, Friday or otherwise, and whether their houses are behind the imam or in front of him; due to the obligation of performing the obligatory prayers in congregation in the mosques for strong men, and the dropping of that obligation for women and the weak. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Q1: Is it permissible for women to pray the Friday prayer in their homes, as well as all prayers by listening to the microphone in the village or town, where every house in the village can hear the preacher clearly via the microphone, as if he were with them? Also, if they gather in a house and pray following the imam’s prayer, if that is permissible, do the people of the houses that are in the qiblah direction of the mosque have the right to pray with the imam while they are in front of him, and they cannot pray in the mosque due to its narrowness, as it does not accommodate the male worshippers? And also, is it permissible for the sick person who cannot pray in the mosque to follow the imam from his home via the microphone?
A1: It is not obligatory for women to perform any of the five obligatory prayers in congregation, and their prayer in their homes is better for them than their prayer in the mosques, whether it is an obligatory or voluntary prayer. However, if she wants to pray in the mosque, she is not prevented from doing so, provided she observes the etiquettes of Islam in her going out and in her prayer; by going out covered and not wearing perfume, and praying behind the men. If they pray in congregation in the house, that is better, and their imam should be in the middle of them in the first row, and the one who leads them should be the one who is most knowledgeable of the Quran and the rulings of the religion.
And it is not obligatory for the weak who cannot attend the mosques due to their illness or old age to attend the mosques to perform the obligatory prayers in congregation; due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلا وُسْعَهَاand has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty
وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.