Is it better for a woman to pray in al-Masjid al-Haram or in her home?
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The questioner : The questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : Yes. What is it? Yes, the second part of the question is: Is it better for a woman to pray in al-Masjid al-Haram or in her home? As for the obligatory prayers, it is better for her to pray in her home, just as it is in other mosques. As for the night prayer in Ramadan, some scholars say that it is better for women to attend the night prayer in the mosques, citing as evidence that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered his family and prayed with them in the night prayer of Ramadan, and that it is narrated from 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that they used to order a man to lead the women in prayer in the mosque. I am hesitant on this point.
The two reports narrated from 'Umar and 'Uthman are weak and do not constitute proof. The fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered his family is not explicit that he gathered them in the mosque to pray with them. I have a reservation regarding this issue: Is it better for a woman to pray the night prayer of Ramadan in al-Masjid al-Haram or in her home? The default is that her home is better, unless there is a clear text stating that her prayer in al-Masjid al-Haram is better. However, if she comes and attends, it is hoped that she will attain the reward of which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke:Sunan Ibn Majah 1413Da’if (Darussalam).
The questioner : Shaykh, and what about the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) that results from it?
The Shaykh : If her attendance results in fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), there is no doubt that it is better for her to remain in her home.
The Shaykh : Yes. What is it? Yes, the second part of the question is: Is it better for a woman to pray in al-Masjid al-Haram or in her home? As for the obligatory prayers, it is better for her to pray in her home, just as it is in other mosques. As for the night prayer in Ramadan, some scholars say that it is better for women to attend the night prayer in the mosques, citing as evidence that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered his family and prayed with them in the night prayer of Ramadan, and that it is narrated from 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that they used to order a man to lead the women in prayer in the mosque. I am hesitant on this point.
The two reports narrated from 'Umar and 'Uthman are weak and do not constitute proof. The fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered his family is not explicit that he gathered them in the mosque to pray with them. I have a reservation regarding this issue: Is it better for a woman to pray the night prayer of Ramadan in al-Masjid al-Haram or in her home? The default is that her home is better, unless there is a clear text stating that her prayer in al-Masjid al-Haram is better. However, if she comes and attends, it is hoped that she will attain the reward of which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke:
his prayer in the Sacred Mosque is equal to one hundred thousand prayers
صلاة في المسجد الحرام بمائة ألف صلاةThe questioner : Shaykh, and what about the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) that results from it?
The Shaykh : If her attendance results in fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), there is no doubt that it is better for her to remain in her home.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 13 - 22 - دروس وفتاوى المسجد الحرام للعام 1408 هـ - الدرس الثالث عشر - الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين — youtube.com (1:27:09)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.