Is the woman required to pray the Friday sunnah, meaning does she pray it at home or pray along with the radio when it broadcasts the prayer?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Is the woman required to pray the Friday sunnah, meaning does she pray it at home or pray along with the radio when it broadcasts the prayer? The Friday prayer is from Kuwait, and I am in Iraq. Please advise us, may Allah reward you?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah. It appears that the questioner’s statement, “Is the woman required to pray the Friday sunnah,” indicates that she is asking about the Friday prayer itself.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As indicated by the end of her question, our answer is that the Friday prayer is prescribed only for men. It is not prescribed for a woman except as a follower of the imam if she attends the prayer with the people. That is, if she attends the Friday prayer with the people, it is permissible for her to pray Friday as a follower of them. However, in her home, it is obligatory for her to pray the Zuhr prayer. Likewise, any man who prays at home due to an excuse, such as being sick, must pray the Zuhr prayer.
As for praying behind the radio, it is not permissible. This is because one of the conditions of the Friday prayer is that it be performed in congregation. The one who prays behind the radio is not in a congregation; that is, he is not connected to the congregation that is praying. There are large, vast distances between him and them, and it cannot be said that those who pray behind the radio are part of the mosque congregation that follows its imam via the radio.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The congregational prayer, and likewise the Friday prayer, requires that the people be gathered, actually and legally, behind one imam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for those who are separated by such long distances without the rows being connected, their prayer is not valid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Therefore, it is not permissible for a woman, nor for anyone else, to pray the Friday prayer, or any prayer other than Friday, behind the radio. This is in addition to the possibility that the signal may be cut off, in which case the person remains in confusion. However, this is not actually a barrier, because if the imam’s voice is cut off and you are in the mosque and unable to follow him, you complete the remainder of your prayer alone.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah. It appears that the questioner’s statement, “Is the woman required to pray the Friday sunnah,” indicates that she is asking about the Friday prayer itself.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As indicated by the end of her question, our answer is that the Friday prayer is prescribed only for men. It is not prescribed for a woman except as a follower of the imam if she attends the prayer with the people. That is, if she attends the Friday prayer with the people, it is permissible for her to pray Friday as a follower of them. However, in her home, it is obligatory for her to pray the Zuhr prayer. Likewise, any man who prays at home due to an excuse, such as being sick, must pray the Zuhr prayer.
As for praying behind the radio, it is not permissible. This is because one of the conditions of the Friday prayer is that it be performed in congregation. The one who prays behind the radio is not in a congregation; that is, he is not connected to the congregation that is praying. There are large, vast distances between him and them, and it cannot be said that those who pray behind the radio are part of the mosque congregation that follows its imam via the radio.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The congregational prayer, and likewise the Friday prayer, requires that the people be gathered, actually and legally, behind one imam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for those who are separated by such long distances without the rows being connected, their prayer is not valid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Therefore, it is not permissible for a woman, nor for anyone else, to pray the Friday prayer, or any prayer other than Friday, behind the radio. This is in addition to the possibility that the signal may be cut off, in which case the person remains in confusion. However, this is not actually a barrier, because if the imam’s voice is cut off and you are in the mosque and unable to follow him, you complete the remainder of your prayer alone.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.