Explanation of the author's statement: "... and each group prays separately; if that is difficult, the men pray and the women face away from them, then they reverse the arrangement..."
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The Shaykh : He says: "And the imam is in the middle of them, and each group prays separately".
"Each group prays separately" means that they do not pray in congregation; each group prays on its own. Which group? What is the evidence? The evidence is his statement later: "If it is difficult, the men pray and the women face away from them". He says that if naked men and women gather, they do not pray together; each group prays separately. Why? Because the women cannot stand in the row of the men, so they must have a row behind them. And if they stand behind the men, they will see the men's private parts. We do not say that the women pray with the men and close their eyes; no, we say they do not pray. The men pray first, yes, and then the women pray. This means we place the women in one place and the men in another, so the men pray alone and the women pray alone, and they do not pray in congregation. If it is difficult such that it is not possible for each group to pray separately, he says: "The men pray and the women face away from them, then they reverse the arrangement".
We say that if there is no space where we can tell the women to pray there and the men here, all in this place, but the men pray alone and the women face away from them. The meaning of "face away from them" is that they turn their backs toward them. The women's backs are toward what? Toward the qiblah. Why? So that they do not see the men. If she sees a man, she will look at his private part, because everything from the anus to the navel is a private part, and she will look at it.
So we say: the men pray, and you, women, face away from the men.
Now, after that, do the women pray in congregation or not? In congregation is recommended, not obligatory. Congregation is not obligatory for women. The women pray and the men face away from them. The men's backs are toward the qiblah. In the second case, when the women pray alone, the men's backs are toward the qiblah. This is the ruling of the issue.
Now, is it the same if the place is narrow and there are many men? Do we say they pray in two groups? We mentioned a little while ago that they pray in one row and the imam is between them. But if the place does not accommodate them in one row, do they form another row behind them? Or do we say they face away from them, and when they finish, these pray and face away from those?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, there are two opinions among the scholars. Some said that the extra row that the place cannot accommodate does so as the women do. And some said rather that they pray in one congregation. But in this case, if we say they pray in one congregation, do we not say that it is recommended for you, the ones in the back, to close your eyes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, we say that if a person fears that he will be distracted by looking at these people, he closes his eyes. And if he does not fear it and is not concerned except with his prayer, and he will look at the place of his prostration and the place of his indication when sitting, there is no need for him to close his eyes. Now, that is fine.
"Each group prays separately" means that they do not pray in congregation; each group prays on its own. Which group? What is the evidence? The evidence is his statement later: "If it is difficult, the men pray and the women face away from them". He says that if naked men and women gather, they do not pray together; each group prays separately. Why? Because the women cannot stand in the row of the men, so they must have a row behind them. And if they stand behind the men, they will see the men's private parts. We do not say that the women pray with the men and close their eyes; no, we say they do not pray. The men pray first, yes, and then the women pray. This means we place the women in one place and the men in another, so the men pray alone and the women pray alone, and they do not pray in congregation. If it is difficult such that it is not possible for each group to pray separately, he says: "The men pray and the women face away from them, then they reverse the arrangement".
We say that if there is no space where we can tell the women to pray there and the men here, all in this place, but the men pray alone and the women face away from them. The meaning of "face away from them" is that they turn their backs toward them. The women's backs are toward what? Toward the qiblah. Why? So that they do not see the men. If she sees a man, she will look at his private part, because everything from the anus to the navel is a private part, and she will look at it.
So we say: the men pray, and you, women, face away from the men.
Now, after that, do the women pray in congregation or not? In congregation is recommended, not obligatory. Congregation is not obligatory for women. The women pray and the men face away from them. The men's backs are toward the qiblah. In the second case, when the women pray alone, the men's backs are toward the qiblah. This is the ruling of the issue.
Now, is it the same if the place is narrow and there are many men? Do we say they pray in two groups? We mentioned a little while ago that they pray in one row and the imam is between them. But if the place does not accommodate them in one row, do they form another row behind them? Or do we say they face away from them, and when they finish, these pray and face away from those?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, there are two opinions among the scholars. Some said that the extra row that the place cannot accommodate does so as the women do. And some said rather that they pray in one congregation. But in this case, if we say they pray in one congregation, do we not say that it is recommended for you, the ones in the back, to close your eyes?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, we say that if a person fears that he will be distracted by looking at these people, he closes his eyes. And if he does not fear it and is not concerned except with his prayer, and he will look at the place of his prostration and the place of his indication when sitting, there is no need for him to close his eyes. Now, that is fine.