What is better for a woman: praying in congregation or individually?
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Question:
You are asking whether it is better for a woman to pray alone or to pray in a congregation of women?
Answer:
All of this is permissible. If she prays alone, there is no harm, and if she prays with women, there is no harm. The matter is broad in this regard. The women in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray alone, each one praying by herself. If a group of women is available and they pray together in the house, and they appoint the best of them as their imam, that is good. It has been narrated from Umm Salama and Aisha that they appointed some women as imams on some occasions.
So the conclusion is that there is no harm in her praying in a congregation of women, with the imam standing in the middle of them, some of them on her right and some on her left. She raises her voice for the takbir and recitation in the times of loud recitation, such as Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr. She acts as a man does: she says takbir and raises her hands to the level of her shoulders or her ears. After the takbir, she says:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 243Hasan (Darussalam), or she recites one of the authentic, established types of opening supplications from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Then she says: I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan. Then she mentions Allah, then she recites al-Fatihah, then she recites a surah with it. And so it is in the second rak'ah of Maghrib and Isha. As for the third rak'ah, she recites only al-Fatihah. And so it is in the third and fourth rak'ahs of Isha, only al-Fatihah. In Fajr, she recites al-Fatihah and whatever is easy for her with it, but longer than in Isha and Maghrib. And so it is in Zuhr and Asr, she prays with them quietly, without loud recitation.
So the conclusion is that it is like how a man prays, but she stands in the middle of them, not in front... with her prayer. She is composed and strives to teach them the Sunnah if she knows the Sunnah, so that they follow it and benefit from it. In this, she has a great reward because of the teaching involved. If the woman is knowledgeable in her religion and appoints as imam whoever is available from the women in her house to teach them this, that is a great good and has a great virtue. But it is not obligatory; rather, if she prays alone, there is no harm. Yes.
You are asking whether it is better for a woman to pray alone or to pray in a congregation of women?
Answer:
All of this is permissible. If she prays alone, there is no harm, and if she prays with women, there is no harm. The matter is broad in this regard. The women in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray alone, each one praying by herself. If a group of women is available and they pray together in the house, and they appoint the best of them as their imam, that is good. It has been narrated from Umm Salama and Aisha that they appointed some women as imams on some occasions.
So the conclusion is that there is no harm in her praying in a congregation of women, with the imam standing in the middle of them, some of them on her right and some on her left. She raises her voice for the takbir and recitation in the times of loud recitation, such as Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr. She acts as a man does: she says takbir and raises her hands to the level of her shoulders or her ears. After the takbir, she says:
Glorious You are O Allah, and with Your praise, and blessed is Your Name, and exalted is Your majesty, and none has the right to be worshipped but You.
سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك وتبارك اسمك وتعالى جدك ولا إله غيركSo the conclusion is that it is like how a man prays, but she stands in the middle of them, not in front... with her prayer. She is composed and strives to teach them the Sunnah if she knows the Sunnah, so that they follow it and benefit from it. In this, she has a great reward because of the teaching involved. If the woman is knowledgeable in her religion and appoints as imam whoever is available from the women in her house to teach them this, that is a great good and has a great virtue. But it is not obligatory; rather, if she prays alone, there is no harm. Yes.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.