The Ruling on a Woman Leading Her Sons in Prayer
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A message was received by the program from one of the female listeners. She says: I am your sister in Islam, the mother of Yusuf, from the Ninawa Governorate in the Iraqi Republic. I am sending you this message hoping for answers to my questions, and I offer you my sincere thanks. My first question is: Do I have the right to pray in congregation with my children and recite the Quran aloud so that they can benefit and memorize the verses? Please note that the eldest of them is eleven years old, and I gather them and urge them to pray in congregation constantly.
Answer: It is prescribed for male children to pray with the people in the mosques. If they do not pray with them and the prayer is missed, and you pray with the girls while they are praying for themselves alone, there is no harm. However, you must not lead the men in prayer, even if they are young. A woman does not lead men. But if they are alone and the prayer is missed, they should pray alone, and one of them should lead them. You pray with them, and the girls with them, and the imam should be one of them if he is a child of discernment, seven, eight, or nine years old, who is sane, good, and understands. Then there is no harm in him praying with you, and you would be a follower, not a leader. But if you lead the girls or sisters and you are in the middle of them, there is no harm in that. Some of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to lead the women in prayer. So the result is that you are a leader for women only, not for males. If the males pray at home, one of them should lead them, and if you pray with them as a follower, there is no harm. It is not permissible for them to pray at home; rather, they must pray with the men in the mosques. But if it happens sometimes that they miss the prayer and pray at home, they should pray in congregation, and one of them, the one who is most knowledgeable and best, should lead them. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. If this one who is eleven years old is suitable to be an imam at home?
The Shaykh: Yes, he leads them, but it is not permissible for them to pray at home. They must pray with the people in the mosques. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Answer: It is prescribed for male children to pray with the people in the mosques. If they do not pray with them and the prayer is missed, and you pray with the girls while they are praying for themselves alone, there is no harm. However, you must not lead the men in prayer, even if they are young. A woman does not lead men. But if they are alone and the prayer is missed, they should pray alone, and one of them should lead them. You pray with them, and the girls with them, and the imam should be one of them if he is a child of discernment, seven, eight, or nine years old, who is sane, good, and understands. Then there is no harm in him praying with you, and you would be a follower, not a leader. But if you lead the girls or sisters and you are in the middle of them, there is no harm in that. Some of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to lead the women in prayer. So the result is that you are a leader for women only, not for males. If the males pray at home, one of them should lead them, and if you pray with them as a follower, there is no harm. It is not permissible for them to pray at home; rather, they must pray with the men in the mosques. But if it happens sometimes that they miss the prayer and pray at home, they should pray in congregation, and one of them, the one who is most knowledgeable and best, should lead them. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. If this one who is eleven years old is suitable to be an imam at home?
The Shaykh: Yes, he leads them, but it is not permissible for them to pray at home. They must pray with the people in the mosques. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.