The Sunnah of women praying congregation in their home

The Sunnah of women praying congregation in their home

 Umm  Waraqah bint ‘Abdullah bin Al-Harith (radi Allahu anha) said:

وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَزُورُهَا فِى بَيْتِهَا وَجَعَلَ لَهَا مُؤَذِّنًا يُؤَذِّنُ لَهَا وَأَمَرَهَا أَنْ تَؤُمَّ أَهْلَ دَارِهَا.

Allah’s Messenger (sallAllahu alayhi wa salam) would visit her in her house, and appoint for her a Mu’adh-dhin that would call to the prayer for her. He commanded her to lead the people of her house in prayer. “

Collected by Abu Dawud (592) graded as being Hasan by Shaykh Al-Albani.

Scholarly notes for this topic:

• Imam Abu Dawud placed this hadith under the chapter heading- Women acting as Imam.

• It’s better for women to stay in their homes than to go outside.[1]

• This hadtih shows that a woman can be an imam and lead other women in prayer.

• Ibn Hajr said: Aisha and Um Salamah used to lead the women for the obligatory prayers and  for Taraweeh in their homes.[2]

• It’s recommended for women to pray Jama’ah not individually. Furthermore, if there wasn’t any other hadith for this issue except the one, “The prayer of a person in congregation is better than his prayer alone, by twenty five degrees.” it would suffice. [3]

• A woman can lead the prayer in her house as reported from the acts of Aisha and Um Salamah. She should stand between her sisters, but if there is only one person joining her then this person stands on her right. And if there is more than one person, then these women should stand on her right and left side. It’s recommended for her to read aloud in the audible prayers like the men in Fajr, Maghrib and Isha. We hope they get the reward of establishing the congregational prayer. This is a good thing, especially, if there is a female student of knowledge among them, who can guide them and lead them in the prayer.  Their establishing Jama’a is working together in righteousness and piety. Nonetheless praying in Jama’a isn’t obligatory for the women.[4]