Women Leading Friday Prayer: AMJA’s
Statement
Question: Recently, we
heard about some Muslim women in the United States claiming that it is
permissible for them to lead a public, mixed-gender Friday Prayer. What is
Islam’s stance on this? Please give me a detailed answer urgently. Muslims here
in the
Name of Mufti Assembly
of Muslim Jurists in
Answer: In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most
Merciful.
All
praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His
Messenger.
Dear
questioner, thank you for your question, which shows the confidence you place
in us. May Allah reward you abundantly for your interest in knowing the
teachings of Islam.
In
past and present times, there is a complete consensus
among all Muslim jurists and scholars that women are not allowed to lead the
Friday Prayer nor can they deliver the Friday khutbah.
The logical as well as
In
answer to your question, we cite for you the following detailed statement
issued by the Assembly of Muslim Jurists in
The Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America (AMJA) totally denounces such an action, which is
a complete heresy, and affirms the following facts:
The
ultimate reference and the supreme source of legislation of Islam is the Book of Allah, and the purified Sunnah
of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “I left among you that which
if you hold on to it you will never go astray after me: the Book of Allah, and
my Sunnah.”
Consensus
and unanimity on the interpretation of a certain text in these two sources (the
Qur’an and the Sunnah) is an irrefutable proof for
its meaning and a clear sign and evidence that any other later interpretation
is nullified, void, and rejected. Allah Almighty says, And whoso opposeth the Messenger after the guidance (of Allah) hath
been manifested unto him, and followeth other than
the believer’s way, We appoint for him that unto which he himself hath turned,
and expose him unto hell a hapless journey’s end (An-Nisaa’ 4:115).
The
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) described the successful group among
the ones that went astray as being those “who follow and behave (after) what I
and my Companions follow and behave (after).”
Second,
there is unanimous consensus for the entire Ummah, in
the east and west, that women cannot lead the Friday Prayer nor can they
deliver the sermon. Whoever takes part in such a Prayer, then
his Prayer is nullified. It is never found in any jurisprudential text of Hanafis, Malikis, Shafi`is or Hanbalis, nor even
from Shiite scholars, that a woman can lead the Friday Prayer or deliver the
sermon. This opinion [that a woman can lead the Friday Prayer] is an innovation
and a heresy on any account, nullified by all scholars.
Some
of the evidences that led to the above-mentioned consensus is
what came in the purified Sunnah that the rows of the
women should be behind the rows of the men in the Prayer. In the hadith
narrated by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) we learn that the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) prayed as imam for Anas, his mother and his
aunt, he made Anas stand on his right side and Anas’s
mother and his aunt behind them.
The
same arrangement was followed in the masjid of the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and across the entire Ummah for centuries. Imam Muslim narrated that the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) said that, “The best rows for the men are the
front ones and the least good are the ones towards the back; and the best rows
for the women are the ones towards the back and the least good are the ones
towards the front.” This was for no other reason but to protect them from any
embarrassment and to close the door before any evil thoughts or temptations
that might come into the hearts of whoever might be looking at them otherwise.
How could it be possible then that a woman can be in front of all rows leading
the Friday Prayer?
Other
evidence is that it is well established in Islamic jurisprudence that Allah has
not made Prayer in congregation mandatory for women, neither is it obligatory
that women pray Friday Prayers. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
mentioned in the authentic narration through Abu Dawud:
“Friday Prayer is mandatory upon each Muslim (to be performed) in a
congregation; the only types of people who are exempted are a slave, a woman, a
young boy or a sick person.”
In
addition, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed Muslim women
that their Prayer at home is better for them than attending the congregation,
out of mercy upon them that they face the hassles of going out and to shield
them from temptations. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Do
not prevent the women from going to the masjid;
however, it is better for them to pray at home” (Ahmad and Abu Dawud). How could it be possible then that it is not mandatory
for a woman to pray in the masjid, to achieve the
intent of the Legislator (Allah) of making it easy upon women by praying at
home, while shielding them from temptations, then a woman goes up on the pulpit
to deliver the sermon, and stands in front of the rows as imam!
It
was never recorded that a single woman, across Islamic history, has performed
such an action, nor even demanded to do it; not in the time of the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him), nor in the time of the Companions, or their
followers, not even in later generations and centuries. This by itself
constitutes a clear proof of the invalidity of this opinion, and anyone who
calls for it or helps to implement it is a heretic.
If
any of this has legitimacy, the most qualified women to actually do it were the
Mothers of the Believers; most of them were knowledgeable brilliant scholars.
It is enough to talk about the eloquent, articulate, bright, and knowledgeable
of `A’ishah, daughter of Abu Bakr,
wife of the Prophet, Mother of the Believers. If there was any shred of
evidence that this action is good and permissible, these shining examples among
Muslim women would have taken the lead to it. There were numerous women
scholars across Islamic history, jurisprudential references and narration
experts; they were honest, trustworthy, and experts in what they accomplished.
Imam Az-zahabi said, “It was never recorded that a
woman propagated false hadith attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him).” He also mentioned that “I am not aware of any women that were
accused of propagating falsehoods or ones whose narrations were disregarded.”
Among the teachers of Imam Ibn `Asaker
were 80 women. The same is for Imam Abu Muslim Al-Farahidi,
who reported the narration of 70 women. Imam Shafi`i,
Al-Bukhari, Ibn Khalkan, and Ibn Hayyan all had women among their teachers. None of these
noble women scholars ever attempted to lead the Friday
Prayer nor deliver the sermon, even though they were superior in knowledge over
many of their contemporary men in jurisprudence, religious knowledge, and
narrations from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Muslim
women participated in all aspects of Islamic work throughout Islamic history:
as scholars and jurisprudential references, as participating in all kinds of
worship, as workers in the field of relief and emergency aid, and in the
enjoining of good and forbidding of evil. But never were they imams for Friday
Prayers or have ever delivered Friday sermons.
It
is a logical and
Lastly,
those who are calling for such acts are taking as an excuse a narration that
Umm Waraqah was given the permission by the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) to lead her household members in the Prayer.
This narration, even assuming that it is authentic, has nothing to do
whatsoever with the Friday Prayer. It is talking about some very specific
circumstances where a woman can lead the Prayer inside her home, and has no
relation to Friday Prayer and general congregations.
AMJA
is delivering this somber warning message to the entire Ummah,
not to give any credit to such false initiatives that contradict the basics and
fundamentals of the religion, and are totally heretical innovations. AMAJ reminds
Muslims that we are to follow only the Book of Allah and the purified Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Muslims
should pay careful attention to whom they are seeking the guidance from;
indeed, he who strives to cling to his religion nowadays is suffering as much
as a person who is trying to keep a tight fist on a piece of flaming charcoal
in the palm of his hand. AMAJ is extending a sincere supplication to none but
Allah to save us from all trials and tribulations, and to guide us all to that
which is closest to the mercy and pleasure of Allah, as He is the only One
capable of that. It is Allah alone that we seek in all of our actions, and it
is He alone Who can guide to the straight path.
Allah
Almighty knows best.