Is It Permissible for a Woman to Lead a Group of Women in Prayer? (Shafi’i)

Answered by Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad

Question

Is it permissible for a woman to lead a group of women in prayer? (Shafi’i)

Answer

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and all his companions.

The Virtue and Importance of Prayer in Congregation

Allah has legislated congregational prayer for many reasons, including gathering and affection, and keeping communities cohesive, bound by the link of Islam with its daily, weekly, monthly, annual, and lifelong rulings and laws. Among the daily laws that recur five times every day and night is the prayer, thus making it the most noble of rituals and the greatest.

Allah has frequently mentioned it in the Quran and praised His prophets for maintaining it and commanding it. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) informed us that whoever prays these prayers in congregation, their prayer is superior to the prayer of an individual by twenty-seven degrees.

Performing the prayer in congregation is one of the symbols of Islam and a characteristic of the noble and righteous. The Sacred Law has elevated its status and encouraged it.

Allah Almighty says, “And bow down with those who bow down,” [Quran, 2:43] meaning in their congregation.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “The prayer in congregation is superior to the prayer of the individual by twenty-seven degrees.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

He also said: “There are not three people in a village or in the desert who do not establish the prayer except that the devil has overcome them. So adhere to the congregation, for the wolf eats the lone sheep” [Sahih Ibn Hibban]

Praying in Congregation is Rewarded for Both Genders

These and other texts indicate that there is no difference in the desirability of congregational prayer between women and men. Thus, a woman’s prayer in congregation with other women and her leading them is indeed valid and recommended.

The use of the superlative form in the Prophet’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) statement: “The prayer in congregation is more superior…” indicates the commendability of congregational prayer. The hadith is unqualified, not restricted by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) to male or female, indicating that women are equal to men in attaining the virtue of congregational prayer and in establishing it amongst themselves just as men do.

Therefore, a woman’s leading other women in prayer is permissible, and this is the view of the majority: the Hanafis, Shafi’is [Nawawi, al-Majmu’; Zakaria al-Ansari, Asna al-Matalib], and Hanbalis, and it is also the opinion of a group of the predecessors. Consensus on this matter has been reported.

Evidence for the Permissibility of Women Leading Other Women in Congregation

Evidence for this includes the report of Umm Waraqa bint Nawfal, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to visit her at her house, appointed a caller to call the prayer for her, and commanded her to lead the people of her household in prayer. [Abu Dawud, Ahmad]

Also, from Aisha, Mother of the Believers: She led the women in the Maghrib prayer, standing in the middle of them and reciting aloud. [‘Umrani, al-Bayan fil-Madhhab al-Shafi’i]

And it is reported from Hujayra bint Husayn, who said: “Umm Salama, Mother of the Believers, led us in the Asr prayer, and she stood among us.” [Musannaf Abdul-Razzaq; Sunan Al-Daraqutni – its chain was authenticated by Imam Nawawi in al-Majmu’]

May Allah guide us to adhere to His law and follow the guidance of His Prophet, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.