Can a Woman Recite Quran in a Mixed Group of Men and Women for the Sake of Learning or Just Mere Recitation?
Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question
Can I, as a woman, recite Quran in a group? A mixed group of men and women, whether that be for the sake of learning the Quran together or for a mere session of recitation. Jazakumallahu khairan!
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
A woman’s voice is not considered ‘awra or legal nakedness and is therefore permissible for non-related men to hear. However, in its melodious form, such as when singing or reciting the Quran, it is considered ‘awra and obligatory for her to conceal from non-related men. [Maydani, al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab]
Allah Most High says, “O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women: if you are mindful ˹of Allah˺, then do not be overly effeminate in speech ˹with men˺ or those with sickness in their hearts may be tempted, but speak in a moderate tone.” [Quran; 33:32]
Ibn Humam (Allah have mercy on him) of the Hanafi school mentions quoting from the Nawazil, “The melodious tone of a woman is nakedness (‘awra). Due to this, for her to learn Quran from a woman is preferred, in my opinion, than for her to learn from a blind man. This is because her melodious voice is ‘awra. For this reason, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘Glorification (saying subhanAllah) is for the men, and slapping the hands on the arms is for the women.’ So it is not appropriate for men to hear her melodious voice.” [Ibn Humam; Fath al-Qadir]
Drowned Out
If the woman’s melodious voice is singled out such that men can clearly hear it, for her to recite in their presence is impermissible, as explained above.
However, if multiple people are reciting, both men and women, all at once, and her melodious voice is drowned out amongst the crowd, this is permissible. In such a case, the temptation caused by the melodious voice is not found since her voice cannot be distinguished from that of the others.
See these links for more details.
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch teaches Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he completed four years at the Darul Uloom Seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences.
He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he studied for three years in Dar al-Mustafa under some of the most outstanding scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib.
In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Quran and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Quranic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.
