Eid salaah for Women

Q:salaah-529: Is the Eid salaah and jumu?ah salaah Wajib (compulsary) For women? Will they receive the rewards for performing it at home or can they not perform these salaahs at all? Are they allowed to attend the Eid salaah at the Eid Gah? Please explain in retail.

Answer: The Eid salaah and Jumu'ah salaah are not Waajib (compulsory) for women. Maa Laa Budda Minhu (Pg.55) states that both the salaahs of Eid and Jumu'ah are not Waajib (compulsory) for children, slaves, women, Musaafirs and sick people. It is also not correct to perform these salaahs individually. It is a precondition for these salaahs to be performed in Jamaa'ah and for women to perform salaah in Jamaa'ah is Makrooh.

A More Detailed Answer: Women receive greater rewards for being as inconspicuous as possible when performing salaah. It is better for a woman and more rewarding for here to perform her salaah in as secret and private a place as possible. Rasulullaah SAW. said that for a woman to perform her salaah in a room of her house is better than her performing salaah in the courtyard of her house and for her to perform her salaah in an inner room of her house is better than her performing salaah just any room of her house. Another Hadith states that for a woman to perform her salaah individually is twenty-five times better than her performing salaah in Jamaa'ah.

It is true that women performed salaah in the Masjid during the period of Rasulullaah SAW. because Islaam was still being taught to the people and laws were still being revealed. It was a blessed period of time and the best of all times. It was after this period that many evils started to emerge, because of, which Hadhrat Umar RADI. forbade women from going to the Masjid during his period as Khalifah. When the women complained of this to Hadhrat Aa'isha RADI. she remarked, "lf Rasulullaah SAW. had to see how women have started to behave, he would have surely forbidden them from going to the Masjid just as the women of the Bani Israa'eel were prevented from doing so.

The commentator of Bukhaari, Allaama Ayni RAH. reports that that Hadhrat Aa'isha RADI. made this statement a short while after the demise of Rasulullaah SAW. He (Allaama Ayni RAH.) then added, (855 A.H.) , we seek Allaah's protection from it! If this was the situation in the 9th century of Islaam, what can be said about the immorality and licentiousness of today's women of Islaam's 14th century? women can certainly not be allowed in the Masaajid. Fuqahaa have written that it is Makrooh for women to attend the Masaajid, even though it be for the Eid salaah, the Jumu'ah salaah or to listen to a lecture. This applies to even an old lady going at night.
Hadhrat Shah Abdul Haqq Muhaddith Dehlawi RAH. wrote it is because of the deterioration of the (morals of people over the) times that it is Makrooh for women to attend the Masjid. He adds that women were permitted during the period of Rasulullaah SAW. to acquire the knowledge of the Shari'ah, a purpose that no longer exists today because of the spread of Deeni knowledge.

This ruling is general and applies to the Masjidul Haraam, the Masjidun Nabawi and throughout Arabia, India and everywhere else. It is in the interests of women's safety and for the protection of their chastity that they are not permitted to attend the Eid salaah since it is not Waajib (compulsory) for them in the first place3. And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.2