Differences between Men and Women in Prayer

Differences between Men and Women in Prayer

Question
Dear Sheikh, As-Salaam `Alakum wa Rahmatuallah wa Barakatuh. Is there any evidence that woman's manner of performing the Prayer is somehow different from that of man?

Answer
Wa`alykum As-Salamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

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.

Sister in Islam, thanks a lot for your question, which reflects your care about the main pillar of Islam, Prayer. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him said: "Islam has been built on five pillars: to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; to perform daily Prayers (Salah); to pay the poor-due (Zakah); to fast in Ramadan; and to perform Pilgrimage (Hajj) to the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, if one is financially and physically able.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari) In another Hadith, he said, “Prayer is the cornerstone of Islam…”

Answering your question, Sheikh M. S. Al-Munajjid, a prominent Saudi Muslim lecturer and author, states:

“The general principle is that women are equal to men in all religious rulings, because of the Hadith: "Women are counterparts of men." (Reported by Ahmad), except when there is evidence of a specific ruling which applies only to women. One of the cases in which the scholars mention specific rules for women is Prayer, as follows:

1. Women do not have to give Adhan (call to Prayer) or Iqamah (second call to Prayer). Ibn Qudamah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "We don’t know any difference between Muslim scholars (on this point)." (Al-Mughni ma`a Ash-Sharh Al-Kabir, 1/438).

2. All of the woman’s body must be covered during Prayer, except for her face and hands, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "No prayer will be accepted from an adult woman unless she wears a Khimar.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari) There is some dispute as to whether her heels and feet should be covered.

3. The woman should keep her limbs close to her body during bowing and prostration, and not spread them out, because this is more modest and covering. (Al-Mughni, 2/258) Al-Nawawi said: "In his Al-Mukhtasar, Ash-Shafi`i said that there is no difference between men and women in Prayer, except that women should keep the parts of their bodies close to one another, and they should make their stomachs touch their thighs during prostration. This is more covering and preferable in bowing and the rest of the Prayer as well." (Al-Majmu`, 3/429)

4. It is preferable for women to pray in congregation, led by another woman, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, told Umm Waraqah to lead the women of her household in Prayer. There is some difference among scholars on this matter. (See Al-Mughni, 2/202 and Al-Majmu`, 4/84-85) The woman leading the Prayer should read aloud as long as no non-mahram man can hear her. It is permissible for women to go out and pray in the mosque with men, although their Prayer at home is better, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Do not prevent the women from going out to the mosques, even though their homes are better for them."

Imam An-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "Women differ from men in congregational Prayer in some ways:

a) Congregational Prayer is not required of them in the same way as it is of men.

b) In case a woman leads a group of women in Prayer, she stands in the middle of the (first) row.

c) If one woman led by a man, she should stand behind him, not next to him.

d) If women are praying in rows behind men, the back rows are better for them than the front rows.” (Al-Majmu`, 3/455)”

Moreover, the following are some other differences: “1. When the Imam makes a mistake in a congregational Prayer, men would correct him by saying, “Subhanallah”, while women would correct him by clapping (some describe it as clapping the palm of one hand against the back of the other). This is confirmed in a well-known Hadith.

2. The Friday Prayer is not obligatory upon women. If a woman performs the Friday Prayer, then she doesn't have to pray the Zuhr Prayer.”

Divulging Bedroom Secrets

Divulging Bedroom Secrets

Question
As-Salamu `Alaykum. Could you please enlighten me about the Islamic ruling concerning divulging one’s bedroom secrets in public? Some people find no shame in discussing such secrets in public. Is such a thing permissible in Islam? Please cite an evidence in support of your view. Jazakum Allahu Khayran.

Answer
Wa`alaykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

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 brother in Islam, thank you very much for having confidence in us, and we hope our efforts, which are purely for Allah’s Sake, meet your expectations.

In Islam, intimacy between the husband and his wife should always be viewed as something private that must not be subject to intrusion. Right to marital privacy is one of the rights Islam made inalienable to both man and woman. The Glorious Qur’an has alluded to this by stating that “…They are raiment for you and ye are raiment for them…”(Al-Baqarah: 187)

Raiment or garment symbolizes physical protection. Likewise, a spouse is viewed this way, in the sense that each one of them owes the other the duty of protecting his secrets, in order to have a serene and comfortable marital life.

In his well known book ‘The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam', the well known erudite scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, states the following:

“The Glorious Qur’an praises virtuous wives saying: “...Who are obedient, guarding in secret what Allah has guarded....” (An-Nisaa’: 34)

Among the secrets, which must be guarded, is the intimate relationship with the spouse. Discussing the secrets of such relationship in public or speaking about it to friends is not permitted. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: “Among those who will occupy the worst position in the Sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection is the man who has intercourse with his wife and then spreads her secret.” (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Al-Bazzar)

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) is quoted to have said: Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer, and when he had finished he turned toward us and said: “Remain seated. Is there among you one who comes to his wife, closes the door, and draws the curtain, and then goes out and speaks about it, saying, "I did this and I did that with my wife?" They remained silent. Then he turned toward the women and asked, "Is there among you one who tells about such things?" A girl raised herself on her knees so that the Messenger of Allah could see her and listen to what she said. She said, "Yes, by Allah, the men talk about it and the women do, too." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Do you know the similitude of those who do that? They are like a male and female devils who meet each other in the road and satisfy their desire with the people gazing at them.”

This emphatic way of expressing the matter should be sufficient to turn the Muslim away from such ill-considered and degraded behavior, which would make him or her resemble a devil!”

Moreover, we would like to cite for you the following:

“The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited the man and the woman to talk to others about details that happen in their bedrooms. One is only allowed to reveal what is necessary when there are good reasons, such as medical issues.” !

May Allah guide you to the straight path, and guide you to that which pleases Him, Amen.

Women Working as TV Announcers

Women Working as TV Announcers

Question
Salamu `Alaykum. I am an Egyptian girl. I love journalism very much. It is my major in the AUC. Could you please enlighten me on whether women are allowed to work as journalists or not? Can women also work as TV announcers?

Answer
Wa`alaykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

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 sister in Islam, thank you very much for having confidence in us, and we hope our efforts, which are pure for Allah’s Sake, meet your expectations.

In Islam, women are the counterparts of men. Every Islamic injunction addressed to man is also addressed to woman. The Islamic law is gender neutral. Both men and women are permitted to work and seek Allah’s Provision. Allah Almighty says: “And their Lord hath heard them (and He saith): Lo! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or female, to be lost…” (Aal-`Imran: 195)

In her response to the question, Dr. Su`aad Ibrahim Salih, head of the department of Islamic Jurisprudence at the Girl’s College, Al-Azhar University, states the following:

“Basically, men and women are permitted to work. However, the prime obligation here is on men, as they are the breadwinners of the family.

Women, on the other hand, are permitted to work in public, if there is a necessity that warrants it. But in the context of her work, the Muslim woman has to keep away from what may jeopardize her religion and honor.

As regards working in Journalism, there is a possibility that a woman will find herself entangled in mixed social gatherings with different media-related sources and personnel, especially when she works as a correspondent, that’s why I think that it is better for a Muslim woman to avoid working in that field. This view is based on what is known in Islamic Jurisprudence as ‘blocking the means’ or Sad Adh-Dhara` (i.e. blocking the means leading to evil).

But in working as TV announcer, I say that there is nothing wrong in that as long as the announcer sticks to the Islamic dress code, avoids any form of illicit privacy or Khalwah, softening her voice beyond the normal, and avoiding wearing perfumes. This is based on the following Qur’anic verse: “O ye wives of the Prophet! Ye are not like any other women. If ye keep your duty (to Allah), then be not soft of speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease aspire (to you), but utter customary speech.” (Al-Ahzab: 32)

A Muslim Man Marrying a non-Muslim Woman

A Muslim Man Marrying a non-Muslim Woman

Question
As-Salamu `Alaykum. Is it permitted for a Muslim man to marry a non-Muslim woman who is divorced and has kids, if she agrees to embrace Islam?

Answer
Wa`alaykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

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 brother in Islam, thank you very much for having confidence in us, and we implore Allah to guide you to the best and to grant you a blessed marriage life, Insha Allah.

Originally, a Muslim man is permitted to marry a non-Muslim woman from among Ahlil-kitab or the People of the Book, but not vice versa. This is backed by the Qur’anic verse that reads: “This day are (all) good things made lawful for you. The food of those who have received the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And so are the virtuous women of the believers and the virtuous women of those who received the Scripture before you (lawful for you) when ye give them their marriage portions and live with them in honor, not in fornication, nor taking them as secret concubines. Whoso denieth the faith, his work is vain and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter.” (Al-Ma’idah: 5)

Focusing more on the question in point, Dr. Muzzamil Siddiqi, former president of the Islamic Soceity of North America (ISNA), states the following:

“You are allowed to marry that woman as long as she is a Jew or a Christian. If the woman wants to bring her minor children with her, then they should also be treated as Muslims and they should be raised up as Muslims.”

Wife Seeking Divorce for Hatred of the Husband

Wife Seeking Divorce for Hatred of the Husband

Question
As-Salam `Alaykum! Can a wife take divorce from her husband at any cost, even if the husband is not ready to divorce her? Then in this case, what should a wife do, bearing in mind that the husband says he will never divorce his wife and no one can do anything in this matter, but for the wife, even one day is difficult for her to stay with her husband? What should she do? Please, enlighten me on what Islam says in this case.

Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
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.

Sister, thank you for the confidence you have in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.

We must state clearly that dissolution of the marital bond in Islam is the most abhorrent of all permitted things, and, as such, it must be resorted to only in extreme cases of necessity. The spouses must first exhaust all efforts of proper reconciliation and mediation. If a couple tried their best to reconcile their differences, but they still could not agree and they found it impossible to live with each other, then only in that case they should separate in a proper and decent manner.

In his response to your question, the eminent Muslim scholar, Dr. `Abdul-Fattah `Ashoor, Professor of the Exegesis of the Qur'an at Al-Azhar Univ., states:

"It is out of Allah's Grace that He made us adherents to Islam, which grants women rights never given to them in any other religion or system. Among these rights is that when a wife hates her husband's companionship, she is entitled to choose between two solutions:

First: she may opt for compromise, even if she waives some of her rights as a wife to please her husband, so that they can resume their marital life and preserve their family from disunity. Allah Almighty says: "If a woman feareth ill treatment from her husband, or desertion, it is no sin for them twain if they make terms of peace between themselves. Peace is better. But greed hath been made present in the minds (of men). If ye do good and keep from evil, Lo! Allah is ever Informed of what ye do." (An-Nisa’: 128)

Second: if she does not accept this solution and finds that the continuation of the marital life would be a great burden on her, then it is her right to seek separation through Khul` , i.e. to waive her financial rights, such as the maintenance and return to him all what he has given her as mahr (dowry). Hence, either the husband gives her divorce or the Judge will have to separate her from her husband with one irrevocable divorce. So there is no place for confusion and perplexity.

However, we see that a good Muslim woman is likely to keep patient in this case, seeking Allah's guidance and imploring Him to remove such hatred of her husband from her heart, replacing it with ardent love. This is to maintain a stable matrimonial life and save the children from disunity and vagrancy."