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As-Salaamu-Alaikum
Are women allowed to lead men in Salaat? Is there any foundation
for this in Islamic law? Ustadh Abdullah provides a detailed and
vigorous response to this controversial issue with clear proofs!!
Do you have a question for about Islam? Send them to Ustadh
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali! Please join us at:
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Was-Salaam
Question:
Why cant muslims get with the modern times and allow women to
lead in prayer? Dr. Amina Wadud, professor of Islamic studies at
Virginia Commonwealth University, will be the first woman to lead a
public, mixed-gender Friday prayer in the modern day. Is there any
possible objection you can have to this historic event?
Ustadh Abdullah's Response:
Can a Woman Lead Men in Salat?
Let's get right to the point.
The first problem with this scheduled event is that the theme
is `Muslim Women Reclaim Right to Lead Prayer,' while it should
read `Muslim Women Claim Right to Lead Prayer,' since there is no
basis for the belief that it was ever a right for women to lead a
mixed-group prayer. And there are no explicit accounts of women ever
leading a mixed-group of men and women in prayer.
Three of the four Sunni Schools of law (Hanafis, Shafi'is, and
Hanbalis) permit for a woman to lead other women in prayer except
that the one leading is not to stand out in front of the row.[1]
Rather, she is to remain aligned in a single row with the other
women, so as not to appear to be leading as a man would. They base
this on the following reports:
1- Imam Baihaqi, Daraqutni, and Ibn Abi Shayba report from
Ra'ita Al-Hanafiyya that she said: "'Aisha led us. And she stood
between us during the obligatory prayer."
2- Ibn Abi Shayba and `Abdur-Razzaq Al-San'ani report by way of
Hujayra bint Husayn that she said: "Umm Salama led us in Salatul-
`Asr. And she stood between us."[2]
Imam Al-Nawawwi says about these two hadiths, Daraqutni and Baihaqi
related them with sahih chains.[3]
As for Imam Malik and the popular view held in the Maliki School,
any prayer that a woman leads others in – whether women, men, or
mixed – is invalid. Ali ibn Abi Talib is reported to have said, "The
woman is not to lead (Salat)."[4] This was also the view of Sulaiman
ibn Yasar and Al-Hasan Al-Basari.[5]
As for the other three schools, their position in general[6] was
that it is permitted for women to lead other women in Salat.
As for the cause of this disagreement, we can reasonably say that it
is the direct result of the different views of the Sahaba, in so
much as that 3 of the Imams adopted the views of Umm Salama
and `Aisha who were both wives of the Prophet – while Imam Malik and
those who held the same view accepted the report of `Ali ibn Abi
Talib -.
If we were Hanafis, it would be easy to resolve this matter by just
having everyone follow the particular Companion's opinion we deem
most worthy of following.
If one is a Maliki, it would similarly seem easy to resolve by just
ascertaining that there was a consensus found among the scholars of
Medinah during Malik's time that went contrary to these hadiths
supported by the majority.
But if a Muslim is one who champions the hadith of the Prophet and
doesn't place anything over it – as is the view of Shafi'i and
Ahmad, the solution would seem easy to resolve by simply relying on
the most authentic report found that demonstrates what the Prophet's
sunnah was in this regard, since it is possible that some Sahaba
heard what others may have not.
So after searching, we find that the strongest report found that
goes back to the Prophet is the following:
Abu Dawud reports that Umm Waraqa y said, "I said: "O Messenger of
Allah! Permit for me to participate in the raid with you. I'll nurse
your sick. Perhaps Allah will grant me martyrdom." He said: "Remain
in your house. For verily Allah I will grant you martyrdom." And she
asked his permission to take a muadhdhin in her home. And he allowed
her."
In another version Abu Dawud reports: "The Messenger of Allah e used
to visit her in her house. And he assigned to her a muadhdhin who
would make the summons to prayer (adhan) for her. And he ordered her
to lead the inhabitants of her home."
The hadith was reported by Baihaqi, Daraqutni, and Hakim. And Hakim
said, "Muslim advanced Al-Walid ibn Jami' (one of the narrators) as
being authoritative.[7] But this is a hadith with a single chain of
narration (sunnah ghariba). I don't know of any hadith with a
connected chain to the Prophet (musnad) in this chapter other than
this one." And Imam Dhahabi concurred with his findings[8].
Al-Mundhiri said, "Al-Walid ibn Jami' is the subject of dispute
(fihi maqal). And Muslim has reported through him." Ibn Al-Qattan
said, "Al-Walid's state isn't known."[9] Ibn Hibban mentioned him in
(his book) Al-Thiqat (Trustworthy Narrators).[10] And Ibn Hajar
said, "In its chain is `Abdur-Rahman ibn Khallad (a second
questionable narrator). And his status is unknown (fihi jahala)."
If this is true in that this report has two suspect narrators, Al-
Walid ibn Jami' and `Abdur-Rahman ibn Khallad, then this hadith
can't really have much if any authority.
And if it had not been for its weakness, it could be used by those
who argue for the right of women leading men in prayer to support
their argument even though the indications in the hadith are very
subtle. That is, the fact that it states that the Prophet – assigned
a muadhdhin for her and then ordered her to lead those in her house
in prayer, gives the impression that she led at least one man in
prayer who was likely a bondsman or unmarriageable relative of hers,
since she would only be allowed to keep the company of a bondsman or
a male relative, and men are usually those who make the call to
prayer.
One could just as well assume that the muadhdhin appointed by
Allah's Messenger e while presuming the hadith is authentic – was
another woman, and that Umm Waraqa led a group of women in prayer as
the other authentic reports make clear.[11]
But all of this is overshadowed by the weakness of the hadith. So it
falls as a basis for argument.
Another important point is that Imam Abu Ja'far Ibn Jarir Al-Tabari
(died 310 AH) held the view that a woman could lead Salat in spite
of it being a view never accepted by the Ummah, and it has never
been witnessed in all of Islamic history.[12]
Imam Al-Tabari was an absolute mujtahid and is known as the Imam of
the Exegetes (Mufassirin). But his school didn't thrive and it
didn't last as the 4 surviving schools did. So his view is extremely
ancient and contradicts what the Ummah later unanimously agreed upon
in that a woman cannot lead a man in prayer.
Add to that, it would difficult to know what exactly Imam Al-Tabari
based his ijtihad on today, since his school hasn't been preserved
with an unbroken chain as the 4 schools have. So are we to accept
his opinion just because it was an opinion without proper scrutiny
and research?
Furthermore, what lends to the understanding that a woman's proper
place is not leading a man in prayer are the following:
- If it was permissible, it would have been reported from
the Salaf.
- Since the Sunnah for women in prayer is for them to be
behind the men, it is known from that that it is not permitted for
them to be in front of them. For Abdullah bin Mas'ud said: "Put them
back to where Allah put them back." Al-San'ani and Tabarani reported
it. It is also mentioned in Majma' Al-Zawa'id. And for that reason,
some of the allowed them to lead other women, since they are all to
align straight in one row.
- The Prophet also said, "The best ranks of the men are
those at the front. And the worst of them are those at the back. And
the best ranks of the women are those at the back. And the worst of
them are those at the front."
And if the Messenger – had intended any other arrangement for women
in Salat, then we would have found him at least on one occasion
allow the women to pray directly behind him or for a woman to lead
the men in Salat.
So we are to understand that this is from the divinely inspired
direction of the Creator. And to contravene it would be to question
His wisdom. And to question His wisdom, would be to follow in the
footsteps on Satan. And to follow in the footsteps of Satan, one is
surely to be damned as he is.
So it becomes clear that such people who insist on the
permissibility of a woman leading men in prayer have nothing firm to
rely on in their position other than the following of their fancies
and what their lusts dictate to them.
The Issue of Apostasy
The next important question would be, are such people Muslims who
contravene the consensus of the Ummah, which upholds that a woman
leading men in prayer is prohibited?
The short answer is, no! But that `no' is a `no' that doesn't remove
the danger from being damned by the Almighty One.
In other words, the decisive consensus for Sunnis cannot be
violated. Were one to contravene that consensus, he/she would be
considered an apostate from Islam.
But this consensus is one that occurred after a well-known
disagreement due to the view of Al-Tabari and Abu Thawr. And
scholars have differed about whether or not contravening this kind
of consensus is enough to expel a person beyond the pale of Islam.
[13]
One can also reply that the Shiites do not consider consensus to
have the same authority that Sunnis do. And they do not accept it.
But we can reply that in spite of that Shiites do not allow for
women to lead men in prayer. So even though they may not consider it
to be a valid source of law, their practice shows that they share
with Sunnis in their traditional belief that a woman may not lead
the Jumu'a prayer or any other prayer for that matter unless it be a
woman leading other women in a prayer that is not Jumu'a.
So even if Shiites don't accept scholarly consensus as a valid
source of law, they do accept that Allah says in the Qur'an,
"Whoever splits from the Messenger after guidance has become clear
to him, and then follows other than the way of the believers, We
will turn him to what he has turned, and enter him into Hell. And
how evil a destination!"
[4:115]
And it is the way of the believers that from the time of the Prophet
e until now that no woman has ever been reported leading the Jumu'a
Prayer, Eid Prayer, or any other prayer when those being led were a
mix of men and women.
In the end, I seriously doubt that many people will be in attendance
at this event, at least not many real men or women.
We know that the enemies of Islam have many tactics they use in
trying to get a misdirected and emotional response out of the
Muslims. And perhaps they do that in order to produce a situation
where they can justify taking action against those they label as
extremists, radicals, terrorists, and fundamentalists.
I think that if people want to make up their own religion, let them
do as they like. We just ask them to give us a little respect and
not call it Islam, and don't call themselves Muslims. That's all.
Was Salam
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
Ustadh Abdullah bin Hamid Ali is the first American to attend and
graduate from the University of Al- Qarawiyeen's Faculty of Shariah
The focus of his study was the understanding of the science of fiqh,
Usool Al-Fiqh, and`Aqeedah. He has studied under some of the top
scholars of Islam including Dr Abdullah Ghaazeewee, Professor of
Usool Al-Fiqh, Sheikh Muhammad At-Ta'weel, Muftee, Scholar, and
Professor of Usool Al-Fiqh, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghaazee Husainee,
Grand Muftee of Morocco and Professor of Al-Fiqh Al-Muqaaran, Sheikh
Ahmad Zweetin, Professor of Fiqhul-Hadeeth and many others!
Please visit us at http://lamppostproductions.org for more
interesting articles from a variety of Islamic scholars!
Footnotes:
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[1] This was also the view of Imams Awza'i and Thawri.
[2] Ibn Abi Shayba also reports from Umm Al-Hasan that she saw Umm
Salama lead the women. And she would stand with them in their rank.
[3] Al-Majmu' li al-Nawawwi: 4/173.
[4] Imam Sahnun reported it in Al-Mudawwana Al-Kubra from Ibn Wahb
from Ibn Abi Dhi'b from a client of Banu Hashim from `Ali ibn Abi
Talib that he said: "The women is not to lead." [Al-Mudawwana: 1/85]
[5] Al-Majmu' li Al-Nawawwi: 4/173.
[6] Abu Hanifa's view was that it was permitted but with dislike [Al-
Majmu': 4/173].
[7] Just because Imam Muslim relates a hadith on the authority of a
suspect narrator doesn't automatically make that narrator's reports
acceptable in other places, because Imam Muslim merely relates a
report from such a narrator when there are other versions of the
same report that strengthen it.
[8] Imam Hakim Al-Nisapuri has a book he wrote entitled `Al-
Mustadrak', which contains a number of hadiths that fulfill the
conditions of the Sahihs of Imams Bukhari and Muslim that neither of
them reported in their two books. But after the scholars had a close
look at Al-Mustadrak they found that many of the claims made by Imam
Hakim weren't true. For that reason, his claims of the hadiths
reported in that book are usually not accepted unless Imam Dhahabi
concurs with his findings.
[9] To be unknown (majhul) is of two kinds according to the scholars
of hadith. 1) To be an unknown person altogether (majhul al-`ayn),
and 2) to be of unknown status (majhul al-hal) such that a person
may be known but his character and memory will be unknown. Refer to
the books related to the science of hadith like Suyuti's Tadrib Al-
Rawi Sharh Taqrib Al-Nawawi.
[10] Simply to be mentioned in a book dedicated to trustworthy
narrators doesn't render a narrator to be trustworthy, because many
times the author will mention a kind of narrator whose mention
wasn't the original intent of the work. Add to that, a hadith isn't
authenticated just because its narrators are trustworthy.
[11] One might respond that the word used in the hadith was
muadhdhin – for the male – not `muadhdhinah' – for the female. So it
is clear that it was a male. If someone says this, we can respond by
saying two things: 1) Sometimes the male is used and the female is
intended as in most of the verses of the Qur'an and the hadiths, for
example, the hadith that states, "None of you will believe until he
loves for his brother what he loves for his self." Are we to assume
this hadith doesn't apply to women? 2) is that even if we accept
that the muadhdhin was male, the hadith is still not clear in that
he participated in the prayer, since it is possible that all he did
was call the adhan and then leave the room or the house.
[12] Bidaya al-Mujtahid: 1/206. Abu Thaur also held this view.
[13] Refer to Tuhfat Al-Murid Sharh Jawharat Al-Tawhid of Baijuri
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