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Is lack of knowledge a result of women not attending the masjid?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

I Follow HANAFI FIQH.

I am staying in UAE (DUBAI). My wife used to go for ASAR, MAGHRIB, ISHA prayer with me to Masjid.

The masjid is just in front of my house. There is no security/Hijab problem.

Lot of other women (specially ARABIAN) are praying there.

There is a separate gate and place-for-ablution for women.

One of my friend told me that,

As per HANAFI FIQH it is Makrooh-e-Tahrimi to attend jamaat (SALAT) in masjid for women.

My question is, Is it really true?

As I found that in my own country women never attend to masjid in their entire life.

They never know – what is KHUTBA (speech) of FRIDAY PRAYER.

They are totally JAHIL and the resultant is being a islamic country (bangladesh), 95% of our people are not praying even FARZ SALAT. I feel that this (women are deprived of the RAHMAT of MASJID) is the only reason for such a disaster.

Please advice if I am worng.

And please suggest – is it really MAKROOH-E-TAHRIMI to attend jamaat for women in Masjid?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Learning the essentials of deen is a fardh ayn (an individual obligation) that is specific to all Muslims, male and female. There are numerous schools, facilities, courses and ta’leem sessions where the essentials of deen can be learned.

To spread knowledge, we must take proactive steps such as daily ta’leem in the home, initiating classes and educational programs exclusively for women, provide access to reliable books and study materials and support initiatives to further the learning of traditional Islamic knowledge among women.

In addition, fathers and husbands have to actively encourage their daughters and wives to learn the essentials of deen so they are fully equipped to teach and raise the next generation in a proper Islamic environment.

In short, learning deen is not confined exclusively to the masjid. If by attending the masjid the issue of lack of knowledge could be solved then all the males would have become very knowledgeable in deen. Think of all the males that attend Jumuah salah every Friday and yet are lacking in the requirements of the deen. To what would we attribute their lack of knowledge in spite of them attending salah in congregation?

If lack of knowledge resulted from women not attending the masjid then the Mother of the Believers, Aishah (radiyallahu anha) would have not voiced her disapproval about it. She believed that had Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) seen the moral deterioration in her time, he (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) would have prevented the women from going to the masjid.

This deterioration which Aishah (radiyallahu anha) saw would have been very minute compared to what we are experiencing in our time. Just imagine what kind of judgment she would have given in our day and age? It is in this regard that the jurists have stated that it is makruh tahrimi for women to go to the masjid. [i]

As a result, women should be encouraged to pray in their homes, especially since a woman’s salah  in her home is better than her salah in the masjid. However, if there is a need for a sister to pray in the masjid such as being far from home or the time of salah expiring, then it will not be makruh.

Sohail ibn Arif,
Student Darul Iftaa
Chicago, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

 فتاوى عثماني ١/ ٤٧١ مكتبة معارف القران كراتشي  [i]

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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