Women leading one another in congregational prayer

Women leading other women in prayer is an established sunna. Both Lady `Ai’shah and Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to lead women in prayer, standing in the middle of the row of women, as has been narrated by Imam Shafi`i (Allah be pleased with him) in his “Musnad” and Imam Bayhaqi in his “Sunan” with well authenticated (hasan) chains of transmission (cf. al-Majmu` by Imam Nawawi, 4.188).

الجواب: إمامة المرأة لغيرها من النساء سنةٌ ثابتةٌ فقد كانت عائشة وأم سلمة رضي الله عنهما تؤمان النساءَ وتقومان وَسْطَهُنَّ، كما روى ذلك الإمام الشافعي رضي الله عنه ورحمه في “مسنده” والإمام البيهقي في “سننه” (بإسنادين حَسَنَيْنِ كما قال الإمامُ النووي في “المجموع” (4/188.