Question:

Assalamualaikum ustaz. Is it permissible for a woman to perform a Friday prayer? If she attends the Friday prayer is her prayer valid? And if not, should she then perform the Zohor prayer?

Answer:

Alhamdulillah, praise and gratitude to Allah SWT for His countless blessings for us all. Praise and salutations to our beloved Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his family, companions, and all those who follow his footsteps until the Last Day.

The Friday prayer is one of syarak’s commandments on every mukallaf Muslim man as well as one of the eminences of Islam. Numerous syarak evidences mentioned the sanctioning of Friday prayer as well as the strict prohibition for those who intentionally leave it. Allah SWT states:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ

“O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu’ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah,” [1]

The above verse is evidence of the sanctioning and obligation of Friday prayer. [2]

Among the evidences of the obligation of the prayer from the hadiths is a narration from Tariq bin Syaibah RA, where the Prophet PBUH said:

الْجُمُعَةُ حَقٌّ وَاجِبٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ إِلاَّ أَرْبَعَةً عَبْدٌ مَمْلُوكٌ أَوِ امْرَأَةٌ أَوْ صَبِيٌّ أَوْ مَرِيضٌ

“The Friday prayer in congregation is a necessary duty for every Muslim, with four exceptions; a slave, a woman, a boy, and a sick person.” [3]

The Friday prayer is obligated for those who fulfil the following conditions:

• Muslim
• Reached puberty
• Sound mind
• Free
• Male
• Healthy
• A resident in the place the Friday prayer is performed

If a person doesn’t fulfil any of these seven conditions, then the obligation of the Friday doesn’t apply to him. [4]

The Issue of Women Attending the Friday Prayer

Generally, it is permissible for a woman to go to the mosque. This is based on a hadith narrated by Abdullah Ibn Umar, where the Messenger PBUH said:

لاَ تَمْنَعُوْا إِمَاءَ اللهِ مَسَاجِدَ اللهِ

“Do not forbid the female slaves of Allah from (going into) the mosques of Allah.” [5]

Imam al-Nawawi explained this hadith and others like it are clear in stating that a woman is not prohibited from going to a mosque, however, this is so on the conditions stated by scholars based on other hadiths. The conditions are that they should not perfume themselves, wear adornments, ankle bracelets of which sounds can be heard from them, revealing clothes and mixing between adult or adolescent men. [6]

The Ruling for a Woman Attending the Friday Prayer

In answering the question presented, we state that basically, the Friday prayer is not obligatory for a woman. This is in accordance with a hadith narrated by Tariq bin Shihab, the Messenger PBUH said:

الْجُمُعَةُ حَقٌّ وَاجِبٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ إِلاَّ أَرْبَعَةً عَبْدٌ مَمْلُوكٌ أَوِ امْرَأَةٌ أَوْ صَبِيٌّ أَوْ مَرِيضٌ

“The Friday prayer in congregation is a necessary duty for every Muslim, with four exceptions; a slave, a woman, a boy, and a sick person.” [7]

The women aren’t obligated to perform the Friday prayer due to the following factors: Their busy schedule of taking care of their children and household affairs, as well as resulting in a masyaqqah (burden) for them to have to attend to a certain place and time. [8]

Although it isn’t obligatory, it is permissible for women to attend the Friday prayer. This follows the general hadith:

لاَ تَمْنَعُوْا إِمَاءَ اللهِ مَسَاجِدَ اللهِ

“Do not forbid the female slaves of Allah from (going into) the mosques of Allah.” [9]

The above hadith brings a general meaning of the restriction against forbidding female slaves of Allah from attending the mosque in any prayer, regardless of whether it is the five obligatory prayers, two ‘Ed prayers, Friday prayer and others like it.

Conclusion

In the above issue, we state that the ruling of women attending the Friday prayer is permissible. Moreover, the Friday prayer performed is valid and it frees the zimmah (responsibility) of Zohor prayer. However, she must ensure to follow the conditions set in the issue of a woman attending a mosque as we’ve previously stated.

We’d also like to state that the attendance of a woman to a mosque to perform the Friday prayer should also be considered in terms of the mosque or surau, whether the space is sufficient or will it cause crowding. If the space is limited and it is already crowded with just the attendance of men, then women don’t need to go to attend it. However, if there is sufficient space and it will not cause crowding or difficulties for the male congregants when women attend the mosque for the Friday prayer, then it is permissible.

Wallahu a’lam.

[1] (Surah al-Jumu‘ah: 9)

[2] See al-Fiqh al-Manhaji, 1/198

[3] Narrated by Abu Daud (1067)

[4] See al-Fiqh al-Manhaji, 1/200-201 and Matla’ al-Badrain (arranged by PMWP), 1/159

[5] Narrated by Muslim (442)

[6] See al-Minhaj Syarah Sahih Muslim, 4/161

[7] Narrated by Abu Daud (1067)

[8] See al-Fiqh al-Manhaji, 1/201

[9] Narrated by Muslim (442)