Women and men's prayer is no different
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✍Written by: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmad Salafi Hafizahullah , Jeddah Da'wah Center - Saudi Arabia
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✍Written by: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmad Salafi Hafizahullah , Jeddah Da'wah Center - Saudi Arabia
It has become common among the people that women's prayer is different from men's, whereas the reality is that women's prayer is exactly the same as men's, meaning women should also perform their prayer in the same manner as men.
I will clarify this in the light of religious texts so that you can be convinced that women should also perform their prayer like men. Firstly, I want to present an experiment and observation to prepare you to understand the logical arguments.
This is that the concept of separate prayer for women in our society is a later development. Since people started following others besides Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and imitating them, the followers of these leaders started performing separate prayers. The scholars who follow these leaders have created a complete and specific artificial method for women to perform their prayer.
They have made everything different for women, such as raising their hands, folding their hands, bowing, prostrating, and sitting. However, many of us have visited the holy cities and seen Arab women performing prayer like men. These Arab women have been performing prayer like men since the time of Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions.
This is where Islam originated and spread to the world, so the method of prayer here gives us awareness that the correct and original method of women's prayer is the same as Arab women are performing. It's not just Arab women who perform prayer like men, but wherever there are sisters who act upon Quran and Hadith, leaving aside imitation, they perform their prayer like men.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has taught only one method of prayer, and he has not taught separate methods for men and women.
Now let's move on to the arguments. First, let's look at the Quran. Allah has revealed only one book, the Quran, in which all the verses include both men and women. It's not like there's a separate Quran for women and a separate Quran for men. However, if a verse is specific to a woman or a man, it will be considered specific to that person, but if it's not specific, then men and women are both included.
Similarly, the Hadith also has the same situation. In the six most authentic books of Hadith (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Nisai, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah), each book has a chapter on prayer. Under this chapter, from start to finish, all the details of prayer, including rakats, qualities, and supplications, are mentioned. If we collect these Hadiths, they will be in the hundreds, but not a single Hadith says that men's prayer is separate from women's prayer.
A woman asked a question to the famous Hanafi institution "Al-Jamia-tul-Banuriyah Al-Islamiyah" in Pakistan, saying that she wants to know the reference for women's prayer in Islam, just like she is starting to learn. She only wants references from the six authentic books (only about prostration and tashahhud). The institution replied that asking for references from the six authentic books is a great audacity. They wrote that the questioner should read the prayer method from "Bahishti Zewar" and perform the prayer according to that method. In short, you can see this fatwa on the institution's website ((https://www.onlinefatawa.com)) under ID 32164.
From this fatwa, you can understand that those who say that women have a separate prayer method do not have a single argument from the authentic books of Hadith.
Now understand a basic point that women are also equal to men in Islamic issues, meaning that whatever command Allah has given, it includes women as well, except for specific commands that are specific to men or women.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
إنما النساء شقائق الرجال(السلسلة الصحيحة:2863)
Translation: Women are like men in terms of religious rules.
Keeping this command of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in mind, let's look at his important command regarding the prayer of men and women.
Abu Sulaiman Malik bin Huwairith (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
أَتَيْنَا النبيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ، ونَحْنُ شَبَبَةٌ مُتَقَارِبُونَ، فأقَمْنَا عِنْدَهُ عِشْرِينَ لَيْلَةً، فَظَنَّ أنَّا اشْتَقْنَا أهْلَنَا، وسَأَلَنَا عَمَّنْ تَرَكْنَا في أهْلِنَا، فأخْبَرْنَاهُ، وكانَ رَفِيقًا رَحِيمًا، فَقَالَ: ارْجِعُوا إلى أهْلِيكُمْ، فَعَلِّمُوهُمْ ومُرُوهُمْ، وصَلُّوا كما رَأَيْتُمُونِي أُصَلِّي، وإذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلَاةُ، فَلْيُؤَذِّنْ لَكُمْ أحَدُكُمْ، ثُمَّ لِيَؤُمَّكُمْ أكْبَرُكُمْ
(صحيح البخاري:6008، 7246، 631)
Translation: We came to Madinah in the service of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and we were all young and of the same age. We stayed with the Prophet (peace be upon him) for twenty days. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) thought that we might be missing our families, so he asked us about those whom we had left behind in our homes. We told him the whole story. He was very kind and compassionate. He said, "Go back to your homes and teach your people about religion and tell them, and pray as you have seen me praying. When the time for prayer comes, one of you should call the azan, and the eldest among you should lead the prayer."
Looking deeply at this Hadith, it becomes clear that some Companions learned the method of prayer and religion from the Prophet (peace be upon him) and went back home. He commanded them to go and teach these things to their family members, including their wives. If the method of women's prayer was different, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have explained it clearly, saying, "You men pray like me, and teach your women to pray separately." But he didn't say that. This Hadith "Pray as you have seen me praying" is decisive in this matter. Moreover, this Hadith is general and includes women as well, because women are like men in terms of religious rules, as you have already seen the evidence for this above.
The above Hadith "وصَلُّوا كما رَأَيْتُمُونِي أُصَلِّي" "Pray as you have seen me praying" is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari at three places. Now, let's look at a clear Hadith from Sahih Muslim that states that men's and women's prayers are exactly the same.
Sahih Muslim narrates from Sahl bin Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him):
ولقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلَّمَ قَامَ عليه فَكَبَّرَ وكَبَّرَ النَّاسُ ورَاءَهُ، وهو علَى المِنْبَرِ، ثُمَّ رَفَعَ فَنَزَلَ القَهْقَرَى حتَّى سَجَدَ في أصْلِ المِنْبَرِ، ثُمَّ عَادَ، حتَّى فَرَغَ مِن آخِرِ صَلَاتِهِ، ثُمَّ أقْبَلَ علَى النَّاسِ فَقالَ: يا أيُّها النَّاسُ إنِّي صَنَعْتُ هذا لِتَأْتَمُّوا بي، ولِتَعَلَّمُوا صَلَاتِي
(صحيح مسلم:1216)
Translation: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood on the (pulpit) and said the takbir, and the people said the takbir behind him, and he performed the prayer on the pulpit. Then he came down and prostrated at the base of the pulpit, then he turned and faced the people and said: "O people! I did this so that you may follow me and learn how to pray like me."
This Hadith shows that the Prophet (peace be upon him) climbed the pulpit to teach the Companions how to pray, so that they could clearly see the quality and manner of the prayer. We also know that women used to pray behind him in the Prophet's Mosque. When he finished praying on the pulpit, he addressed the Companions and said: "O people! I did this so that you may follow me and learn how to pray like me." Was this clear command not for women? And was the prayer he performed on the pulpit not for women? Yes, it was. The Prophet's (peace be upon him) actions on the pulpit and his clear command to learn the prayer from him clearly indicate that men's and women's prayers are exactly the same.
If there was a difference in the method of women's prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have taught women separately when he taught men on the pulpit in the Prophet's Masjid Al-Navabi, but he did not do so, which is strong evidence that women will pray like men.
Prayer is a matter of worship, and Jibreel (peace be upon him) descended from heaven to teach the Prophet (peace be upon him) how to pray and informed him of the times of prayer.
Sahih Bukhari narrates from Abu Mas'ood (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:
سَمِعْتُ رَسولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ يقولُ: نَزَلَ جِبْرِيلُ فأمَّنِي، فَصَلَّيْتُ معهُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّيْتُ معهُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّيْتُ معهُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّيْتُ معهُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّيْتُ معهُ يَحْسُبُ بأَصَابِعِهِ خَمْسَ صَلَوَاتٍ
(صحيح البخاري:3221)
Translation : "Jibreel (peace be upon him) came down and prayed with me, and I prayed with him, then he prayed with me, then I prayed with him, then I prayed with him, and he counted the five prayers on his fingers."
Prayer is a worship that cannot be performed according to one's own will, it has been revealed by Allah. How can any imam or scholar have the authority to describe a separate method of prayer for women two hundred or three hundred years after the Prophet's (peace be upon him) death? Or how can any follower have the permission to worship Allah according to the sayings of scholars, leaving the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him)? We see that in the Hanafi school, women's prayers are described as completely different from men's. This is an innovation in worship and a change in Allah's religion.
الحفظ والاماں
The above-mentioned arguments clearly show that women's prayers are the same as men's. However, I consider it appropriate to mention another specific argument related to women.
The great Companion Abu al-Darda al-Ansari's wife, Umm al-Darda, may Allah be pleased with her, is mentioned by the Faqih of the Ummah, Amir al-Mu'minin in Hadith, Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, in his three books, that Umm al-Darda used to pray like men. Let's learn about this argument with the text of the three books.
First book: In Sahih Bukhari, under the chapter "Bab Sunnat al-Julus fi al-Tashahhud" (Chapter: The Sunnah of Sitting in Tashahhud), Imam Bukhari mentions:
"وكانت ام الدرداء تجلس في صلاتها جلسة الرجل وكانت فقيهة".
Translation: "Umm al-Darda was a Faqihah (scholar) and she used to sit in her prayer like men."
Second book: Abdul Rahman bin Sulaiman bin Umair al-Shami, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
رَأَيْتُ أُمَّ الدَّرْدَاءِ "تَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهَا فِي الصَّلَاةِ حَذْوَ مَنْكِبَيْهَا حِينَ تَفْتَتِحُ الصَّلَاةَ , وَحِينَ تَرْكَعُ وَإِذَا قَالَ: «سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ» رَفَعَتْ يَدَيْهَا , وَقَالَتْ:«رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ»(جزء رفع الیدین للبخاري : 24)
Translation: "I saw Umm al-Darda raising her hands up to her shoulders (رفع اليدين) in prayer, when she started the prayer, when she bowed, and when the Imam said 'سمع الله لمن حمده' (Allah hears the one who praises Him), she raised her hands رفع اليدين and said, 'ربنا ولك الحمد' (Our Lord, and to You is the praise)."
Third book: Imam Bukhari mentions the suspended narration in his book al-Tarikh al-Saghir (906) through the chain of Makhul, and Sheikh al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, has authenticated its chain in Safwat al-Tafasir on page 189.
This specific Hadith is a specific proof in the chapter of women that women will also pray like men. If someone says that only one woman prayed like men and the rest of the women did not pray like men, it is pure ignorance and shortsightedness. The Hadith does not mention that only one woman prayed like men, but rather the narrator describes the sitting posture of the woman he saw. Here, a big scientific point is also understood that if the prayer of this Companion's wife was against the Sunnah, the narrator would have certainly objected or mentioned that the woman was going against the Sunnah. The narrator's mere description of the posture is proof that the woman's prayer is like that of men, and the women of that era also prayed like men.
In this context, consider a narration from Sahihain regarding prostration, Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
اعْتَدِلُوا في السُّجُودِ، ولَا يَبْسُطْ أحَدُكُمْ ذِرَاعَيْهِ انْبِسَاطَ الكَلْبِ(صحيح البخاري:822)
Translation: "Be moderate in prostration, and none of you should spread his arms like dogs."
In this Hadith, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, addressed everyone, saying that none of you should spread your arms like dogs while prostrating. Is the woman not included in this command? Yes, she is. Based on this Hadith, women will also prostrate like men and avoid the posture of dogs while prostrating.
In summary, a woman should pray exactly like a man, and the man who prays like the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The intention, Iqamah, Takbir, Raf' al-Yadayn, Qiyam, Ruku, Qawmah, Sujud, Jalsa, Qa'dah, and Salam should all be in the light of Hadith, and all these actions are the same for men and women. Just as women will also pray the same number of rak'ahs as men, and recite the same words during prayer as men, there is no difference in rak'ahs, dhikr, and du'a between men and women, and no difference in quality and attributes, because there is no authentic proof of distinction.
I also want to remove the misconceptions of those people who, in the name of modesty and honor of women, create artificial methods of prayer for them. The followers of the sects prohibit their women from going to the masjid, yet they describe a separate method of prayer for women, whereas in the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), women used to attend the Prophet's Masjid (Masjid Al-Nabvi) and pray behind the Prophet (peace be upon him). It should have been that the prayer of the women who attended the masjid should have been separate, because they used to pray in the same masjid as men, whereas the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not describe a separate prayer for women. Indeed, a woman is a woman, she is a thing of modesty and veil, therefore, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) described the suitable rules for women regarding prayer. See some ahadith in this regard:
(1) A woman's prayer at home is better than praying in the masjid. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
صلاةُ المرأةِ في بيتِها أفضلُ من صلاتِها في حجرتِها وصلاتُها في مَخدعِها أفضلُ من صلاتِها في بيتِها(صحيح أبي داود:570)
Translation: A woman's prayer in her own house is more virtuous than praying in the courtyard, and praying in the courtyard is more virtuous than praying in the room, and praying in the room is more virtuous than praying in the inner room.
(2) A woman can also pray in the masjid, but she should not come with perfume. Zainab Thaqafiya (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
إذا خرجتْ إحْداكنَّ إلى المسجدِ فلا تقْرَبنَّ طِيبًا(صحيح الجامع:501)
Translation: When any of you women go to the masjid, do not come close to perfume.
(3) A mature woman should not pray without a veil, narrated by Ummul Mu'minin Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
لا يقبلُ اللَّهُ صلاةَ حائضٍ إلَّا بخِمارٍ(صحيح أبي داود:641)
Translation: Allah does not accept the prayer of a mature woman without a veil.
(4) In the masjid, when men and women pray together, the row of women should be behind the men. Narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
خَيْرُ صُفُوفِ الرِّجالِ أوَّلُها، وشَرُّها آخِرُها، وخَيْرُ صُفُوفِ النِّساءِ آخِرُها، وشَرُّها أوَّلُها( صحيح مسلم:440)
Translation: The best row for men is the first row, and the worst row is the last row. And for women, the worst row is the first row (when the rows of men are near them) and the best row is the last row (which is farthest from men).
(5) A woman cannot lead men in prayer, nor can she raise her voice while praying with men. If the male Imam makes a mistake, she will not make a sound with her tongue at that time, but will alert the Imam to the mistake by clapping her hands. Narrated by Suhail bin Saad (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
التسبيحُ للرجالِ، والتصفيحُ للنساءِ (صحيح البخاري:1204)
Translation: Clapping (in a specific way, one hand on the other) is for women, and saying Subhan Allah is for men.
These commands are all related to protecting women from mischief, safeguarding their chastity and modesty, and taking care of their shyness. The purpose of these commands is not that women's prayers are different from those of men, but rather that women's prayers are the same as men's, but some special commands have been given in their favor, considering their chastity. Some people deceive the Ummah by saying that women are being given separate commands, therefore their prayer is different from men. This is a complete deception. Here, some separate commands are being given to women, considering their chastity, but this does not mean that the method of women's prayer is different from men.
Understand it in this way that the Imam will say the first Takbir Tahrima and start the prayer, whether the follower is a man or a woman, the follower will say Takbir after the Imam and enter the prayer. No follower will say Takbir before the Imam. Then in all the states of prayer, the Imam will be first and the follower will follow the Imam, the one who is more knowledgeable about the Quran among the followers will become the Imam, the ones who are more intelligent and aware among the followers will stand closer to the Imam, then the ones after them, then the ones after them. In the row formation, the bigger men will be in the front, and the children will be in the back rows. Does this mean that men's prayers are also different from men? Absolutely not. These are some commands related to prayer, but the method is the same.
Similarly, there are some special issues related to prayer for women, but their prayer method is also the same as men's.
Some people deceive the Ummah by saying that Hajj should also be performed according to the method of the Prophet (peace be upon him), but in Tawaf and Sa'i, women should not perform Raml (brisk walking) but walk slowly, and there is no separate evidence for women walking slowly. Scholars, considering women's modesty, order them to walk slowly, similarly, the issue of prayer is the same. Due to women's modesty, they are told to pray with their bodies closed. The answer to this is, firstly, it is wrong to compare prayer with Hajj's Tawaf and Sa'i, in Tawaf and Sa'i, a person can talk, eat, laugh, sit if they get tired, etc., but these things are forbidden in prayer, rather, these things will invalidate the prayer.
Secondly, the complete method of praying has been taught to us by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), in which both men and women are included, so there is no need to take the method of prayer from anyone else. And I have already mentioned that in worship, no one will act according to their own will, whereas among the followers, the entire prayer of women is artificial, how can it be correct?
Thirdly, although there is no Marfu' Hadith regarding women not performing Raml, it is proven from numerous narrations. It is narrated from Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) in Baihaqi, from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), and Hasan and Ata' in Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah. Ibn al-Mundhir has reported consensus that women do not perform Raml, and consensus is also a proof in religion. But the matter of prayer is different from Raml, here everything is proven from Marfu' Ahadith, i.e., the complete method of prayer from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and where the method of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), is present, there is no room to adopt anyone else's method or statement.
The point is that where the Sharia is silent, if the Ummah reaches a consensus on something, then it is a proof, but where the Sharia is present, there is no need for anyone's statement or consensus. Some people deceive by saying that the method of women praying with their bodies closed is narrated from the Salaf, rather, some Marfu' narrations are also found regarding this, some of which are presented. This is not the place to mention and analyze all of them. Try to understand this from a couplet: "When the statement of Mustafa (peace be upon him) is present, do not look at anyone's statement or action."
Allah has ordered following Him and His Messenger in numerous places in the Quran, i.e., religion will be taken only from Allah and His Messenger. Second, regarding the difference in the method of prayer between men and women, whatever evidence is presented, whether it is a statement or a Hadith, nothing is proven and authentic. When something is not proven at all, then it is useless to take evidence from it, rather, you have seen the fatwa of Jamia Banuriya above, according to their account, not a single evidence of difference in men's and women's prayer is found in the six authentic books of Hadith, namely Sahih Sitta, whereas in all these six books, all the Muhaddithin have mentioned all the Marfu' narrations (the method of prayer of the Messenger of Allah) from the beginning to the end of prayer, including all the details, even the smallest aspect of prayer is not left unmentioned.
The rest of the evidences from which the Hanafis argue and consider women's prayer to be different are all unreliable. To know the reality of these, it is beneficial to study the brief book "Is the method of women's prayer different from men?" by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf (may Allah have mercy on him). This book has been published by Darussalam and is available on Kitab and Sunnah Dot Com.
🤲 May Allah grant people the ability to follow the truth and grant all Muslims, men and women, the ability to worship according to the method of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
I will clarify this in the light of religious texts so that you can be convinced that women should also perform their prayer like men. Firstly, I want to present an experiment and observation to prepare you to understand the logical arguments.
This is that the concept of separate prayer for women in our society is a later development. Since people started following others besides Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and imitating them, the followers of these leaders started performing separate prayers. The scholars who follow these leaders have created a complete and specific artificial method for women to perform their prayer.
They have made everything different for women, such as raising their hands, folding their hands, bowing, prostrating, and sitting. However, many of us have visited the holy cities and seen Arab women performing prayer like men. These Arab women have been performing prayer like men since the time of Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions.
This is where Islam originated and spread to the world, so the method of prayer here gives us awareness that the correct and original method of women's prayer is the same as Arab women are performing. It's not just Arab women who perform prayer like men, but wherever there are sisters who act upon Quran and Hadith, leaving aside imitation, they perform their prayer like men.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has taught only one method of prayer, and he has not taught separate methods for men and women.
Now let's move on to the arguments. First, let's look at the Quran. Allah has revealed only one book, the Quran, in which all the verses include both men and women. It's not like there's a separate Quran for women and a separate Quran for men. However, if a verse is specific to a woman or a man, it will be considered specific to that person, but if it's not specific, then men and women are both included.
Similarly, the Hadith also has the same situation. In the six most authentic books of Hadith (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Nisai, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah), each book has a chapter on prayer. Under this chapter, from start to finish, all the details of prayer, including rakats, qualities, and supplications, are mentioned. If we collect these Hadiths, they will be in the hundreds, but not a single Hadith says that men's prayer is separate from women's prayer.
A woman asked a question to the famous Hanafi institution "Al-Jamia-tul-Banuriyah Al-Islamiyah" in Pakistan, saying that she wants to know the reference for women's prayer in Islam, just like she is starting to learn. She only wants references from the six authentic books (only about prostration and tashahhud). The institution replied that asking for references from the six authentic books is a great audacity. They wrote that the questioner should read the prayer method from "Bahishti Zewar" and perform the prayer according to that method. In short, you can see this fatwa on the institution's website ((https://www.onlinefatawa.com)) under ID 32164.
From this fatwa, you can understand that those who say that women have a separate prayer method do not have a single argument from the authentic books of Hadith.
Now understand a basic point that women are also equal to men in Islamic issues, meaning that whatever command Allah has given, it includes women as well, except for specific commands that are specific to men or women.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
إنما النساء شقائق الرجال(السلسلة الصحيحة:2863)
Translation: Women are like men in terms of religious rules.
Keeping this command of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in mind, let's look at his important command regarding the prayer of men and women.
Abu Sulaiman Malik bin Huwairith (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
أَتَيْنَا النبيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ، ونَحْنُ شَبَبَةٌ مُتَقَارِبُونَ، فأقَمْنَا عِنْدَهُ عِشْرِينَ لَيْلَةً، فَظَنَّ أنَّا اشْتَقْنَا أهْلَنَا، وسَأَلَنَا عَمَّنْ تَرَكْنَا في أهْلِنَا، فأخْبَرْنَاهُ، وكانَ رَفِيقًا رَحِيمًا، فَقَالَ: ارْجِعُوا إلى أهْلِيكُمْ، فَعَلِّمُوهُمْ ومُرُوهُمْ، وصَلُّوا كما رَأَيْتُمُونِي أُصَلِّي، وإذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلَاةُ، فَلْيُؤَذِّنْ لَكُمْ أحَدُكُمْ، ثُمَّ لِيَؤُمَّكُمْ أكْبَرُكُمْ
(صحيح البخاري:6008، 7246، 631)
Translation: We came to Madinah in the service of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and we were all young and of the same age. We stayed with the Prophet (peace be upon him) for twenty days. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) thought that we might be missing our families, so he asked us about those whom we had left behind in our homes. We told him the whole story. He was very kind and compassionate. He said, "Go back to your homes and teach your people about religion and tell them, and pray as you have seen me praying. When the time for prayer comes, one of you should call the azan, and the eldest among you should lead the prayer."
Looking deeply at this Hadith, it becomes clear that some Companions learned the method of prayer and religion from the Prophet (peace be upon him) and went back home. He commanded them to go and teach these things to their family members, including their wives. If the method of women's prayer was different, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have explained it clearly, saying, "You men pray like me, and teach your women to pray separately." But he didn't say that. This Hadith "Pray as you have seen me praying" is decisive in this matter. Moreover, this Hadith is general and includes women as well, because women are like men in terms of religious rules, as you have already seen the evidence for this above.
The above Hadith "وصَلُّوا كما رَأَيْتُمُونِي أُصَلِّي" "Pray as you have seen me praying" is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari at three places. Now, let's look at a clear Hadith from Sahih Muslim that states that men's and women's prayers are exactly the same.
Sahih Muslim narrates from Sahl bin Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him):
ولقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلَّمَ قَامَ عليه فَكَبَّرَ وكَبَّرَ النَّاسُ ورَاءَهُ، وهو علَى المِنْبَرِ، ثُمَّ رَفَعَ فَنَزَلَ القَهْقَرَى حتَّى سَجَدَ في أصْلِ المِنْبَرِ، ثُمَّ عَادَ، حتَّى فَرَغَ مِن آخِرِ صَلَاتِهِ، ثُمَّ أقْبَلَ علَى النَّاسِ فَقالَ: يا أيُّها النَّاسُ إنِّي صَنَعْتُ هذا لِتَأْتَمُّوا بي، ولِتَعَلَّمُوا صَلَاتِي
(صحيح مسلم:1216)
Translation: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood on the (pulpit) and said the takbir, and the people said the takbir behind him, and he performed the prayer on the pulpit. Then he came down and prostrated at the base of the pulpit, then he turned and faced the people and said: "O people! I did this so that you may follow me and learn how to pray like me."
This Hadith shows that the Prophet (peace be upon him) climbed the pulpit to teach the Companions how to pray, so that they could clearly see the quality and manner of the prayer. We also know that women used to pray behind him in the Prophet's Mosque. When he finished praying on the pulpit, he addressed the Companions and said: "O people! I did this so that you may follow me and learn how to pray like me." Was this clear command not for women? And was the prayer he performed on the pulpit not for women? Yes, it was. The Prophet's (peace be upon him) actions on the pulpit and his clear command to learn the prayer from him clearly indicate that men's and women's prayers are exactly the same.
If there was a difference in the method of women's prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have taught women separately when he taught men on the pulpit in the Prophet's Masjid Al-Navabi, but he did not do so, which is strong evidence that women will pray like men.
Prayer is a matter of worship, and Jibreel (peace be upon him) descended from heaven to teach the Prophet (peace be upon him) how to pray and informed him of the times of prayer.
Sahih Bukhari narrates from Abu Mas'ood (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:
سَمِعْتُ رَسولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ يقولُ: نَزَلَ جِبْرِيلُ فأمَّنِي، فَصَلَّيْتُ معهُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّيْتُ معهُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّيْتُ معهُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّيْتُ معهُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّيْتُ معهُ يَحْسُبُ بأَصَابِعِهِ خَمْسَ صَلَوَاتٍ
(صحيح البخاري:3221)
Translation : "Jibreel (peace be upon him) came down and prayed with me, and I prayed with him, then he prayed with me, then I prayed with him, then I prayed with him, and he counted the five prayers on his fingers."
Prayer is a worship that cannot be performed according to one's own will, it has been revealed by Allah. How can any imam or scholar have the authority to describe a separate method of prayer for women two hundred or three hundred years after the Prophet's (peace be upon him) death? Or how can any follower have the permission to worship Allah according to the sayings of scholars, leaving the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him)? We see that in the Hanafi school, women's prayers are described as completely different from men's. This is an innovation in worship and a change in Allah's religion.
الحفظ والاماں
The above-mentioned arguments clearly show that women's prayers are the same as men's. However, I consider it appropriate to mention another specific argument related to women.
The great Companion Abu al-Darda al-Ansari's wife, Umm al-Darda, may Allah be pleased with her, is mentioned by the Faqih of the Ummah, Amir al-Mu'minin in Hadith, Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, in his three books, that Umm al-Darda used to pray like men. Let's learn about this argument with the text of the three books.
First book: In Sahih Bukhari, under the chapter "Bab Sunnat al-Julus fi al-Tashahhud" (Chapter: The Sunnah of Sitting in Tashahhud), Imam Bukhari mentions:
"وكانت ام الدرداء تجلس في صلاتها جلسة الرجل وكانت فقيهة".
Translation: "Umm al-Darda was a Faqihah (scholar) and she used to sit in her prayer like men."
Second book: Abdul Rahman bin Sulaiman bin Umair al-Shami, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
رَأَيْتُ أُمَّ الدَّرْدَاءِ "تَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهَا فِي الصَّلَاةِ حَذْوَ مَنْكِبَيْهَا حِينَ تَفْتَتِحُ الصَّلَاةَ , وَحِينَ تَرْكَعُ وَإِذَا قَالَ: «سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ» رَفَعَتْ يَدَيْهَا , وَقَالَتْ:«رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ»(جزء رفع الیدین للبخاري : 24)
Translation: "I saw Umm al-Darda raising her hands up to her shoulders (رفع اليدين) in prayer, when she started the prayer, when she bowed, and when the Imam said 'سمع الله لمن حمده' (Allah hears the one who praises Him), she raised her hands رفع اليدين and said, 'ربنا ولك الحمد' (Our Lord, and to You is the praise)."
Third book: Imam Bukhari mentions the suspended narration in his book al-Tarikh al-Saghir (906) through the chain of Makhul, and Sheikh al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, has authenticated its chain in Safwat al-Tafasir on page 189.
This specific Hadith is a specific proof in the chapter of women that women will also pray like men. If someone says that only one woman prayed like men and the rest of the women did not pray like men, it is pure ignorance and shortsightedness. The Hadith does not mention that only one woman prayed like men, but rather the narrator describes the sitting posture of the woman he saw. Here, a big scientific point is also understood that if the prayer of this Companion's wife was against the Sunnah, the narrator would have certainly objected or mentioned that the woman was going against the Sunnah. The narrator's mere description of the posture is proof that the woman's prayer is like that of men, and the women of that era also prayed like men.
In this context, consider a narration from Sahihain regarding prostration, Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
اعْتَدِلُوا في السُّجُودِ، ولَا يَبْسُطْ أحَدُكُمْ ذِرَاعَيْهِ انْبِسَاطَ الكَلْبِ(صحيح البخاري:822)
Translation: "Be moderate in prostration, and none of you should spread his arms like dogs."
In this Hadith, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, addressed everyone, saying that none of you should spread your arms like dogs while prostrating. Is the woman not included in this command? Yes, she is. Based on this Hadith, women will also prostrate like men and avoid the posture of dogs while prostrating.
In summary, a woman should pray exactly like a man, and the man who prays like the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The intention, Iqamah, Takbir, Raf' al-Yadayn, Qiyam, Ruku, Qawmah, Sujud, Jalsa, Qa'dah, and Salam should all be in the light of Hadith, and all these actions are the same for men and women. Just as women will also pray the same number of rak'ahs as men, and recite the same words during prayer as men, there is no difference in rak'ahs, dhikr, and du'a between men and women, and no difference in quality and attributes, because there is no authentic proof of distinction.
I also want to remove the misconceptions of those people who, in the name of modesty and honor of women, create artificial methods of prayer for them. The followers of the sects prohibit their women from going to the masjid, yet they describe a separate method of prayer for women, whereas in the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), women used to attend the Prophet's Masjid (Masjid Al-Nabvi) and pray behind the Prophet (peace be upon him). It should have been that the prayer of the women who attended the masjid should have been separate, because they used to pray in the same masjid as men, whereas the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not describe a separate prayer for women. Indeed, a woman is a woman, she is a thing of modesty and veil, therefore, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) described the suitable rules for women regarding prayer. See some ahadith in this regard:
(1) A woman's prayer at home is better than praying in the masjid. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
صلاةُ المرأةِ في بيتِها أفضلُ من صلاتِها في حجرتِها وصلاتُها في مَخدعِها أفضلُ من صلاتِها في بيتِها(صحيح أبي داود:570)
Translation: A woman's prayer in her own house is more virtuous than praying in the courtyard, and praying in the courtyard is more virtuous than praying in the room, and praying in the room is more virtuous than praying in the inner room.
(2) A woman can also pray in the masjid, but she should not come with perfume. Zainab Thaqafiya (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
إذا خرجتْ إحْداكنَّ إلى المسجدِ فلا تقْرَبنَّ طِيبًا(صحيح الجامع:501)
Translation: When any of you women go to the masjid, do not come close to perfume.
(3) A mature woman should not pray without a veil, narrated by Ummul Mu'minin Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
لا يقبلُ اللَّهُ صلاةَ حائضٍ إلَّا بخِمارٍ(صحيح أبي داود:641)
Translation: Allah does not accept the prayer of a mature woman without a veil.
(4) In the masjid, when men and women pray together, the row of women should be behind the men. Narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
خَيْرُ صُفُوفِ الرِّجالِ أوَّلُها، وشَرُّها آخِرُها، وخَيْرُ صُفُوفِ النِّساءِ آخِرُها، وشَرُّها أوَّلُها( صحيح مسلم:440)
Translation: The best row for men is the first row, and the worst row is the last row. And for women, the worst row is the first row (when the rows of men are near them) and the best row is the last row (which is farthest from men).
(5) A woman cannot lead men in prayer, nor can she raise her voice while praying with men. If the male Imam makes a mistake, she will not make a sound with her tongue at that time, but will alert the Imam to the mistake by clapping her hands. Narrated by Suhail bin Saad (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
التسبيحُ للرجالِ، والتصفيحُ للنساءِ (صحيح البخاري:1204)
Translation: Clapping (in a specific way, one hand on the other) is for women, and saying Subhan Allah is for men.
These commands are all related to protecting women from mischief, safeguarding their chastity and modesty, and taking care of their shyness. The purpose of these commands is not that women's prayers are different from those of men, but rather that women's prayers are the same as men's, but some special commands have been given in their favor, considering their chastity. Some people deceive the Ummah by saying that women are being given separate commands, therefore their prayer is different from men. This is a complete deception. Here, some separate commands are being given to women, considering their chastity, but this does not mean that the method of women's prayer is different from men.
Understand it in this way that the Imam will say the first Takbir Tahrima and start the prayer, whether the follower is a man or a woman, the follower will say Takbir after the Imam and enter the prayer. No follower will say Takbir before the Imam. Then in all the states of prayer, the Imam will be first and the follower will follow the Imam, the one who is more knowledgeable about the Quran among the followers will become the Imam, the ones who are more intelligent and aware among the followers will stand closer to the Imam, then the ones after them, then the ones after them. In the row formation, the bigger men will be in the front, and the children will be in the back rows. Does this mean that men's prayers are also different from men? Absolutely not. These are some commands related to prayer, but the method is the same.
Similarly, there are some special issues related to prayer for women, but their prayer method is also the same as men's.
Some people deceive the Ummah by saying that Hajj should also be performed according to the method of the Prophet (peace be upon him), but in Tawaf and Sa'i, women should not perform Raml (brisk walking) but walk slowly, and there is no separate evidence for women walking slowly. Scholars, considering women's modesty, order them to walk slowly, similarly, the issue of prayer is the same. Due to women's modesty, they are told to pray with their bodies closed. The answer to this is, firstly, it is wrong to compare prayer with Hajj's Tawaf and Sa'i, in Tawaf and Sa'i, a person can talk, eat, laugh, sit if they get tired, etc., but these things are forbidden in prayer, rather, these things will invalidate the prayer.
Secondly, the complete method of praying has been taught to us by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), in which both men and women are included, so there is no need to take the method of prayer from anyone else. And I have already mentioned that in worship, no one will act according to their own will, whereas among the followers, the entire prayer of women is artificial, how can it be correct?
Thirdly, although there is no Marfu' Hadith regarding women not performing Raml, it is proven from numerous narrations. It is narrated from Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) in Baihaqi, from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), and Hasan and Ata' in Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah. Ibn al-Mundhir has reported consensus that women do not perform Raml, and consensus is also a proof in religion. But the matter of prayer is different from Raml, here everything is proven from Marfu' Ahadith, i.e., the complete method of prayer from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and where the method of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), is present, there is no room to adopt anyone else's method or statement.
The point is that where the Sharia is silent, if the Ummah reaches a consensus on something, then it is a proof, but where the Sharia is present, there is no need for anyone's statement or consensus. Some people deceive by saying that the method of women praying with their bodies closed is narrated from the Salaf, rather, some Marfu' narrations are also found regarding this, some of which are presented. This is not the place to mention and analyze all of them. Try to understand this from a couplet: "When the statement of Mustafa (peace be upon him) is present, do not look at anyone's statement or action."
Allah has ordered following Him and His Messenger in numerous places in the Quran, i.e., religion will be taken only from Allah and His Messenger. Second, regarding the difference in the method of prayer between men and women, whatever evidence is presented, whether it is a statement or a Hadith, nothing is proven and authentic. When something is not proven at all, then it is useless to take evidence from it, rather, you have seen the fatwa of Jamia Banuriya above, according to their account, not a single evidence of difference in men's and women's prayer is found in the six authentic books of Hadith, namely Sahih Sitta, whereas in all these six books, all the Muhaddithin have mentioned all the Marfu' narrations (the method of prayer of the Messenger of Allah) from the beginning to the end of prayer, including all the details, even the smallest aspect of prayer is not left unmentioned.
The rest of the evidences from which the Hanafis argue and consider women's prayer to be different are all unreliable. To know the reality of these, it is beneficial to study the brief book "Is the method of women's prayer different from men?" by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf (may Allah have mercy on him). This book has been published by Darussalam and is available on Kitab and Sunnah Dot Com.
🤲 May Allah grant people the ability to follow the truth and grant all Muslims, men and women, the ability to worship according to the method of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
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