Should Muslim Women Attend the Eid Salaat?

A masjid in South Africa

GUEST WRITER: FROM SOUTH AFRICA : Quraysha Yousuf

Many Scholars and Islamic Organisations are making Radio Announcements and sending notices telling women that they must not go for the Eid Salaat.

Have they justified their reasons and do you know the truth?

1) First we were told Hazrat Omar RA gave the final verdict: but do you know…

He only tried to discourage his wife and never commanded against all the Muslim women from attending! Because he knew he could not go against the hadith of the Prophet SAW which said: ‘Do not prevent your women from attending the mosque if they seek your permission to do so’ (Sahih Muslim).

2) Then we were told that it leads to fitna: but do you know… that at the time of the Prophet SAW a woman was attacked on her way to the mosque and this event did not motivate him from preventing the women to attend the mosque (from Silaat al-ahadeeth as-saheehah, Ahmed). Additionally, there is fitnah everywhere, are we justified in saying women make ‘fitnah’ when they come to the mosque? Is it not true that the majority of sisters who attend the mosques come with pure intentions?

3) Then we were told that Hazrat Ayesha RA said that if the Prophet SAW was present amongst us he would have prevented the women from attending the mosques: but do you know…that the Prophet SAW predicted and mentioned many ahaadith about women and their disobedience, their fitnas and their dressings, yet in spite of these prophecies and the many visions of the Prophet SAW of the women in Jahannam, he still said more than once ‘do not prevent the female slaves of Allah from attending the mosques of Allah.’ Allah mentions in the Quraan the saying of the Prophet SAW ‘today I have completed your faith for you…’ so to say that the Prophet SAW’s teachings and commands in this aspect is perhaps incomplete because he was ignorant of the times to come, is to go against the testimony of the Prophet SAW himself when he said ‘…today I have completed your faith your you…’ Also, Ayesha RA did not ban nor forbid any woman from attending the musjid and her statement is not considered a fatwa worldwide.

4) Then we are told that the majority of scholars agree that women must not attend the mosque: but do you know…that the majority of the Muslim populations around the world all have facilities for women to attend the mosque and encourage the women to come out especially for the Jummah, Taraweeh and Eid Salaat? That the scholars in Makkah, Madinah, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia etc all consider it permissible! Do you know that in South Africa, the majority of the scholars in Cape Town (if not all) have given women the option to attend the Eid Salaat, that there is a split in Gauteng and KZN on this issue which when tallied proves that more scholars in South Africa support the actions of the Prophet SAW and his pious predecessors in allowing the women to attend the mosques and especially in encouraging them to attend the Eid Salaat.

5) Do you know that the Prophet SAW ordered the women to attend the Eid salaat and left no room for any excuses: Al-Bukhaari (324) and Muslim (890) narrated that Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded us to bring them (women) out on (Eid) al-Fitr and (Eid) al-Adha, and to bring out adolescent girls, menstruating women and virgins, but the menstruating women were to stay away from the prayer, but were to witness goodness and the gathering of the Muslims. I said: “O Messenger of Allah, what if one of us does not have a jilbaab?” He said: “Let her sister lend her a jilbab.”

6) Do you know that the women used to pray behind the men in the Prophet’s mosque and that when the numbers of the Muslims started growing the Prophet SAW asked the men to keep one door for the women to enter.

7) Do you know that the scholars who do not give permission for women to attend the mosque will allow women to come to the mosque to listen to the speech of their Ustad’s and Muftis but consider it impermissible for the women to come to the mosque to listen to the Speech of Allah!

Do you know that Musjid al Nabbawi and Musjid al Haraam are MOSQUES- so one should ask these scholars if the home is best for the women, should muslim women pray all their salaat in the hotel rooms when on Umrah as they have said that women must not attend the mosques? Also, although the Prophet SAW said the homes are best, he still gave women the choice to attend the mosque and on Eid he commanded them to attend the prayer.

Do you know that the Prophet SAW would address the women in the Eid Khutbah and that when the daily salaat were finished he would ask the men to sit and wait for the women to first leave- showing the utmost respect and compassion and consideration for the women in Islam.

SISTERS FOLLOW THE WAY OF THE MUSLIM WOMEN OF THE PAST AND PRESENT-ASSOCIATE YOURSELF WITH THE MOSQUES AND WITH PRAYER, IT WILL HELP TO BUILD OUR ISLAMIC CHARACTER AND DEVELOP US AS MUSLIMS. BE MODESTLY DRESSED, FOLLOW THE HIJAAB CODES AND TEACH YOUR CHILDREN RESPECT OF THE MOSQUES. THEN TRANSFER THESE VALUES TO THE MEN.