Nine of the 12 purposes for which women visited the mosque during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him) have been covered with evidence cited in our articles over the last two weeks. The remaining three will be discussed now, followed by a word about what women need to observe when going to the mosque. The first of these three is to attend to the sick and injured. Lady Ayesha reports: “Saad ibn Muadh was injured, receiving a cut in a main vein in his arm, during the encounter of the Moat. The Prophet ordered that a tent should be erected for him in the mosque so that he could easily visit him. People were surprised to see blood coming through underneath the tent. They shouted: ‘You people in the tent! What is this coming out from your side?’ They found out that Saad was bleeding again. He continued to bleed until he died.” (Related by Al-Bukahri.)
Other reports explain that Rufaydah of the Aslam tribe used to attend to the injured in battle. The Prophet ordered the tent to be erected for Saad where Rufaydah was nursing him. The Prophet said: “Put him in her tent so that I can visit him every now and then.”
Cleaning the mosque was another purpose for women to visit the mosque. Abu Hurayrah reports: “A black man or a black woman used to sweep the floor of the mosque, but then that person died. (Al-Bukhari adds in another version, ‘most probably the person was a woman.’) The Prophet missed that person and on inquiry he learned of his or her death. He said: ‘Why did you not tell me about her? Show me her grave.’ He went to the woman’s grave and prayed for her.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
Various reports confirm that the person concerned was a woman named Umm Mihjan. The Hadith also indicates that a person, man or woman, may dedicate themselves to serving a mosque. The Prophet approved that, and it was a practice of religious families in the past.
The final purpose for which women came to the mosque was to sleep there. Ayesha reports that a certain family had a young slave woman whom they set free. She came to the Prophet and declared her acceptance of Islam. A short tent made of hair was erected for her, and she used to come to me and talk.” (Related by Al-Bukahri.) We should note that Al-Bukhari enters this Hadith under the heading: “Women sleeping in the mosque.” This is followed by another heading, “Men sleeping in the mosque.” Under this latter heading he includes several Hadiths one of which mentions that Abdullah ibn Umar used to sleep in the Prophet’s mosque when he was a young unmarried man. Also Abu Hurayrah reports that he saw no less than 70 of the people of Suffah. These were poor people who stayed at Suffah, at the mosque and the Prophet looked after them, ensuring that they were fed.
Commenting on the Hadith reported by Ayesha, Ibn Hajar says that it clearly indicates the permissibility of sleeping in the mosque if a Muslim man or woman is homeless, provided that no impropriety is feared.
All the Hadiths that we have cited confirm that women used to come to the Prophet’s mosque on all occasions and for all purposes. It is important, therefore, to point out the rules women should observe when attending the mosque, providing the evidence supporting them.
1. Women should wear no perfume when they go to the mosque. Zaynab, Abdullah ibn Masood’s wife reports: “The Prophet said to us: ‘When any woman among you comes to the mosque, she should not wear perfume.’” (Related by Muslim.) Ibn Daqeeq Al-Eid comments that whatever is akin to perfume should be included in this restriction. The restriction is due to the fact that perfume may stir men’s desire, and it may also stir a woman’s desire. Therefore, what could cause the same effect should be included here. The Prophet is authentically reported to have said: “Any woman who has used incense should not attend our night prayer, i.e. Isha.” The same applies to women’s clothes and jewelry that are especially attractive.
2. Women’s lines should be behind men’s lines, with no partition in between. Fatimah bint Qays reports: “...I heard a crier carrying out the Prophet’s instructions and calling for prayer followed by a public meeting. I went with the people to attend. I was in the first line of women, which is the one next to the last line of men.” (Related by Muslim.) Jabir ibn Abdullah reports: “The sun was eclipsed during the Prophet’s lifetime... He led the congregation in prayer, offering two rak’ahs with six bowings (i.e. bowing three times in each) and four prostrations (i.e. two in each)... He then stepped back and the lines fell behind him until we reached the women’s lines...” (Related by Muslim.)
Women should pray with the congregation, with their lines behind the men’s lines, but without a partition. This is the guidance given to us by the Prophet. It is due to the fact that there was no excessive sensitivity about men and women being in the same place. It is enough to distinguish them by the arrangement of their lines. Moreover, it is important that women should be able to follow the imam properly as he moves from one position to another. It is not enough that they hear him glorifying God to signal each move. He may do so and unwittingly rise for the third rak’ah, although he is supposed to sit down for Tashahhud. Those who do not see him may think that he was sitting. Again, if the imam is reading a verse, which requires a prostration, and he signals it, a listener who does not see him may think that he is signaling bowing, rather than a prostration. To make sure of the congregation following him, the Prophet said to them when he noticed that their lines are a little too far back: “Come forward and follow me, so that those who are behind you can follow you.” This means that each line should be able to see the line before them. Thus, the first of women’s lines will follow the last of men’s lines.
Al-Sarakhsi, a leading Hanafi scholar, says: “A high wall, with no gap, separating the imam from those behind the wall does not permit a proper congregation.”
We read in Al-Mudawwanah what Ibn Al-Qasim reports: “I asked Malik about a group of people coming to the mosque only to find that the open area is filled by women’s lines, while the front area if filled with men’s lines. This group formed a line behind the women’s lines and joined the congregation. Is their prayer valid?” Malik said: “Yes, their prayer is valid and complete. They do not need to repeat it.”