Perhaps the most important place where men and women meet in Islamic society is the mosque. We mentioned last week that during the Prophet’s (pbuh) lifetime, women frequented the mosque for no less than 12 different purposes, some of which are obligatory while others recommended or permissible. We have a large number of hadiths that explain why women used to go to the mosque and how they behaved there and how their presence affected the overall situation. Needless to say, the first of these purposes is to offer prayer, and we cited a number of hadiths that make it clear that women attended the congregation in all prayers, including Fajr which is offered at dawn, Maghrib at sunset and Isha an hour and a half later.
These were obligatory prayers, but women also went to the mosque for voluntary or recommended prayers, as clearly evidenced by the following examples:
Anas ibn Malik reports: “The Prophet came once into the mosque and saw a rope tied between two pillars. He asked why was the rope put there. People told him: ‘It is for Zainab. When she felt drowsy, she would hold on to it.’ The Prophet said: ‘This is not good. Take it away. One should pray only when one is fully alert. If one is tired then he should sit down.’” [Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.]
Ibn Hajar points out that the hadith indicates that it is permissible for women to offer voluntary prayers in the mosque. Had this been not permissible, the Prophet would have made that clear. Ibn Hajar also adds, “Umar organized night worship in Ramadan, appointing Ubayy ibn Kaab to lead the prayer. Ubayy used to lead the men’s congregation, while Tameem Al-Dari led the women’s congregation.” That women needed a different Imam was perhaps because they could not hear Ubayy’s recitation clearly. Therefore, they needed the one who led them in prayer to stand near them.
Aishah reports: “When Saad ibn Abi Waqqas died, the Prophet’s wives sent a word requesting that his coffin should be brought into the mosque so that they could offer the funeral prayer for him. When the coffin was brought in, they stood near their rooms offering this prayer for him.” [Related by Muslim.] Needless to say, their funeral prayer was only voluntary, but the Prophet’s wives were keen to do it because they knew that Saad was very close to the Prophet and related to him on his mother’s side.
Another voluntary prayer in which women participated in the mosque was the one offered when there is a solar eclipse. Asma’ bint Abu Bakr reports: “I went into Aishah’s home when people were in prayer and I asked her why were people in prayer. [Apparently the time did not require a congregational prayer, and yet Aishah was praying with the congregation.] Aishah lifted her head to point to the sky and the sun’s eclipse. I said: ‘Is this a sign of God?’ She replied with a move of her head affirming that. The Prophet made the prayer very long and I almost fainted.’ In Muslim’s version she adds: ‘It was an extremely hot day, yet the Prophet prolonged the prayer and some people fell down.’ I had a water skin close to me, and I opened it and poured some water over my head. Muslim’s version adds further details quoting Asma’: ‘The Prophet stood up too long and I felt like sitting down. However, I looked at a woman who was apparently weak and thought that she was weaker than me and I kept standing. The Prophet then bowed and made this movement too long. He then rose up again and was standing for a long while. Anyone who might have come at this point would have thought that the Prophet had not bowed yet.’ The Prophet finished his prayer when the eclipse was over and the sun appeared fully in the sky. He started to give a speech, beginning by praising God and glorifying Him. However, some women were talking to each other and I turned to them to ask them to keep quiet...” [Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.]
Al-Bukhari enters another version of this hadith under the heading: ‘Women pray with men during solar eclipse.’ Ibn Hajar points out that by doing so, Al-Bukhari refutes the argument of scholars who prevent that, requiring women to offer this prayer at home. Thus we see that women frequented the mosque for obligatory and voluntary prayers of all types. There is no restriction whatsoever on them doing so. The second purpose for which women went to the mosque during the Prophet’s lifetime was to perform the recommended practice of Itikaf, which is to stay in the mosque up to ten days, engaged in all types of worship, including prayer, reciting the Qur’an, glorifying God and praising Him.
Aishah reports: “The Prophet used to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in Itikaf until he passed away. His wives used to do the same after that.” [Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.] Ibn Daqeeq Al-Eid explains, “This hadith clearly indicates that this practice applies to men and women in the same way.”
Aishah reports: “I might occasionally enter my home during my time of Itikaf only for a particular purpose. A sick person might be there, but I would only inquire after that person while passing by. The Prophet did not enter his home during his time of Itikaf except for an urgent purpose.” [Related by Muslim.]
Another report by Aishah indicates that a woman may also join in Itikaf when she has a blood discharge other than her normal period: “One of the Prophet’s wives joined him in Itikaf while she was discharging blood, and she used to see red and yellow discharges. We might at times put bowl between her legs when she was praying.” [Related by Al-Bukahri.] Needless to say that the bowl was used so that the discharge did not fall on the floor of the mosque.
To explain the rulings about women’s Itikaf in the mosque, we quote the following dialogue from Al-Mudawwanah, which is the most important work in the Maliki school of thought. The author is asking Ibn Al-Qasim, a leading authority:
Q. What does Malik say concerning women’s Itikaf in the main mosque?
A. This is perfectly appropriate.
Q. Does Malik require her to do the Itikaf in her place of prayer at home?
A. No, this is not appropriate. The Itikaf should be performed in mosques dedicated for God’s worship.
Q. Suppose that a man permits his wife or slave, man or woman, to do the Itikaf, but after they have started he wants to interrupt that, calling them back. Can he do so?
A. No, he cannot do so.
Q. Is this ruling by Malik?
A. Yes, it is his ruling.
We conclude this discussion by quoting a ruling by Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim: “If a woman starts her period while she is in Itikaf, her Itikaf is not invalidated. She continues with it in the uncovered area of the mosque.”
