When women come to the mosque to join a congregational prayer, it is important to observe certain rules. We mentioned two of these last week: avoiding wearing perfume, and forming lines in the back without separation. We will look at the other rules today.
1. The best of women’s lines is the last one. Abu Hurayrah quotes the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: “The best of men’s lines is the first and the worst is the last, while the best of women’s lines is the last and the worst is the first.” (Related by Muslim.) This is not to suggest that all contact between men and women in the mosque is improper. It simply highlights practical considerations. Those in the first line are the ones who come early to the mosque. They stand close to the imam and as such they can follow the recitation of the Qur’an more attentively. By contrast, a woman may find it hard to come early, because she has to attend to things at home particularly if she has young children. Moreover, being close to men’s lines may be distracting to either party. This organization has a further advantage, which is preventing crowding at the mosque’s entrance. It also enables women to be the first to leave after the prayer is over. Thus women can be the last to arrive in the mosque and the first to leave. This reflects care for women and consideration for their domestic responsibilities.
2. Women are recommended to wait a little before raising their heads after prostration. Sahl ibn Saad reports: “Men used to pray with the Prophet tying their robes around their necks. Therefore, women were told not to lift their heads until men have sat down.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.) The reason for this, according to Ibn Hajar, is to avoid the possibility that women would see men’s private parts as these might be exposed when they rise. When men’s robes are tied around their necks, they cover less of their bodies, leaving that possibility. The same principle applies today when some men wear tight trousers.
3. Drawing attention by clapping: Sahl ibn Saad quotes the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: “What is the matter with you clapping so often? If there is something to which you want to draw the imam’s attention you should glorify God, saying Subhan Allah. Clapping is for women only.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.) This is when a woman wants to draw the imam’s attention to a mistake he might have made, or to something nearby which he cannot see.
4. The imam should make sure to facilitate things for women, particularly in Isha prayer, which should not be delayed. Lady Ayesha reports: “One night the Prophet was late for Isha prayer, until Umar called out to him saying: ‘Women and children are overcome by sleep.’ The Prophet went to the mosque to lead the prayer. He said: ‘No one on the face of the earth is waiting for this prayer other than you.’ At the time, Madinah was the only place where people prayed. They used to offer this prayer between the disappearance of the bright horizon and the end of the first third of the night.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
5. Keeping the congregational prayer short. Anas ibn Malik quotes the Prophet as saying: “I may begin a prayer intending to make it long. Then I may hear a child crying, and I keep the prayer short because I realize that his mother is anxious to attend to him.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
6. Giving women a chance to leave first: Hind bint Al-Harith quotes Lady Umm Salamah, the Prophet’s wife, as saying: “When the congregational prayer finished during the Prophet’s lifetime, women would quickly rise and leave, while the Prophet and the men who were with him in the prayer would wait for a while. When the Prophet rose, the men also rose.” (Related by Al-Bukhari.) Al-Zuhri comments: “I believe that the Prophet stayed behind a little to allow women to leave before men.
7. There is no restriction to prevent men and women from dealing with one another in the mosque. For one thing, they see each other, since there is no screen or separation between their places of worship. People used to lower their gaze, but they could look casually at each other. There is nothing wrong with that. Moreover, the Hadiths that we have quoted make clear that conversation between men and women took place when needed. We quoted the Hadith speaking of women being told to stay a little longer before raising their heads in prayer. One Hadith mentions that in one quarter, the imam was a child wearing a short robe. He was chosen because he had learned more of the Qur’an than anyone else in his clan. One woman pointed out that he needed longer robes, and the men bought a new one for him.
There are also Hadiths which indicate that men and women moved freely in the mosque. We mentioned the Hadith of the woman who used to clean the mosque and when the Prophet missed her he was told that she died. He said to his companions that they should have mentioned her death to him. He wanted to know where she was buried and he went to her grave, praying there for her.
