Monday, July 23, 2007

Can A Women Lead A Purely Female Congregation?



Various Opinions from the Imams of the 4 schools of thought:


Imam Abu Hanifah: If a lady leads the salāh of a purely female congregation, then salāh will be correct. It is however makrooh tahrimi for women to form their own congregation.

(Hidayah vl.1,pg.305; Bada'i-us Sanai vl.1,pg.157)

Imam Malik: A lady can in no circumstance be the Imam even if the congregation be entirely female. The salāh of even a lady behind a female imām is invalid.

(Bulghatus Salik vl.1, pg.146; Ashalul Madarik, vl.1,pg.241)

Imam Shafi`i: A lady can be the imam of a purely female congregation. In fact it is mustahab for them to form their own congregation.

(Al Mughni vl.12,pg.199; Bada-i vl.1,pg. 157)

Imam Ahmad: The salāh of a lady behind a lady imām is permissible. There is however difference of opinion regarding women forming their own congregation (behind a female imam).

(Al Mughni l.12, pg.199)

5 comments:

Huda Shaka` said...

It's funny...not until I came to the US and interacted with Muslims from different backgrounds did I realize there was a difference in opinion on this issue. Just another example of how diversity helps broaden our perspectives.

Um Sumayyah said...

wa alhamduliLah for differences of opinions in islam :)

Unknown said...

Do we know how the Shia view this issue? I think it was interesting to learn the periods of time that prayer came in was drastically different from the Sunni Madhabs, which was a broadening of prespectives for me :)

Zahra Billoo said...

"In 2000, six marjas among Iran's Shia leadership declared that they too allowed women to lead a woman-only congregation, reversing a previous ban in that country."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_as_imams

Unknown said...

Thats pretty good job Zahra, your ADD has proved itself useful :)