Home or mosque, where is the best place for a woman to pray?

11:25 - 2021/06/23

This issue, the best place for a woman to pray, has been mentioned in some narrations. For example, Imam Sadiq (as) says: "The best mosques for your women are their houses."

Home or mosque, where is the best place for a woman to pray?

This issue, i.e. the best place for a woman to pray, has been mentioned in some narrations. For example, Imam Sadiq (as) says, 

The best mosques for your women are their houses.1

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) says,

A woman's prayer alone at home is like her offering prayer in congregation with additional twenty-five degrees of rewards.

That is, not only does a woman get the reward of congregational prayer when she offers her prayer at home, rather God has provided additional rewards for her. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) says,

It is not obligatory and necessary on women, to go to the mosque for Friday and congregation prayers.2

Of course, if women attend the mosque or congregational prayer in a normal Islamic dressing, there is no prohibition in it and they will benefit from the rewards and blessings of offering prayer in congregation.

However, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that in order to maintain modesty and moral integrity in the society, Islam has given importance to the hijab and covering of women and their not mixing with strange men. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (as) said to his son, Imam Hassan (as), 

Cover their eyes by keeping them under the veil because strictness of veiling keeps them for long. Their coming out is not worse than your allowing an unreliable man to visit them. If you can manage that they should not know anyone other than you, do so.3

Imam Baqir (as) is reported to have said, 

Women are among the things that need to be protected, so protect them by keeping them at home.4

Hazrat Zahra (as) says:

The best women are those who neither see men nor men see them.5

It is based on these narrations that we say, except for urgent needs such as acquiring expertise in necessary sciences for women like treatment of gynecological diseases or being employed doing such jobs, it is better for women to appear less in society and spend more time fulfilling their duties of rearing and educating a generation that would grow to become righteous individuals in future upon which the society would prosper as well.

What is claimed in today world that restrictions on women should be removed and they should be free to take presence in society or mix with men and so on is made for worldly purposes and does not have a religious basis.

REFERENCE:
1. Man La Yahdhurhu al-Fiqh, vol. 1, p. 238.
2. Wasail al-Shia, vol. 20, p. 220.
3. Nahj al-Balaghah, Letter 31.
4. Man La Yahdhurhu al-Fiqh, vol. 3, p. 390.
5. Kashf al-Ghummah. vol. 1 p. 466; Wasa'il al-Shia, vol. 20, p. 67.

 

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