Sunday, March 2, 2008

Which is better for the woman, to pray in her house or pray in al-Masjid al-Haraam (Makkah)?



Question put to our Noble Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen after Salaat al-Fajr in al-Masjid al-Haraam in Makkah on Tuesday 27 Ramadhaan 1420/ 4 January 2000
Which is better for the woman, to pray in her house or pray in al-Masjid al-Haraam (Makkah)?

The Noble Shaykh (hafitha-hullaah) briefly responded by saying it is better for the woman to pray in her house for that which is mentioned in the hadeeth:
((Do not prevent your women from going to the masaajid, however, their homes are better for them)).
The word masaajid (plural of masjid) encompasses all the masaajid inclusive of al-Masjid al-Haraam in Makkah, al-Masjid an-Nabawee in Madeenah and al-Masjid al-Aqsaa in al-Quds (Jerusalem). Therefore based upon this hadeeth it is clear that it is better for a woman to pray in her home.