QUESTION:
Is it permissible for a woman to read Jumu’ah Salah with Jama’ah? If not, please explain why it would not be permissible?
ANSWER:
Below we have reproduced a previous Fatwa in regards to females following the Imaam in Jumuah.
Salaatul Jumuah is not Waajib upon women as they are prohibited from leaving their home for Salaah. It is therefore not necessary for you to follow the Imaam if you find yourself in the ladies’ section of a Masjid due to being a traveller, etc.; hence it is recommended that you perform your 4 Rak’aats Zuhr Salaah individually, unless of course you are a Musaafir/traveller in terms of Shari’ah, in which case you will read 2 Rak’aats of Zuhr Salaah on your own.
[Re:- Al Lubaab Fee Sharhil Kitaab pg. 115 vol.1].
Notwithstanding the above, if a woman does follow the Imaam in Jumuah Salaah (though not recommended), her Salaah behind the Imaam will be valid and she will not be required to read her Zuhr Salaah separately. However, you should bear in mind that, for the validity of a lady’s Salaah when she follows an Imaam, there are a number of conditions to abide by according to the Hanafi Madhab. For instance, when there are women following an Imaam in the normal five times daily Salaah, it is necessary for the Imaam to make the Niyyah/intention that he is leading women in the Salaah. If he fails to do so, the Salaah of the women following the Imaam will be considered to be invalid. However, this ruling does not apply to the Jumuah Salaah and Eid Salaah. That is, if the Imaam did not have an intention of women following him (in Jumuah and Eid Salaah) then too, the Salaah of the women will be valid. Another important condition for the validity of a lady’s Salaah behind an Imaam is that the lady herself must make the intention of following the Imaam in Salaah.
يصح اقتداء المراة بالرجل فى صلاة الجمعة وان لم ينو امامتها وكذا العيدين وهو الاصح (تاتارخانية ص278 ج2)
ALLAH TA’ALA IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai
Date: 15 Muharram 1446 / 22 July 2024