Can women offer Taraweeh in mosques?

 

It is better for women to offer Salaat in their own houses

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  For a woman, it is better to offer Salaat in her own room than in the main hall (of the house) and offering Salaat in the basement is better than offering Salaat in her own room.

 

This has been related by Abu Dawood.

 

This Hadith shows that the more hidden the women is while offering Salaat, the better it is for her.  This is because a woman deserves to be shielded.  The word Aurat itself includes a meaning of covering and screening.

 

Another Hadith in this regard

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Umme Salma (May Allah be well pleased with her) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  The best places for women are the innermost areas of the house.

 

This has been related by Imam Ahmad. 

 

This is also included among the etiquette of the mosque

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Aisha Siddiqua (May Allah be well pleased with her), she says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  People!  You bid your woman not to adorn themselves and come to the mosques (as this might lead to something worse) and men should not walk haughtily in the mosques, because the Nation of Israil was cursed when their women started coming to mosques all beautified and adorned and the men started walking haughtily in the mosques.

 

This has been related by Ibn ‘Abdul Barr with his own chain of narration in the foreword.

 

Women should be stopped from coming to the mosque

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Aisha Siddiqua (May Allah be well pleased with her), she says:  If the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had seen what new things the women had started after His time, He would surely have stopped them from coming to mosques the way the women of the Nation of Israil were stopped.  (As women and men congregating 5 times a day in such a manner is perilous and might lead to other evils, that’s why the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would have stopped women from coming to the mosque).

 

This has been related by Muslim.

 

The ruling for Taraweeh

 

The way Taraweeh is a Compulsory Sunnah (Sunnah Maukkadah) for men, it is also a Compulsory Sunnah comprised of 20 Raka’at for women.  In Ramadhan they should offer it in their own houses like the other Obligatory (Fardh) Salaat.  After the Obligatory, Sunnah and Supererogatory Salaat of ‘Isha, they should offer Taraweeh in units of 2 Raka’at.  After finishing Taraweeh, they should offer Witr Salaat. (Tahtaawi).

 

[Excerpted from Noor Ul Masabeeh, Vol. 3]