Women s Attendance to The Congregational Prayers and Their Performance of Prayers

Islamic legal rulings with respect to women s attendance to the congregational prayers are determined based on the Prophet s (s) commendments and recommendations in diverse places and times as well as the topics of worship, prayer (salat) and congregational prayers. Save some certain specific regulations due to the distinct nature of women, there is not difference deemed between men and women in worships. Multiple narrations describe how women took their places in the Masjid al-Nabi for daily prayers, eid payers, and funeral prayers during the time of the prophet and rightly guided caliphs with the condition of being wary of their coverings and standing behind the lines of men. These narrations confirm that there was an array of lines for men and women, but not a barrier between them. It seems that in the ages after the death of prophet women are prevented from attending congregational prayers based on justifications like degeneration. This difference before and after the age of the prophet and rightly guided caliphs reflected on the disagreements of schools of Islamic law regarding the issue. This paper examines Islamic legal regulations on womes s attendance to masjids and cogrega- tional prayers as well as details on their performance of prayers. It will focus on existing narrations with respect to the regulations of congregational prayers in a group consisting of men and women together.