QUESTION:
What do the scholars of the Dīn and muftīs of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue: Is ‘Eid Salāh wājib for females? I have been noticing for a number of years that people have been inviting women for ‘Eid Salāh and have been saying that it is wājib for them.
Questioner: Fatimah from England, U.K.
ANSWER:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایة الحق والصواب
’Eid Salāh is not wājib for a woman; evidence should be sought from those who say otherwise. When it isn’t wājib for women to pray with congregation for a Fard [obligatory] Salāh, then how can it be so for ‘Eid Salāh which is wājib? In fact, it is makrūh [disliked] for women to pray with congregation for any salāh for that matter.
Just as it is stated in Durr Mukhtār,
“(وَيُكْرَهُ حُضُورُهُنَّ الْجَمَاعَةَ) وَلَوْ لِجُمُعَةٍ وَعِيدٍ وَوَعْظٍ (مُطْلَقًا) وَلَوْ عَجُوزًا لَيْلًا (عَلَى الْمَذْهَبِ) الْمُفْتَى بِهِ لِفَسَادِ الزَّمَانِ”
“(It is makrūh for females to attend congregational prayer) even if it is for Jum’ah, ‘Eid or a sermon/function (generally speaking). Even if it is an old woman, even if in the dark. (For our stance i.e. in our school of thought, it is makrūh); this is the legal verdict due to the immorality of this day & age.”
[Durr Mukhtār ma’ Radd al-Muhtār, vol. 1, p. 556]
Likewise, it is stated in Bahār-e-Sharī’at that for females to go to congregation for any salāh is not permissible, be it salāh in the day or night; be it for Jum’ah or for both ‘Eids; be she young or old. Similarly, for her to go to sermons, gatherings etc. is not permitted.
[Bahār-e-Sharī’at, vol. 1, part 3, p. 584]
والله تعالی أعلم ورسوله أعلم صلی الله علیه وآله وسلم
کتبه أبو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء القادري
Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qādiri
Translated by Haider Ali al-Madanī
Read the original Urdu answer here: [Q-ID0869] Can women pray Eid Salah?
