[Q 470] Women Leading Women in Salah

Question

What is the ruling regarding women forming their own congregation (jama‘ah) for prayer?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

According to the Ḥanafi (Hanafi) school of thought, for women to establish a congregation (jama‘ah) in such a way that the imam is also a woman is makruh taḥrīmi nā-jā’iz (prohibitively disliked and impermissible).

وَكَذَا يُكْرَهُ جَمَاعَةُ النِّسَاءِ وَحْدَهُنَّ لِأَنَّهُ يَلْزَمُهُنَّ أَحَدُ الْمَحْظُورَيْنِ: إِمَّا قِيَامُ وَسَطِ النِّصْفِ، أَوْ تَقَدُّمُهُ، وَهُمَا مَكْرُوهَانِ فِي حَقِّهِنَّ كَرَاهَةَ تَحْرِيمٍ

(“Majma‘ al-Anhur”, Vol. 1, Page 164)

It is mentioned in Fatāwā ‘Ālamgīrī:

وَيُكْرَهُ إِمَامَةُ الْمَرْأَةِ لِلنِّسَاءِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ كُلِّهَا مِنَ الْفَرَائِضِ وَالنَّوَافِلِ

Translation: For a woman to lead other women in prayer—whether in farā’iḍ (obligatory) or nawāfil (voluntary) prayers—is makruh (disliked).

(Fatāwā Alamgiri, vol 1, p 94)

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 26th October 2025
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