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Fatwa CenterInauthentic report about man poking his wife while praying
Question
assalaamu alaykum. I watched a video in which an Islamic speaker referenced a hadith about a man who used to poke his wife while praying, and the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, ordered her to pray in the farthest corner or her home. (I know the hadith about women praying in their homes being best for them), but he told a different version that involved what I mentioned above. Later, a counter claim was made against him for telling false narrations and also for giving the wrong interpretation for the hadith (by saying that it was specific to that woman and not all women). I tried looking for the hadith but could not find it. Is it a fabricated narration?
"There was a man who was obsessed with his wife and who used to poke her when she prayed, and when she complained to the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, he asked the man why he did so, and he answered that she stole his Chapters (read the ones that he used to read during the prayer) [and the rest of the narration from her is the one where the Prophet explains to the woman that the prayer in her home is better than...]"
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
We did not find this hadeeth to which the lecturer referred in any of the books and references available to us; we do not believe that it is an authentic hadeeth, especially if it suggests that it was recommended for this specific woman mentioned in the hadeeth to perform the prayer at her house and not Muslim women in general.
In fact, this plainly contradicts the authentic hadeeth that reads, "Do not prevent your women from going to the mosques of Allaah." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] The version cited by Abu Daawood 
reads, "Do not prevent your women from going to the mosques; but their houses are better for them (for praying)."
It is well-known that Muslim women are allowed to go to the mosques as long as there is no fear of fitnah (temptation, tribulation) and they adhere to the enjoined provisions governing the woman's interactions outdoors such as observing the hijab and avoiding wearing perfume and incense, especially if attending the prayers at the mosque brings about other benefits such as attending religious lessons or sermons or the like. Nevertheless, it is better for them to perform the prayers at home.
Allaah knows best.
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