Search In Fatwa

Women performing Iqamah

Question

Would you please tell me if women can make (Iqamah for Salat) for a group of women at the time no men at the mosque?

Answer

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions. A woman can make Iqamah for herself or for other women in a mosque or any other place provided she does not raise her voice. This is the stand of al-Malikiyah, al-Shafiyah and a narration from Imam Ahmad . Al-Ahnaf and al-Hanabilah are of the opinion that making Iqamah is not desirable for a woman even if she says it softly because, according to them, Iqamah is a form of worship that is peculiar to men. The first opinion is the preponderant one for the Hadith of Ayisha (Radiya Allahu Anha) that She would make the Adhan and Iqamah and lead the women in prayer, standing in the middle of the row . [ al-Baihaqi ] Allah knows best.

Related Fatwa