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Praying in hotel rooms vs. praying in the sacred mosque in Makkah

Question

As-salaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah, sister's family in our neighbour are leaving for umraah Insha'Allaah from another country. she and other ladies in her family has been advised to offer her 5 prayers in her room in the hotel in makkah and medina instead of Masjid al-Haram and Masjied e Nabawi because there is more reward in that,saying it is in the hadeeth that woman’s prayer in her house is better for her than praying in the mosque. while other advising her to perform every prayer in those holy mosques behind the imam,considering the ahadith that talk about the increase in reward for the one who prays in Masjid al-haram and Masjid al-Nabawi.Thus she has been seeking advice on which is more rewardable for her to pray at the Ka'ba or in her hotel room while she is there.Please advice according Quran and sunnah. JazakaAllaahu kayraan

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  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

There is evidence from the Sunnah that the prayer of a woman in her house is better in reward than her praying in the mosque, and the general evidence include the Haraam mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's mosque in Madeenah. Um Humayd As-Saa'iddiyyah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her came to the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) and said: ''O, Prophet of Allaah, I love praying behind you." Thereupon, the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) told her: ''I know that, but your prayer in your home is better for you (more rewarding).'' [Ahmad]. This is evidence that a woman praying in her own home is better for her than praying behind the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) in his mosque in Madeenah. This is evidence that the multiplication of the reward in the Prophet's mosque is peculiar to men and not women, as pointed by some scholars  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them.

To conclude, it is more rewarding for a woman to pray in her own residence in the hotel. This becomes more confirmed due to what women do nowadays by applying perfume and not wearing the proper Hijab and due to the crowdedness in the two Sacred Mosques, and this causes men to be tempted by them and them being tempted by men.

For more benefit on the permissibility for women to attend congregational prayers provided they observe the religious requirements, please refer to Fataawa 82359 and 82401.

Allaah Knows best.

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