Q:
1.1 If a woman is performing salaah in jama'ah with men, will her salaah invalidate the salaah of just the person immediately behind her or all those directly behind her whether there is a wall behind her or not?
1.2 Is there any difference between the Haram and non Haram in the above scenario?
2. If she stood a step or two behind him to his right or left and not directly in line with him, will his salaah break keeping in mind that she will be in line with him though not in Qiyaam, but in Rukoo' and Sajdah?
3. Some are of the opinion that since the gathering is large in the Haram, there is no need to for the Imaam to include the women in his niyyah, as in the case of Jumu'ah and Eid?
A: In the Hanafi Mazhab it is a condition for the validity of the women's salaah that the imaam makes niyyat for leading them in salaah. If the imaam does not make niyyat of the women, then their salaah will not be valid behind the imaam and nor will their salaah invalidate the salaah of the men muqtadi standing beside them or behind them. This law pertains to all places including the Haramain Shareefain.
However, If the imaam makes niyyat for the women, and a woman performs salaah in between two men, then the salaah of both men standing besides her will break. Similarly, the salaah of the man standing directly behind her will also break. The salaah of the man standing behind him will not break.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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