Q: In a Masjid where there is one hall but men and women pray side to side but women are in a space next to the men separated by a wall and a divider and there is a gap of a more than a space a person can stand in between the men and women. If in this set up, some women on their side end up being ahead of men on the men’s side, would the prayer of the men they are ahead of or on the same line on be invalidated, would anyone’s prayer be invalidated?
A: If the imaam makes niyyah for leading the women in salaah, and the women's saffs are behind the imaam, then since there is a dividing wall between the males and females, the salaah of both the males and females will be valid. However, for women to perform salaah in the musjid is not correct and is against the rulings of the Fuqahaa. From the time of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu anhum) and Taabi'een (rahimahumullah), when fitnah commenced due to women coming out of their homes and being present in places where males are found, the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu anhum) and Taabi'een (rahimahumullah) began preventing women from attending the congregational salaah in the musjid.
It is reported by Amrah that Hazrat Aa’ishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) said, “Had Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) been alive today and witnessed the fitnah being caused through the women attending the congregational salaah, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would have surely prohibited them from coming to the musjid, just as the women of the Banu Israa’eel had been prohibited from attending the congregational salaah.” (Sunan Abi Dawood #569)
Apart from this, Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) encouraged the women to perform their salaah within the confines of their homes. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, "The salaah of a woman in her bedroom is more rewarding than her salaah in the communal room of her house, and her salaah in the innermost portion of the bedroom (a small room within the bedroom – walk-in closet – or corner of her bedroom) is greater and more rewarding than her salaah in her bedroom." (Abu Dawood #570)
Therefore, in this time and age where fitnah is prevalent everywhere, and there is no way to control the fitnah, the Ulama strongly discourage women from attending the congregational salaah in the musjid. We have prepared a detailed article on this topic. You may refer to the following link: https://ihyaauddeen.co.za/?p=12794
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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