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QUESTION: A sister on our campus recently accepted Islam. She does not know how to pray the full salah -- but she does know the positions and I think the tasbihat. If I pray in jama'ah with her, will that salah be considered makruh tahrimi for me? If so, should I repeat my salah? In addition, I know a sister who comes from a very secular household and does not know how to pray. Sometimes iIfeel like asking her to simply join me in prayer when I am with her during the prayer times rather than first telling her to learn how to pray. Would that salah be considered makruh? ANSWER: Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah, It is not disliked for women to lead other women in prayer for the purpose of instruction—this, in fact, is how the individual narrations about Sayyida A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) and other great female companions having prayed in congregation are understood in the Hanafi school.

As for the general ruling:

1. Women’s prayer in congregation

In the Hanafi school, it is not recommended for women to pray together in a congregation of women. Rather, it is prohibitively disliked, because it is considered going against the sunna for women, and for the reasons mentioned in the answers on this site.

As such, in general, a Hanafi sister should not pray in a women’s only congregation. A group of Hanafi sisters should not pray in congregation together, for the reasons explained in those answers.

However, if one honestly fears that not praying in such a congregation could lead to confusion, argument, or other forms of discord (fitna), the scholars say that it would be superior to go ahead and pray in congregation, because of the principle that, “Avoiding harm is given precedence over achieving benefits,” and because, “The lesser harm is borne to avoid greater harm.”

2. Iqama and Adhan for Women

Giving the call to commence (iqama) and call to prayer (adhan) are both prohibitively disliked for women, for the same reasons as the dislikedness of their congregational prayer alone.

And Allah alone gives success.

Wassalam,

Faraz Rabbani

[Source: SunniPath]