Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As salamualaykum brother.

When i pray at home (some times i need to pray at home cos the masjid is very far from my place), shall my wife pray with me , provided i maintain some distance from the place she pray and mypraying place. my questions are

1) Do i need to keep any pardha/screen in between my wife and myself while i pray (as imam ,like in jamaath).

2) What is the normal distance i need to maintaint between a women (wife, daughters) in prayer .

3) If i do any mistake in prayer (for example) i reciet/read sura wrongly, shall a women have rights/permitted to speak out and corrent the sura while we are praying in jamath

4) if i do mistake in salath (ie) in second rakath instaead of sitting if i stand up like first rakath/third rakath, what a women should do to correct it (as mens say "subhanallah").

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Can woman correct mistake in prayer clap

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.53

Topic: Consitution of a congregation

One person with the ‘imam’ would constitute a congregation, even if the other person is a child or a woman.

Ibn 'Abbas says: "I stayed with my Aunt Maimunah and the Prophet (saws) got up to pray during the night. I got up to pray with him and stood on his left and the Prophet (saws) took me by my hand and put me on his right side."

Although it is absolutely preferred that the believing men offer their obligatory prayers in congregation with the believers in the Masjid, if for any genuine reason one is unable to attend the congregation at the Masjid, there is absolutely no harm if a single man were to form a congregation with his womenfolk.

Thus when leading one’s womenfolk (like mother, wife, daughters, sisters, etc.) in congregational prayer, the man should lead as the ‘imam’ and the woman or women would offer their prayers in the row directly behind him in congregation.

Your Question: ….Do i need to keep any pardha/screen in between my wife and myself while i pray (as imam ,like in jamaath).

Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn 'Umar and 'Aishah report that the Prophet (saws) said, "Allah does not accept the prayer of an adult woman unless she is wearing a ‘jilbaab’ (khimar, hijab, head-cover)."

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

The believing woman is required to cover herself completely when offering her prayers; thus there is no need or requirement in Shariah for the ‘imam’ leading the prayer to place an additional ‘purdah’ or screen between him and his womenfolk praying behind him in congregation.

Your Question: What is the normal distance i need to maintaint between a women (wife, daughters) in prayer .

When a ‘single’ man is leading his womenfolk in congregational prayer, the women, regardless of whether it is a single woman or more than one, would stand directly behind the ‘imam’ leading the prayer.

Although no specific distance is mentioned in Shariah, a distance of a couple of feet where the women praying behind the ‘imam’ in congregation can hear the recitation easily would more than suffice.

Your Question: If i do any mistake in prayer (for example) i reciet/read sura wrongly, shall a women have rights/permitted to speak out and corrent the sura while we are praying in jamath
If the ‘imam’ leading the prayer makes a mistake in the recitation of the Quran, and the believing men praying behind the ‘imam’ do not correct his mistake, there is absolutely no harm if one amongst the believing woman corrects the mistake in the recitation of the Quran of the ‘imam’.

Your Question: ….if i do mistake in salath (ie) in second rakath instaead of sitting if i stand up like first rakath/third rakath, what a women should do to correct it (as mens say "subhanallah").
Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.86

Topic: Saying Subhanallah and clapping

It is allowed for men to say ‘Subhanallah’ and for women to clap if there is some need to do so (such as alerting the imam to a mistake in prayer, etc.). Sahl ibn Sa'd as Sa'di relates that the Prophet (saws) said: "If someone is faced with something during the salah, he should say 'Subhanallah.' Clapping is for the women and saying ‘Subhanallah’ is for the men." Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and an-Nasa'i.

If the sisters observe that the ‘imam’ leading them in prayer has made an error in the prayer, they should alert their ‘imam’ by the sound made from their claps.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan