Title: Congregational Prayers for Women Question: It seems as though often times a lot of sisters don't pray with the jamaa`ah . They contend that they are not supposed to or are not required to. However, this is confusing to me because it makes no sense to not say sala'h even when there is a jamaa`ah praying. Answer: It is not obligatory for women to offer their prayers in congregation as opposed to men [1] . If a woman wants to offer her prayers in congregation, she may do so. But doing so is not mandatory for her. This is particularly with reference to the five daily prayers and the Jum`ah prayers. As far as the congregation of Eid is concerned, it has been narrated in a number of sayings ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh) that he directed and persuaded women to attend the Eid congregation to the extent that even if one was passing through her menstrual cycle, due to which she is not to offer her prayers [2] , she should still attend the congregation and listen to the khutbah (sermon/address) [3] . It is very unfortunate, that Muslim women are no longer encouraged to attend even the Eid congregation. In my opinion, it is extremely important that Muslims should try to facilitate the attendance of women not only in the Eid congregation, but also in the five daily prayers and the Jum`ah congregation. The present situation is a very unfortunate and a queer one, where a Muslim woman can visit every place without any hindrance except mosques. This situation, as you would agree, needs to be corrected. We must not forget that the correction of a man, normally results in the correction of an individual, while the correction of a woman can easily result in the correction of the whole family, because of her influence on the household. Therefore, women, in my opinion, should be encouraged and provided the opportunity to make themselves present, without any hindrance or discomfort, at all gatherings where the word of God is taught and propagated. 5 th march 1999 [1] In fact, it is not even obligatory for men to join the congregation. The position of offering prayers in a congregation is highly recommended for men, but not obligatory. [2] As is required by the Shari`ah . [3] For reference, please see Sahih Muslim , Kitab Sala'h al-Eidain .