I have a few questions regarding the issue of jemaah prayer for women. We know that the prayers made in the masjidil haram is 100,000 times than other places. Yet, for a woman prayer in her house is better.

1. Does this mean that a woman’s prayer at home will be better than a man by more than 100,000 times?
2. Does this hadis also apply to women coming for Hajj or Umrah
3. Men are asked not to prevent their wives to go to mosque. Is this an order or just an advice?

from my research:

1: women pray at home is better at a certain situation
It was during the times of Sahabas that women were stopped from going to the masjid since the environment became risky. As wealth flowed, women starting making extravagant displays in the masjids, stealing the attention of the worshippers. But in the absence of any hadith i cannot conclude that the prayer at home will be better than prayer being performed in masjid in Mecca or Madina..

There is only one Hadith, which perhaps could have been misunderstood to mean that women should not go to the mosque. That Hadith is as follows:


Abdullah Bin Mas’ud reported the Prophet (pbuh) as saying: It is more excellent for a woman to pray in her house than in her courtyard, and more excellent for her to pray in her private chamber than in her house. [Sunan Abu Dawood Vol.1 Chapter 204 Hadith No.570]

If you base your conclusion only on this single Hadith, then you may wrongly conclude that it is not advisable or preferable for women to go to the mosque. However, your conclusion cannot be based only on one Hadith neglecting or ignoring all the other Ahadith. The context of the Hadith is also very important.

The Prophet (pbuh) said that if a person prays in the mosque he gets 27 times more blessings (Sawab). Some women argued that they had infants at home and other household work and therefore could not go to the mosque. Thus, the men would have a greater advantage than women for receiving such blessings. It is then that the Prophet (pbuh) said the above Hadith.

Hence, the conclusion is that in situations where women have infants and household work, which too is an important duty that cannot be neglected, women would not be deprived of the sawaab (blessings) if they pray in their own homes.

To answer your questions regarding the issue of jemaah prayer for women:

1. The statement that a woman's prayer at home is better does not mean that it is better than a man's prayer by more than 100,000 times. The concept of prayer in the masjidil haram being 100,000 times more rewarding than other places is based on specific hadith narrations. However, it does not directly compare the rewards of men and women's prayers. Each person's prayer is rewarded based on their individual sincerity and devotion, regardless of their gender or location of prayer.

2. The hadith stating that a woman's prayer at home is better is generally understood to be applicable to regular daily prayers and not specifically related to Hajj or Umrah. During Hajj or Umrah, women are encouraged to perform the prayers in congregation at the masjid, as it is a recommended practice for both men and women. However, if due to certain circumstances a woman is unable to join the congregation, she can still perform her prayers individually.

3. Men are advised not to prevent their wives from going to the mosque, but it is not necessarily considered an order or a strict obligation. The hadith that encourages women to pray at home is often interpreted as highlighting the importance of maintaining family responsibilities and providing ease for women, especially in situations where attending the mosque might cause inconvenience or disruption. However, it is important to note that Islam promotes and encourages women's active participation in the community, including attending the mosque for prayers and seeking religious knowledge. Ultimately, it is a matter of personal choice and the dynamics of each individual family.