Partitions in the Maasjids (Mosques)

Question:
“In some of the Maasjids (Mosques) in our countries, there are no partitions for the women.
The women attend the congregational prayer at the back of the Masjid, and sometimes they listen to the lectures or lessons.
When we object to this, they say, ‘This is how the Masjid of the Messenger of Allāh ((ﷺ)) was.’ Is this permissible?”

Answer:

“Yes, this is permissible if there is safety from fitnah. The people were upon goodness and righteousness, and this was the case during the time of the Messenger of
Allāh ((ﷺ)).

However, when fitnah exists, then blocking the means leading to fitnah is applicable.

ʿĀʾishah{رضي الله عنها} said, when she observed that some women had become more lax regarding going out to the Masjid: The women during the time of the Prophet ((ﷺ)) would go out in their ordinary clothing and without perfume. As mentioned in the ḥadīth, they would go out tafilāt (without perfume).

And in another narration, they were ‘wrapped in their cloaks,’ meaning with complete covering, and they had no fragrance that would cause fitnah.

When ʿĀʾishah{ رضي الله عنها} saw that some women during her time had become more lax regarding going out to the Masjid, she said:

‘Had the Messenger of
Allāh ((ﷺ)) seen what the women have introduced, he would have prevented them from the Maasjids, just as the women of the Children of Israel were prevented.’

Thus, ʿĀʾishah {رضي الله عنها} connected this matter to the occurrence of fitnah and women becoming lax, and that had this existed during the time of the Messenger ((ﷺ)), he would have prevented them from the Maasjids.

There is no doubt that women praying from behind a partition is safer for the hearts and further removed from fitnah, especially in our times, in which corruption among the people has greatly increased and the righteous among them have become few.

Likewise, women have become more lax and negligent regarding proper covering and other rulings concerning leaving the home.

Therefore, what is safer is for the women to pray from behind a partition.”

Answered by: Shaykh Rashād Ad-Dhalee’e (May Allah preserve him)

Source: https://t.me/rashadEng1/371

Translated by : Abū Zakariyyah SaadiQ