The Mosques

The Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be
upon him) granted permission to Muslim women
to attend the mosque and pray standing behind
the rows of men. He even advised the
Companions:
"Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from
going to the mosque." And husbands were
specifically told by him: "When your womenfolk
ask you for permission to attend the mosque, do
not prevent them."
Of course this permission to attend the mosques
was on the condition that women strictly observed
the various restrictions imposed upon them by the
Shari'ah regarding dress, etc., and it is known that
the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
considered it preferable for women to pray in their
own homes rather than attend the mosques. This
is borne out by the following incident.
Once the wife of Abu Hamid Sa'adi pleaded with
the Prophet to be allowed to attend his mosque
(the Prophet's Mosque in Medina) as she was
very fond of offering prayers behind him. He told
her,
"What you say is right, but it is better for you to
offer prayer in a closed room than in a courtyard.
Your prayer in a courtyard is better than on a
verandah, and your offering prayer in the mosque
of your own locality is better than your coming to
our mosque for it."
Thereafter she appointed a room for offering
prayers and continued offering prayers there till
her death, never even once going to the mosque.
There is a clear tradition of the Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him) encouraging women
to offer their prayers inside their houses: "The best
mosques for women are the inner parts of their
houses."
Since the Prophet had not forbidden women to
attend the mosques, they continued to come to
the mosques. But after his death it became
increasingly clear that it was not in keeping with
the dignity and honor of Muslim women to come
to the mosques for prayers, especially at night,
because men, being what they were, would tease
them. Therefore the khalifah 'Umar told women
not to come to the mosques, but to offer their
prayers inside their own houses. The women of
Medina resented this prohibition and complained
to Ayshah. But they received a fitting reply from
her:
"If the Prophet knew what 'Umar knows, he would
not have granted you permission to go out (to the
mosque)."