Hamza Yusuf: Permissible For Women To Lead Men In Prayer

[hareem01]

Re: Hamza Yusuf: Permissible For Women To Lead Men In Prayer

@CM

A simple question. For 1400 years the Muslim world has believed that women can not lead men in prayers. The Holy Prophet nor any of the Sahaba followed a woman in prayer. Not even when Hazart Aisha led the rest of the Sahaba in prayers. So I guess all that history is wrong but we are right today.

And when we are right we are right by misquoting a hadis on its wording and nature. We opening ignore intent to fit our needs. Not only that we do so quoting a Jurist school of thought that died out nearly 1000 if not more years ago.

More importantly nobody during those 1400 years ever thought hey…we are not following the words of the Holy Prophet.

Right. Stop reading Dan Brown novels.

and what do you find wrong in Sh. Hamza’s statement?

" When I studied the prayer issue, I was so stuck by the fact that not only was it debated early on, but there were multiple opinions. Imam Tabari considered it permissible for women to lead the prayer if they were more qualified than men – to lead men in prayer. Ibn Taymiyah himself permitted women to lead men in prayer if they were illiterate and she was literate. He just said that she should lead from the back because she might distract the men if she was leading from the front. Ibn Taymiyeh! Permitting a woman to lead men in prayer!"