Hamza Yusuf: Permissible For Women To Lead Men In Prayer

[BarbieCue]

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

@Niksik

How can a woman be Imam of a masjid? What happens on the days she has her period, or when she delivers a baby and is gone for 40 days? So why does she NEED to lead the prayers. It’s a privilege…nothing about who’s more powerful. It’s just the way it is.

Exactly. Why does there need to be a gender competition in every single thing?

@IceSoul

Your question is not valid Nisha, because apparently, a Muslim man can be distracted by the merest evidence of the presence of a woman in his vicinity. It doesn’t matter even if she’s wearing the Afghani Burqa because mostly (yes, not always :p) a burqa is worn by a woman and how can a righteous Muslim not be distracted by the fact that the creature he beholds is a woman?!

I don’t think men will have a chance to be pervy/distracted on the day of judgement based on what I’ve read about that day. Yet, we’ll be ordered to bow our heads and lower our gaze until Hazrat Fatimah (ra) has passed the bridge siraat. Why? Is it because she’s dear to Prophet saw and Allah swt and she deserves the respect or because she’s not equal to men or that men will be distracted or whatever? I’d like to think all muslim women are protected by Allah swt in this way. No, our darjah isn’t anywhere near Hazrat Fatimah’s which is why there won’t be seventy thousand hur-ul-in accompanying us on the day of judgement, which is why no one’s going to be bowing their heads and lowering their gaze for us… but we still do have some bit of darjah, we have been granted a certain status. Women should focus on this and the example of Hazrat Fatimah who happens to be the leader of women in Jannah, and not speculate over these unnecessary issues.