Are women allowed to lead the namaz prayers (with other women of course), if there isn’t a man around?
Wow, good question, never thought about that.
DeLiRiOuS, :)
I'm not a religious scholar but I think women can lead prayers for women. Just wait for other people's comment in the light of Holy Quran and Sunnah!
Woman can't lead men in prayers. I think because for every successful man, there's always a woman's assistance.
im not a religious authority either, but unless the women ive been around have been doing something wrong, women can lead other women in prayer.
as for leading men. can u imagine women bending over to do sajda etc in front of guys? no offense, but there is a reason girls stand behind guys-and its not b/c they are inferior 
Re: Women leading prayers..
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Originally posted by *DeLiRiOuS: *
Are women allowed to lead the namaz prayers (with other women of course), if there isn't a man around?
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yes. only women
Thank you all for you comments and explanations. :)
The reason I asked was because in my Studies of World Religions class there was a true/false question on the final - “although an imam is usually the one who leads the community in prayers, the prayers can also be lead by anyone else..” And of course I knew it was ‘true,’ but then as these amreekans have it in their genes to make things more complicated than they should be, this kid asked if by saying ‘anyone’ did the professor mean both women and men. So, since the professor knew I was the only Muslim student in the class, he asked me if women were allowed to lead. So after being put on the spot with a question that I never thought about myself and without being 100% sure about it, I told him “yes, a woman can lead a group of other women.”
Given that I wasn’t sure and hadn’t really inquired much about that, I felt rather guilty that what if I had given the professor the wrong information about my own religion and that now I’m going to be damned to hell for sure!
So, I asked just about everyone I know and they all had different views. So I just wanted to know if there was anything in the Qur’an stating anything on this subject.
What was a professor doing teaching a class where he doesn’t know all the answers? :hmmmmmmm:
Yes, a woman can lead other women, but it’s not common nowadays. Women I’ve noticed don’t like to take the lead in religious matters anymore.. wonder why.
My nani used to lead the community women’s prayers in her home, when all the men used to go to the Eidgah (this is loooooooong time ago btw), and I would sit beside her nibbling my dupatta. That’s how I know.
The following is also quite interesting and useful:
*Evidence that when a woman leads other women in prayer, she should stand in the middle of the row. *
Ibn Qudaamah said: it is Sunnah, when a woman to lead other women in prayer, for her to stand in the middle of the row in all cases, because they are ‘awrah. Al-Mughni, vol. 1, p. 347
Al-Nawawi said: The Sunnah is for a woman who is leading other women in prayer to stand in the middle of the row, because of the reports which state that ‘Aa’ishah and Umm Salamah led other women and they stood in the midst of them. Al-Majmoo’ Sharh al-Muhadhdab, vol. 4, p. 192
If women pray in congregation, then the one who is leading them should stand in the middle of the row, because that is more concealing, and a woman is required to cover as much as possible. It is known that if a woman stands in the midst of other women it is more concealing than if she were to stand in front of them. The evidence for that is the reports which were narrated from ‘Aa’ishah and Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with them), “When a woman leads other women in prayer, she should stand in the middle of them.” This was the action of the Sahaabi women, and the more correct view is that this action of the Sahaabi women is to be taken as proof because there is no text narrated to the contrary. If a woman is leading one other woman in prayer, she should stand as a man stands with one other man.
See al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, vol. 4, p. 387.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
so when u say 'Sunnah' it can't be what the Prophet said, did or approved would it??
i don’t c harm in that. 
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so when u say 'Sunnah' it can't be what the Prophet said, did or approved would it??
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Dear Soggy,
Yes, that's what Sunnah is. The scholars have based the above opinions on ahadeeth and narrations mentioned in the books that have been quoted.
... and Allaah knows best.
WasSalaam
well if Allah knows best then the scholars should do the same and check with Him instead of creating rulings based on their personal understanding.
I don't think leading congregational prayers has been addressed by Allah anywhere so it's upto society to determine how to go about this issue.. overwhelming male demands of relegating women to back rows notwithstanding.
Soggy,
Your conjecture is as faulty as your premise. It appears you have little clue about Islam and its sources of rule-making. I suggest you do more reading than typing. Otherwise you will just expose your lack of knowledge. Asking questions is ok. Making lame statements all the time is not a good past time.
Delirious,
This question was answered as part of a previous discussion as well. Please Click here
Whats with all this concealing business? No matter what topic is under-discussion regarding women in Islam, it always ends up with tips on ways to conceal women. Why is Islam so scared of women?
Faisal, Soggy, like all the rest of us, has no clue about anything at all. But would you kindly share with us the secret of your wonderful wholesome allround anywhere anything knowledge?
Tips glass to Scratch
I agree. Just because it says in one hadith that this was a particular manner that the women followed back then, if indeed this hadith is authentic and wholly unbiased , then that doesn’t mean there is a big RULE that everyone HAS to follow when doing female led-female followed prayers.
After all, women being concealed from other women…? Comon now - we can see each other’s bosoms in the communal baths, but its being “unconcealing” to stand in front of other women?
yup they sure can lead when the jamat is only women, and the method is the same as for men :)