Fathwa, - Is it legally valid for men and women to pray in one line?

Question:
Is it legally valid for men and women to pray in one line?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
The general ruling is thatwomen should stand behind men when they are
praying together in congregation.
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the
Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) that he said:
�The best rows for men are the first rows, and the worst ones are the
last ones. The best rows for women are the last ones,and the worst
ones for them are the first ones.� (Sahih Muslim, no: 440)
Hence, it is stated in the renowned Hanafi Fiqh masterpiece, al-Hidaya:
�Men will make their rows first, then children and thereafter women��
(al-Hidaya, 1/124. Also see: Maraqi al-Falah, P: 249, al-Fatawa
al-Hindiyya, 1/89 and others)
According to the Hanafi School, if a woman was to pray next to a man,
the prayer of themanwould become invalid, and not the prayer of
thewoman. However, there are certain conditions in order for the man�s
prayer (salat) to become invalid: These conditions are as following:
1) The woman has reached puberty or is close to puberty in such away
that sexual gratification is typically acquired from her.
2) The prayer they are both offering consists of bowing (ruku�) and
prostration (sajda), even if one of them may be gesturing. Hence, the
funeral prayer of a man will not be invalidated if a woman prays next
to him, for it does not consist of a Ruku� and Sajda.
3) Both the man and woman are offering the same prayer with the same
Tahrima. In other words, they are both following the same Imamor the
woman is following the man. If they are offering their own individual
prayers, the man�s prayer will notbecome invalid.
4) There is no barrier between the man and woman. However, if there is
a barrier between them such as a pillar, then the man�s prayer would
not become invalid. This barrier should be, at minimum, the size of
the rear of a saddle in length, and to the thickness of a finger.
Moreover, empty space isalso considered to be a barrier, the minimum
of which should be that in which a person is able to stand. Thus, if a
man prayed next to a woman without a barrier, but there was enough
space between them for another person to stand, then the man�s prayer
would not become invalid.
5) The Imam makes the intention of the woman following him, for if the
Imam fails to make this intention, her prayer would become invalid
rather than the man�s, asthe Imam�s intention is arequirement for the
correctness of a woman�s prayer. Moreover, the condition is that the
Imam makes this intention (of the woman following him) atthe time of
commencing prayer, thus if a woman came later on and joinedin the
congregation and the Imam made the intention of her joining him, no
one�s prayer would become invalid.
6) The woman is from amongst those whose prayer is considered valid;
hence, if an insane woman (majnuna) prayed next to a man, hisprayer
would not be invalidated.
7) The woman remains praying next to the man for the duration of one
complete posture (rukn) of Salat such as the duration in which one can
offer a Ruku� or Sajda. (This is normally estimated to be the duration
of reading Subhan Allah thrice). Hence, if a woman remained next to
him fora period shorter than this and then left, the man�s prayer
would not become invalid.
8) Both the woman and man pray in the same direction, hence if they
were facing in different directions, such as when praying in the
Ka�ba, then the man�s prayer would not be invalidated. (See: al-Fatawa
al-Hindiyya, 1/89 & Radd al-Muhtar, 1/572)
The above are eight conditions that need to be found in order for a
man�s prayer to become invalid when praying next to a woman. If any
one of these conditions is not met, his prayer would not be
invalidated.
It is important to remember here that there is a slight difference of
opinion amongst the classical Hanafi Fuqaha with regards to the actual
method of being next to someone of the opposite gender. Is the prayer
invalidated with any limb of one�s body beingin line with any limb of
the other�s body or is the ruling based on the positioning of the
feet?
Some jurists are of the view that if any limb of the woman is in line
withany limb of the man, the man�s prayer would become invalid.
Therefore, whilst prostrating, if a woman�s head becomes in line with
the feet of the man, his prayer would be invalidated. However, the
relied uponopinion and that chosen by Ibn Abidin and others is that
the ruling will be based on the feet and in particular the heel. Thus,
the man�s prayer would not become invalid, as long as his heel is in
front of the woman�s heel. (Radd al-Muhtar, 1/572)
Given this difference of opinion, it is best for a spouse, for
example, to stand completely behind her husband when praying in
congregation.However, their prayer will be valid as long as her feet
and heel are behind her husband�s heel.
It is also worth remembering here that this above-mentioned ruling
applies to all typesof women, Mahram and non-Mahram, related or
unrelated, provided she has attained puberty or she is close to
puberty such that sexual gratification is typically acquired from her.
(al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 1/89)
Based on the above explanation, if men and women were praying together
in the same linein a congregation and behind one Imam, then the man
who is standing at the end of the men�s line which is connected to the
women�s line, his prayer will not be valid, provided all the other
above-mentioned conditions are met.
Imam Abd al-Hay al-Lakhnawi (Allah have mercy on him) states in his
notes on Imam al-Marghinani�s renowned al-Hidaya:
�Marghinani�s statement: �And that there is no barrier� It is
regarding this, Imam AbuYusuf (Allah have mercy on him) said that if
men and women prayed together in one line, the prayer of only one man,
the one standing between the men�s and women�s line, will become
invalid. And this man will be considered abarrier between the other
men and women.� (See: al-Hidaya with notes from Imam al-Lakhnawi,
1/125, Indian print)
However, this is when all the above-mentioned conditions are found.
Hence, if there was a barrier between the men�s and women�s lines
which also includes empty space that would be sufficient for a
personto stand in, then the manstanding at the edge of the row, his
prayer will not be invalidated.
In conclusion, it is alwaysbest for women to stand completely behind
men whilst offering prayer jointly, even if the woman is a close
family member. If a woman prayed next to a man, the prayer of the man
will become invalid. However, in order for theman�s prayer to become
invalid, certain necessaryconditions have to be found. If any one
condition is not met, his prayer would not be invalidated.
And Allah knows best

Fathwa, - Hanafi & Shafi抜 Positions on Females Praying in Congregation

Question:
I know that it is very important for men to pray in jamat. I was
wondering if this is the same case with women. I know a lot ofpeople
who understandably support the idea that ifthere are more than one
woman together then you should pray in jamat. But I have also heard
that many women believe that it is disliked to pray in jamat. When I
say jamat I don�t necessarily mean inside the masjid. I mean jamat at
home just amongst women. If you could please give both Hanafi and
Shafi�i positions.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,
Please see the following links relating both the Hanafi and Shafi�i
positions on women-only congregational prayers.
The Hanafi Position
From a previous questionanswered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani:
As for praying in a congregation of women,the Hanafi position is that
it is prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman), because it is not
established from the practice of the female Companions except through
a couple of narrations, which are understood either as being from the
early period of Islam or done to teach others how to pray.
Women's Congregational Prayer
Hanafi Woman Pray in a Women's Only Congregation?
Questions on Women�s Prayer: Women�s Congregational Prayer, Raising
the Voice When Alone, Giving Adhan and Iqama
Reading other sisters in congregation for instructional purposes
Women and Congregational Prayer
The Shafi�i Position
Is it sunna for women to pray in a women only congregation?
May Allah give you all success in this life and the next, amin.
Wassalam,
SunniPath Fiqh Team

Fathwa, - Women Leading Prayers and the Way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)

Question:
Women Leading Prayers and the Way ofthe Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings be upon him)
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
May Allah's peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad, his
folk, companions, andfollowers
Wassalam

Zamzam Water: The history & significance -I

Introduction
Allaah has made all living creatures out of water. People require
water for almost everything; for agriculture, construction,
transportation, andfor cooling and heating. But not all water carries
the same value and significance? Muslims refer tothe water of Zamzam
as something revered and unique. They crave this mysterious liquid and
love to drink it whenever they can. And for those who managed to go to
the Hajj, they return home carrying it for thousands of miles as a
prized possession and to give as special gift to their friends and
families.
So, what is so special about Zamzam water? In a word: Everything.
There is nothing ordinary about it. The miracle of how it came to
being in the middle of the desert,its consistency throughout thousands
of years, the beneficialqualities it has, the fact that it never dries
up. This water is special.
The fact is, this small 5 ft. deep well is far away from any other
source or body of water. It is self-replenishing. It is constantly
replenishing itself in order to produce gallons upon gallons of water
for consumption of thirsty pilgrims plus the additional amount that is
bottled and also the amount that is taken as gifts distributed
worldwide to millions. Zamzam water has scientifically been proven to
contain healing qualities due to its higher content of Calcium and
Magnesium Salts and also the natural fluorides that encompass a
germicidal action.
It is also an established scientific fact that pools or water wells
tend to grow vegetation such as algae—especially in warm climates.
Amazingly this is not the case in the well of Zamzam. Ithas remained
free from biologicalcontaminants.
From the time that Hagar wandered aimlessly through the desert in
search of sustenance forher son and herself; to the moment that
Ismaa'eelkicked his tiny feet on the sand and the well of Zamzam was
born out of the great Mercy of Allaah, Muslims have been drinking from
it. What is more fascinating is that it has never once dried up. To
Muslims this blessed water is special in significance and history.
A Lofty History
Ibn 'Abbaasnarrated that theProphetsaid:"When Ibraaheem )Abraham( had
differences with his wife,)because of her jealousy of
Haajar,Ismaa'eel's )Ishmael( mother(, hetook Ismaa'eel and his mother
and went away. They had a water-skin with them containing some water,
Ismaa'eel's mother used to drink water from the water-skin so that her
milk would increase for her child. When Ibraaheem reached Makkah, he
made her sit under a tree and afterwards returned home. Ismaa'eel's
mother followed him, and when they reached Kada, she called him from
behind, `O Ibraaheem! To whom are you leaving us?' He replied, ')I am
leaving you( to Allaah's )Care(.' She said, 'I am satisfied to be with
Allaah.' She returned to her place and starteddrinking water from the
water-skin, and her milk increased for her child. When the water had
all been used up, she said to herself,'I would better go and look so
that I may see somebody.' She ascended the hill of the Safaa
andlooked, hoping to see somebody, but in vain. When she came downto
the valley, she ran till she reached the hill of the Marwah. She ran
to and from )between the two hills( many times. Then she said to
herself, 'I would better go and see the state of thechild,' she went
and found it in a state of one on the point of dying. She could not
endure to watch her child dying and said)to herself(, 'If I go and
look, I mayfind somebody.' She went and ascended the hill of the Safaa
andlooked for a long while but could not see anybody. Thus she
completed seven rounds )of running( between Safaa and Marwah. Again
she said )to herself(, 'I would better go back and see how the child
is doing.' But all of a sudden she heard a voice, and she said to that
strange voice, 'Help us if you can offer any help.' It was Gabriel)who
had made the voice(. Gabrielhit the earth with his heel like this )Ibn
'Abbaashit the earth with his heel to illustrate it(, and so the water
gushed out. Ismaa'eel's mother was astonished and started digging
...She started drinking from the water and her milk increased for her
child..."]Al-Bukhaari[
In another narration of Ibn 'Abbaasthe Prophetsaid:"May Allaah be
merciful to the mother of Ismaa'eel! If she had left the water of
Zamzam)fountain( as it was, )without constructing a basin for keeping
the water(, it would have been a flowing stream. Jurhum )an ancient
Arab tribe( came to Hagarand asked her, 'May we settle at your
dwelling?' She said, 'Yes, butyou have no right to possess the water.'
They agreed."]Al-Bukhaari[
It was thus how the dry and barren valley of Makkah became inhabited.
The Archangel Gabriel unearthed the water of Zamzam such that the life
of Ismaa'eel, the great grandfather of Prophet Muhammadmaybe saved.
Hagar, the wife of Ibraaheem the patriarch, restricted its flow and
caused it to become a well. It is located next to the holiest of all
holy places: the Ka'bah. Its water was the direct cause of Jurhum's
settlement in Makkah, and hence the start of the Makkan era in
thehuman history. No other water can claim this honor.
The Rebirth of Zamzam
With passage of time, the inhabitants of Makkah started to forego the
ways of the pious ones. Jurhum, the core of the Makkan population,
were driven out of Makkah when they becameunjust and tyrannical. They,
beingfully aware of the importance of Zamzam, hideously plugged it to
deny their conquerors its blessings. Zamzam was not reopened and
henceforth was forgotten.
Many generations passed in Makkah with Zamzam in complete oblivion,
until Abdul-Muttalib )the paternal grandfather of the Prophet(
resurrected the dead well. Abdul-Muttalib himself was oblivious to
Zamzam. With the approaching of the last divine message, a sequence of
significant preludes was in order; the rebirth of Zamzam was one.
It so happened that for three consecutive nights, Abdul-Muttalib had a
very clear vision about digging a well. During eachvision, the name of
the well was different and no location was mentioned. On the fourth
night, however, both Zamzam and its location were communicated to
Abdul-Muttalib so clearly that he attended to the appointed task on
the morning of the very fourthnight.
To the utter disbelief of the Makkans who ridiculed the seemingly
futile attempt at finding water in such an arid place, Abdul-Muttalib
found water in an ancient buried well so close to the Ka'bah. And it
wasonly natural that the Makkans claim a share in this, obviously,
special well. Abdul-Muttalib gave no concessions and rejected any such
claim.
The Makkans and Abdul-Muttalib's could not negotiate a middle ground,
so both parties agreed to seek arbitration. They set out for a
priestess whose judgment was accepted by both parties.
On their way, and while crossing the desert, the caravan ran out
ofwater. The companions of Abdul-Muttalib all but gave up any hope of
salvation. And when all seemed lost, water sprang out from the ever so
small notch thatAbdul-Muttalib's camel made with its pad. Upon seeing
this, the Makkans knew that He who saved Abdul-Muttalib from this
eminent death on this very journey to settle the very question of
Zamzam, had made Abdul-Muttalib the sole heir to this special water.
The matter was settled and the family of the Prophetwas ennobled with
a mark of clearest distinction.
It is of paramount importance to mention that Abdul-Muttalib's
possession of Zamzam was not an act of ownership where he would deny
its water to others. Being the sole heir to Zamzam meant that
Abdul-Muttalib alone was to provide Zamzam water to the pilgrims; no
one else )save hisfamily of course( could partake inthis most
honorable privilege.