4] Is it prescribed to do ghusl on Fridays for women?

''Friday Prayers'' :-:->
4]
Is doing ghusl on Fridays is obligatory for women too?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Doing ghusl on Fridays is mustahabb, not obligatory, according to the
majority of fuqaha', although some of them were of the view that it is
obligatory.
Secondly:
This ghusl is prescribed for those who come to Jumu'ah prayers,
whether men or women, although it is men who are addressed in the
verse which tells them to attend the prayer, as Allaah says
(interpretationof the meaning):
"O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the
Salaah (prayer) on Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come tothe remembrance of
Allaah [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)] and
leave off business (and every other thing). That is better for you if
you did but know!"
[al-Jumu'ah 62:9].
But if a woman attends Jumu'ah prayer, it is prescribed for her to do
ghusl for it and observe its etiquette.
Ibn Hibbaan wrote a chapter in his Saheeh entitled: It is mustahabb
for women to do ghusl forJumu'ah if they want to attend it. Then he
quoted the hadeeth of 'Uthmaan ibn Waaqid al-'Umari from Naafi' from
Ibn 'Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever comes to Jumu'ah, man or woman, let
him do ghusl."
The authenticity of the hadeeth is agreed upon, apart from the
additional words "man or woman". This additional material was narrated
by Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibbaan, and al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan, and that
there was a difference of opinion as to whether it issaheeh or not.
It was classed as saheeh by al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) in
al-Majmoo' (4/405) and Ibn Mulaqqin in al-Badr al-Muneer (4/649).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Fath
(2/358): According to the report of 'Uthmaan ibn Waaqid from Naafi',
which is narrated by Abu 'Awaanah, Ibn Khuzaymahand Ibn Hibbaan in
their Saheehs with the wording, "Whoever comes to Jumu'ah, man
orwoman, let him do ghusl, and whoever does not come to it does not
have to do ghusl," its men are thiqaat (trustworthy). But al-Bazzaar
said: I am afraid that there is some wahm (weakness of memory) in
'Uthmaan ibn 'Aaqid.
What al-Bazzaar was afraid of, namely wahm (weak memory) of 'Uthmaan
ibn Waaqid, was stated with certainty by Abu Dawood, the author of
al-Sunan, may Allah have mercy on him.
Abu 'Ubayd al-Aajurri said:I asked Abu Dawood about him and he said:
Heis da'eef (weak). I said to Abu Dawood: 'Abbaas ibn Muhammad
narrated from Yahya ibn Ma'een that he is trustworthy. He said: He is
da'eef (weak). He narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever comes to Jumu'ah, man orwoman, let
him do ghusl.", but we do not know of anyone who saysthis apart from
him.
End quote from Tahdheebal-Kamaal, 19/505
Al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) stated definitively that this
additional material is odd and he classed it as weak, as it says in
al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah (8/430).
What may support the view that women should do ghusl for Jumu'ah is
the reports narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in his Musannaf from 'Ubaydah
bint Naa'il who said: I heard Ibn 'Umar and the daughter of Sa'd ibn
Abi Waqqaas say: Whoever among you (women) comes to Jumu'ah, let her
do ghusl. Something similar was narrated fromTawoos, and it was
narrated from Shaqeeq that he used to tell his family, both men and
women, to do ghusl on Fridays. See al-Musannaf (2/9).
Doing ghusl for Jumu'ah makes sense, because it is cleanliness and
puts a stop to unpleasant odoursthat annoy other people present. Hence
women are asked to do that if they want to attend.
Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath: al-Zayn ibn al-Muneer said: And it was
narrated from Maalik that whoeverattends Jumu'ah apart from men, if
their attendance is to seek virtue, it is prescribed for them to do
ghusl and observe all the etiquettes of Jumu'ah, but if they attend on
the spur of the moment, then no.
End quote from al-Fath al-Baari.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo' (4/405):
Doing ghusl on Friday is Sunnah, not obligatory in the sense that not
doing it is a sin, and there is no difference of opinion among us
concerning that. With regard to the one for whom it is Sunnah, there
are four views, but the correct view that is supported by the text and
regard by theauthor and the majority as the correct view is the
following: It is Sunnah for everyone who wants to attend Jumu'ah, man,
woman, child, traveller, slave and others, because of the apparent
meaning of the hadeeth of Ibn 'Umar, and because the aim is
cleanliness, and they are all the same withregard to that.
:->