Asslamo Allaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,
Matter of dispute:
The Madkhalees make the argument that the prayer of men and women is the same as it is categorically stated in Authentic Hadeeth that Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) stated:
Pray as you have seen me Pray...
Since he didn’t make any distinction in this Hadeeth it equally applies to men or women the same way. Instead of presenting one part of the Hadeeth lets produce the full text from Saheeh Bukhari:
Hadeeth:
دثنا محمد بن المثنى قال: حدثنا عبد الوهاب قال: حدثنا أيوب عن أبي قلابة قال: حدثنا مالك أتينا إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ونحن شببة متقاربون فأقمنا عنده عشرين يوما وليلة وكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رحيما رفيقا فلما ظن أنا قد اشتهينا أهلنا أو قد اشتقنا سألنا عمن تركنا بعدنا فأخبرناه قال ارجعوا إلى أهليكم فأقيموا فيهم وعلموهم ومروهم وذكر أشياء أحفظها أو لا أحفظها وصلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي فإذا حضرت الصلاة فليؤذن لكم أحدكم وليؤمكم أكبركم
Narrated Malik (RA): We came to the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) and stayed with him for twenty days and nights. We were all young and of about the same age. The Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) was very kind and merciful. When he realized our longing for our families, he asked about our homes and the people there and we told him. Then he asked us to go back to our families and stay with them and teach them (the religion) and to order them to do good things. He also mentioned some other things which I have (remembered or) forgotten. The Prophet then added, "Pray as you have seen me praying and when it is the time for the prayer one of you should pronounce the Adhan and the oldest of you should lead the prayer. [Bukhari]
Circumstances & Commands in the Hadeeth:
There are (4) things to note in this Hadeeth:
- These were a group of men (no women) who had the blessed oppurtunity of staying in the company of Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
- They were ORDERED to pray like Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
- They were ALSO ORDERED to call the Adhaan
- They were ALSO ORDERED for the oldest one to lead the prayer
Madkhali selective interpretation of the Hadeeth:
- If the prayer of the women is the same as men according to this Hadeeth then:
- How come it is NOT OBLIGATORY OR SUNNAH on women to call the Adhan with every prayer?
- How come it is NOT OBLIGATORY OR SUNNAH on the oldest women to become Imam in every prayer?
Do other Narrations restrict Adhan and becoming Imam for women?
If the Madkhali response is that other Ahadeeth restrict calling the Adhan and leading the prayers for women then we say that other Ahadeeth also state that the method of prayer for women is different to men as explained in detail here.
