or three times in order to pronounce it according to the rules of tajwīd, while neglecting the meaning and reflection upon the Quran.

THAT A MAN LEAD ONE OR MORE NON-MAHRAM WOMEN IN PRAYER WHEN NO MAN IS WITH THEM

His statement, “that he lead one or more non-mahram women in prayer when no man is with them”: that is, it is disliked for him to lead one or more non-mahram women in prayer. A non-mahram woman is one who is not among his unmarriageable female relatives.

The author’s statement requires further detail. If there is only one non-mahram woman, then limiting the ruling to dislike is clearly questionable if it entails seclusion. This is why, in al-Rawḍ, he cited as evidence that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prohibited a man from being alone with a non-mahram woman (1). Yet we say: if he is alone with her, it is forbidden for him to lead her in prayer, because whatever leads to what is prohibited is itself prohibited.

As for his statement, “or more,” meaning that he leads two women in prayer, this too is questionable insofar as the ruling of dislike is concerned. For when a woman is accompanied by another woman, seclusion no longer exists. Thus, if the man is trustworthy, there is no harm in his leading them both in prayer. This sometimes occurs in certain mosques where the congregation is small, especially during the night prayers in Ramadan: a man may come to the mosque and find no men there, but find two, three, or four women at the back of the mosque. According to the author’s statement, it would be disliked for him to begin the prayer with these two, three, or four women.

The correct view is that this is not disliked, and that if he leads two or more women in prayer,