that, for the temptation it brings is grave. The Prophet ﷺ said, “I have not left behind me any trial more harmful to men than women…,” and he went on to say: “It is therefore obligatory upon him to prevent them when they go out beautified and adorned; to forbid them the garments that make them appear ‘clothed yet naked’—loose, sheer clothing; to stop them from conversing with men, that is, chatting with them in the streets—and to prevent the men from doing likewise.” End of Ibn al-Qayyim’s statement.

If a woman upholds the etiquette of Islam—maintaining ḥayāʾ (modesty), covering herself, avoiding adornment and perfume, and keeping away from mixing with men—she may be allowed to go to the mosque to perform the prayer and listen to reminders. Even so, staying in her home is better for her than going out, because the Prophet ﷺ said, “Their homes are better for them.”

The Muslims unanimously agree that a woman’s prayer in her house is superior to her prayer in the mosque, as this keeps temptation at bay, prioritizes safety, and blocks the avenues to wrongdoing.

But if she does not observe Islamic etiquette and fails to avoid what the Messenger ﷺ forbade—such as using adornment or perfume when she goes out—then her going to the mosque is unlawful, and her guardian and those in authority must stop her.

In the Two Ṣaḥīḥs there is a report from ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها: “Had the Messenger of Allah ﷺ seen what we have seen, he would have forbidden them from the mosque just as the women of the Children of Israel were forbidden.”