A Woman’s Friday Prayer in Her Home
Question: I have been performing the Friday prayer the way men do—two Sunnah rakʿahs and two obligatory rakʿahs. I then read in a booklet on prayer that the Friday prayer is not required of women. Was I wrong?
Answer: What you did in the past was indeed a mistake, because a woman’s Jumuʿah is only valid if she attends the congregation with the men. When she is present and prays with them, her prayer is valid by virtue of following them.
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The Wisdom Behind Silent and Audible Recitation in the Prayers
Question: Why do we recite silently in Dhuhr and ʿAsr, but aloud in Maghrib, ʿIshāʾ, and Fajr?
Answer: First, it is obligatory for a Muslim to act upon whatever has been transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ, even if he does not perceive the reason behind it; obedience is required whether or not we know the wisdom. Discovering the wisdom is an added benefit, whereas compliance itself is mandatory. One example is the silent recitation in the daytime prayers and the audible recitation in the nighttime prayers—Allah knows best the underlying wisdom.
Yet perhaps—and Allah knows best—the wisdom is that the night prayers are recited aloud because doing so is more conducive to humility (khushūʿ). The Qur’anic recitation at night is also nearer to reflection, for the voices are hushed and distractions have ceased. When one recites aloud, that further promotes contemplation and humility, as Allah Most High says: “Indeed, the vigil of the night is more conducive to steadfastness and better in recitation” (al-Muzzammil 6). Thus, the night prayer possesses a distinctive merit, and reciting the Qur’an aloud during it has—