2 - It shows the virtue of the women Companions and their eagerness to learn the matters of their religion.

3 - It shows that women may ask about matters of their religion and speak with men concerning this and whatever else they need.

4 - It shows the permissibility of making an appointment. Al-Bukhari entitled the hadith: “Should a day be set aside exclusively for women to acquire knowledge?”

I say: As for the practice that has become widespread here in Damascus in recent times, whereby women go to mosques at specified times to hear a lesson from one of their number—those who style themselves “women preachers,” as they claim—this is among the newly introduced practices that did not exist in the time of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) or in the time of the righteous predecessors. Rather, the established practice is that righteous scholars undertake their instruction in a separate place, as in this hadith; or that they attend the men’s lesson in the mosque, separated from them by a partition, if that is possible. Otherwise, the men would crowd them out, and they would be unable to learn and ask questions about it.

If, among women today, there is one who has been granted some sound knowledge and understanding drawn from the Quran and the sunnah, there is no harm in her holding a private gathering for them in her own home or in the home of one of them. That is better for them. How could it not be, when the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said concerning congregational prayer in the mosque: “Their homes are better for them”? If this is the case with prayer, in which a Muslim woman must maintain manners and modesty that she does not observe so extensively outside the prayer, then how could learning at home not be more appropriate for them—especially since some of them raise their voices, and others may join them, producing a loud and ugly, reprehensible commotion in the mosque? This is something that we have heard and witnessed, regrettably.

Then I saw that this newly introduced practice had spread to some other lands as well, such as Oman. We ask Allah for safety from every newly introduced blameworthy innovation.