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nd speak in a customary manner

HaditbeenfromanyonebesidesAllahth

ywouldhavefoundmanydiscrepancie

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ouldhavefoundmanydiscrepanciesi

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eyconsidertheQuranwithcare?Hadit

eenfromanyoneotherthanAllahthey

ouldhavefoundmanydiscrepanciesi

nit.VerilyhaveWerevealeditandverily

SHOULD MUSLIMWOMEN SPEAK?

A comprehensive introduction to theIslamic textual evidence against the

prohibition of Muslim women speaking

in public

Dawah Institute of NigeriaIslamic Education Trust

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2

A comprehensive introduction to the Islamic textualevidence against the prohibition of Muslim women

speaking in public

(Module 101 of the Train-the-Trainers course in Islam and Dialogue)

Dawah Institute of NigeriaIslamic Education Trust

SHOULD MUSLIMWOMEN SPEAK?

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3

Islamic Education Trust, 1429/2008

ISBN 978-2159-55-7

All rights reserved: No part of this book may be reproduced in anymanner except with written permission from the publisher.

Dawah Institute of NigeriaIslamic Education Trust Headquarters

PMB 229, Ilmi Avenue, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria.

Phone: +234-803-600-5535Email:dawahinstitute@yahoo.com Website: www.ietonline.org

mailto:dawahinstitute@yahoo.commailto:dawahinstitute@yahoo.commailto:dawahinstitute@yahoo.commailto:dawahinstitute@yahoo.com

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CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Notes on Terminology and Transliteration

Preface

Should the voice of a woman be heard by men outside her

family? Some scholars have said that her voice is part of her

awrah

Part I: Arguments for the voice being awrah

1. The Hadith: Men should say subhnallah whilewomen should clap

2. Women perform theirsaltsilently.3. Women do not call the adhn.4. The Saying: A woman is awrah.5. The Hadith: the voice of a woman is awrah.6. The Quranic verse: stay quietly in your houses.7. The Quranic verse: do not speak in a soft or seductive

way.

8.

The avoidance offitnah

(corruption and mischief) insociety.

Part II: Arguments against the voice being awrah

1. A womans voice in congregational salat2. Women speaking in places of worship3. Women making the adhan (call for prayer)

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4. Womans voice in salat, and when leading other women5.

Women reciting Quran aloud

6. The Saying: the voice of a woman is awrah7. The Hadith: A woman is awrah8. Women spoke to the Prophet ()9. Women spoke to non-mahram Companions10.Saying salam to and by women11.Hadith narrated orally by women12.Women singing13.Women giving oral testimony

Conclusion

Bibliography

Recommended Websites

Other Publications of the Dawah Institute of Nigeria (DIN)

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FOREWORD TO THE SERIES

Islam is considered by many observers to be the fastestgrowing religion in the world, yet it is the most misunderstood ofthe worlds major faiths. Some misconceptions about Islam stemfrom calculated propaganda against Islam, but a good amount of itis attributable to the ignorance of many Muslims whose limitedknowledge and practice of Islam perpetuates thesemisconceptions.

Due to the deficiencies of the common, restricted way ofteaching Islam to children, many Muslims grow up believing thatIslam requires only blind faith and invites no intellectualchallenges. Often such Muslims manage with minimal knowledgeof their faith until they interact with larger circles of people, inhigher institutions or the work place, where they are confronted with many misconceptions about Islam, and face questions they

cannot answer.It is in response to the need for empowering Muslims to knowtheir religion, and to share its beautiful message with the rest ofhumanity, that this work was begun.

This effort is part of a wider project of intellectualempowerment of the global Muslim world. Among the programsdesigned by the Islamic Education Trust over the past decade anda half is the Train the Trainers Course (TTC) in Islam and

Dialogue. As its name indicates, the course is designed to trainda wah volunteers in clarifying misconceptions about Islam,handling differences of opinion among Muslim scholars, andextending personal leadership training to others. The contents ofthis series of books evolved from teaching manuals from the TTC.It is hoped that this publication will serve as intellectual resourcematerial for Muslims of different backgrounds.

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Justice Sheikh Ahmed Lemu, OFRNational President

Islamic Education TrustNovember 2008/Dhul-Qadah, 1429 AH

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

All praise and gratitude is due to Allah Who has made thiswork possible. And may the peace and blessings of Allah be in Hislast messenger, Prophet Muhammad.

The Prophet () said: Whoever does not show gratitude topeople does not show gratitude to Allah. It is thereforewith greatpleasure that the Da wah Institute of Nigeria (DIN) takes thisopportunity to express its sincere gratitude to all the brothers and

sisters from all over the world, who have in various wayscontributed to the development of the Train the Trainers Coursein Islam and Dialogue (TTC) and its study material of which thisbook is a part.

The material has evolved into its present form over a longperiod before and after the TTC became an organized course in1994.

The contributions to the course and its material have come in

many ways, through numerous channels, both formally andinformally, and from all over the world. They have come fromcontributors of various backgrounds, age-groups, organizations,and specializations.

It has unfortunately become practically impossible to cite all who deserve mention - but Allah has counted them all, and wecontinue to pray Allah to bless them with the best in this life andthe next. We will however mention at least the countries where themajor contributors have come from, and may Allah forgive us forany omissions.

Contributions to the development of the course have comefrom Australia, Bahrain, Burundi, Cameroun, Egypt, the Gambia,Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Niger, thePhilippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, SriLanka, Sudan, U.K., U.S.A., and most importantly, Nigeria.

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In Nigeria, we would like to acknowledge the followingorganizations for their key support in the development of the TTC

material. They include the Da wah Coordination Council ofNigeria (DCCN), the Federation of Muslim Womens Associationsin Nigeria (FOMWAN), the Movement for Islamic Culture and Awareness (MICA), the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria(MSSN), the Muslim Corpers Association of Nigeria (MCAN), andthe Nasirul Fatih Society of Nigeria (NASFAT). Others includenumerous University departments, Colleges of Education, Collegesof Arts and Islamic Legal Studies, etc.

We wish to acknowledge those who, to the best of ourknowledge, had the greatest input to the TTC 101 Series. The chiefeditor of the material was Asiya Rodrigo, who also located most ofthe references and citations in this work. Others who greatlyassisted in important capacities such as structure, content, clarity,style and preparation of the materials for printing include JusticeSheikh Ahmed Lemu, B. Aisha Lemu, Abdullahi Orire, Isa Friday

Okonkwo, Muhammad Dukuly, Salatu Sule, Bashir Mundi,Nuruddeen Lemu, and Aliyu Badeggi.Finally, and on behalf of all the research team and staff of the

Da wah Institute of Nigeria (DIN), I would like to pray for theTrustees and minds behind the Islamic Education Trust (IET), andthe DIN in particular, Justice Sheikh Ahmed Lemu and B. AishaLemu, whose wisdom, support, encouragement and leadershiphave helped bring the DIN to where it is today alhamdulillah and

jazkum Allahu khair.As only the Quran is perfect, this material will by Allahs leavecontinue to evolve through revisions and improvements withbetter contributions from people like you, the reader, insh Allah.

May the reward for whatever benefit comes from this materialgo to those who have in any way contributed to it. The Da'wahInstitute of Nigeria (DIN) takes full responsibility for any

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imperfection in this work, and we pray that such will be forgivenby Allah and you the reader.

Alhaji Ibrahim YahyaDirectorDawah Institute of NigeriaJanuary, 2009Muharram, 1430A.H.

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NOTES ON TERMINOLOGY AND

TRANSLITERATION

Use ofIt is a time-honored and cherished tradition among Muslims

that whenever the name of any of the numerous Prophets of Godis mentioned, peace and blessings of God are invoked upon him.

In line with this tradition and the injunction in Quran 33:56,wherever the title the Prophet, Messenger of Allah, Apostleof Allah, or the Prophet's name, Muhammad, appears in thistext, the blessing in Arabic ( ) appears next to it. It means maythe peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Contemporary writings on Islam by Muslims use many variations andabbreviations of this benediction in Arabic or English or otherlanguages such as S.A.W., s.a.s., s, p, pbuh and others.

In deciding which customary symbol to use, it is worth mentioningthat in manuscripts belonging to the first two centuries of Islamsintellectual heritage the writers did not rigidly adhere to the customof writing a benediction after the Prophets name1, and hence,there is no best way of representing it.

References to ahadith2 and commentaries drawn fromcomputer software

Efforts have been made to ensure that all ahadith (narrationsor reported actions of Prophet Muhammad ( )) in this materialare drawn from reliable and well-respected collections.

1 Jeffrey Lang, Struggling to Surrender: Some Impressions of an American

Convert to Islam (Beltsville, USA: Amana Publications, 1994), p. ix.2 Plural ofhadith, i.e., a report about the actions and sayings of the Prophet

Muhammad ().

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Reservations expressed by respected authorities about theauthenticity of anyhadith have been indicated in footnotes, even

as its presence in this text indicates that it is considered authenticby other scholars of repute. An abundance of Islamic classicaltexts and some of their translations now exist on CD-ROMs.3 Thepresent material has made use of some of these CD-ROMs forobtaining ahadith and their commentaries (tafasir ). The mostcommonly utilized CD-ROM database of hadith in English hasbeen theAlim Version 6.0 software. Hence, references to hadithcollections that end with the phrase in Alim 6.0 throughout thismaterial refer to those obtained from the Alim Version 6.0database (ISL Software Corporation, 1986-2000). References tocollections ofhadithcommentaries which have been drawn fromother CD-ROMs have been noted in footnotes throughout thetext.

Transliteration of Arabic wordsModern Islamic literature in English utilizes a number oftransliteration systems for Arabic words. With a few exceptions,this material has followed the system used by the majority, thedetails of which may be found in the International Journal of Middle East Studies.4 However, for our ease and simplicity, wehave omitted the diacritical dots and dashes which facilitate exactpronunciations. It is expected that this should not render thewords unreadable.

3 Database software for viewing information on computers.4

With a few exceptions.

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PREFACE

The participation of women in society is a frequent theme ofdiscussion at international development conventions. Throughoutthe world, womens voices have played a significant role in therecognition of numerous issues of community concern. TraditionalIslamic jurisprudence and educational circles were also foundedupon the oral traditions of many learned women of earlier

generations. Today, however, though women constitute no lessthan 50% of the Muslim communitys human resources, theirpositive public contributions in many Muslim societies have beendiscouraged and even condemned. One of the reasons for this isthe opinion held by some Muslims that a woman should not speakin public. With the Muslim community (Ummah ) presently underimmense internal and external challenges, the idea that a womansvoice is awrah5 (private) and therefore should not be heard by any

man outside her immediate family is one of the greatestimpediments to mobilizing more human resources for Islamicpropagation (dawah) and societal development.

Women have been prevented from contributing in publiclectures, or asking their questions verbally. Those who cannot write or express themselves well in writing have thereby beendenied access to a learned person. In some places, women havebeen prevented from participating in Islamic quizzes and Quranrecitation competitions. Many women who face issues that requirecommunication between men and women have had to bear a senseof guilt over their interactions.

5 Awrah, in this context, means private, concealed, and not to be heard or

revealed to the public.

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The restriction of women and girls from making use of theopportunities provided by Islam also threatens their participation

in Islamic propagation, cooperation with males in the co-ordination and implementation of various activities at grassrootsand professional levels, and the fulfillment of numerous socialresponsibilities (fardu-kifyah) where female involvement is crucial.

This book aims to clarify the position of Islam regardingcommunication between men and women, and to present evidencefrom the Quran, the Sunnah and the lives of the Companions asto whether or not women are permitted to speak in public. Theissue is evaluated on the basis that a prohibition in the area ofsocial transactions (mumalt) requires explicit categorical evidencefrom the Quran or Sunnah.

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Should Muslim Women Speak?

Should the voice of a woman be heard by non-mahram6

men? Some scholars have said that her voice is part of her

awrah

A popular view in some Muslim societies is that a woman

should not speak aloud because her voice is awrah (private,

concealed, and not to be heard or revealed to the public). The

basis for this view includes the following arguments:

1) The Prophet () said women should correct an imam when

he makes a mistake in prayer by clapping, and not by saying

subhnallah like men.

2) Women customarily perform theirsaltsilently.

3) Women generally do not

make the adhn (callfor prayer).

4) The Prophet () is

reported to have said,

A woman is awrah.

5) There is a common

saying attributed by

some people to theProphet () that sawt

al-marati awrah (i.e.

the voice of a woman

6 AMahram man is a man that is prohibited for a woman to marry, such as

her father, son, brother, father - inlaw, soninlaw, uncle, etc.

As in all the Churches of theSaints, the women should keep

silence in the churches. For they

are not permitted to speak, but

should be subordinate, as even

the law says. If there is anything

they desire to know, let them ask

their husbands at home. For it isshameful for a woman to speak

in church.

1Corinthians 14:34-35

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is awrah).

6) Allah says in the Quran, stay quietly in your houses...(Q.33:33)

7)The Quran says, do not speak in a soft or seductive way

(Q.33:32). It is assumed that all womens voices are

inherently soft and seductive, and therefore the Quran is

indirectly telling women not to speak to men at all.

8) The lack of taqwa (God-consciousness) of todays Muslims

necessitates extrarestrictions on women

to avoid fitnah

(corruption and

mischief) in society.

Though the view that

the voice of a woman isawrah is common, thesupporting arguments above, upon further investigation, suffer

from some defects. Indeed, abundant evidence exists from the

Quran and Sunnah to the contrary. These proofs will be

examined in the light of the general juridical principle that in

matters which have to do with social norms and affairs

(mumalt), everything is permissible except what isprohibited by an explicit and categorical text of the Quran or

Sunnah7.

7 This well-known universal principle of Islamic jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh)

states: the legal premise of everything is permissibility (in Arabic, Al-asl

fil ashyai al-ibaahah). See Yusuf al-Qaradawis discussion of this principle

in The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam (London: Al-Birr Foundation,

In matters which have to do with

social norms and affairs

(mumalt), the principle inShariah is that everything is

permissible except what is

prohibited by an explicit and

categorical text of the Quran or

Sunnah

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1. A womans voice in congregationalsalat

One of the most frequently repeated hadith that is used asevidence for the voice of a woman being awrah relates to the

rules for interrupting the imam in salat (ritual prayers) if it is

necessary to direct his attention to something.

This story is narrated by both Sahl ibn Sa'd and Abu

Hurayrah. Sahl reports, The news about the differences

amongst the people of Bani 'Amr bin 'Auf at Quba reached

Allahs Apostle and so he went to them along with some of hiscompanions to affect a reconciliation. Allahs Apostle wasdelayed there and the time for the prayer became due. Bilal

came to Abubakr and said, O Abubakr! Allahs Apostle isdetained (there) and the time for the prayer is due. Will you lead

the people in prayer? Abubakr replied, Yes, if you wish. SoBilal pronounced the Iqmah and Abubakr went forward andthe people said Takbir. In the meantime, Allahs Apostle came

piercing through the rows till he stood in the (first) row and thepeople started clapping. Abubakr would never look hither and

thither during the prayer but when the people clapped much he

looked back and saw Allahs Apostle. The Prophet beckonedhim to carry on. Abubakr raised both his hands, praised Allah

and retreated till he stood in the row and Allahs Apostle wentforward and led the people in the prayer. When he had finished

the prayer, he addressed the people and said, O people! Why

did you start clapping when something happened to you in the prayer? Clapping is for women. Whenever one is confronted

with something unusual in the prayer one should say, SubhnAllah. Then the Prophet looked towards Abubakr and asked,

2003), pp.3-7; Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Qawaid al-Fiqh: The Legal

Maxims of Islamic Law, (The Association of Muslim Lawyers, UK, 1998),

p.2.

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What prevented you from leading the prayer when Ibeckoned

you to carry on? Abubakr replied, It does not befit the son of

Abu Quhfah to lead the prayer in the presence of AllahsApostle.

8

The argument of those who infer a womans voice to be

awrah is that, in the above-mentioned hadith, the women would

have been commanded to speak up with Subhn Allah! (Glorybe to Allah) if this were permitted for them, but since the

Prophet () did not tell them to do so, it must be because their

voices are awrah.

It is difficult to conclude a universal rule on speech at all

times based on the Prophets specific instruction on how a

woman may call the attention of the imam during

congregational prayer. The only ruling that may be extrapolated

from the hadith above is that a woman should avoid saying

Subhn Allah! to call the imams attention towards a matter

when worshippers are concentrating on congregational prayer.However, scholars have not prohibited her correcting his

recitation aloud if he makes a serious mistake or needs help in

recollecting what verses to recite in salat.9

8Sahih al-Bukhari, book 22, no.309. Other versions of Sahl's report may be

found in Sahih al-Bukhari, book 11, no.652, Sahih Muslim, book 4, no.845

and al-Muwatta, book 9, no.9.20.64. Abu Hurayrah's narration may be found

in Sahih al-Bukhari, book 22, no.295 and Sahih Muslim,book 4, no.850, etc.9 For more discussion on juristic deductions and analysis of this hadith, see

Khaled Abou El-Fadl, Speaking in Gods Name: Islamic Law, Authority and

Women (Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2001), pp.185-188.

A woman openly disagreed

with Caliph Umar in the

mosque over the issue of the

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2. Speaking in places of

worship

In a well-known incident

during the Caliphate of Umar

ibn al-Khattab, a woman openly disagreed with him in the

mosque over the issue of limiting the value of the bridal gift

(mahr) given in marriage. Being convinced of her argument,

Umar agreed with her and publically reversed his opinion. He

even went so far as declaring, everyones knowledge is

better than mine.10

In another version, Abdul-Razaq citesUmar as saying, A woman debated with Umar and outdid

him in the debate.11

Had the voice of a woman been part of her awrah, and hadwomen been prohibited from speaking in public, or in the

mosque, the lady would surely have been corrected by Umar or

any of the several Companions present.12

3. Women calling theAdhan for prayer

Al-Baihaqi further reported that Aisha, the wife of the

Prophet (), would make the adhan (call for prayer), and lead

10TafsirIbn Kathir 1/468

11TafsirIbn Kathir 7/180. A similar narration is found in Ibn Hajrs Fath al-

Bari, vol.9, p.191; cited in Afzalur Rahman, The Role of Muslim Woman in

Society (London: Seerah Foundation, 1986), p.7912

Prohibiting women from speaking in church is a teaching found in earlyChristianity, as observed in the New Testament of the Bible, 1Corinthians

14:34-35 that, As in all the Churches of the Saints, the women should keep

silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be

subordinate, as even the law says. If there is anything they desire to know, let

them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in

church. This is a view that is not found in any of the two foundational

sources of Islamic Law (i.e. the Quran and Sunnah).

value of bridal gift (mahr)

given to the bride.

- Ibn Kathir

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women in congregational prayer. Ata also reported from Aisha

that she called the adhan, recited iqamah before prayers, and led

the women in prayers while standing in the middle of the row astheir imam.

13The authenticity of such hadiths have been

verified by other contemporary hadith scholars such as

Nasiruddin al-Albani, who quotes other hadiths which show that

some of the companions of the Prophet (), such as Abdullah

ibn Umar even discouraged those who felt uncomfortable with

women calling the adhan from trying to stop them. In one

incidence, a man approached Ibn Umar, requesting, Will younot stop the women from making the adhan, whereby he

responded by repeating to the man three times, Do you want

me to stop women from calling people to the dhikr

(remembrance) of Allah?14

The fact that some men

were complaining about

women calling the adhanindicates that the adhan was

called to the hearing of men,

even if it was not for the

congregational salat of men.

Accordingly, the Shafii and

Hanbali Schools of jurisprudence consider the adhan of women

as permissible.15

This is provided that the women hold their

13Mustadrak, vol.1, p.204; cited in Afzalur Rahman, The Role of Muslim

Woman in Society (London: Seerah Foundation, 1986), p.91; also reported in

al-Baihaqi as cited in Fiqh us-Sunnah, vol.1, no.104a inAlim 6.014 See al-Albanis bookSilsilat al Hadith Daeef, hadith no.879, p.269-271,

for an example of a fabricated hadith prohibiting women from calling the

Adhan, and hadith strengthening its permissibility.15

Fiqh-ul-Sunnah, vol.1, no.104a inAlim 6.0

The fact that some men were

complaining about women

calling the adhan indicates thatthe adhan was called to the

hearing of men, even if it was

not for the congregational salat

of men.

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congregational prayer separately from men, and that it does not

cause any chaotic consequences.

4. Using the voice in private salat, and when leading

other women

Another argument also brought as evidence for the womans

voice being awrah is that whenever a woman performs her

salat (ritual prayers), she does so in silence, while a man

performs some of them aloud. This observation, if admissible

for any ruling, may apply to salat only, and should not begeneralized to include situations other than salat. Significantly,

it is also narrated that Aisha led women in the compulsory

Maghrib salat just after sunset, while reciting aloud.16

Aisha17

and Umm Salamah18

are also reported to have led women in

tarawih prayers.19

The Prophet () commandsbelievers to Pray as you see me

praying (Bukhari). This Prophetic command does notdifferentiate between males and females. Womens silence in

salat may be viewed as a custom carried down from the early

generations of Muslims to the present times.

16 SeeAl-Muhallah, vol.3, p.126 by Ibn Hazm; cited in Afzalur Rahman, The

Role of Muslim Woman in Society (London: Seerah Foundation, 1986), p.9017

Abu Yusuf, Kitab al-Athar al-Iman, Hadith No.212, p.41, cited in Afzalur

Rahman, The Role of Muslim Woman in Society. London: Seerah Foundation,1986, p.91.18 Ibn Hazm,Al-Muhalla, Vol.3, p.127, cited in Afzalur Rahman, op. cit.19 For numerous other examples of women leading other women in

obligatory and optional salat(such as tarawih prayers), see Afzalur Rahman,

The Role of Muslim Woman in Society, op. cit., pp.86, 90-91. For example,

Abdullah ibn Umar used to order his slave-women to lead the women of his

household in tarawih prayers during the month of Ramadan (Ibn Hazm, Al-

Muhalla, vol.3, p.128; cited in Afzalur Rahman, The Role of Muslim Woman

in Society, p.86).

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The assumption, therefore, that womens silence in salat is

due to their voice being awrah does not have a clear

authoritative basis from the Quran or Sunnah. And Allah knowsbest.

5. Women reciting Quran aloud

Yahya ibn Layth reported that Imam Malik20

was asked

whether a man in the company of a woman who was reciting a

passage of Qur'an requiring a prostration should prostrate with

her, and he said, He does not have to prostrate with her. The prostration is only obligatory for people who are with a man

who is leading them. He recites the piece and they prostrate

with him. Someone who hears a piece of Qur'an that requires a

prostration being recited by a man who is not leading him in

prayer does not have to do the prostration.21

Here Imam Malik was clearly dealing with a situation where

a man is able to hear a woman reciting the Quran, and theImam says nothing about it being unlawful. Some have said that

though the female voice is not awrah, women may still notrecite the Quran aloud near men. The fatwa (legal ruling) of

Imam Malik stated above lends no support to this view.

Another example of a woman reciting Quran aloud is the

narration of Ibn Abi Malaika that Aisha used to recite the

Quran 24:15 and she used to say al-walaq means the telling

20 Imam Malik ibn Anas was the founder of the MalikiMadhhab (juristic

school of thought). The MalikiMadhhab is one of the major schools of

Islamic jurisprudence.21Al-Muwatta, book 15, No.15.5.16

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of a lie. Ibn Abi Malaika explained that she knew this verse

more than anybody else because it was revealed about her.22

6. The common saying: Sawtul marati awrah

(meaning the voice of a woman is awrah)

A common saying attributed to the Prophet is sawtul

marati awrah. However, this saying is not found in any ofthe authentic hadith collections, and indeed, evidence to the

contrary position is overwhelming.

7. The Hadith: A woman is awrah

22Sahih al-Bukhari, vol.5, no.465

A common saying attributed

to the Prophet is sawtul

marati awrah. However,this saying is not found in

any of the authentic hadith

collections, and indeed,evidence to the contrary

position is overwhelming.

The Quran actually commands

that when women speak, theyshould speak in a way that is

customary (wa qulna qawlan

marf).

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Some quote the

following hadith narrated

by Ibn Masud as evidencethat the womans voice is awrah: The Prophet () said, A

woman is awrah (and thus should be concealed), for when shegoes out the shaytan looks at her.

23

Regarding this hadith, however, Ibn Qudama in Al-Mughni,

said that, the face and hands constitute a specific exemption to

the general meaning of this hadith. This is supported by Imam

al-Razi, who states, Since the showing of the face and hands isnecessary, the jurists had no choice but to agree that they are not

awrah.24 In addition, the fact that there are at least twoauthentic hadiths making it explicitly clear that the hands and

face are not part of a womans awrah25, and the fact thatwomen at the time of the Prophet () did speak in public to

non-mahram men as discussed below, means that the above

hadith must have restrictions to its apparent general meaning.

Moreover, this hadith is referring to physical attributes and not

to sound. The hadith, therefore, may not be used as evidence to

prohibit women from speaking in public.

8. Womens voices were heard by the Prophet ()without condemnation

23Tirmidhi, no.3109 inAlim Version 4.524

Tafsir al-KabirofFakhr al-Deen al-Razi, vol.20, pp.205-20625 See the book, The Hijab Q&A, or the topic on Hijab in the relevantsections of the Train-the-Trainers Course in Islam and Dialogue by the

Dawah Institute of Nigeria (DIN). Also, for more details on the face and

hands not being part of a womans awrah, see To Veil or Not to Veil: The

Niqab Debateby the Dawah institute of Nigeria (DIN); also, Nasiruddeenal-AlbanisJilbab Al-Marah Al-Muslimah fil Kitab was-Sunnah (Beirut: Al-

Maktab al-Islamiyyah, 1994), pp.57-59.

Quran 33:32

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The Prophet () used to

listen to the voices of women

other than his wives. In Quran58:1, reference is made to a

woman who came to lodge her

complaint verbally to the Prophet (), and a revelation came to

him about it. This is an obvious proof that the Prophet () never

considered womens voices as part of their awrah.

The Quran actually commands that when women speak,

they should speak in a way that is customary - wa qulnaqawlan marfa(Quran 33:32). This is a clear command to the

Prophets wives to speak to non-mahram men in a particular

way, and thus cannot be interpreted as a prohibition to be heard.

In fact, it is evidence that women are permitted to speak to men

who are not their mahram (i.e., men that are prohibited for them

to marry, such as fathers, sons, brothers, fathers - inlaw, etc).

Women are not prohibited from speaking to non-mahrammen. However, they are advised not to speak in a seductive tone,

as Allah indicates in Quran 33:32: ... be not over-soft in your

speech, lest any whose heart is diseased should be moved to

desire (you),but speak in a

customary way.

Similarly, women are

not prohibited from raisingtheir voices. In a hadith,

Ibn Abi Hatim reported

that the Prophet () heard

a woman reciting the first

verse of Quran 88 (Surat al-Ghashiyah) aloud at night as he

was walking in the streets of Madina and he did not stop her.

Women during Hajj and Umrah also regularly join in the

Women at the time of the

Prophet () did speak inpublic to non-mahram men.

... be not over-soft in your

speech, lest any whose heart is

diseased should be moved to

desire (you), but speak in anormal/customary way.

Quran 33:32

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26

chanting of the Talbiyyah aloud an act which is recognized as

lawful and not prohibited by any known text (nass) from the

Quran or Sunnah and Allah knows best.

There is no record that the Prophet or any of his

Companions disapproved of women speaking publically.

9. Women spoke in the presence of non-mahram

Companions at the time ofthe Prophet ()

The Companions of theProphet () used to ask the

wives of the Prophet ()

questions, and they used to

answer them. Other women

also initiated discussion in

their presence. An example is the case of the girl who

complained about being forced into marriage by her father, whowas heard by the narrator of the hadith.26

Numerous other hadith

may be found in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim of

conversations between male and female Companions that were

non-mahram to each other.27

If womens voices were awrah,

these incidents would not have been permitted.

10. Saying salam to and by women

It is a highly recommended practice for all Muslims to greet

others, and the right of all Muslims to receive a greeting from

fellow believers. Women are not omitted from this directive.

26Ibn Majah, also Sahih al-Bukhari vol.2, hadith no.95, etc.27 E.g. Sahih al-Bukhari vol.1, no.340 in Alim 6.0), and of a woman standing

up in the mosque in the presence of men and asking the Prophet () a

question (Sahih Muslim Book 4, No.1926).

There are numerous hadith

found in Sahih al-Bukhari andSahih Muslim of conversations

between male and female

Companions that were non-

mahram to each other.

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27

For example, the Prophet () said, A Muslim has six

obligations to another Muslim. When asked what these were,

he replied, To greet another Muslim when you meet him; torespond when he invites you; to give him your (sincerest) advice

when he seeks it; to say may Allah have mercy upon you whenhe sneezes and says may Allah be praised; to visit him when hefalls ill; and when he dies, to attend his funeral.

28He also said,

The young should greet the old, the passerby should greet the

sitting one, and the small group of persons should greet the

large group of persons.

29

None of these obligations mentionsgender as a condition.

Another example of greeting women is mentioned by Kuraib

who narrated, I was sent to

Aisha by Ibn Abbas, Al-

Miswar bin Makhrama and

Abdur-Rahman bin Azhar.

They told me to greet her on their behalf....30

Sahl ibn Saad relates that, There was a woman among us

who would put beetroot in a kettle and add some ground barley

and cook them together, When we returned from the Friday

service, we would greet her and she would offer it to us.31

Umm Hani bint Abu Talib narrates, I went to the Holy Prophet

on the day of the fall of Makkah. He was taking a bath while

Fatima was holding up a cloth to screen him. I offered him the

salutation of peace.32

28Fiqh us Sunnah vol.4, no.3 inAlim 6.0

29Sahih al-Bukhari, vol.8, no.250

30Sahih al-Bukhari, vol.2, no.32531Bukhari, cited inRiyadh us-Saliheen, no.86732Muslim, cited inRiyadh us-Saliheen, no.868; See also Sahih al-Bukhari,

vol.2, no.60 inAlim 6.0

I (Umm Hani) offered him

(the Prophet) the salutation of

peace.

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11. Hadith narrated orally by women

If the voice of women was

awrah, we would not have

today so many hadithoriginally narrated orally by

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29

If the voice of women was

awrah, we would not have

today so many hadith narrated(orally) by female companions and wives of the Prophet.

33

Indeed, the names of Hafsa, Umm Habiba, Maymuna, Umm

Salama, and Aisha, are familiar to every student of hadith as

being among its earliest and most distinguished transmitters.

Furthermore, many great scholars of Islamic history also had

female teachers. Among the most notable early women scholars

found in the books of Seerah and al-Rijl are names such asRubaiyy bint Muawwidh34

, Fatimah bint Qais (Tahdhb al-

Tahdhb, vol.12, p.44435

), Umm Atiyyah (al-Istiab fi Asma al-Ashab

36), Amra bint Abd al-Rahman (Ibn Sad, Tabaqt, vol.8,

p.35337

), Aisha bint Sad ibn Abi Waqqas whose pupils

included Imam Malik and other jurists (Tahdhb al-Tahdhb,

vol.12, p.43638

), and Nafisah the grand-daughter of Hasan ibn

Ali who taught hadith to Imam Shafii (Ibn Khalikan, Wafayat

al-Ayn, vol.2, p.12939

).

33Bukhari Vol.2, No.26; Bukhari Vol.2, No.545; Bukhari Vol.5, No.168;

Vol.7, No.192 Ubaid ibn Umar narrates I heard Aisha saying; Bukhari

Vol.2, No.757; al-Muwatta Vol.20, No.170; Bukhari Vol.5, No.539 which

includes the words, Asma' later on said, I saw Abu Musa and the other

people

of the boat coming to me in successive groups, asking me about thisnarration;Muslim No.137334Al-Istiab fi Asma al-Ashab, cited in Afzalur Rahman, The Role of MuslimWoman in Society (London: Seerah Foundation, 1986), pp.62-6335

Cited in Afzalur Rahman, The Role of Muslim Woman in Society. London:

Seerah Foundation, 1986, p.6336 Cited inIbid.37 Cited inIbid.38 Cited inIbid.39

Cited inIbid.

female companions and wives

of the Prophet (p)

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12. Women Singing

The fact that womensang songs and poetry at the

time of the Prophet and the

Companions is well-

documented and

authenticated. This included

girls singing during Eid

festivals and weddings in

the presence of the Prophet().

40Men and women sang together while welcoming the

Prophet () (and Abubakr) to Madina from Makkah.41

In the

ninth year A.H., the people of Madina also welcomed him in a

similar way on his return from Tabuk.42

Therefore, if it is

assumed that the first incident was a pre-Islamic practice which

was later abrogated as unacceptable, it is unlikely that the

Prophet () would permit the second incident to occur.

If a womans voice was awrah, womens singing in thepresence of men would certainly have been prohibited. What is

prohibited in a womans voice, therefore, is not the sound of

melody43

, but for her to sing with the intention to seduce or

encourage what is prohibited. The same applies to men as well.

40Sahih al-Bukhari Vol.5, No.336; Tirmidhi, No.943;An-Nasai and al-

Hakim also transmitted it; Ibn Hibban transmitted it in his Sahih; and again

Tirmidhi, No.940 in the Alim 6.041

Muntaqan Nuqool, p.329; Al-Raheeq al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar:

Biography of the Noble Prophet), by Safiur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri,

Revised edition (Riyadh: Darussalam Publications, 2002), p.19342 Ibn Qayyim,Zaad al-Mad, Vol.3, p.55143 For more on the topic of women singing, refer to Nayl al-Awtarby Imam

Shawkani, vol.8, pp.264-266, and Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawis Fatawa al-

Men and women sang together

while welcoming the Prophet

(and Abubakr) to Madina from

Makkah. In the ninth year A.H.,

just a year before he passed

away, the people of Madina also

welcomed him in a similar way

on his return from Tabuk.

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13. Women giving oral testimony

The fact that women were permitted by the Quran to stand

as witnesses (Q.2:282) who may have to testify in court to what

transaction they witnessed is evidence that women at times were

not merely permitted, but even legally required to speak.

In conclusion, the position that

the voice of women is

awrah is not a statementfound in the Quran or Sunnah.

Rather, the directives in the

Quran on how women should

speak to men other than their husbands, and the practice of the

Prophet () and his Companions suggests that women may

speak in public, provided it is done in the appropriate manner

and context.

Maasira (Al-Mansura, Egypt: Dar al-Wafa, 1996), vol.2, pp.491-492,

where most of these examples along with others are also mentioned.

The position that the voice

of women is awrah is not astatement found in theQuran or Sunnah.

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AL-ANSARI.Al-Jami' li Ahkam al-Qur'an. Beirut: Dar Al-Kutub Al-'Ilmiyyah, 1993

AL-SAN'ANI, MUHAMMAD B. ISMA'IL AL-YAMANI. Subulal-Salam Sharh Bulugh al-Maram min Jam' Adillat al-Ahkam.

Ed. Muhammad 'Abd al-Qadir Atta. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr,1991

AL-SHINQITI, MUHAMMAD AL-AMIN B. MUHAMMADAL-MUKHTAR:Adwa' Al-Bayan fi Idah al-Qur'an bi al-Qur'an. BEIRUT 'ALAM AL-KUTUB, n.d.

AL-TABARI, ABU JA'FAR MUHAMMAD B. JARIR.Jami' al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an. Beirut: Dar al-Ma'rifah, 1989

IBN 'ABD AL-BARR, ABU 'UMAR YUSUF B. 'ABD ALLAH B.MUHAMMAD AL-NAMRI.Al-Tamhid li ma fi al-Muwatta'min al-Ma'ani wa al-Asanid. Eds. Mustafa al-'Alawi andMuhammad al-Bakri. Morocco: Maktabat Fadalah, 1982.

IBN HAJAR AL-ASQALANI, SHIHAB AL-DIN AHMAD B.'ALI. Fath al-Bari bi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1993.

IBN KATHIR, 'IMAD AL-DIN ABU AL-FIDA' B. 'UMAR.

Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim. Beirut: Dar al-Khayr, 1990IBN QAYYIM AL-JAWZIYYAH, SHAMS AL-DIN ABI 'ABDALLAH MUHAMMAD B. ABI BAKR, Zad al Mad fiHadyi Khayr al-Ibad. Kuwait: Maktabat al-Manar, 1995.Ahkam Ahl al-Dhimmah. Ed. Subhi Salih. Beirut: Dar al-'Ilmli al Malayin, 1983

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IBN QUTAYBAH, ABU MUHAMMAD ABDALLAH B.MUSLIM AL-DAYNURI. Ta'wil Mushkilat Al-Qur'an.

Cairo: Dar al-Turath, 1973.Kitab Ta'wil Mukhtalaf Al-Hadith. Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-'Arabi, n.d.

IBN RUSHD (AL-HAFID), ABU AL-WALID MUHAMMAD B.AHMAD B. MUHAMMAD B. AHMAD AL-QURTUBI.Bidayat al-Mujtahid wa Nihayat al-Muqtasid. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah, 1997

IBN TAYMIYYAH, TAQI AL-DIN AHMAD B. 'ABD AL-HALIM.Majmu' al-Fatawa. Ed. 'Abd al-Rahman b.Muhammad b. Qasim. Cairo: Maktabat Ibn Taymiyyah, n.d.

SABIQ, AL-SAYYID. Fiqh al-Sunnah. 13th edn. Cairo: al-Fath li al-A'lam al 'Arabi, 1996

WIZARAT AL AWQAF, KUWAIT,Mawsu'at al-Fiqhiyyah, Wizaratal-Awqaf, Kuwait, 2004

ZAYDAN, 'ABD AL-KARIM.Al-Mufassal fi Ahkam al-Mar'ah.

Beirut, Lebanon: Mu'assasat al-Risalah, 1993

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RECOMMENDED WEBSITES44

www.altafsir.comwww.discoverislam.netwww.ietonline.orgwww.irf.netwww.islam.about.comwww.islam-guide.comwww.islamic-awareness.org

www.islamicgarden.comwww.islamicity.comwww.islamicweb.comwww.islamonline.netwww.islamunveiled.comwww.jannah.comwww.jannah.orgwww.masud.co.uk

www.muhaddith.com/index.htmlwww.muslimtube.blogspot.comwww.renaissance.com.pkwww.shamela.ws (Arabic)www.soundvision.com/infowww.sunnipath.comwww.uga.edu/islamwww.witness-pioneer.org/www.zaytuna.org

44These online resources have very useful information and products on

Islam. This list is, however, far from being exhaustive, as new websites debut

on the internet daily. Other Islamic websites may be even more informative

than the above listed, and whereas these websites are recommended, not all

the views and opinions expressed in them necessarily reflect those of DIN or

the IET.

http://www.altafsir.com/http://www.discoverislam/http://www.irf.net/http://www.islam.about.com/http://www.islam-guide.com/http://www.islamic-awareness.org/http://www.islamicgarden.com/http://www.islamicweb.com/http://www.islamonline.net/http://www.islamunveiled.com/http://www.jannah.org/http://www.masud.co.uk/http://www.muhaddith.com/index.htmlhttp://www.muhaddith.com/index.htmlhttp://www.renaissance.com.pk/http://www.shamela.ws/http://www.soundvision.com/infohttp://www.sunnipath.com/http://www.uga.edu/islamhttp://www.zaytuna.org/http://www.zaytuna.org/http://www.uga.edu/islamhttp://www.sunnipath.com/http://www.soundvision.com/infohttp://www.shamela.ws/http://www.renaissance.com.pk/http://www.muhaddith.com/index.htmlhttp://www.masud.co.uk/http://www.jannah.org/http://www.islamunveiled.com/http://www.islamonline.net/http://www.islamicweb.com/http://www.islamicgarden.com/http://www.islamic-awareness.org/http://www.islam-guide.com/http://www.islam.about.com/http://www.irf.net/http://www.discoverislam/http://www.altafsir.com/

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PUBLICATIONS OF THE DAWAH INSTITUTEOF NIGERIA (DIN)

1. Understanding Misconceptions about Islam2. Diversity in Muslim Scholarship3. The Authenticity of the Quran4. What is Islamic Culture?5. The Hijab Q&A6. Should Muslim Women Speak?7. Is Polygamy Fair to Women?8. Muslim Women in the Public Space9. Relations with non-Muslims10.Jihad and the Spread of Islam11.Sharing Islam through Dialogue

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Should the voice of a woman be heard by men outside her family?Some Muslims have said that her voice is part of her awrah and

should therefore not be heard by any man outside her immediatefamily. Is this truly a teaching of Islam from its sources of the Quran

and authentic Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (p)?

This book, Should Muslim Women Speak?, aims to clarify the

position of Islam on the communication between men and women, and

to elicit available evidence from the Quran, Sunnah and the lives of

the Companions as to whether or not women are permitted to speak in

public. The issue is evaluated on the basis that in the principles ormethodology of Islamic jurisprudence (Usul ul-Fiqh), a prohibition in

the area of social transactions (mumalt) requires explicitcategorical evidence from the Quran or Sunnah.

The Dawah Institute of Nigeria (DIN) is the research and Islamic

propagation department of the Islamic Education Trust (IET). The DIN

partners with other organizations for comprehensive capacity building and

improved dawah effectiveness. It conducts training programs on Islam and

Dialogue for Peaceful Coexistence, as well as Personal Development andLeadership, Business and Financial Literacy, Pre-marital and Marital

Counseling, Dawah Resource Management, and other courses. DIN also

organizes a rural Dawah Grassroots Program, Imam training courses, and

produces audiovisual and other multimedia content. In addition DIN partners

with other organizations, Muslim or non-Muslim, governmental or NGO, in

furthering its objectives and the strategic good of society at large. DINs

partners have bee organizations based in Nigeria as well as other countries in

Africa, North America, Australia, South Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Dawah Institute of NigeriaIslamic Education Trust Headquarters PMB 229, Ilmi Avenue,Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. Phone: +234-803-600-5535Email:dawahinstitute@yahoo.comWebsite: www.ietonline.org

mailto:dawahinstitute@yahoo.commailto:dawahinstitute@yahoo.commailto:dawahinstitute@yahoo.comhttp://www.ietonline.org/http://www.ietonline.org/http://www.ietonline.org/mailto:dawahinstitute@yahoo.com