154. Can Women Pray Eid Salaah At Home On their OWN Or In Congregation Of ONLY Women?

Eid Salaah is not obligatory for women but it is recommended that they go to the Eid prayer place and pray with the Jama’ah. 

Umm ‘Atiyah radhi Allaahu anhaa said: 

“We were commanded to bring out to the Eid prayers the adolescent girls and the women in seclusion, and he commanded the menstruating women to avoid the prayer-place of the Muslims.” 

(al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

But there’s no evidence that women can pray the Eid Salaah at home, alone or in congregation with other women. 

Someone asked the scholars of the Standing Committee:

“Is Eid prayer obligatory for women, and if it is obligatory, should she pray it at home or in the prayer place?”

They said:

“It is not obligatory for women, rather it is Sunnah for them, and they should offer this prayer in the prayer place with the Muslims, because the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam instructed them to do that.“

[Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (8/284)]

The scholars also said:

“It is not prescribed for women to offer the Eid prayer in their houses, led by one of their number, if they are able to go out to the prayer place to offer the prayer with the Muslims. 

It is also not prescribed for them to set aside a separate place for the women where they offer the prayer on their own, because that comes under the heading of innovation (bid‘ah).” 

(Islamqa Fatwa # 190960)

Someone asked Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen:

“Is it permissible for a woman to offer the Eid prayer in her house?”

He said:

“What is prescribed for women is to offer the Eid prayer in the Eid prayer place with the men, because of the hadeeth of Umm ‘Atiyyah radhi Allaahu anhaa.

Therefore the Sunnah is for the women to go out to the Eid prayer place with the men. 

As for women offering the Eid prayer in their houses, I know of no Sunnah concerning that.” 

[Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb (189/8)]

And he said about women praying an “ALL woman Jama’ah” at home for Eid prayer:

“The ruling concerning that is that this comes under the heading of *innovation*.

Eid prayer can only be offered in congregation with the MEN. 

Women are instructed to go out to the Eid prayer place and offer the prayer with the men; they should be behind them and avoid mixing with them. 

With regard to doing the Eid prayer in her house, this is a grave mistake. 

There is no report from the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam or from his Companions that the women offered the Eid prayer in their houses.” 

[Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb (189/9)] 

However in these unprecedented circumstances when even the MEN are praying Eid Salaah at home, they may JOIN the MEN and pray behind them in congregation. 

But they can NOT pray in a congregation of ONLY women. 

And Allaah knows best