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Women and Daʿwah

Al-ʿAllāmah Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī

An explanation of the conditions needed for women to be involved in the field of daʿwah.

What is the best way for women to give daʿwah?

This is one of the innovations of modern times and it is not specific to women alone.

Al-ʿAllāmah Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī

I say to the women to stay in your homes, and you should not concern yourselves with the daʿwah. I rebuke the usage of the word ‘al-Daʿwah’, especially by the male youth who say, ‘those are from the people of the Daʿwah, as if ‘daʿwah’ has become the fashion of the modern times. So now every person who has a little knowledge becomes a dāʿīyah (caller). So the matter did not stop with the male youth, until it carried to the female youth and to the housewives, until they abandoned the obligations they have towards their houses and their husbands and their children. They turned away from the obligatory things to that which is not obligatory upon them, like giving Daʿwah. The general rule for the woman is to stay in her home as has been legislated for her, and not to go out except for a dire need. This is because of the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ):

“…and their houses are better for them.”

As opposed to praying in the Mosque. Nowadays, we see a widespread fad between the women that they frequent the mosques for the congregational prayers in addition to the Friday prayer. However, their houses are better for them, except if there is a mosque near them and the imām is a scholar and he teaches the attendees some knowledge. Then, the women may go out for prayer in the mosque, to listen to the knowledge; there is nothing to prevent them from that. As for the woman excessively involved in Daʿwah, let her stay in her home and read from the books provided for her by her husband, or her brother, or her maḥārim (close male relatives whom she is not allowed to marry). Then, there is nothing to prevent her from taking a day where she call some of the women to come to her house, or that she goes out herself to attend in the home of a woman to share religious knowledge. So that is better than a group of women going to her.

As for that she embarks on a journey, and it could be that she travels without a maḥram, then what is claimed is that she went out for Daʿwah. This is one of the innovations of modern times and it is not specific to women alone. Even some of the male youth excessively talk about Daʿwah, and yet they have very little knowledge.

Published: May 30, 2007
Edited: August 26, 2022