No authentic Hadith encouraging women to pray at home?

It is incorrect to say that there is no authentic Hadith encouraging women to pray Salah at home. Rather there are a number of authentic narrations encouraging this.

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ، عَنْ عَمَّتِهِ أُمِّ حُمَيْدٍ امْرَأَةِ أَبِي حُمَيْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ، أَنَّهَا جَاءَتِ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، إِنِّي أُحِبُّ الصَّلَاةَ مَعَكَ، قَالَ: ” قَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكِ تُحِبِّينَ الصَّلَاةَ مَعِي، وَصَلَاتُكِ فِي بَيْتِكِ خَيْرٌ لَكِ مِنْ صَلَاتِكِ فِي حُجْرَتِكِ، وَصَلَاتُكِ فِي حُجْرَتِكِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صَلَاتِكِ فِي دَارِكِ، وَصَلَاتُكِ فِي دَارِكِ خَيْرٌ لَكِ مِنْ صَلَاتِكِ فِي مَسْجِدِ قَوْمِكِ، وَصَلَاتُكِ فِي مَسْجِدِ قَوْمِكِ خَيْرٌ لَكِ مِنْ صَلَاتِكِ فِي مَسْجِدِي “ قَالَ: فَأَمَرَتْ فَبُنِيَ لَهَا مَسْجِدٌ فِي أَقْصَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ بَيْتِهَا وَأَظْلَمِهِ، فَكَانَتْ تُصَلِّي فِيهِ حَتَّى لَقِيَتِ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ

On the authority of ‘Abdullah Ibn Suayd al-Ansari, from his maternal aunt Umm Humaid the wife of Abi Humaid al-Sa’idi, that she came to the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him), Indeed I love prayer (that is) with you.’ He (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: ‘I know that you love prayer (that is) with me. However, your prayer in your room is better for you than your prayer in your chamber, and your prayer in your chamber is better than your prayer in your house, and your prayer in your house is better than your prayer in your local Masjid, and your prayer in your local Masjid is better than your prayer in my Masjid (which was further away). So she commanded a Masjid be built for her in the furthest and darkest part of her home, and she would pray therein until she met Allah (Glorified and Majestic is He). (Musnad of Imam Ahmad, 27090).

The Hadith above is explicit in encouraging women to pray Salah at home. Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani commented upon the Hadith above saying:

وَإِسْنَادُ أَحْمَدَ حَسَنٌ. (فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري)

The Sanad (chain of narrators) is Hasan (strong). (Fath al-Bari).

There are numerous other Hadith narrations that also encourage women to pray Salah at home.

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: «صَلَاةُ الْمَرْأَةِ فِي بَيْتِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهَا فِي حُجْرَتِهَا، وَصَلَاتُهَا فِي مَخْدَعِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهَا فِي بَيْتِهَا» . «هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ عَلَى شَرْطِ الشَّيْخَيْنِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ، وَقَدِ احْتَجَّا جَمِيعًا بِالْمُوَرِّقِ بْنِ مُشَمْرِجِ الْعِجْلِيِّ». التعليق – من تلخيص الذهبي: على شرطهما

On the authority of ‘Abdullah (ibn Masood, May Allah Most High be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘The prayer of the woman in her room is better than her prayer in her chamber, and her prayer in her cupboard is better than her prayer in her room.’ (This Hadith is sound, according to the conditions of the Shaykhayn, but they did not narrate it). (Mustadrak of al-Hakim, 757).

Imam al-Dhahabi agreed that the narration above fulfils the criteria of Sahih of the two Imams, al-Bukhari and Muslim. It has also been narrated by Abu Dawood (570) and others. The Hadith is clear in encouraging women to pray Salah at home.

حَدَّثَنِي حَبِيبُ بْنُ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: لَا تَمْنَعُوا نِسَاءَكُمُ الْمَسَاجِدَ، وَبُيُوتُهُنَّ خَيْرٌ لَهُنَّ. «هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ عَلَى شَرْطِ الشَّيْخَيْنِ، فَقَدِ احْتَجَّا جَمِيعًا بِالْعَوَّامِ بْنِ حَوْشَبٍ، وَقَدْ صَحَّ سَمَاعُ حَبِيبٍ مِنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَا فِيهِ الزِّيَادَةَ» وَبُيُوتُهُنَّ خَيْرٌ لَهُنَّ «وَشَاهِدُهُ». التعليق – من تلخيص الذهبي: على شرطهما

Habib Ibn Abi Thabit narrated to me, that Ibn Umar said that the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and send him salutations) said, ‘Do not prevent your women from the Masaajid, although their homes are better for them.’ (Mustadrak of al-Hakim, 755).

Once again Imam al-Dhahabi agreed that the narration above fulfils the criteria of Sahih of the two Imams, al-Bukhari and Muslim. It has also been narrated by Abu Dawood (567) and others. Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani commented upon it saying:

أخرجه أَبُو دَاوُد وَصَححهُ بن خُزَيْمَةَ. (فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري)

It was narrated by Abu Dawood, and (Imam) Ibn Khuzaymah considered it to be Sahih. (Fath al-Bari).

As we have seen above there are multiple authentic narrations encouraging women to pray Salah at home. There are many others besides these Hadith narrations. This answer is not an exhaustive list of all such narrations, rather it presents just some narrations encouraging women to pray Salah at home. The authenticity and clarity of these and other similar narrations led the scholars of the Hanafi Madhab to conclude that it is preferable for women to pray Salah at home.

And Allah Most High knows best.

-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (04.03.2022)

See also:
What do the Hadith gradings mean

Weak Hadith strengthening each other

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