# Can a woman lead the prayer or give the khutbah?

*Can women lead the prayer, give the adhan or the khutbah?*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/24/
- Date: 2021-01-12 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #197 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (1:34:44–1:37:49)
- Status: a more recent answer exists: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/eokcnwggiba/s/13/; general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgHntbMPis&t=5684s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/

**Topics:** Women in worship and mosques; Congregation, Friday and Eid prayer

**Question as asked:** Can women lead prayer, make adhan, give khutbah, etc.?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Yes, he says a woman may lead the prayer, give the adhan or the khutbah; it is not invalid, it is just generally not done.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says he does not believe it is haram or invalid for a woman to lead the prayer, give the khutbah or be the imam.

**Evidence, his words at 1:36:31:** “i don't believe it's haram i don't believe it's invalid for a woman to lead the prayer um or for her to give a khutbah or to be the imam” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgHntbMPis&t=5791s)

## Longer summary

After thanking super chats, Mufti Abu Layth reads a question asking whether women can lead prayer, make the adhan and give the khutbah. He says they can, but that it generally does not happen, for reasons he calls obvious: men are very visual creatures. He jokes about countering his own argument, since attraction is subjective. He says he does not believe it is haram or invalid for a woman to lead the prayer, give the khutbah or be the imam, but that it is not done so as not to make a thing of it, and repeats that in his understanding it is definitely not invalid.

## Sources and names cited

- adhan
- khutbah
- imam

## Transcript (machine tier, 1:34:44–1:37:49)

[1:34:43] so long all right so now getting back to uh us salaam sir can you please shout out your super fun atik irfan professional serial kisser [Laughter] ah i think you're doing it you're doing it so let's see what are the super chat um mahmoud abdul baki has sent in a question you're doing it with the super chat

[1:35:21] are women allowed to lead pris these are the mosques we're all looking for [Laughter] there's got to be a an imam the best you know talent talent [Laughter] right can women lead preg make hazan give khutbah etc they can they can okay does it generally happen no and the

[1:35:59] reasons i think are quite obvious you know this is not men very visual creatures you know but one could say what if the woman is not physically appealing then when i counter my own arguments get stuck it's a good point actually what if one could argue that but then one could argue attraction is subjective [Music]

[1:36:31] so it's not haram though i don't believe it's haram i don't believe it's invalid for a woman to lead the prayer um or for her to give a khutbah or to be the imam but generally it isn't done and you know it's quite honestly not done for those reasons because it would it would just become a thing you know they don't want to make a thing out of it it's like like [Laughter] everybody's trying to it's the first time everybody's trying to make front row like ah

[1:37:12] do you know the edger for being in the softball oval it's like so yeah but it is uh it is definitely in my understand not invalid to do so let's take a look at some of the facebook questions as well uh fushi saying you can literally watch it i don't know what that's about there's a talk that mufti has already on this topic

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment 1zgHntbMPis/s/24. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/1zghntbmpis/s/24/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.