Fatwa ID: 3257
Title: A woman praying in a public office where men can see her
Category: Women
Scholar: AMJAonline Jurisprudence Section
Date: 07/22/2007

Question
How correct is a woman`s prayer in a public workplace where male workers might see her due to the difficulty of performing the prayer in a place specifically designated for that. May Allah reward you well.

Answer
All praise is for Allah, and may peace and blessing be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, companions and true followers. To proceed:
The basic principle is that a woman should pray in her house, and even more, in the innermost part of her home, in her room. This is better than her prayer in the mosque as we have been told by our trusted and trustworthy prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), as a protection for her. Should she pray in the mosque, though, the best rows of the women are the back rows and the worst are the front rows. This is what we have been informed of by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as a protection for her and to prevent intermingling with men. It was the way of the Companions not to leave directly following the taslim (marking the end of the prayer) of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), in order to give the women a chance to leave first. However, if she fears that the time for the prayer will end and it is difficult for her to find a private location where she can pray without being seen by men, then there would be nothing incorrect about her prayer if that were the case. We ask Allah to grant her success and accuracy; and Allah Almighty is more exalted and more knowledgeable.