#615: How can a Woman corrects Her Husband in Salāt ?

QUESTION

” Then how can a woman correct her husband ‘ recitation in sallah”

ANSWER

Alhamdulillāh

In the Hadīth recorded by both Imām Al-Bukhārī and Imām Muslim, from Abū Hurayrah – radiyallāhu ‘anhu – the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:

التسبيح للرجال، والتَّصفيق للنساء

“Indeed the Tasbīh is for the men while the Tasfīq is for the women.”

Whereas in some narrations of the same Hadīth, it is “…while the Tasfīh is for the women.”

What is meant by the Tas’bīh is to say Sub’hānallah whereas, the Tasfīq as explained by the Commentators among our Ulamā is ‘clapping the inner right hand against the inner left hand’ while the Tasfīh is to ‘clap the outer right hand against the inner left hand or vice versa’.

This commandment was given by the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – to the Companions with respect to the follower behind the Imām drawing the attention of the Imām to something in or outside the Salāt such as a mistake he has made or something harmful outside it.

The Hanafī the Shāfi’ī and the Hanbalī schools held that what is upon the men is to say the Tasbīh while the women should clap. While the Mālikī Imāms held that the women should also make the Tasbīh, not clap.

Imām An-Nawawī – rahimahullāh – said in Al-Majmū’:

“Our Fellows said: whenever something prompts the one who is in Salāt like he requiring to draw the attention of his Imām to a forgetfulness, or someone knocks on his door and seeks his permission to come in, or he sees a blind person getting close to falling into a well or fire, or its likes. Or he simply needs to draw the attention of other than him to something, then the Sunnah is that a man makes the Tasbīh while a women claps in all of these scenarios.”

He said also:

“We have mentioned that the position of our School is that what is recommended is that men make the Tasbīh while the woman makes the Tasfīq if anything prompts them (while in Salāh). This (position) was upheld by Ahmad, Dāwud and the majority. And Mālik said: the woman should also make the Tasbīh. While Abu Hanīfah also agreed with us in a situation where the Praying person aims at something in the interest of the Salāt.”

Imām Ibn Qudāmah – rahimahullāh – mentioned something very similar in Al-Mughnī attributing same position to the majority of the Fuqahā.

Whereas, the Mālikī position is based on the Hadīth recorded by An-Nasa’ī from Sahl Ibn Sa’d As-Sā’idī that the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:

من نابه شيء في صلاته فليقل: سبحان الله

“Whomsoever something prompts in his Salāt should say: Subhānallah”

They take this Hadīth to be generic to men and women.

But the position held by the majority is what is sound, and Allāh knows best.

Some scholars have held that the wisdom behind the woman clapping is because her voice could be a source of Fitnah if she speaks in the congregation. That will mean that if she is alone with her husband she may say the Tas’bīh like men do. This position seems weak as the Hadīth is clear that women should clap and the default is that this ruling applies in all situations, and Allāh knows best.

Bārakallāhu fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran

12th Shawwal, 1439A.H.

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