Question 698: Since the call to prayer (Adhan) and the immediate call to prayer (Iqamah) are not required for women, how should a woman begin her prayer?

277 13 Feb 2021
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✅Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ أَ عَلَيْهَا أَذَانٌ وَ إِقَامَةٌ فَقَالَ لَا.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2, p. 57

Jamil ibn Darraj said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a woman: Is the Adhan and Iqamah her responsibility? He said: No!

2 عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو وَ أَنَسِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ آبَائِهِ فِي وَصِيَّةِ النَّبِيِّ لِعَلِيٍّ قَالَ: لَيْسَ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ أَذَانٌ وَ لَا إِقَامَةٌ

📚 Al-Faqih Vol. 4, p. 364

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrated from his ancestors that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) in his will to Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said: 'The Adhan and Iqamah are not the responsibility of a woman!'

3 مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ قَالَ: قَالَ الصَّادِقُ لَيْسَ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ أَذَانٌ وَ لَا إِقَامَةٌ إِذَا سَمِعَتْ أَذَانَ الْقَبِيلَةِ وَ تَكْفِيهَا الشَّهَادَتَانِ وَ لَكِنْ إِذَا أَذَّنَتْ وَ أَقَامَتْ فَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ.

📚 Al-Faqih Vol. 1, p. 298

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'If a woman hears the Adhan of the tribe, the Adhan and Iqamah are not her responsibility, and likewise, only the two testimonies (Shahadatayn) are sufficient for her, but it is better if she says the Adhan and Iqamah!'

4 عَبْداللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَان قَال: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْداللَّه عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ تُؤَذِّنُ لِلصَّلَاةِ فَقَالَ حَسَنٌ إِنْ فَعَلَتْ وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ أَجْزَأَهَا أَنْ تُكَبِّرَ وَ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2, p. 58

Abdullah ibn Sinan said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a woman, does she say the Adhan for prayer? He said: 'It is good if she does, and if she does not, it is sufficient for her to say 'Allahu Akbar' and 'Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasul Allah (peace be upon him and his family)!'

5 زُرَارَةَ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ النِّسَاءُ عَلَيْهِنَّ أَذَانٌ فَقَالَ إِذَا شَهِدَتِ الشَّهَادَتَيْنِ فَحَسْبُهَا

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2, p. 57

Zurarah said: I said to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): 'Is the Adhan the responsibility of women?' He said: 'It is sufficient for her to say the two testimonies!'

6 أَبِي مَرْيَمَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْداللَّه يَقُولُ إِقَامَةُ الْمَرْأَةِ أَنْ تُكَبِّرَ وَ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 3, p. 305

ابو مريم انصاري گوید : شنیدم امام صادق علیه السلام فرمود : اقامه زن این است که بگوید : اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ (صلی الله علیه و آله)

7 مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: التَّكْبِيرَةُ الْوَاحِدَةُ فِي افْتِتَاحِ الصَّلَاةِ تُجْزِئُ وَ الثَّلَاثُ أَفْضَلُ وَ السَّبْعُ أَفْضَلُ كُلِّهِ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2, p. 66

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: 'One Takbir is sufficient to begin the prayer, three Takbirs are better, and seven Takbirs are best of all!'

8 عَلِيِّ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِيهِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ النِّسَاءِ هَلْ عَلَيْهِنَّ افْتِتَاحُ الصَّلَاةِ وَ التَّشَهُّدُ وَ الْقُنُوتُ وَ الْقَوْلُ فِي صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ وَ صَلَاةِ الزَّوَالِ مَا عَلَى الرِّجَالِ قَالَ نَعَم

📚 Qurb al-Isnad, p. 100

Ali ibn Ja'far said: I asked Imam Kadhim (peace be upon him) about women, are they also responsible for what men are in the beginning of the prayer, the Tashahhud, the Qunut, and the words in the night prayer and the voluntary noon prayer? He said: 'Yes.'

✅It is clear from the above and other narrations that the Adhan and Iqamah are not the responsibility of women, but it is better if they say the Adhan and Iqamah. Also, hearing the Adhan of the tribe's prayer is sufficient for her, and she can also just say the Takbir and the two testimonies. In any case, whether she says the Adhan and Iqamah or not, and whether she contents herself with the Takbir and the two testimonies, it is clear that the beginning of the prayer is saying the Takbirat al-Ihram. A woman can begin her prayer by saying one Takbirat al-Ihram, and if she wants, she can recite the supplications before the Takbirat al-Ihram and also the seven Takbirs that are narrated for the beginning of the prayer along with the three supplications that are narrated in between them, although nothing from these is obligatory except for the Takbirat al-Ihram.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ