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Fatwa CenterWomen attaining the reward of the congregation
Question
If women offered the congregational prayer at home, are they encompassed in the sayings of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:
- "Offering the prayer in congregation is twenty-seven times superior to the prayer offered by a person alone."
- "He who offered the ‘Ishaa’ prayer in congregation, it is as if he prayed half of the night, and he who offered the Fajr prayer in congregation, it is as if he prayed the whole night,"or do they just receive the reward of gathering for the sake of Allaah? May Allaah Reward you the best.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
The scholars differed concerning the congregational prayer of women:
The Shaafi‘is chose that it is recommended and that their woman Imaam stands in the midst of them. ‘Aa’ishah and Umm Salamah 
made narrations that confirm this view without any opposition from the Companions .
There are two narrations of Imaam Ahmad: the first is that it is recommended. The second is that it is not recommended but if they offered it, it substitutes offering the same obligatory prayer.
The Hanafi scholars prohibit offering the congregational prayer by women alone with no men even if it is the Taraaweeh prayer.
The scholars who permitted women to offer the congregational prayer sought evidence in the Hadeeth that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to visit Umm Waraqah 
and used to call her 'the martyr'. She had memorized the Quran and used to lead the women of her household in congregational prayer. The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, permitted her to have a Mu’aththin in her house. [Abu Daawood]
Hopefully, women attain the reward of the congregational prayer for the general significance of his saying, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, "Offering the prayer in congregation is twenty-seven times superior to the prayer offered by a person alone." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
In another narration of [Al-Bukhari] "twenty-five times."
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