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Fatwa CenterHelping her husband learn the prayers
Question
I got married recently and found out that my husband does not know the Arabic prayers read in Salaat. I tried to teach him by using books but as I am myself not free nowadays with my exams, I was not able to continue it due to time restraint. As I figured out that by forcing him to read from books or to force him to go find a teacher was not helping but only delaying the process of his learning, I started reading aloud Salaat each time I pray which actually raised his interest and he himself would stand beside me and listen and pray silently. The result is now he has learnt more than three-fourths of Salaat correctly with minimal mistakes. To encourage him I started asking him to do Imaamat and it really works well. My question is can I continue to pray aloud and make him learn the remaining prayer or let him take his time to learn from books or to find a teacher? I know it is wrong for a woman to lead a man in prayers but I have done it with a good intention. Was this wrong?
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 is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
According to the correct predominant opinion of the scholars
it is not accepted for a woman to lead men in prayer and if a man prays behind a woman, his prayer is not accepted and he has to make it up. Please refer to Fataawa (plural of Fatwa): 89734 and 89729 on this regard.
If your husband prayed beside you with the intention of taking you as an Imaam, then this is not acceptable and he has to make up that prayer if it was an obligatory prayer. You can teach him how to recite and pray without leading him in prayer if you dedicate some time for him, even a short time. He may also seek the help of Muslim men in order to teach him. As regards praying while reciting aloud, it is permissible for a woman to do so, if there is no marriageable man who could hear her as in Fatwa: 84179.
However, if your husband prayed beside you in order to listen to you and pray silently, while having the intention of praying alone and not taking you as an Imaam, then his prayer is correct and he is not obliged to make it up.
May Allaah enable you to do what He likes and He is pleased with.
Allaah Knows best.
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