Group sleep over for Muslim female youth
28-6-2004 | IslamWeb
Question:
My question is regarding having sleep over. I really understand that sleep over is not appropriate for us (Muslim).Now summer is approaching and practicing sleep over here in the west is very common. I'm just wondering is there any ruling or is it really applicable to have "GROUP SLEEP OVER FOR MUSLIM YOUTH GIRL in the mosque (Masjid)though the agenda is to teach some Islamic knowledge and manners to the youth girl, and trying to divert their habit of having sleep over to their non Muslim friends or Muslim friends. I'm not that much agrees with this situation because I really do believe that this is not the only way to teach our youth girl for Islamic knowledge and manners and I find that it is like promoting our youth girl to be out from the house, as home is the best for women and youth girl. And it is like competing with the youth boys please give me more understanding with it as it's been going on now here in Canada of doing this sleep over for group Muslim youth girl.
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
It is more appropriate and better for a woman not to leave her home except for a dire necessity. Allah says: "And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance… (Al-Ahzab 33:33)
It is better for a woman to pray in her home than to pray in the mosque. Imam Ahmed reported in his Musnad that Um Hamid, the wife of Abu Hamid Al-Saidi, came to the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) and told him, O Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) of Allah, I like praying with you." He said: "I had known that you like praying with me. But your prayer in your private room is better than your prayer in other rooms of your house, and your prayer in other rooms of your house is better than your prayer in the halls of your house, and your prayer in the halls of your house is better than your prayer in your community's mosque, and your prayer in your community's mosque is better than your prayer in my mosque."
So this is a proof that the more the place is more secret and private for the woman and far from men, the better for her.
However, it is incumbent upon a Muslim woman to learn her creed, the rulings pertaining to her acts of worship and the etiquettes of her religion. If this is possible in her house, then it is better for her without doubt, but if this is not permissible except outside her home, and there is no other way except by staying overnight in the mosque, or the vicinity of the mosque, then there is no harm for this, provided she abides by the Islamic jurisprudence requirements and she is far away from anything that causes her to be tempted. Being tempted, is easy because the possibility of girls being subjected to what is dislikable in such camps, is high, therefore it is more appropriate for her to avoid this.
And the woman in menses should not stay in the mosque as the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) forbade that.
Allah knows best.