Boshra Al-Sebaee
IBN OTHAIMEEN, the late renowned Saudi scholar, was once asked about the Shariah ruling regarding men who perform prayer behind women inside the Grand Mosque and whether this was permissible. He said it was permissible inside the Grand Mosque because of the crowded nature of the mosque.
However, he added, men should try their best to avoid such situations.
Most scholars of the Hanbali, Maliki and Shafi schools of Islamic jurisprudence permit men to stand behind women and perform prayer. If this is permissible then why are women not allowed to enter the Mataf area 30 minutes before the prayer? Why are women who circumambulate the Kaaba forced to stop before prayer and asked to leave the Mataf area while men are allowed to stay? I have seen female supervisors using force to move women who refuse to leave the Mataf area.
Even elderly women who can barely walk are forced to leave the Mataf area. I have seen many women get lost and search for their husbands and sons for hours and sometimes days. Not all visitors enter the Grand Mosque with their cell phones. If you have a cell phone, you can call your relative and locate them but if you do not, how are you going to find them?
It is unfortunate that the management of the Grand Mosque has failed to introduce effective measures to help people find their lost relatives quickly. Some visitors do not speak Arabic, which makes things more difficult. This is a negative practice and should be stopped.
