The Rulings of Islamic Law on a Woman's Voice according to the Shafi'i Fiqh

 

Is a woman's voice considered 'awrah?

A woman's voice is not considered 'awrah according to the most correct opinion. Therefore, a woman's prayer is not invalidated if she recites aloud, and it is permissible to listen to her voice provided there is no fear of temptation (fitnah) or that the listener does not derive pleasure from it. If temptation is feared, or if the listener derives pleasure from it—even without fearing temptation—then it is forbidden to listen attentively to her voice, even if it is for reciting the Qur'an. Consequently, in all the discussions that follow, which permit a non-mahram man (A man who isn`t a permanent, unmarriageable relative) to hear a woman's voice, it becomes forbidden to listen for any of those reasons if it is accompanied by desire or fear of temptation.

What is meant by the statement "fear of temptation" (khawf al-fitnah)?

The meaning of "fear of temptation" is anything that could be an impetus for sexual intercourse or seclusion (khalwah), meaning that if the man were to seclude himself with the woman, it is feared that something forbidden would occur between them.

What is the ruling on a woman giving the call to prayer (adhan)?

Jurists have stated that one of the conditions for the validity of the adhan is that the caller (mu'adhin) be male. It is therefore a function specific to males.

Consequently, it is absolutely forbidden for a woman to raise her voice in giving the adhan, and she does not receive a reward for it. This is because the adhan is not required of her according to Islamic Law, and because it involves imitating men (tashabbuh bi al-rijal)—even if she does not intend to imitate them, the imitation is present because the adhan is specifically for males. Furthermore, since it involves raising the voice, there is a fear of temptation. Allowing her to do so would impose upon people a cause of temptation, because it is recommended (sunnah) to listen to the mu'adhin and to look at him, and both of these actions directed towards her could lead to temptation. If a woman were permitted to give the adhan, it would lead to a non-mahram man being commanded to listen and look at what is feared may cause temptation, and this is impermissible.

If a woman gives the adhan without raising her voice, but she intends to imitate men, then her adhan is forbidden.

Thus, for the prohibition to apply, one of two reasons must be present: either raising the voice, or the intention to imitate men. Imam Al-Bujayrimi gave preponderance to the opinion that the relied-upon reason is the intention to imitate men.

If a woman gives the adhan for men, her adhan is not valid and is not considered, because her leading men in prayer is not valid, so her giving the adhan for them is also not valid. In this case, she is sinful. According to the relied-upon opinion, there is no distinction between male mahrams and non-mahrams in this ruling.

It is not obligatory for a man who hears a woman's adhan to block his ears, because hearing her voice is only forbidden when there is a fear of temptation.

Since the adhan is forbidden for her, does she receive a reward for it or not? Some scholars gave preponderance to the view that she does receive a reward, by analogy with performing prayer in usurped property; because punishment can occur without deprivation of reward. However, Imam Al-Shabramallisi gave preponderance to the view that she does not receive a reward, stating that this is the closer opinion, because, according to Sharia, prayer is required from her and she is punished for abandoning it, so she is rewarded for performing it even in usurped property. This is unlike the adhan, which she is prohibited from performing, so she is not rewarded for it.

If a woman gives the adhan for other women, only to the extent that they can hear her, without raising her voice, without intending the formal adhan, without intending it as an act of worship in its capacity as an adhan, and she intends it merely as a remembrance of Allah Almighty, then it is not forbidden nor is it disliked according to that opinion. It would be permissible but not recommended, because the adhan is not recommended for women even if men are absent. It is considered a remembrance of Allah Almighty and has the form of an adhan, but it is not a valid adhan according to Islamic Law. If any of these restrictions is not met, her adhan is forbidden, even if no non-mahram men are present.

The ruling on a woman performing the iqamah (the second call to prayer, immediately preceding the prayer):

Performing the iqamah is recommended for a congregation of women, meaning that one of them may perform it. This is because the purpose of the iqamah is primarily to alert those present, so there is no raising of the voice in it that would necessitate caution. It is also recommended for a woman praying alone to perform the iqamah for herself.

It is not valid for a woman to perform the iqamah for a man. The question of whether she sins by doing so, due to engaging in an invalid act of worship—by analogy to giving the adhan before its proper time—is one possibility. However, Imam Al-Shabramallisi considered the closer opinion to be the opposite, and Imam Al-Shirwani followed him in this.

The ruling on a woman raising her voice with the Qur'an in prayer and outside of it:

It is permissible for a woman to raise her voice in reciting the Noble Qur'an, both in prayer and outside of it, even though listening attentively to the recitation is recommended. However, it is disliked for her to recite aloud in prayer in the presence of a non-mahram man, due to the fear of temptation.

Imam Al-Shirbini disagreed with the previous ruling, reasoning that her recitation should be treated like the adhan, because it is recommended to listen to the Qur'an, thus making it analogous to the adhan.

The distinction between Qur'an recitation and the adhan is that recitation is fundamentally legislated for women. The dislike arises only due to an incidental factor, which is the fear of temptation. This is unlike the adhan, which is not legislated for women because it is a function specific to males. Furthermore, it is not recommended to look at the reciter, unlike the case of the mu'adhin. Therefore, the analogy of Qur'an recitation to the adhan is not sound. In any case, it is forbidden for a non-mahram man to listen to her recitation if it is accompanied by desire or fear of temptation.

Raising the voice with the Talbiyah during Hajj:

It is recommended for a man to raise his voice with the Talbiyah, to the extent that it does not harm him. It is recommended for a woman to lower her voice with the Talbiyah, to the extent that she can hear herself. This is because there is a fear of temptation arising from her voice; a woman's voice may be a cause of temptation for the listener, and sometimes her voice can be more tempting than looking at her.

If she raises her voice with the Talbiyah, her ruling is the same as the ruling for one who raises her voice with Qur'an recitation in prayer: it is disliked for her to raise her voice with the Talbiyah in the presence of non-mahram men, but it is not forbidden—even if she raises her voice beyond what her female companions can hear—because her voice is not 'awrah, it is not recommended to listen attentively to her during her Talbiyah, and everyone is occupied with their own Talbiyah and not listening to the Talbiyah of others.

If the woman is alone, or in the presence of women, her husband, or her mahrams, then she may recite the Talbiyah aloud without any dislike, just as she may recite the Qur'an aloud in her audible prayers when no non-mahram man is present.