Does the virtue of congregational prayer mentioned in the hadiths—"Congregational prayer is twenty-seven degrees superior to individual prayer" and "Whoever prays Isha in congregation, it is as if he has stood for half the night; and whoever prays Fajr in congregation, it is as if he has prayed the entire night"—apply to women if they pray in congregation at home, or do they only receive the reward for affection and love?

Scholars have differed on the ruling concerning women praying in congregation. The Shafi‘is hold that it is recommended, and that the female imam should stand in their middle. Among those from whom this was narrated are ‘Aisha and Umm Salamah. From Ahmad, there are two narrations: recommendation, and non-recommendation, though it is valid if they do so. As for the Hanafis, they consider it prohibitively disliked for women to pray in congregation by themselves without men. The evidence of those who permit it is the hadith of Umm Waraqah bint Nawfal, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, permitted her to lead the people of her household in prayer, and he appointed a muezzin for her. It is hoped that they will attain the reward of congregational prayer due to the generality of the Prophet’s saying, peace and blessings be upon him: "Prayer in congregation is twenty-seven degrees superior to prayer performed individually."