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Is it permissible, Islamically, for women to deliver a weekly sermon lasting twenty minutes to men and women from a mobile microphone in a mosque in the United States, where men pray first, then women behind them, and men remain in their positions and women do not look at them?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The participation of women in education, daʿwah (proselytizing/inviting to Islam), and reform is a religious requirement. Thus, a woman may seek and disseminate knowledge. In ancient times, women used to learn and teach from behind a ḥijāb, and they would attend the gatherings of men for knowledge while modestly dressed and without ikhtilāṭ (unrestricted intermingling of sexes).

In the modern era, with the increasing migration to non-Islamic countries, the necessity of women's participation in daʿwah and educational activities emerges. The correct approach is for women to engage in these activities exclusively among their own gender, for reasons including:

- A woman is required to cover herself and not prolong conversations with non-mahram men. - Centers and mosques often have men who are more knowledgeable and jurisprudentially skilled, and it is more appropriate to activate their role. - Opening this door may lead to undesirable evils, and refraining from it serves as a preventative measure (sadd al-dharīʿah).

This is supported by the Lawgiver's exemption of women from raising their voices during the talbiyah (pilgrimage chant), the adhan (call to prayer), and loud recitation in prayer, because averting harm takes precedence over achieving benefits.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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