Question:
He says that he usually goes to the mosque for prayer, but sometimes he cannot reach the mosque and must pray alone at home. When praying alone he misses the reward of congregational prayer, which is mentioned in hadith to be twenty-five or twenty-seven times greater.
So, he asks: if he gathers the women in his house—such as his wife—and leads them in prayer as a congregation, will he receive the reward of congregational prayer?
Answer:
If we search for a specific narration stating that a man prayed at home with only the women of the house behind him to obtain the reward of congregation, we may not find an exact example like that. But we do know from many authentic narrations that women prayed behind men during congregational prayer in the time of the Prophetﷺ. In the mosque of the Prophetﷺ, men would stand in front rows and women would stand behind them, following the imam. So the principle that a woman can follow a male imam in prayer is firmly established.
There are also narrations that the Prophetﷺ once visited the house of Anas ibn Malik (RA) and led prayer there. In that prayer Anas and another young boy stood with him, and the women of the house stood behind them and prayed. This shows that women can stand behind a man and follow him in prayer even in a house setting. Therefore, if a man happens to be at home and cannot attend the mosque, he may gather the women of the household and lead them in prayer. The reward of congregational prayer is connected to praying in congregation, not specifically restricted to men only. The hadith mentions that congregational prayer has twenty-seven times the reward of individual prayer, without distinguishing between a congregation of men or women. Therefore, based on the general principle that women may follow a male imam, one may lead the women of the house in prayer and hope for the reward of congregational prayer.