Salam,
Bismillah.
Volume 1, Book 12, Number 823: Narrated 'Aisha:
Once Allah's Apostle delayed the 'Isha' prayer till 'Umar informed him that the women and children had slept. The Prophet came out and said, "None except you from amongst the dwellers of earth is waiting for this prayer." In those days, there was no prayer except in Medina and they used to pray the 'Isha' prayer between the disappearance of the twilight and the first third of the night.
Proves that women used to go to mosques in Prophet (SAW)'s time. Similar Hadih
here.
Volume 1, Book 12, Number 824: Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
The Prophet said, "If your women ask permission to go to the mosque at night, allow them."
Very clear-cut. Concentrate on the 'asking permission' part, women! :P
Volume 1, Book 12, Number 825: Narrated Um Salama (the wife of the Prophet):
In the lifetime of Allah's Apostle the women used to get up when they finished their compulsory prayers with Taslim. The Prophet and the men would stay on at their places as long as Allah will. When the Prophet got up, the men would then get up.
Men wait for the women to leave, and then they leave. It's better to separate pathways. Similar Hadith
here.
Women should leave for homes immediately after the prayer. Lurking around uselessly is not appreciated.
Volume 1, Book 12, Number 826: Narrated 'Aisha:
When Allah's Apostle finished the Fajr prayer, the women would leave covered in their sheets and were not recognized owing to the darkness.
Women 'covered in sheets'.. A Muslim women should cover herself, well enough. Use sheets (read: long pieces) of cloth, sewn or un-sewn.
Women may go to the mosques in dark as well.
Volume 1, Book 12, Number 827: Narrated 'Abdullah bin Abi Qatada Al-Ansari:
My father said, "Allah's Apostle said, "Whenever I stand for prayer, I want to prolong it but on hearing the cries of a child, I would shorten it as I dislike to put its mother in trouble."
Aww-ness. Women deserve that and so much more. :)
Volume 1, Book 12, Number 828: Narrated 'Aisha:
Had Allah's Apostle known what the women were doing, he would have forbidden them from going to the mosque as the women of Bani Israel had been forbidden. Yahya bin Said (a sub-narrator) asked 'Amra (another sub-narrator), "Were the women of Bani Israel forbidden?" She replied "Yes."
I don't know what `Aisha (RA) meant when she said "had Allah's Apostle known what the women were doing..", so can't comment on that.
But yeah, Jewish women weren't allowed to go to mosques. Poor creatures!
Alhamdulillah for Islam! <3
Volume 1, Book 12, Number 829: Narrated Um Salama:
Whenever Allah's Apostle completed the prayer with Taslim, the women used to get up immediately and Allah's Apostle would remain at his place for someone before getting up. (The sub-narrator (Az-Zuhri) said, "We think, and Allah knows better, that he did so, so that the women might leave before men could get in touch with them)."
Repeat: "women used to leave immediately".
Volume 1, Book 12, Number 830: Narrated Anas:
The Prophet prayed in the house of Um Sulaim; and I, along with an orphan stood behind him while Um Sulaim (stood) behind us.
Women CAN pray directly behind men. Screen not required, essentially.
Volume 1, Book 12, Number 831: Narrated 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostle used to offer the Fajr prayer when it was still dark and the believing women used to return (after finishing their prayer) and nobody could recognize them owing to darkness, or they could not recognize one another.
Repeated Hadith.
Volume 1, Book 12, Number 832: Narrated Salim bin 'Abdullah:
My father said, "The Prophet said, 'If the wife of any one of you asks permission (to go to the mosque) do not forbid her."
Umar (RA) disliked her wife going to the masjid, but he never stopped her if she asked him permission to go. Because Prophet (SAW) ordered men not to forbid their wives from going.
P.S. Book of Characteristics of Prayer ends here. Book of Friday Prayer starts after it inshaAllah.
Wassalam.
