Assalaamu alaykum. I live in Saudi Arabia, where women go to a mosque to pray when the shops are closed for any prayer. I do go to a mosque to make sure to pray on time. I used to follow the imam although the women are in a separate place, but I later discontinued following the imam after learning that women are are not supposed to follow him. Therefore, I pray by myself alone sometimes before the communal prayer begins. However, I do think that in the Haram (Makkah) or in Madinah the women follow the imam, and I do too there. So why is a woman then not allowed to follow the imam outside the Haram? Can you please clarify this issue? People say that the place in the mosque is for women who cannot find a place to pray so they are not bound to follow the imam.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

What you think - that women do not follow the imaam if they pray in the mosque - is not true. The female Companions when they prayed in the mosque with the Prophet used to follow him in the prayer, and the Prophet used to shorten the prayer when he would hear a child cry as a mercy for it and for its mother.

However, if you mean that the women’s prayer room is separate from the mosque and that due to this it is not valid for them to follow the imaam because they are outside the mosque, then this is the view of some scholars as they hold the opinion that it is not valid for the people outside the mosque to follow the imaam who is inside the mosque unless all the rows of the worshippers are one behind the other [in a way that each row can see the one in front of it].

Some scholars permitted this for a need, even if the rows are not connected one behind the other.

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“With regard to the congregation praying behind the imaam outside the mosque or in the mosque but there is a separation between them: then if the rows are connected, then this is permissible according to the agreement of all the imaams, but if there is a street between them or a river in which ships sail, then there are two known opinions about this; they are two narrations from Ahmad: One: it is not permissible, like the view of Abu Haneefah, and the second: this is permissible, like the view of Ash-Shaafi’i, but if there is an obstacle that prevents the view and the sound, then there are several views in the School of Ahmad and others. It was said, 'It is permissible,' and it was said, 'it is not permissible.' It was also said, 'It is permissible in the mosque but not at other places than the mosque.' And it was said, 'It is permissible if there is a need and it is not permissible if there is no need, and there is no doubt that this is absolutely permissible in case of need.'” 

There is no doubt that the woman's prayer in her house is better than her praying in the mosque in all cases, as we have highlighted in fataawa 82359 and 82401, but if she prays in the mosque, then she should pray with the imaam and she should follow him, and then the reward of the congregational prayer will be written for her.

Finally, we advise you, dear Sister, to seek knowledge and endeavor in it so that you would worship Allaah with insight and not take your religion from the ignorant people.

Allaah knows best.