A man was praying when a woman joined him from behind at a close distance. What is the ruling on his prayer?
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you.
Ayatollah Al-Sistani (may Allah protect him):
The prayer of both the man and the woman is not valid, as a precaution, if they are aligned during the prayer or if the woman is ahead of the man. It is necessary for her to be behind him such that the place of her forehead is aligned with the position of his knees - and it is recommended that she be further back so that her place is behind his standing position. Alternatively, there should be a barrier between them or a distance of more than ten arms' lengths (approximately 4.5 meters). This ruling applies equally to relatives, spouses, and others, and it does not matter whether the alignment occurs at the beginning or during the prayer. For example, if a woman begins her prayer ahead of or aligned with the praying man and he is able to create a barrier or move away from her, his prayer is not valid without her being behind him, as a precaution.
This prohibition specifically applies to adults - although it is more precautionary to generalize it. It also applies only when they are in the same location such that alignment and advancement can be established. If one is in a higher position than the other in a way that does not constitute advancement or alignment, there is no issue. Additionally, this prohibition applies in cases of choice, but not in cases of necessity, such as during crowded situations in Mecca.
Source: Minhaj al-Salihin, Vol. 1, on the alignment of men and women during prayer.
Ayatollah Al-Khamenei (may Allah protect him):
There is no objection to a woman being aligned with a man or advancing ahead of him, provided there is a distance of at least a hand span between them, as a precaution.
Source: Answers to Inquiries, Place of the Praying Person, Q374.
May you be successful in all good.