Al-Kāfi - The Book of Prayer

Chapter: Men Lead Salah (Prayer) for Women and Women Lead Salah (Prayer) for Women َاعَةٌ عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ سُلَيْ٠َانَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠ُّ النِّسَاءَ فَقَالَ إِذَا كُنَّ جَ٠َّتْهُنَّ فِي النَّافِلَةِ فَأَ٠َكْتُوبَةُ فَلاَ وَلاَ تَقَدَّ٠ْهُنَّ وَلَكِنْ تَقُو٠2.

A group has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Fadalah from ibn Sinan from Sulayman ibn Khalid who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a woman’s leading other women in Salah (prayer).

He (the Imam) said, ‘She can do so if they all follow her in optional Salah (prayer), but not in obligatory Salah (prayer), and she is not to lead them, instead she stands up in their middle.’” صحيح على الظاهر - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (5/262))