Is it permissible to lead non-mahrams in prayer?

Question

Salaam Alaykum, as we know, today is the first of Ramadan and I'd like to wish all of you a blessed Ramadan. My question is, I'm now currently living with my aunty/with my cousins, and I have one female cousin, and 2 males making a total of 4 with my aunt included. Now, they want me to pray the evening prayer together, (put in mind, they are my ajnab) and I'm worried that it might be impermissible... So what is the ruling for this? Is this permissible? And if it is, can I lead them as imam? P.s I'd really appreciate if I get an answer quick cause time for iftar is really close

Answer 1

Yes you can pray in a congregation at home. The minimum number for a congregation is 2 (including the Imam) and you have 5.

And you can be the Imam assuming that you are a male and the women stand in a row behind the males.

Your aunt is your mahram. And the cousins who have the same gender as you do not have any restrictions on being with you. As for any cousin who is of the opposite gender then you can not be alone with them and they must observe hijab and segregation from you.

The presence of non-mahrams in a congregation can be one of the following cases:

• If the congregation consists of just one man and a woman who is non-mahram to him. Being alone with a non-mahram is forbidden.

• If the congregation consists of a man and more than one non-mahram woman. This is disagreed upon. Some consider it makruh.

• If the congregation consists of a mixture of men and women or a mixture of mahram and non-mahram women.

  Praying with a non-mahram present in a mixed congregation is generally permissible and valid. During the time of the Prophet ﷺ the Muslim women used to pray behind the men and the Imam and some of the men were non-mahrams to some of the women. Your situation is similar.

  كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يصلي الفجر، فيشهد معه نساء من المؤمنات متلفعات في مروطهن ثم يرجعن إلى بيوتهن ما يعرفهن أحد

  Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to offer the Fajr prayer and some believing women covered with their veiling sheets used to attend the Fajr prayer with him and then they would return to their homes unrecognized.

  ^{— Bukhari}

  And this is the stance of the Hanbalis:

  ولا بأس أن يؤم ذوات محارمه، وأن يؤم النساء مع الرجال، فإن النساء كن يصلين مع النبى -صلى الله عليه وسلم- في المسجد، وقد أم النبى -صلى الله عليه وسلم- نساء، وقد أم النبى -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أنسا وأمه في بيتهم

  There is nothing wrong with a man leading his mahrams in prayer, or leading women alongwith men, because women used to pray with the Prophet in the mosque and the Prophet ﷺ used to lead them, and because the Prophet ﷺ lead Anas and his mother in their house.

  ^{— al-Mughni}

  Other madhabs consider it discouraged for women to go out of their homes to be present in congregations, when there is risk of fitnah in it, see here Why are women higly discouraged from attending Mosques?.

  But in your case it is inside the home of the non-mahram. The Hanafi fatwas I checked (such as this and this and others) state that if they are already present in the house then it is permissible for them to participate in the congregation as long as a veil is observed between them and the men.