Aslam

Praise be to Allah.It

is not permissible for a woman to lead men in prayer. The Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Keep women behind [in

the back rows] as Allaah has commanded.” (Narrated by ‘Abd al-Razzaaq

in his Musannaf, 5115. The

isnaad stops at Ibn Mas’ood with a longer report than this; the isnaad

is saheeh but it is not proven that this was said by the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)).

Moreover,

the position of imaam in the mosque is a kind of wilaayah [public office],

and wilaayah is only for men. “No nation prospers that appoints a woman

over its affairs [wilaayah]” (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 13/45, 46), as

the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said.

There

is an exception made by the Hanbalis, but this is a weak opinion. This

view says that a woman may lead the men in taraaweeh if she reads well and

the men present are illiterate, but she should be behind them and they

should be in front of her. But there is no evidence (daleel) to support

this view. The point is that it is not permissible for a woman to lead men

in prayer. Yes, women may lead other women in prayer, it is OK if she

leads other women. This is fine, as stated in the report of Umm Waraqah

leading some of her mahrams, but as for her leading non-mahram men or as a

public office [wilaayah], such as being an imaam in a mosque, this is not

permitted.