Q. My husband would not go to the masjid ever,  not even for Eid salaah if he can help it. He does not pray at all. It bothers me lots. And my sons (13 and 15) are seeing this behavior and they feel like avoiding prayer. To encourage husband and family I go for Eid every year, both times. Today he told me he heard that a woman must not go for Eid salaah…so I must worry about taking them this year. Is it true woman must not go for Eid salaah? If so, what do I do for our famiy’s Imaan?

A. It would be better for you to encourage your children and husband to carry out their obligations of their five daily salaah. You should try and take the family to the masjid so they can fulfill this obligation instead of focusing exclusively on Eid salaah. If it’s difficult to take them to the masjid, make one of them a leader of the other, and encourage them to perform the salaah as a group at home. Start teaching them surahs and teach them the value of performing salaah as a group.

Although we do not encourage women to go to the masjid without justification, by you taking your family to the masjid for their five daily salaah would be greatly rewarding for all of you. By you pointing them towards good, you would also attain its rewards (derived from Hadith).

As far as Eid salaah is concerned, it absolutely is not fardh for you, nor wajib for you to attend. However, should you do so; it should be done within the parameters of the Shari’a. As for now, you have a greater challenge than attending the Eid salaah . It is the challenge of having your family accomplish their obligations of the five daily fardh salaah towards Allah (subhanahu wa ta’aala)!

Thus, it would be important for you to prioritize matters with regards to that which is fardh, versus that which is wajib, sunnah etc. And set goals to accomplish the most important first….

Allah certainly knows best.