Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
A woman's prayer in her house, even if it is offered alone,
is better and brings a greater reward than her prayer in the mosque, even if
it is offered in congregation. This is indicated by many hadeeths from the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him).
It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (8/231):
The fuqaha’ are unanimously agreed that a man's prayer in the
mosque in congregation is better than his praying alone in his house,
because of the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who
said: The Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Prayer in congregation is twenty-five times better than the prayer of
one of you on his own.” According to another report: “twenty-seven times
better.” Agreed upon.
But with regard to women, their prayer offered at home is
better, because of the marfoo’ hadeeth of Umm Salamah: “The best places of
prayer for women are the innermost parts of their houses.” Narrated by Ahmad
in al-Musnad, 6/297; classed as hasan by the editors of al-Musnad.
End quote.
See also the answer to question number
90071.
With regard to the virtue of praying in congregation in the
mosque, this is only for men, because they are the ones who are commanded to
go out to it, except for the Eid prayer, the reward of which is multiplied
for women too, because they are commanded to go out to it. Hence Ibn Daqeeq
al-‘Eid said:
As women are encouraged to go out to the mosque, they should
be equal with men (in reward) because the fact that men are mentioned with
regard to the reward for actions is does not mean that the reward is limited
to them in sharee’ah. End quote.
Ihkaam al-Ahkaam Sharh ‘Umdat al-Ahkaam,
1/193
Al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
In the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with
him) which was narrated by al-Bukhaari, it says: “(The reward for) the
prayer of a man offered in congregation is multiplied.” This indicates that
the reward for a woman’s prayer offered in congregation is not multiplied,
because her prayer in her house is better for her. End quote.
Fath al-Baari, 4/34.
Something similar was said by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar in his
commentary on the hadeeth of the seven whom Allaah will shade with His shade
on the Day when there will be no shade but His, among whom is “a man whose
heart was attached to the mosques.” Al-Haafiz was of the view that this
applies only to men, because a woman's prayer offered in her house is better
than in the mosque.
Fath al-Baari, 2/147.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The multiplied reward which is attained by praying in
congregation applies only to men, because they are the ones who are called
to it in the sense of it being obligatory. Hence the wording of the hadeeth
is: “(the reward) for a man praying in congregation is twenty-five times
greater than (the reward) for his praying in his house or in the
marketplace.”
Based on this, women do not attain this reward; indeed the
scholars differed with regard to whether it is prescribed for women to pray
in congregation separately from the men in their houses or in schools. Some
of them said that it is Sunnah for them to pray in congregation; others said
that it is permissible for them to pray in congregation; and some said that
it is makrooh for them to pray in congregation. End quote.
See the answer to question number
12093.
And Allaah knows best.