Short answer
Yes, in congregation, with the women in rows behind the men. A husband may lead his wife in prayer at home, with her standing behind him, not beside him. In the Hanafi school, if a woman stands level with a man in the same congregation, his prayer can become invalid. Jummah cannot be prayed at home as a couple; they pray Dhuhr.
Women pray behind men in their own rows. A husband leading his wife at home is permitted, with her behind him. If a woman stands level with a man in a shared congregational prayer (muhadhat), with the imam having intended to lead women, the man's prayer is invalid. A man leading non-mahram women alone, with no man or mahram woman present, is makruh tahrimi.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- A woman standing beside a man in prayer is disliked, but it does not invalidate anyone's prayer.
- Maliki
- Also disliked, not invalidating.
- Hanbali
- Also disliked, not invalidating, though a woman standing alone in a row behind men is allowed.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ prayed with men and women in his mosque, the men in front, then the children, then the women. He said the best rows for men are the first and the best rows for women are the last, because they are furthest from the men. When he led a small group in a house, Anas and an orphan stood behind him and the old woman of the house stood behind them, on her own.
Common situations:
- Husband and wife at home: he leads, she stands behind him, even if she is the only one following. Praying together is rewarded and builds the marriage.
- Family congregation: men first, then boys, then women and girls.
- Mosque: women in their own section or rows behind the men. See women in the mosque.
- Jummah at home: not valid as Jummah in the Hanafi school, which needs a public setting and a group of men. A couple at home prays Dhuhr. See who has to pray Jummah.
- Women leading women: see can women be imams.
The Hanafi rule on standing side by side is stricter than the other schools because of a report from Ibn Masud: put them back where Allah has put them back. If a crowd in a small room makes a separate row hard, place a barrier or leave a gap. For the method of prayer, see how women pray.
The evidence
Sahih Muslim 440
Sahih... خير صفوف الرجال أولها وشرها آخرها وخير صفوف النساء آخرها ...
"The best rows for men are the first and the worst the last; the best rows for women are the last and the worst the first."
Men and women pray in the same congregation, with women's rows behind.
Sahih Muslim 658
Sahih... وصففت أنا واليتيم وراءه والعجوز من ورائنا ...
"The orphan and I lined up behind him, and the old woman stood behind us."
A woman stands behind the men even when she is alone in her row.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the imamate (Bab al-Imama). A woman standing level with a man in a shared prayer invalidates his prayer, with its conditions.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the imamate. A man leading only non-mahram women, with no man or mahram woman present, is makruh tahrimi.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.