The Fitnah of Women’s Iftaar Parties

Last updated on February 14th, 2026 at 06:18 am

Question

With the approach of the month of Ramadan, iftar gatherings are held in many places, including those arranged exclusively for women. At such meetings the Qur’an is recited and religious talks and reminders are delivered.

However, it often occurs that group photographs are taken at these gatherings and later posted on statuses, and conversations may drift away from beneficial topics into idle talk and sins of the tongue.

Many Muslim women — both married and unmarried — attend these events. Since Maghrib time falls in the evening, women do not always go there accompanied by a husband or mahram.

Some sisters argue that these gatherings provide spiritual benefit and an opportunity to spend time in a women’s jama‘ah.

We kindly request clarification regarding how such practices conform to the rulings of the Shariah for Muslim women, and ask for a detailed response with advice so that others may also benefit.

Answer

It is not difficulty to understand that attending these gatherings of women, especially on such auspicious occasions as the evenings and nights of Ramadhaan, was neither the practice of the Noble Sahaabiyyaat (Radhiyallahu Anhunna) nor the practice of the Noble Ladies of the Khairul Quroon – the Era which Nabi (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said was the best of all ages.

These gathering are an evil innovation (bid’ah sayyiah), inspired by Shaytaan to deflect women from their duties to their husbands and children, and to make make them neglectful and deprived of the immense spiritual benefits of this Holy Month.

The time of Maghrib and Isha, in particular, are for women to be at home with their families and seeing to the family’s needs, or engrossing themselves in Tilaawat of the Qur’aan and performing of the Taraaweeh Salaat. It is totally against the Teachings of Islam for them to be merrymaking out of their homes, and especially during such a blessed time.

The sin of being away from home and merrymaking with other women is aggravated by the taking of haraam pictures and photos. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said that Allah Ta’ala curses those who take pictures of animate objects. Those who take photos of themselves and others are the worst to be punished on the Day of Qiyaamah. The abomination of this sin is intensified many times more by it being women who are videoing and taking photos of themselves.

In short, these ‘women evening gatherings’ are un-Islamic, fraught with spiritual harm and absolute Talbees-Iblees.

May Allah Ta’ala save you from these evil gatherings. Do not inflict upon yourself spiritual suicide by involving yourself in any way with these haraam gatherings.

(Khairun Nisa)