perform alignment with men in supererogatory prayer and lead them in it according to one narration, unlike the woman. Al-Hasan said regarding three people, one of whom is a woman: "They stand separately, one behind the other." Our evidence is the hadith of Anas, and it is the opinion of most scholars; we know of no one who disagreed with it except al-Hasan. Following the Sunnah is better, and the opinion of al-Hasan leads to the man standing alone (faddan), and the hadith of Wabisa and Ali ibn Shayban refutes it. (16) If men, boys, hermaphrodites (khuntha), and women gather, the men move forward, then the boys, then the hermaphrodites, then the women, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed and [placed the men in rows, then placed] (17) the young boys behind them. Recorded by Abu Dawud. (18)

Section: If a woman stands in the row of men (19), it is disliked, but her prayer is not invalidated, nor is the prayer of the one next to her. This is the school of al-Shafi'i. Abu Bakr said: "The prayer of the one next to her and behind her is invalidated, but not hers." This is the opinion of Abu Hanifa, because he is prohibited from standing next to her, resembling the case if he stood in front of the Imam. Our evidence is that if she stood [in that position] outside of prayer, his prayer would not be invalidated, so it is the same in prayer. It has been established that Aisha would lie down in front of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) while he was praying. (20) As for their argument that he is prohibited: we say that she is the one prohibited from standing with