Is it permissible for women to pray Eid Prayer at a hotel courtyard bearing in mind that on their way they pass by people committing forbidden things. This happens in a foreign country where Muslims are the minority. هل يصلين في ساحة الفندق؟

Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions.

Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

As to what follows:

With regards to answering your question we say, success is by Allah Almighty.

What is apparent to me is that there is no harm in making Prayer at this place if a better placed is not available. It is not a condition for the correctness of Prayer to be performed at a place where Allah is not disobeyed. A group of sahabah are of the view that making Prayer in a temple is permissible despite great disbelief in Allah that takes place inside. Basically it is permissible to make Prayer at any place as long as there is no evidence prohibiting performance of Prayer at that place.

This is evidenced by what Bukhari (335) and Muslim (513) mentioned in a hadith reported by Jabir Ibn Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) while clarifying what he was given said:

“The earth has been made for me a place of prostration and a means of purification, therefore anyone of my followers can pray wherever the time of prayer is due.” – this is Bukhari’s wording.

Muslim’s wording says: “so whenever the time of prayer comes for any one of you he should pray wherever he is.”

And Allah knows best.