Hadith Reference:
It is narrated from Aisha (رضي الله عنها) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“Allah does not accept the Salah of a mature woman unless she wears a Khimar (headscarf).”
(Sunan Abi Dawood: 641 | Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi: 377 | Sunan Ibn Majah: 655 | Musnad Ahmad: 6/218 | Al-Mustadrak al-Hakim: 1/251)
- Imam al-Tirmidhi classified this Hadith as Hasan (good).
- Imam al-Hakim declared it Sahih according to the conditions of Muslim, and Imam al-Dhahabi agreed.
- Ibn Khuzaymah recorded it in his Sahih with the wording:
“Allah does not accept the Salah of a woman who has reached puberty except with a Khimar.”
Key Lessons from This Hadith:
❶ A mature woman must wear a headscarf (Khimar) while performing Salah.
- Young women (i.e., those who have reached puberty) cannot pray without covering their heads.
- The Khimar refers to a cloth that covers the head, neck, and chest.
❷ A woman’s entire body is Awrah (to be covered) except for her face and hands.
- Islam mandates that a woman covers herself properly, ensuring her modesty in Salah and in general life.
❸ This Hadith also confirms that a woman’s hair is part of her Awrah.
- The head must be covered during Salah, and her hair should be tucked inside the Khimar.
❹ The term “Ha’idh” (a woman who has menstruated) in the Hadith means any mature woman.
- It does not mean that a woman in her menstrual cycle should pray—rather, it refers to any woman who has reached the age of puberty, which is usually marked by the onset of menstruation.
❺ A woman’s natural modesty requires her to cover herself.
- Even outside of prayer, a woman is naturally more dignified and respectable when she covers her hair.
- Allah accepts the prayer of a woman who observes proper modesty, but a woman who prays in a state of immodesty is depriving herself of spiritual reward.
📖 Source:
This content is taken from Sheikh Taqi al-Din Abi al-Fath’s book “Diya’ al-Islam fi Sharh al-Imam bi Ahadith al-Ahkam”, translated by Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Ghaznfar.
