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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
أبواب المساجدChapters on Mosques
بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِي أَنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ الْحُرَّةَ كُلَّهَا عَوْرَةٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهَا وَكَفَّيْهَاChapter on the Statement that the Free Woman is Entirely Awrah Except Her Face and Hands
Hadith 1400
اُردوEn
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: ((لَا تُقْبَلُ صَلَاةُ حَائِضٍ إِلَّا بِخِمَارٍ))
It is narrated from Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The prayer of an adult woman is not accepted without a head covering.
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … Khimar refers to a piece of cloth with which the head and neck are covered.
Among the ahadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, only in this narration is a distinction made between the prayer attire of men and women. Readers should keep in mind that the general ruling for a woman’s covering (purdah) is different, and the ruling for prayer attire is different; the general evidences for covering cannot be used as evidence for prayer attire. In this discussion, we will only present the details regarding prayer attire. Imam al-Albani rahimahullah says: Imam ‘Abd al-Razzaq narrated with a sahih chain in his Musannaf: Umm al-Hasan says: I saw Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha, she used to pray in a qamis (long shirt) and a covering (khimar).
Similarly, ‘Ubaydullah Khawlani says that Sayyidah Maymunah radi Allahu anha also used to pray in a qamis and a covering (khimar), while she would not be wearing an izar (lower garment). (Muwatta Imam Malik: 1/160, from him Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/224, and al-Bayhaqi: 2/233) (The qamis with which an izar was not used would be so long that there would be no need for trousers or the like.) From other athar (narrations) present in this chapter, it is also evident that it was well-known among them for a woman to pray in a qamis and a covering (khimar), and this is the minimum attire that is obligatory for a woman in prayer. The following athar of Sayyiduna ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu will be understood as referring to the best and most complete form: “A woman prays in three garments: a shirt (dir‘), a khimar, and an izar.” (Ibn Abi Shaybah, al-Bayhaqi) Similarly, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu said: When a woman prays, she should wear all her clothes, i.e., a shirt (qamis), a khimar, and a cloak (chador). (Ibn Abi Shaybah). (Tamam al-Minnah: 161, 162) Generally, the following hadith is presented: It is narrated from Sayyidah Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha that she asked the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: Can a woman pray in a shirt (qamis) and a covering (khimar) without a lower garment (tehband)? He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ((If the shirt is long enough to cover the tops of her feet.)) (Abu Dawud: 640) However, many imams have considered this hadith to be the statement of Sayyidah Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha herself. Although Imam San‘ani and others have said that this mawquf narration is in the meaning of marfu‘, in the chain of the mawquf narration, the narrator Umm Muhammad is majhul al-hal (her status is unknown), therefore this narration is not valid as evidence, whether marfu‘ or mawquf.
Among the ahadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, only in this narration is a distinction made between the prayer attire of men and women. Readers should keep in mind that the general ruling for a woman’s covering (purdah) is different, and the ruling for prayer attire is different; the general evidences for covering cannot be used as evidence for prayer attire. In this discussion, we will only present the details regarding prayer attire. Imam al-Albani rahimahullah says: Imam ‘Abd al-Razzaq narrated with a sahih chain in his Musannaf: Umm al-Hasan says: I saw Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha, she used to pray in a qamis (long shirt) and a covering (khimar).
Similarly, ‘Ubaydullah Khawlani says that Sayyidah Maymunah radi Allahu anha also used to pray in a qamis and a covering (khimar), while she would not be wearing an izar (lower garment). (Muwatta Imam Malik: 1/160, from him Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/224, and al-Bayhaqi: 2/233) (The qamis with which an izar was not used would be so long that there would be no need for trousers or the like.) From other athar (narrations) present in this chapter, it is also evident that it was well-known among them for a woman to pray in a qamis and a covering (khimar), and this is the minimum attire that is obligatory for a woman in prayer. The following athar of Sayyiduna ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu will be understood as referring to the best and most complete form: “A woman prays in three garments: a shirt (dir‘), a khimar, and an izar.” (Ibn Abi Shaybah, al-Bayhaqi) Similarly, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu said: When a woman prays, she should wear all her clothes, i.e., a shirt (qamis), a khimar, and a cloak (chador). (Ibn Abi Shaybah). (Tamam al-Minnah: 161, 162) Generally, the following hadith is presented: It is narrated from Sayyidah Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha that she asked the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: Can a woman pray in a shirt (qamis) and a covering (khimar) without a lower garment (tehband)? He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ((If the shirt is long enough to cover the tops of her feet.)) (Abu Dawud: 640) However, many imams have considered this hadith to be the statement of Sayyidah Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha herself. Although Imam San‘ani and others have said that this mawquf narration is in the meaning of marfu‘, in the chain of the mawquf narration, the narrator Umm Muhammad is majhul al-hal (her status is unknown), therefore this narration is not valid as evidence, whether marfu‘ or mawquf.
