Muslim

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: It is obligatory for a person to cover the private parts (‘awrah). Due to the scarcity of clothing, women were prohibited from raising their heads from prostration before the men, lest it happen that a man's ‘awrah becomes exposed during prostration and a woman’s gaze falls upon it.

Hadith Commentary:
This was the early period of Islam.
The noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum) were afflicted with all kinds of hardships.
Some people possessed only a single lower garment (izaar) to cover themselves.
At times, even that would be insufficient, so women who participated in the congregation were given this instruction.
The purpose of this was that the gaze of women should not fall upon the private parts (‘awrah) of men.
Even in such straitened circumstances, the participation of women in congregational prayer with proper veiling (purdah) was customary in the time of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam); this ruling remains the same today. May Allah grant sound understanding and grant every Muslim the ability to perform righteous deeds.
Ameen!

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Previously, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah established two chapter headings in the Book of Garments (Abwab al-Thiyab) that pertain to the manner of prayer, namely in the Book of Prayer (Kitab al-Salat): Chapter 26, “If someone does not complete the prostration (sujud),” and Chapter 27, “During prostration, one should keep the arms apart and away from the sides.” Here, he has established two such headings that are related to the Book of Garments (Abwab al-Thiyab).
One of them is the aforementioned heading.
Some commentators have attributed this to an oversight or forgetfulness on the part of the authors of the book, but it is difficult to accept this. Rather, the reality is that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, with keen insight, did this deliberately, because in the previous hadith it is mentioned that the worshiper’s garments also perform prostration, therefore it is not correct to gather up one’s garments during prayer. Moreover, doing so distracts one’s attention in prayer, which is contrary to humility and submissiveness (khushu‘ and khudu‘).
And if there is a fear that the ‘awrah (private parts that must be covered) may become exposed during prayer, then there is no harm in gathering up the garments and tying them during prayer, as is made clear from the aforementioned hadith.
(2)
It should be noted that the condition of the worshipers described in this hadith was during a time of great hardship and poverty, as the narrator of the hadith has explicitly stated in Sahih Muslim.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah writes that, under normal circumstances, it is prohibited to gather up one’s garments during prayer, but in cases of necessity, it is permitted to tie and gather them.
Since in such a state, it becomes easier and more convenient to perform prostration, it has been mentioned in the chapters on prostration (Abwab al-Sujud).
(Fath al-Bari: 2/386)
Other discussions related to this hadith have already been mentioned under Hadith: 362.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
A knot of cloth was tied around the neck like children do so that, in the state of prostration (sajdah), the private parts would not become exposed. However, even with this precaution, there was still a risk of the awrah (private parts) being uncovered. Therefore, women were instructed not to raise their heads from prostration along with the men, but rather, when the men had sat up properly, then the women should raise their heads. In Abu Dawud (851) and Musnad Ahmad (6/348), this reasoning is mentioned: so that the gaze of women does not fall upon the private parts of men, lest it become a cause of temptation (fitnah). (Fath al-Bari: 1/613)

2.
From this, it is also understood that if a cloth can be wrapped around the body, it provides more concealment of the awrah than using it as a waist-wrapper (izar). If it is tight, then there are two possibilities: either it is worn as a waist-wrapper (izar), or a knot is tied around the neck with it. As Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi rahimahullah has written in Sharh Tarajim Bukhari.

Benefits and Issues:
Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
From the mentioned hadith, it is understood that advancing or delaying the pillars (arkān) of prayer in relation to one another, and waiting for the action of another, is permissible and does not invalidate the prayer. This is because the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) instructed the women to wait for the men, which necessitates that the men advance and the women delay, meaning the men raise their heads first and the women raise theirs afterward. This is the reason for the relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith. See: [فتح الباري، ج4، ص75]

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says:
“This statement was addressed to the women either during the prayer or before the prayer. From the first possibility, it is understood that it is permissible to address someone performing prayer and to wait for someone for the sake of prayer. From the second possibility, it is understood that waiting during prayer is permissible.”

◈ He further says:
«ومحصل مراد البخاري أن الانتظار إن كان شرعيًا جازو إلا فلا»
“The conclusion is that if waiting for someone is for a legitimate (shar‘i) reason, then it is permissible; otherwise, it is not.” [فتح الباري، ج4، ص76]

◈ Allamah Sindhi rahimahullah says:
“It is not necessary that this was said during the prayer, nor is there any indication of this in the hadith. Rather, it is a general statement, whether during prayer or outside of it.” [حاشيه السندي، ج1، ص210]

◈ Badruddin Ibn Jama‘ah rahimahullah says:
«فقد أفاد المسألتين، خطاب المصلي، وامساك المصلي المريض بما لا يضر لأنه قيل لهن قبلن ولم ينكر عليهن وان كان الخطاب لهن قبل الصلاة فقد أفاد جواز الانتظار لأن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لم ينكر عليهن فى أمرهن بذالك ولعله كان هو الأمر به فنسي، وإذا كان الانتظار جائز فطلبه جائز والاصفاء إليه جائز» [مناسبات تراجم البخاري، ص54]

◈ Ibn al-Mulaqqin rahimahullah says:
«فيه : جواز سبق المأمون بعضهم لبعض فى الأفعال ولا يضر ذالك»
“In this hadith is the answer that if followers (muqtadis) precede one another in actions, it does not harm (the prayer).” [التوضيح، ج9، ص311]
He further says, while discussing the chapter heading and the hadith, that it is certainly permissible for a non-praying person to say to the women: ‘Do not raise your heads until the men have sat up,’ and similarly, the hadith: ‘The women would hasten to leave their places after completing the prayer.’
From all these excerpts, it becomes clear that if a praying or non-praying person tells a worshipper to advance, and the worshipper does so, then his prayer is not invalidated.

My Comment: Just as after the change of the qiblah, prayer was being performed in the mosque and a non-praying person conveyed the news of the change, and the people changed their direction while in that state, and the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not object to their action. Therefore, this incident also supports the chapter heading.

◈ Allamah Waheeduz-Zaman writes:
In this hadith, it is stated that this was said to the women when they were in prayer. Thus, it is difficult to derive the chapter’s meaning from the hadith, and its explanation is as follows: It is the habit of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah that even when a word has two possibilities, he uses it as evidence, and here there is also the possibility that this was said to the women during the prayer. And when it was said to the women during the prayer, “And when it was said to the women: Do not raise your heads until the men have sat up,” then the men advancing ahead of the women is also derived from this. [تيسير الباري، شرح صحيح البخاري، ج1، ص712]
It is also Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s habit that if there are two possibilities regarding an issue or a presented hadith, he mentions one of the possibilities through the chapter heading.
Furthermore, if one reflects, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s purpose with the chapter heading is to refute the Hanafis, because according to the Hanafis, if a worshipper is ordered to advance or delay and he follows this, his prayer becomes invalid. See for details: [لامع الدراري، ج4، ص300] And according to the rest of the Imams, if he acts upon such a statement, his prayer does not become invalid.

Answer to an Objection: SA Here, an objection arises that «قيل للنساء» was outside of prayer, as Imam Qastallani rahimahullah has mentioned [ارشاد الساري، ج2، ص1317]
Similarly, the author of Awjaz al-Masalik has also mentioned [الابواب والتراجم، ج3، ص152] So then, how is Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s chapter heading established? Because apparently, it is not proven from the hadith that this was said to the women during the prayer? EA Answer:
Both possibilities are established in the hadith, and Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s reasoning is «بكل المحتمل». That is, even if there are possibilities in the wording, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah still uses it as evidence. Thus, here too, there is the possibility that it was said to the women during the prayer «لا ترفعن» Therefore, in this case, both issues are established: the men advancing ahead of the women, and the women waiting. Thus, from here, the relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith is established.

Hadith Commentary:
If the imam forgets during the prayer or if it is necessary to alert the imam to some other important matter, then men should say "Subhan Allah" and women should clap their hands. If a man, out of ignorance, claps his hands, his prayer will not be invalidated.
Accordingly, in the hadith of Sahl (radi Allahu anhu), which is coming after two chapters, it is mentioned that the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) did so out of ignorance, and the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not command them to repeat the prayer.
The correspondence between the hadith and the chapter is that this instruction was given to women either during the prayer or before the prayer.
From the first aspect, it is understood that addressing someone who is praying and waiting for someone who is praying is permissible, and from the second aspect, it is understood that waiting during the prayer is permissible.
The conclusion of the words of Imam al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) is that if waiting for someone is for a legitimate (shar‘i) reason, then it is permissible; otherwise, it is not.
(Fath al-Bari)

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Some scholars hold the view that if a person performing prayer accepts correction from someone outside (the prayer), his prayer becomes invalid, because the process of teaching and learning during the prayer is not correct; rather, it is contrary to the validity of the prayer. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah refutes this by stating that if the person praying accepts correction from outside for the benefit of the prayer, it is permissible. Accordingly, in the mentioned hadith, the address is to women: that before the men sit up straight, you should not raise your heads from prostration.

(2)
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, in his Sahih Bukhari, derives rulings from the generality and applicability of hadiths. In this instance as well, he has established a ruling from the generality and applicability of the hadith, because the hadith does not clarify whether the mentioned address was during the prayer or before the prayer began. Allamah Ayni rahimahullah has written: Although this is not explicitly stated in the hadith, the context and sequence of the speech indicate that this command was given to the women during the prayer while they were performing prayer with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, because the particle "fa" is used in it, which is for sequence. This necessitates that the command was given to the women during the prayer. (Umdat al-Qari: 5/621) Even if this address was before the prayer, at the very least, it establishes that in complying with this command, women must wait during the prayer. If it is during the prayer, then they will wait, and they will raise their heads after the men. From this, precedence for men and waiting, i.e., delay, for women is established. And Allah knows best.

630. Commentary:
It is understood that covering the awrah (private parts) in prayer is obligatory, and it should be noted that for a man, the awrah extends from the navel to the knees (i.e., it is necessary to cover this area), and the shoulders should also be covered. It is also established that the Muslims, in their earliest period, suffered from extreme poverty.

767. Commentary: The lower garments (izar) used to be short, which is why they had to be tied, as has been mentioned in Hadith number 765. The instruction to women was only as a precaution, so that due to the shortness of the garment, the cloth would not shift here and there; otherwise, it is not the case that they would become exposed from behind during prostration (sajdah), because in such a situation, the prayer itself would not be valid. If the garment is so short, then instead of tying it at the neck, it should be tied at the waist like an izar, because covering the private parts (‘awrah) is obligatory (fard). It should be remembered that during the blessed era of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), women used to pray in congregation behind the men in the mosque.