Source: Fatāwā Amaanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amaanpuri
Should a woman also keep her feet upright in Sujūd (prostration) and Jalsah (sitting between the two prostrations)?
Yes, just like men, women should also keep their feet upright. The method of Rukū‘ and Sujūd that is prescribed for men is the same for women. There is no evidence proving a difference.
❀ The Prophetic instruction is:
صلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي
“Pray as you have seen me praying.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 631)
This command of the Prophet ﷺ is general and includes both men and women. No authentic marfū‘ (attributed to the Prophet ﷺ) or mawqūf (attributed to a Companion) narration establishes any difference in the manner of prayer between men and women.
The Sharī‘ah has indeed prescribed certain rulings specific to women in matters of prayer—for example:
① Regarding clothing,
② Striking the hand on the other hand to alert the Imām,
③ Standing in the middle of the row when leading women in prayer,
④ Standing alone in a row behind the congregation,
—but all of these are established through specific Sharī‘ah evidences and have no connection with the method of prayer itself.
❀ The most authoritative Ḥanafī book states:
“Every ruling that is established for men is likewise established for women, because women are counterparts of men—except for that ruling regarding which a specific text has been transmitted.”
(al-Baḥr al-Rā’iq by Ibn Nujaym al-Ḥanafī: 1/43)
Question:
Should a woman also keep her feet upright in Sujūd (prostration) and Jalsah (sitting between the two prostrations)?
Answer:
Yes, just like men, women should also keep their feet upright. The method of Rukū‘ and Sujūd that is prescribed for men is the same for women. There is no evidence proving a difference.
❀ The Prophetic instruction is:
صلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي
“Pray as you have seen me praying.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 631)
This command of the Prophet ﷺ is general and includes both men and women. No authentic marfū‘ (attributed to the Prophet ﷺ) or mawqūf (attributed to a Companion) narration establishes any difference in the manner of prayer between men and women.
The Sharī‘ah has indeed prescribed certain rulings specific to women in matters of prayer—for example:
① Regarding clothing,
② Striking the hand on the other hand to alert the Imām,
③ Standing in the middle of the row when leading women in prayer,
④ Standing alone in a row behind the congregation,
—but all of these are established through specific Sharī‘ah evidences and have no connection with the method of prayer itself.
❀ The most authoritative Ḥanafī book states:
“Every ruling that is established for men is likewise established for women, because women are counterparts of men—except for that ruling regarding which a specific text has been transmitted.”
(al-Baḥr al-Rā’iq by Ibn Nujaym al-Ḥanafī: 1/43)
