Women’s Prayer and Their Clothing
Ordinary women often face various confusions regarding clothing when it comes to performing prayer. Therefore, this writing briefly clarifies the issue of what type of clothing a woman should wear to perform prayer.
Some Differences Regarding Clothing
Before explaining the clothing for women’s prayer, some important distinctions related to clothing are mentioned first so that the difference between various issues and the main topic is clear.
First Issue:
There is a difference between the prayer attire of men and women. Also, a man can pray in a single covering garment.
The evidence for this is that it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
لا يصلي احدكم فى الثوب الواحد ليس على عاتقيه منه شيء
Translation: “None of you should pray in a single cloth in such a way that no part of his shoulders is covered.”
The meaning of this hadith is that if a person has only one cloth, he can pray in it, provided that the cloth covers his private parts and both shoulders; that is, for men, covering the shoulders along with the private parts is necessary. It is also established from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he prayed in a single cloth, and when the single cloth was in the form of a sheet, the manner of using it is narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) as follows.
It is narrated from Hazrat Umar bin Abi Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
رايت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يصلي فى ثوب واحد ملتحفا مخالفا بين طرفيه زاد عيسى بن حماد فى روايته قال على منكبيه
Translation: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) praying in a single cloth. He had wrapped it around himself and placed both edges in opposite directions.” Isa bin Hammad added in his narration that he had placed it on his shoulders.
From the hadith, it is clear that by passing it under both armpits, the right edge is placed on the left shoulder and the left edge on the right shoulder, or it is fastened near the neck as Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he saw the seventy companions of Suffah (may Allah be pleased with them) and none of them had a sheet. They only had a waist wrapper or a cloth to cover at night, which they tied around their necks.
And if a single cloth is sewn in the form of a shirt or has buttons, the worshipper should wear it like a kurta, as Hazrat Salamah bin Al-Akwa (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
قلت يا رسول الله اني رجل اصيد افاصلي فى القميص الواحد قال نعم وازرره ولو بشوكة
Translation: “I said: O Messenger of Allah! I am a hunter; can I pray in a kurta (shirt)? He (peace be upon him) said: Yes, and have it stitched (buttoned), even if with a thorn.”
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
قام رجل الى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فسأله عن الصلاة فى الثوب الواحد فقال اوكلكم يجد ثوبين ثم سأل رجل عمر فقال اذا وسع الله فاوسعوا جمع رجل عليه ثيابه صلى رجل فى ازار ورداء فى ازار وقميص فى ازار وقباء فى سراويل ورداء فى سراويل وقميص فى سراويل وقباء فى تبان وقباء فى تبان وقميص قال واحسبه قال فى تبان ورداء
Translation: “A man stood before the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked about praying wearing only one cloth. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Can all of you have two clothes? Then a man asked Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) the same question, and he said: When Allah has given you ease, then live with ease. A person should gather his clothes for prayer. Some pray in a waist wrapper and a sheet, some in a waist wrapper and a shirt, some in a waist wrapper and a cloak, some in pajamas and a sheet, some in pajamas and a shirt, some in pajamas and a cloak, some in a jangia and a cloak, some in a jangia and a shirt, and I remember that he also said that some pray in a jangia and a sheet.”
From this hadith, it is fully clear that if the clothing is tight, then praying in one garment is permissible provided it covers the private parts, and if the clothing is not tight, then one should pray in at least two garments. One cloth as a shirt and the other as a waist wrapper or izar, as Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned two separate garments for the upper and lower parts of the body so that the lower part is covered up to the feet and the upper part up to the shoulders.
Second Issue:
There is a difference between the clothing a woman wears for prayer and the clothing she wears in general circumstances, meaning the clothing in which it is permissible for a woman to stay at home is different from the clothing for prayer. There is a distinction between these two types of clothing for a woman. Similarly, for men, the general clothing and their clothing for prayer are different. For example, a man can expose his shoulder in normal circumstances, but during prayer, he must cover it. A woman can uncover her head and hair in front of her mahrams at home, but during prayer, covering the head and hair is necessary. Likewise, a woman can uncover her face during prayer, but this does not imply that she can uncover her face in general circumstances or in front of non-mahram men.
Third Issue:
If a woman prays at home, she can pray with her face uncovered, but when she goes to the mosque, her attire should be as instructed for women when leaving the house, meaning she must cover herself completely, including her face, before leaving the house because the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described a woman as being entirely covered.
Woman and Clothing
After keeping the above few differences in mind, now let us look at the general clothing of women. Let us find out what was the common clothing used by women during the time of the Prophet, what they wore inside the house, and what they wore when going outside, so that this may help in understanding the clothing for prayer.
Women generally used two garments simultaneously at home. One garment was a shirt (Qamees) that covered the entire body, and the other was a Khimar (dupatta) which covered the head, especially the chest. In this regard, I present two ahadith.
❀ First Hadith: In Sahih Bukhari, the story of the acceptance of Islam of Hazrat Abu Huraira’s (RA) mother is mentioned. The summary of this story is that when Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) went to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) complaining about his polytheist mother and requested prayers for her guidance, the Prophet prayed for her guidance. Then Abu Huraira (RA) returned home, but the door was closed. His mother, hearing his footsteps, said: “Wait, mother is taking a bath.” Abu Huraira (RA) narrates about his mother:
فاغتسلت ولبست درعها وعجلت عن خمارها ففتحت الباب ثم قالت يا ابا هريرة اشهد ان لا اله الا الله واشهد ان محمدا عبده ورسوله
Translation: “My mother took a bath and quickly wore her shirt (Kurtah) and then put on her cloak (Odhni), then opened the door and said: O Abu Huraira! I testify that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and I testify that Muhammad (PBUH) is the servant and Messenger of Allah.”
This hadith mentions Dira’ and Khimar, meaning Dira’ refers to the shirt and Khimar to the dupatta; these were the common garments among women.
❀ Second Hadith:
عن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت : يرحم الله نساء المهاجرات الأول؛ لما أنزل الله:
,شققن مروطهن فاختبرن بها .
Translation: “May Allah have mercy on those women who made the first migration. When Allah revealed the verse: ﴿وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ﴾
meaning ‘And draw your veils over your bosoms,’ so they tore their sheets and made from them veils.”
Before the command of hijab was revealed, women used to wear one garment, but when the command of covering was revealed, women tore that one garment and made a dupatta from it to cover the head, neck, chest, and neckline.
When women went outside the house, they generally used a Jilbab. Jilbab is a large cloak that covers from head to toe. Regarding the Eid prayer, Hazrat Umm Atiyyah (RA) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ordered her to take the women to the Eidgah. This hadith states:
قالت امراة يا رسول الله احدانا ليس لها جلباب قال لتلبسها صاحبتها من جلبابها
Translation: “A woman said: O Messenger of Allah! Some of us do not have a cloak (Jilbab) to cover ourselves. The Prophet (PBUH) said: Let her companion give her a part of her cloak (Jilbab) to cover herself.”
Thus, it was the common custom to wear a large cloak when going out of the house. In fact, from other ahadith, it is understood that women used to wear a burqa or niqab and gloves when going out. That is why the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) forbade women from wearing a niqab and gloves during Ihram:
ولا تنتقب المراة المحرمة ولا تلبس القفازين
Translation: “And women should not wear a niqab or gloves during Ihram.”
When going out of the house, women covered their faces and hands as well as the entire body, and their garment’s hem was so long that it covered their feet and even dragged on the ground. Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (RA) says:
رخص رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لامهات المؤمنين فى الليل جبرا ثم استزدنه فزادهن شبرا فكن يرسلن الينا فنذرع لهن ذراعا
Translation: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) permitted the Mothers of the Believers (RA) to let their garment’s hem hang down by one cubit, and when they desired more, he allowed them another cubit. Thus, when the Mothers of the Believers sent us clothes, we used to measure them with one hand.”
﴿وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ﴾
Woman and Dupatta
Since a woman is entirely covered, she should always take care of her clothing and properly observe hijab even while at home, and when leaving the house, she should go out veiled like the women of the era of the Prophet. Nowadays, it is seen that women wear thin or short clothes at home which do not provide proper covering, and they do not wear a dupatta at home. They think that only their son, father, or brother are present. You should know that a woman can keep her head, hair, neck, hands, and feet uncovered in front of her mahrams; however, even at home, it is necessary to use a dupatta in front of mahrams to properly cover the chest and neckline. Similarly, she should not wear thin, tight, or short clothes in front of mahrams that do not cover the parts that need to be concealed from them. And if a non-mahram is present, the face must also be covered. The important point is that a woman should use a dupatta at home as well and keep her chest and neckline covered. If only the husband or the woman herself is at home, she can remain without a dupatta because there is no hijab between a woman and her husband. Remember, the dupatta is the dignity of a believing woman. This is why a woman destined for Paradise will also use a dupatta, «Subhan Allah». The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
ولو ان امراة من نساء اهل الجنة اطلعت الى الارض لاضاءت ما بينهما ولملات ما بينهما ريحا ولنصيفها يعني الخمار خير من الدنيا وما فيها
Translation: “And if any woman among the women of Paradise looks down upon the earth, she will illuminate everything from the sky to the earth and fill them all with fragrance, and her dupatta is more valuable than the world and everything in it.”
Therefore, Muslim sisters, always keep a dupatta with you, even if you are at home, and when you go out, go out veiled just as the Sahabiyat (may Allah be pleased with them) used to go out fully covered, even if you are going out for prayer.
Adult Woman’s Prayer and Dupatta
For a woman, the dupatta is both a symbol of dignity and an essential part of prayer. When a woman prays at home, she must always wear a dupatta along with her shirt, and the dupatta should neither be small nor thin but should cover the entire head area. That is, the praying woman should cover her head, hair, ears, neck, chest, and collar with the dupatta. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
لا يقبل الله صلاة حائض الا بخمار
Translation: “Allah does not accept the prayer of a menstruating woman (i.e., an adult woman) without a dupatta.”
Woman’s Prayer in One Outfit
There is allowance for necessity in Islam. Considering this, if a woman has only one piece of cloth that covers her from head to toe, then out of necessity, a woman can also pray in one piece of cloth, just as you have read above regarding men that men can also pray in one piece of cloth out of necessity. However, it is necessary that the shoulder is covered.
Regarding women praying in one garment, Imam Bukhari has dedicated a chapter under the Book of Prayer in Sahih Bukhari: باب فى كم تصلي المرأة فى الثياب meaning: Chapter: In how many pieces of cloth should a woman pray?
Under this chapter, first Imam Bukhari mentions the statement of Ikrimah:
وقال عكرمة لو وارت جسدها فى ثوب لاجز منه
Translation: “And Ikrimah said that if a woman covers her entire body with one piece of cloth, then the prayer is valid.”
By mentioning this statement, Imam Bukhari wants to convey that a woman can pray in one piece of cloth provided she covers her entire body. After this, he narrates a hadith:
It is narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she states:
لقد كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يصلي الفجر فيشهد معه نساء من المؤمنات متلفعات فى مروطهن ثم يرجعن الى بيوتهن ما يعرفهن احد
Translation: “The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to pray Fajr prayer and many Muslim women would join the prayer with him, wearing their sheets (chadars), then they would return to their homes, and at that time no one could recognize them.”
The relevance of this hadith and chapter is that it mentions a woman’s single sheet (muroot). Muroot is the plural of murt, a cloth made of wool, silk, etc., which women especially used as a waistcloth. Here, apparently, it mentions women praying with one sheet, indicating that women prayed in one piece of cloth. This aligns with the chapter.
If we consider carefully, it appears that in the context of the revelation of the verse of Hijab, the hadith mentioned above also refers to muroot. When the command of covering (purdah) was given, women tore that muroot and made it into a veil. Someone might object that mentioning muroot does not necessarily mean that women prayed in only one piece of cloth; that is, the absence of mention of extra cloth is not proof of one cloth. But I believe that at that time there was scarcity of cloth, and muroot is mentioned, which is a large covering like a quilt or bedding. A woman can cover herself well with it. Therefore, apparently, it seems to be one garment. Then when the verse of Hijab was revealed, women tore the muroot and first made a dupatta from it.
In summary, if a woman covers her body properly, she can pray in one piece of cloth. This is a matter of extreme necessity.
Woman’s Prayer in Two Garments
I have just explained that a woman can perform prayer by covering her entire body with a large garment. This is a matter of extreme necessity, and apparently, from the word “marut,” a non-explicit hadith about a single garment seems to be from before the revelation of the verse of Hijab. And when the command of Hijab was given, all women adopted the dupatta. This is why it is obligatory for an adult woman to wear a dupatta for prayer, meaning a woman will use at least two garments for prayer: one qamees (shirt) that covers the entire body from shoulders to feet, and one dupatta that properly covers the head, hair, ears, neck, chest, and collar. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
لا يقبل الله صلاة حائض الا بخمار
Translation: “Allah does not accept the prayer of a menstruating (adult) woman without a dupatta.”
It is understood that for a woman’s prayer, at least two garments, one qamees and another dupatta, are necessary, and during the Prophetic era, the common domestic attire of women, especially after the revelation of the verse of Hijab, was indeed two garments, as the hadith above has already indicated.
There is also an effect related to women’s prayer with two garments:
عن عبيد الله الخولاني وكان يتيما فى حجر ميمونة ان ميمونة كانت تصلي فى الدرع والخمار ليس عليها ازار
Translation: “Ubaidullah Khulani, who was an orphan in the house of Hazrat Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her), narrates that Hazrat Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her) used to pray in a qamees (dress) and dupatta (khimar), and she did not have a lower garment (izar).”
This hadith has been declared authentic by Sheikh Albani,
The Woman’s Prayer and the Best Form of Clothing
Earlier, I told you that in a state of necessity, a woman can pray in one garment provided it covers the entire body, because for prayer, the actual number of clothes is not important; what matters is that the woman covers her body properly while praying.
◈ Then I explained that for a woman’s prayer, having at least two garments (a shirt and a dupatta) is necessary; without these, the prayer is not valid.
◈ Now I want to say that currently, there is generally no shortage of clothes. Therefore, no woman uses only a shirt and dupatta; she also wears a shalwar (trousers). In other words, women usually wear three garments. She can pray wearing these three garments. There is an important issue related to covering the feet in prayer, which will be explained later.
I present to you some narrations related to women’s prayer with three garments.
First Narration:
Narrated from Umrah bint Abdul Rahman:
قالت عائشة لا بد للمرأة من ثلاثة اثواب تصلي فيهن درع وجلباب وخمار وكانت عائشة تحل ازارها فتجلبب به
Translation: “Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said that three garments are necessary for a woman, in which she should perform prayer. These garments are a shirt (Qamees/Dir‘), a large cloak (Jilbab), and a dupatta (Khimar). And Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, used to take off her lower garment (Izar/Tahband) and wear it as a Jilbab (veil).”
Sheikh Albani said that its chain of narration is authentic according to the conditions of Muslim,
Second narration:
عن عمر بن الخطاب قال تصلي المرأة فى ثلاثة اثواب درع وخمار وازار
Translation: “Narrated from Hazrat Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, he said that a woman should perform prayer in three garments, which are Qamees, Dupatta, and Tahband.”
Sheikh Albani has declared its chain of narration authentic,
Third narration:
قال ابن عمر اذا صلت المرأة فلتصل فى ثيابها كلها الدرع والخمار والملحفة
Translation: “Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said that when a woman begins to pray, she should perform the prayer in all her clothes, that is, the shirt, dupatta, and chadar.”
Sheikh Albani has declared its chain of narration as authentic,
From some of these narrations, it is understood that it is better and preferable for a woman to pray in three garments. The reason is that these three garments cover the woman’s body well, even covering the feet.
Now, what could be the details of these three garments? Here, we have shirt, shalwar, and dupatta, but with these three garments, the issue of covering the feet is not resolved because wearing shalwar does not cover the feet. In such a case, women should use the type of clothing mentioned in the above narrations to perform prayer so that all parts that need to be covered for prayer are fully covered. The shirt and shalwar will remain because these are common customary clothes. These are two garments. For the third garment, use a specific garment with the characteristics of a jilbab that covers from head to foot. Arab women, besides shirt and izar, also use a specific garment for prayer called ملابس الصلاة. This is a garment whose upper part is used like a dupatta; the woman wraps it well around her head, and it reaches down to the ground, covering both feet outwardly and inwardly. It should be noted that no specific cloth has been prescribed for prayer. This is merely a garment of choice used for proper covering. If you wish, you can sew this specific garment for prayer, and it is also customary in other countries. The purpose of clothing for women in prayer is that along with shirt and shalwar, a third garment should be used that covers the head including the hair and both feet as well. Using these three types of garments for prayer is preferable for women; however, it is also permissible for a woman to pray in shirt, shalwar, and dupatta, but it is not preferable because the dupatta will only cover the upper part, and the feet will be visible in the shalwar. While covering both feet in prayer is not obligatory, it is preferable as a precaution, and the statement of Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) should be kept in mind regarding this. A woman wearing shirt, shalwar, and dupatta can wear socks for prayer, but it involves inconvenience and difficulty.
Woman’s Clothing and Face
The issue of a woman’s clothing in prayer has already been discussed. Now it needs to be known whether it is necessary for a woman to cover her face while praying. There is no disagreement on this matter; rather, Ibn Abdul Barr has narrated a consensus that a woman should keep her face uncovered during prayer. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also forbade covering the face during prayer. Hazrat Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه says:
ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن السدل فى الصلاة وان يعطي الرجل السدل فى فاه
Translation: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade covering the face and a man covering his mouth during prayer.”
This ruling applies to both men and women. However, in cases of necessity, whether man or woman, they may cover their face, such as during the time of Corona when people prayed wearing masks. Similarly, when a woman prays in a place where non-mahram men are present, she must cover her face while praying, whether she is praying inside her home or outside.
Woman’s Clothing and Palms
There is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding women covering both hands during prayer. Some say that a woman is entirely covered, so she should cover all parts except the face while praying. However, the appropriate view in this matter is that a woman can keep both palms open while praying. Nevertheless, if she covers them as well during prayer, it is better, but it cannot be considered obligatory.
Women’s Clothing and Feet
There is a difference of opinion regarding whether a woman should cover her feet during prayer or not. Some scholars say that it is obligatory for a woman to cover both her feet in prayer, while others say that covering the feet is not obligatory. The correct view in this matter is that it is not obligatory for a woman to cover her feet in prayer because there is no explicit mursal hadith indicating obligation. In Abu Dawood, a hadith is narrated as follows:
Umm Haram, the mother of Muhammad bin Zaid, narrates that she asked Umm al-Mu’minin Hazrat Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her):
سألت ام سلمة ماذا تصلي فيه المرأة من القياب فقالت تصلي فى الخمار والدرع السابغ الذى يعتب قلهور قدميها
Translation: “In how many garments should a woman pray? She said: She should pray in a shawl and a long shirt that covers the upper parts of both her feet.”
This is a mursal narration and Sheikh Al-Albani has declared it weak,
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The next hadith in Abu Dawood is marfu‘ (attributed to the Prophet). Umm al-Mu’minin Hazrat Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) says:
انها سألت النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم أتصلي المرأة فى درع وخمار ليس عليها ازار قال اذا كان الدرع سابغا يغطي ظهور قدميها
Translation: “They asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): Can a woman pray in a shirt and shawl when she is not wearing an izar (lower garment)? He (peace be upon him) said: ‘(She can) if the shirt is long enough to cover the upper parts of both her feet.'”
Sheikh Al-Albani has also declared this hadith weak,
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Since both these hadiths are weak, they cannot be used as evidence. Similarly, it is useful to mention another hadith here:
A woman from the tribe of Banu Abdul Ashhal says that she said:
قلت يا رسول الله ان لنا طريقا الى المسجد منتنة فكيف نفعل اذا مطرنا قال اليس بعدها طريق هي اطيب منها قالت قلت بلى قال فهذه بهذه
Translation: “I said: O Messenger of Allah! The path to our mosque is filthy and dirty, so what should we do when it rains? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘Is there not a better and cleaner path beyond it?’ I said: Yes, there is. He said: ‘Then that is the answer.'”
This is an authentic hadith. It mentions that during the time of the Prophet, when a woman went to pray, her feet were covered because her clothes would drag on the ground. I have already explained that when a woman leaves her house for the mosque, she will observe hijab with an outer garment, meaning the clothing worn at home is different from the clothing worn outside, as you have also learned from the hadith of Umm Atiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) regarding women going to the Eidgah. Therefore, this hadith also cannot be used as evidence that it is obligatory for a woman to cover her feet in prayer.
In summary, it is not obligatory for a woman to cover her feet in prayer, but it is preferable to cover the feet out of caution because the number of garments mentioned for women in prayer indicates that women in the early centuries used to pray in such garments that covered the entire body, including the feet. However, women who pray at home in a kameez, shalwar, and dupatta, which leave their feet visible, their prayer is valid. Covering the feet is a matter of preference, meaning it is better to cover them, but if they are not covered, the prayer is still valid.
Some Issues Related to Women’s Clothing
(1) A woman should not perform prayer in clothes that have patterns, floral designs, or pictures. It is narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said:
ان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى فى خميصة لها اعلام فقال شغلتني اعلام هذه اذهبوا بها الى ابي جهم واتوني بالبجانية
Translation: “The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed in a striped sheet. Then he said: ‘Its patterns distracted me. Take it back and return it to Abu Jahl and ask him for a plain sheet instead.'”
Even the place of prayer should not have such pictures or patterns that distract attention. Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) had a thin colored curtain which she had hung on one side of her house as a screen. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Remove this curtain from in front of me because the images on it kept disturbing my prayer.”
At this point, understand that if someone prays in clothes with pictures of living beings or floral patterns or on a prayer mat with such designs, their prayer is still valid and does not need to be repeated. However, one should not pray wearing such clothes, and ideally, such clothes should not be worn at all.
(2) Many women pray on prayer mats that have patterns, floral designs, or pictures of the Kaaba, etc., but one should not pray on such mats because these things distract from prayer. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ordered that patterned sheets be removed from the house, as mentioned in the hadith above. Also, consider this hadith from Bukhari: Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) had a thin colored curtain which she had hung on one side of her house as a screen. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Remove this curtain from in front of me because the images on it kept disturbing my prayer.”
And it is narrated in Sunan Ibn Majah as well: The Mother of the Believers, Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), said that she had placed a curtain on her window from the inside, which had pictures on it. When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came, he tore it. She then made two pillows from it. Later, she saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) resting on one of those pillows.
All these hadiths mean that a woman should not pray on a prayer mat with floral patterns, and there should be no images or symbols that distract attention in the place of prayer, on clothing, or in front of her. She should choose a simple and plain place of prayer because the purpose is to worship Allah with humility and concentration.
(3) Some women take the prayer dress lightly and pray without a dupatta (scarf), or the dupatta is thin and does not cover the hair and head properly or is see-through. Remember, in such cases, the prayer will not be valid. The dupatta should be thick enough to cover the entire head and hair properly, leaving only the face uncovered.
(4) Weak and sick women should cover their heads with a dupatta that does not reveal hair during prayer. The same ruling applies to young women, ordinary women, the sick, the weak, and the elderly. If the illness or weakness is so severe that full hijab during prayer is impossible and there is no helper, then they should observe it as much as possible. Allah does not burden anyone beyond their capacity.
(5) Besides the dupatta, the shirt and skirt should not be thin, meaning they should not reveal the body’s contours, nor should the clothes be tight or small. The clothing should be modest and loose so that prayer can be performed comfortably.
(6) In hot weather, many women pray wearing see-through dupattas or thin clothes due to compulsion or laziness. In such cases, the prayer will not be valid because proper clothing is also a condition for valid prayer. It may be that many women do not have protection from the heat, but still, appropriate clothing for prayer is necessary, and the hardship faced by the woman will be rewarded more by Allah.
(7) Nowadays, tight clothing, especially tight pajamas, is common among women, and many women wear their trousers above the ankles. Such clothing is not acceptable for prayer; women should never wear tight or small clothes. The issue of being alone or in front of the husband is different.
(8) Some people think that since a woman keeps her face uncovered during prayer, Islam does not require a face veil for women. This reasoning is false because I have already explained that the veil for prayer is different from the veil for the body. For example, a woman can uncover her head in front of her mahram (close male relative), but during prayer, it is obligatory for her to cover her head. The same applies to the face veil: a woman keeps her face uncovered during prayer, but when she goes outside or is in the presence of non-mahram men, she covers her face. Even if a non-mahram man is present during prayer, she should cover her face during prayer.
(9) There is a misconception among women that if they do not wear undergarments during prayer, such as panties or shalwar-pajama, their prayer is invalid because the private parts must be covered from the ground. Therefore, women think that wearing a sari and petticoat or a nightgown and dupatta without undergarments invalidates the prayer, and even in normal circumstances, women are discouraged from going without undergarments. The same is common among men, who do not consider prayer valid in a lungi.
The reality is that this is completely wrong and a lie spread by people. Nowhere in the Quran or Hadith is there an order to cover the private parts from the ground. The command is to cover the ‘awrah (private parts). Whether a woman covers her ‘awrah with a sari or a nightgown, there is no problem. If a woman covers all her body except the face, hands, and feet during prayer, her prayer is valid regardless of the type of clothing used for covering. You may have read above that women of the Prophet’s time used to live without a skirt (tehbend), wearing only a shirt and dupatta, and prayed in that, which proves that a woman must cover her body during prayer regardless of the clothing. Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) used to remove her skirt during prayer and use it as a cloak.
Similarly, men can also live without undergarments and pray. They must cover their bodies from the shoulders to below the knees during prayer, regardless of the clothing used. From a hadith in Sahih Bukhari, we can estimate the clothing style of the companions living in the Prophet’s Mosque. Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I saw seventy companions of Suffah (may Allah be pleased with them), none of whom had a sheet. They only had a skirt or a cloth to cover themselves at night, which they tied around their necks. These clothes reached halfway down the calf or to the ankles. They held these clothes tightly with their hands so that their private parts would not be exposed.”
This hadith describes the companions of Suffah who had only one piece of cloth. They wore it in normal circumstances, covered themselves with it, and wrapped it around themselves during prayer. There are many other hadiths mentioning that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the companions wore only one garment and prayed in it. Therefore, the claim that men or women must cover their private parts down to the ground is false and a lie.
(10) Before hadith number 351, Imam Bukhari mentions a related ruling. Imam Bukhari states: “And the person who prays in the same clothes in which he had intercourse, his prayer is valid as long as he does not see any impurity on it.”
From this, it is understood that praying in the clothes worn during intercourse is valid. There is no need to wash them. However, if semen has fallen on them, only that spot needs to be washed, which is sufficient. Similarly, it is narrated about the Prophet (peace be upon him) that Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) used to wash the impurity of janabah (major ritual impurity) from the Prophet’s clothes. Then he (peace be upon him) would wear them and go for prayer, and water stains would remain on his clothes.
(11) Regarding clothes worn during menstruation, women often think that such clothes are impure, and even if the menstrual blood touches the clothes or sweat, they become impure and cannot be used for prayer. They believe menstrual clothes are separate and should be discarded after use. These beliefs are incorrect. Let me explain the correct ruling in light of the Prophet’s hadith. Hazrat Asma bint Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates:
جاءت امرأة النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالت ارأيت احدانا تحيض فى الثوب كيف تصنع قال تحت ثم تقرصه بالماء وتنضحه وتصلي فيه
Translation: “A woman came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah! What should a woman do if she gets her menses on her clothes?’ He (peace be upon him) said: ‘She should scrape it off, then rub it with water and wash it, and then pray in that same cloth.'”
I present another narration from Sahih Bukhari from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:
كانت احدانا تحيض ثم تقترص الدم من ثوبها عند ظهرها فتغسله وتنضح على سائره ثم تصلي فيه
Translation: “When we menstruated, we used to mix the blood with the clothes while cleaning, then wash that area and pour water over the entire cloth and wear it to pray.”
From these two hadiths, it is understood that a menstruating woman who has used a cloth during menstruation should wash the area stained with menstrual blood thoroughly with water until it is clean. Then she can pray in that same cloth. If the cloth is dry and has no blood stains, it is already clean and does not need washing, such as shirts and dupattas. Usually, blood does not stain these, only the shalwar. If, God forbid, blood stains the shirt, it should be washed, and after washing, the cloth is completely clean. There is no harm in praying in it.
Yes, it is possible that washing removes the impurity but blood stains remain on the cloth. These stains do not invalidate the prayer because the cloth is considered pure even if the marks remain.
(12) Many women do not pray because of their infants’ urine and feces, while prayer is an important obligation that must not be neglected under any circumstances. If a child urinates on the clothes, or feces or vomit gets on the clothes, only the affected area needs to be washed. There is no need to wash the entire garment. Also, if a woman prays in clothes that had impurity and only learns about it after prayer, her prayer is valid and does not need to be repeated. However, if she realizes during prayer that impurity is on her clothes and cannot remove it during prayer, she should break the prayer, clean the impurity, and then pray again.
(13) From all the hadiths related to men’s clothing, it is understood that it is not obligatory for men to cover their heads or wear a cap during prayer. However, it is recommended to prepare good clothing for prayer, so wearing a cap is good. Otherwise, there is no mention of a cap in prayer clothing, and those who say prayer is invalid or disliked without a cap are mistaken. The command to cover the head during prayer is for women, not men.
