SECTION ON PRAYER · 84 – WITH HOW MANY PIECES OF CLOTHING DOES A WOMAN PERFORM PRAYER?
639 – From the mother of Muḥammad ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him): This woman asked Umm Salama: With which garments can a woman perform prayer? Umm Salama replied: With a head covering and a wide robe that covers her entire body down to the tops of her feet.
EXPLANATION
Khimār: The wide head covering that women place over their scarf, which is called the prayer cloth. Dirʿ Sābig: This means a long robe that covers the entire body from head to toe. According to Imām al-Aʿẓam (Abū Ḥanīfa), a woman is obliged to cover her entire body except for her hands, face, and feet; according to al-Shāfiʿī, she must cover everything except her hands and face. According to Mālik, if the tops of her feet are exposed, her prayer is invalid. According to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, a woman must even cover her fingernails during prayer. (Maʿālim al-Sunan, vol. 1, p. 324)
640 – The following hadith has been narrated from Muḥammad ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him), as in the previous narration: He transmitted from Umm Salama: Umm Salama asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "Can a woman perform prayer in only a robe and a large head covering, without anything underneath (such as trousers)?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "If the robe is wide and covers the tops of her feet, (she may perform prayer)."