The Etiquette of Women in Prayer

Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 55

Book 1, Chapter 55

The Etiquette of Women in Prayer

9 hadiths · 2 commentaries

Commentary #1

ليس على المرأة أذان ولا إقامة ولا جمعة ولا جماعة. وإذا قامت المرأة في صلاتها جمعت بين قدميها ولم تفرج بينهما، ووضعت يديها على صدرها لمكان ثدييها، فإذا ركعت وضعت يديها فوق ركبتيها على فخذيها لئلا تطأطأ كثيرا فترتفع عجيزتها، وإذا أرادت السجود جلست ثم سجدت لاطئة بالأرض وتضع ذراعيها في الأرض فإذا أرادت النهوض إلى القيام رفعت رأسها من السجود وجلست على أليتيها ليس كما يقعى الرجل، ثم نهضت إلى القيام من غير أن ترفع عجيزتها تنسل انسلالا، وإذا قعدت للتشهد رفعت رجليها، وضمت فخذيها، والحرة لا تصلي إلا بقناع، والأمة تصلي بغير قناع.

There is no call to prayer (adhan) or iqama for a woman, nor is there a Jumu’ah prayer (Jumu'ah) or congregational prayer (Jama'ah) for her. When a woman stands in prayer, She gathers her feet together and does not spread them apart, placing her hands on her chest at the location of her breasts. When She bows, She places her hands on her knees, on her thighs, so as not to bend too much and cause her back to rise. When She goes to prostrate, She sits first and then prostrates, pressing her face to the ground and placing her arms on the ground. When She rises to stand, She lifts her head from the prostration and sits on her buttocks, not in the way a man would sit. Then, She rises to stand without raising her back and hips, moving smoothly. When She sits for the tashahhud (testification), She raises her legs and brings her thighs together. A free woman (Hura) does not pray except with a veil (niqab), while a slave woman (ama) prays without a veil.

Hadith #1

وَ رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «اَلْمَرْأَةُ تُصَلِّي فِي اَلدِّرْعِ وَ اَلْمِقْنَعَةِ إِذَا كَانَ كَثِيفاً يَعْنِي سَتِيراً.

Muhammad ibn Muslim narrated from Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir who said: "A woman prays in a dress (dir'aa) and a head covering (miqna'a) if it is thick, meaning it is concealing."

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh, p. 51

Hadith #2

وَ سَأَلَ يُونُسُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يُصَلِّي فِي ثَوْبٍ وَاحِدٍ قَالَ «نَعَمْ» قَالَ قُلْتُ فَالْمَرْأَةُ قَالَ «لاَ وَ لاَ يَصْلُحُ لِلْحُرَّةِ إِذَا حَاضَتْ إِلاَّ اَلْخِمَارُ إِلاَّ أَنْ لاَ تَجِدَهُ.

Yunus ibn Ya'qub asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq about a man who prays in one garment. Imam said: "Yes." He then asked: "What about a woman?" Imam said: "No, and it is not proper for a free woman (Hurr) to pray when she menstruates except with a khimar (headscarf), unless She does not find it."

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh, p. 51

Hadith #3

وَ سَأَلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، أَخَاهُ مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلْمَرْأَةِ لَيْسَ لَهَا إِلاَّ مِلْحَفَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ كَيْفَ تُصَلِّي قَالَ «تَلْتَفُّ فِيهَا وَ تُغَطِّي رَأْسَهَا وَ تُصَلِّي فَإِنْ خَرَجَتْ رِجْلَيْهَا وَ لَيْسَ تَقْدِرُ عَلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ فَلاَ بَأْسَ.

Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim about a woman who has only one cover (milhafa). How should She pray? Imam said: "She should wrap herself in it and cover her head, and then pray. If her legs are exposed and She is unable to cover them in any other way, then there is no harm."

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh

Hadith #4

وَ فِي رِوَايَةِ اَلْمُعَلَّى بْنِ خُنَيْسٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اَلْمَرْأَةِ تُصَلِّي فِي دِرْعٍ وَ مِلْحَفَةٍ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا إِزَارٌ وَ لاَ مِقْنَعَةٌ قَالَ «لاَ بَأْسَ إِذَا اِلْتَفَّتْ بِهَا وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَكْفِيهَا عَرْضاً جَعَلَتْهَا طُولاً.

In a narration from Al-Mu'alla ibn Khunays, he asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq about a woman praying in a shirt (dir') and a cover (milhafa) without a waistcloth (izar) or headcover (miqna'a). Imam said: "There is no harm if She wraps herself in it, and if it is not wide enough to cover her, She should make it long."

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh

Hadith #5

وَ رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «لَيْسَ عَلَى اَلْأَمَةِ قِنَاعٌ فِي اَلصَّلاَةِ وَ لاَ عَلَى اَلْمُدَبَّرَةِ قِنَاعٌ فِي اَلصَّلاَةِ وَ لاَ عَلَى اَلْمُكَاتَبَةِ إِذَا اِشْتَرَطَ عَلَيْهَا مَوْلاَهَا قِنَاعٌ فِي اَلصَّلاَةِ وَ هِيَ مَمْلُوكَةٌ حَتَّى تُؤَدِّيَ جَمِيعَ مُكَاتَبَتِهَا وَ يَجْرِي عَلَيْهَا مَا يَجْرِي عَلَى اَلْمَمْلُوكِ فِي اَلْحُدُودِ كُلِّهَا.

Muhammad ibn Muslim narrated from Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir who said: "There is no obligation for a slave woman (amā) to wear a headcover (qina'ah) in prayer, nor for a woman who is 'mukātabah' (a slave who has entered into a contract to pay for her freedom) if her master has not required it as part of the terms of her contract, until She has fulfilled all the terms of her contract. The same rules that apply to a slave in all legal matters apply to her as well."

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh, p. 51

Hadith #6

قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ: عَنِ اَلْأَمَةِ إِذَا وَلَدَتْ عَلَيْهَا اَلْخِمَارُ قَالَ «لَوْ كَانَ عَلَيْهَا لَكَانَ عَلَيْهَا إِذَا هِيَ حَاضَتْ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا اَلتَّقَنُّعُ فِي اَلصَّلاَةِ.

I asked him about a slave woman (amā) who gave birth, and whether the headcover (khimar) would be required for her. Imam said: "If it were required for her, She would have to wear it when She menstruates, but there is no requirement for her to wear a headcover in prayer."

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh, p. 51

Hadith #7

وَ رَوَى عِيصُ بْنُ اَلْقَاسِمِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: فِي اَلرَّجُلِ يُصَلِّي فِي إِزَارِ اَلْمَرْأَةِ وَ فِي ثَوْبِهَا وَ يَعْتَمُّ بِخِمَارِهَا قَالَ «إِذَا كَانَتْ مَأْمُونَةً فَلاَ بَأْسَ.

Iyas ibn al-Qasim narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq about a man who prays in a woman's izar (waistcloth), in her garment, and uses her khimar (headcover) as a turban. Imam said: "If She is trustworthy (māʾmūnah), there is no harm."

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh, p. 52

Hadith #8

وَ رُوِيَ: «أَنَّ خَيْرَ مَسَاجِدِ اَلنِّسَاءِ اَلْبُيُوتُ وَ صَلاَةَ اَلْمَرْأَةِ فِي بَيْتِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلاَتِهَا فِي صُفَّتِهَا وَ صَلاَتَهَا فِي صُفَّتِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلاَتِهَا فِي صَحْنِ دَارِهَا وَ صَلاَتَهَا فِي صَحْنِ دَارِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلاَتِهَا فِي سَطْحِ بَيْتِهَا وَ تُكْرَهُ لِلْمَرْأَةِ اَلصَّلاَةُ فِي سَطْحٍ غَيْرِ مُحَجَّرٍ.

It is narrated: "The best places for women to pray are their homes. A woman's prayer in her house is better than her prayer in a public prayer area (ṣuffah), and her prayer in the public prayer area is better than her prayer in the courtyard of her house. Her prayer in the courtyard is better than her prayer on the roof of her house. And it is disliked for a woman to pray on a roof that is not enclosed (muḥajjar)."

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh

Hadith #9

وَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «لاَ تُنْزِلُوا اَلنِّسَاءَ اَلْغُرَفَ وَ لاَ تُعَلِّمُوهُنَّ اَلْكِتَابَةَ وَ لاَ تُعَلِّمُوهُنَّ سُورَةَ يُوسُفَ وَ عَلِّمُوهُنَّ اَلْمِغْزَلَ وَ سُورَةَ اَلنُّورِ.

Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq said: "Do not place women in upper rooms (ghuraf), nor teach them writing, nor teach them Surah Yusuf. Teach them spinning (al-mighzal) and Surah al-Nur."

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh

Commentary #2

فإذا سبحت المرأة عقدت على الأنامل لأنهن مسؤولات يوم القيامة.

makes the tasbih (glorification of God), She should knot her fingers, for they will be questioned on the Day of Judgment.