Question: As a female, how should I position my feet in prayer?
Answer:
Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
Dear questioner,
Thank you for your important question.
When praying, the most important sunna is to focus on what we are doing: thanking Allah, glorifying Him, and pleading for His good pleasure. Thinking too much about where one’s feet should be can make one miss the point completely.
I remember learning that for a man, our feet should be one handspan apart. I put the knowledge into practice, and put my hand between my two feet. Upon seeing this, my older brother (who was also my first fiqh teacher) laughed and said, “It is not like that!” He obviously understood something from his teachers that had escaped me.
Nevertheless, the ritual prayer (salat) does have a particle form, and it is recommended for women to stand in prayer with their feet and knees together. Other than that, the foot positions in the rest of the prayer are the same as men: feet facing the qibla while standing and iftirash in all sitting positions except the final sitting in which one does tawarruk.
As long as one stands when one has to and sits when one has to, the foot position does not affect the validity of the prayer. (al-Muqaddima al-Hadramiyya, Ba Fadl) Please also see:
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/shafii-fiqh/is-bending-the-toes-of-both-feet-when-prostrating-an-integral-in-the-shafii-school/
Please also consider taking the following course:
https://seekersguidance.org/courses/absolute-essentials-of-islam-shafii-habshis-encompassing-epistle-explained-getting-started-with-your-belief-and-practice/
I pray this helps.
[Ustadh] Farid Dingle
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.