Answered by Shaykh Ilyas Patel
I was asked to enquire specifically about how a woman of the Hanafi madhab should make sajood.
1) Should the hand suppose to touch the ground (because two different group says 2 different things. One says no we shouldn’t because its like imitating a dog while the other say that in hanafi madhab the women are instructed for a specific way of sajood and they quote a hadith in support.
2) If you happen to follow the sajood in accordance with the hanafi madhab your way of seating and prostrating is in a particular manner however what if it is difficult for you to make sajood in that manner (the obvious answer would be avoid it, but please give us a specific detailed answer with lots of dalil).
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
I hope you are fine and in the best of health and iman.
1. Women should try to completely crouch and conceal their bodies in prostration, so the arms will be touching the ground, like all the other parts of the body.
It has been reported by Yazid ibn Abi Habib that once the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) passed by two women and he said, when you prostrate crouch yourself to the ground because women are not like men in this matter.’
(Abu Dawud & Bayhaqi)
It has been reported by Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him), when a woman sits in salat she should put her thigh on to the other, and when she prostrates she should attach her stomach to her thigh as concealed as possible, as Allah surely looks at the woman and says, O’Angels! I have forgiven her.’
It has been reported by Ibn Adi in Kamil & Bayhaqi in his Sunan, as mentioned in Kanz al-Ummal
(Imam Zafar Ahmad Uthmani, I’la-al-Sunan, pg 19 & 25 V.3)
2. It is mentioned nearly in all the books of fiqh that if one is unable to perform the prostration in the manner prescribed, due to a shariah valid excuse, then one can do it however possible.Search SunniPath for related answers on how to perform the prayer due to illness, excuse etc.
And Allah alone knows best