Question: Is it necessary for the same garment which covers the hair to cover the chest and neck area or can hijab be worn with different garments covering each of these parts of the body? Please reference your school of thought also.
Answer:
Assalāmu ‘alaykum Dear Sister in Faith,
The covering of one’s nakedness (‘awrah) during the Ritual Prayer (salah) is a condition for its validity by the consensus of the Jurists of all Sunni Schools of Thought [Shurunbulali, Imdad al-Fattah].
For a woman, this includes all of her body except her hands and face.
As for her feet, it is a matter of legitimate disagreement among the Jurists. The prevalent view of the Hanafi School is that the portion of the feet that is below the ankles is not necessary to cover in the Ritual Prayer [Marghinani, al-Hidayah; Zabidi, al-Jawharah an-Nayyirah].
The style of clothing or means by which a woman chooses to cover herself during the Ritual Prayer is not stipulated by the Sacred Law. The obligation is to cover the required area with clothing that is not form-fitting nor transparent.
May Allah clothe us in the Garb of Obedience, in this world, and the Robes of Paradise, in the next.
[Ustadha] Iman Badawi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani