What is the proof for a woman’s prayer being different from a man’s prayer? How do they differ?

A woman’s prayer does not differ from a man’s prayer in integrals or conditions except in the amount of `awrah (nakedness) that needs to be covered. The `awrah of man that needs to be covered is everything between his navel and knees while the `awrah of a woman during her prayer is her whole body except her face and hands.

The proof behind this is what was related by Abu Dawud with a good chain, as mentioned in the Majmu` by Umm Salamah, may Allah be well pleased with her that she asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ” Does a woman pray in an outer garment and a head veil only without an izar (garment worn around the waist)?” And he answered, “As long as it is long and covers the tops of her feet. Scholarly consensus has been reached that the `awrah of a woman is different from that of a man.

A woman also differs from a man in her sunna actions and mannerisms in the prayer.

These differences are based on placing extra emphasis on concealing her ‘awrah and ensuring that those parts of her body are not exposed which are likely to cause temptation. The two Shaykhs [namely, Bukhari and Muslim] have related from Sahl Ibn Sa`d al-Sa`idi, may Allah be well pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If something happens to you in the prayer, let a man glorify and let a woman clap.”

So this became a legal principle for the jurist upon which they deduced other rulings and they are: that a woman should lower her voice when she is reciting the Koran around men who are non-mahram, Imam al-Shirazi said in the Muhadhdhab, “If she is a woman, she should not recite out loud in a place where there are non-mahram men because there is no assurance that they will not be tempted by her.”

And a woman draws herself in closely for her ruku` (bowing) and sujud (prostration).

Imam al-Shirazi also said in the Muhadhdhab, ” And it is better for him to keep his elbows away from his sides, for what was related by Abu Hamid al-Sa`idi, may Allah be well pleased with him, that he Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did that. However a woman does not keep them away, rather she draws her elbows in to her sides because that conceals her more.”

A woman is also different from a man in the place of the congregational prayer, for it is sunna for a man to hasten to the first row and the so on, while it is sunna for her to hasten to the backmost row as it came in this authentic hadith, “The best row for men is the first row and the worst is the back row, and the best row for women is the back row and the worst is the front row.”

– Amjad Rasheed

(Translated by Shazia Ahmad)

السؤال: ما دليل كون صلاة المرأة تختلف عن صلاة الرجل ؟ وكيف تختلف ؟ الجواب : لا تخلف صلاة المرأة عن صلاة الرجل في شيء من أركان الصلوات ولا شرائطها إلا في قدر العورة وذلك أن عورة الرجل في صلاته ما بين سرته وركبته ، وعورة المرأة في صلاتها جميع بدنها إلا الوجه والكفين ، والدليل عليه ما رواه أبو داود بإسناد جيد كما في “المجموع” عن أم سلمة رضي الله عنها أنها سألت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم :” أتصلي المرأة في درع وخمار ليس عليه إزار ؟ قال : إذا كان الدرع سابغاً يغطي ظهور قدميها “. والإجماعُ منعقدٌ على أن عورة المرأة في الصلاة غيرُ عورة الرجل . و تخالف المرأةُ الرجل في الصلاة في سننٍ وآدابٍ أيضاً مبناها على المبالغة في ستر المرأة وعدم إظهار مفاتنها فروى الشيخان عن سهل بن سعد الساعدي رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال :” إذا نابكم شيء في الصلاة فليسبح الرجال وليصفق النساء “. فكان هذا أصلاً عند الفقهاء قاسوا عليه بعض المسائل وهي : أن المرأة تخفض صوتها بالقراءة عند الرجال الأجانب قال الإمام الشيرازي في “المهذب” :” وإن كانت امرأة لم تجهر في موضع فيه رجال أجانب ; لأنه لا يؤمن أن يفتتن بها “. اهـ وتضمُّ المرأة نفسها في الركوع والسجود قال في “المهذب” :” والمستحب أن يجافي مرفقيه عن جنبيه ؛ لما روى أبو حميد الساعدي رضي الله عنه : أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فعل ذلك . فإن كانت امرأة لم تجاف بل تضم المرفقين إلى الجنبين ; لأن ذلك أستر لها “. اهـ وتخالف الرجل أيضاً في موقف صلاة الجماعة فيسن للرجل المبادرة إلى الصف الأول ونحوه، ويسن لها المبادرة إلى الصفوف الأخيرة ما أمكن كما في الحديث الصحيح :” خيرُ صفوف الرجال أولها وشرُّها آخرها ، وخيرُ صفوف النساء آخرها وشرُّها أولها “.