Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

does a woman has to cover her feet while praying (in isolation)& is it improper for her to say Azaan,if so then how she should start the Namaaz. kindly give the detail explanation of it

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Answer:

Woman cover feet and adhaan

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: does a woman has to cover her feet while praying (in isolation)

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah Nur verse 31:

(O Prophet) enjoin the believing woman to restrain their gaze and guard their modesty, and not to display their adornment except that which is displayed of itself, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to display their adornments except before their husbands, their fathers, …….and also forbid them to stamp their feet on the ground lest their hidden ornaments should be displayed.

Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn 'Umar and 'Aishah report that the Prophet (saws) said, "Allah does not accept the prayer of an adult woman unless she is wearing a ‘jilbaab’ (khimar, hijab, head-cover)."

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) commanded and declared it obligatory for the believing women to cover herself while offering her prayers in the exact same manner she is commanded to cover herself when in the presence of non-mehram adult males.

Umm Salamah (the wife of the Prophet (saws)) narrated that she asked the Prophet (saws), "Can a woman pray in a long shirt and headcovering without a loincloth?" He (saws) replied "If the shirt is long and flowing and covers the top of her feet."

Related by Abu Dawud.

The majority of the scholars in Islam take the command of the above quoted verse of Surah Nur ‘except that which is displayed of itself’ and the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) to his wife Umm Salama (r.a.) to mean the face, the hands, and the feet upto the ankles (inclusive) of the woman….thus the prayers of a woman whose face, hands, and feet upto the ankles alone are exposed will be deemed absolutely legal and valid in Shariah.

Your Question: is it improper for her to say Azaan

The wisdom behind the declaration of ‘adhaan’ aloud is to call or notify other believers that the prayer time is due. If the believing woman wishes to offer her prayers in isolation, and she has heard the ‘adhaan’ being announced, or she is absolutely certain that the time of prayer is due….there is no obligation upon her to recite the adhaan before she starts her prayer, if she does not wish to do so.

But if one praying alone, for any reason declares the ‘adhaan’ and/or the ‘iqaamah’, there is absolutely no harm and it will not effect the validity of her prayers in any way.

Your Question: if so then how she should start the Namaaz.

If the believing woman has heard the ‘adhaan’ being announced, or she is absolutely certain that the time of prayer is due….she simply needs to make her ablution, cover herself completely just as she would when in the presence of non-mehram men, turn her direction towards the direction of the ‘Qibla’, make intention in her heart to offer her due prayers, raise her hands above her shoulders and declare the ‘takbeer’ signaling the start of her prayers and pray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan