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:

 Assalamualikum,
I will be very grateful if you will answers some questions I have:

1. How much should a person (men and women) be covered for the prayer (namaz) to be acceptable. A friend told me that women should cover their feet when praying or their prayers are not accepted. Is it true?

2. I would also like to know that when performing ablution, we can wash the various parts (ie face, arms etc) one, two or three times. Are all acceptable. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Satr of women praying

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 no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) 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-1: How much should a person (men and women) be covered for the prayer (namaz) to be acceptable.

The absolute minimum a man should be covered for his prayer to be acceptable is from his navel to his knees inclusive. For the believing woman, the command is to cover herself completely just as if she were in the presence of non-mehram males; ie. everything should be covered except what displays of itself like the face, hands upto her wrists, and feet upto her ankles.

Your Statement: A friend told me that women should cover their feet when praying or their prayers are not accepted. Is it true?
The scholars in Islam are unanimous in their opinion that the feet of the believing woman up to her ankles do not constitute her satr, and if a woman prays without covering her feet, her prayers would still be acceptable. But if one so fears Allah and covers even her feet, she would be closer to the command of Allah Subhanah.

Your Question-2. I would also like to know that when performing ablution, we can wash the various parts (ie face, arms etc) one, two or three times. Are all acceptable. 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 6:

6 O ye who believe! When ye prepare for prayer wash your faces and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 111 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

Abdu Khayr said: ‘Ali came upon us and he had already offered prayer. He called for water. We asked: What will you do with water when you have already offered prayer? - Perhaps to teach us. A utensil containing water and a wash-basin were brought (to him). He poured water from the utensil on his right hand and washed both his hands three times, rinsed the mouth, snuffed up water and cleansed the nose three times. He then rinsed the mouth and snuffed up water with the same hand by which he took water. He then washed his face three times, and washed his right hand three times and washed his left hand three times. He then put his hand in water and wiped his head once. He then washed his right foot thrice and left foot thrice, then said: ‘If one is pleased to know the method of performing ablution of the Messenger of Allah (saws), this is how he did it.’

Although if one washes/wipes the required parts of the body even only once during ablution it would suffice, it was the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) to wash/wipe the parts of the body three times, except the wiping of the head which he (saws) would do once.

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 sincere well wisher in Islam,

Burhan