PERFORMING SALAAT - WOMEN

COVERING OF THE BODY 1. How should you cover your body for Salaah?
The body must be completely covered except for the face, the hands including the wrists, and feet below including the ankles.

2. How should the head be covered for Salaah?
It is compulsory for you to cover your head and hair, the neck and the collar (throat). If you are wearing a very thin veil over your head such that the hair's shininess or colour can be seen, then the Salaah will not be valid.

3. What happens if a small portion of a female's body is uncovered during Salaah?
In all the parts that are compulsory to cover, if one part was uncovered and was less than a quarter in proportion, then the Salaah is valid. If the opened part is a quarter in size and one is able to cover it immediately, then too the Salaah is valid. If the part was uncovered for one "Rukn", meaning the time you could say "Subhan-Allah" three times, or was uncovered deliberately and whether it was covered again immediately, the Salaah is nullified.

4. What are the Aurat parts for a female?
The entire body is the Aurat for a female, except for the face, both hands until the wrists and both feet until the ankles. This is split into thirty parts of the body. These parts are: 1. The head, from the top of the head until the start of the neck 2. The hair and its full length 3. The right ear 4. The left ear 5. The neck (and throat) 6. The right shoulder 7. The left shoulder 8. The top right arm including the elbow 9. The top left arm including the elbow 10. The bottom right arm (below the elbow including the wrist) 11. The bottom left arm (below the elbow including the wrist) 12. The chest, below the neck/throat up to the breasts 13. Back of the right hand 14. Back of the left hand 15. The right breast 16. The left breast 17. The stomach, from below the breasts including the navel 18. The upper back, meaning the other side of the chest 19. Both armpits until the lower back 20. The right hip 21. The left hip 22/23 The private parts 24. The right thigh including the knees, the knee is not a separate part but is included 25. The left thigh including the knees, the knee is not a separate part but is included 26. Below the navel till the start of the pubic hair and the lower back, is all one Aurat. 27. The right shin, from below the knee including the ankle 28. The left shin, from below the knee including the ankle. 29. The right base of the foot 30. The left base of the foot Many Ulema have not included the back of the hands and the base of the feet as part of the Aurat.

PHYSICAL ACTIONS IN SALAAH

The actions of Salaah for females are in many ways different to that of males.

1. How should you stand on the Musallah (prayer mat) for Salaah? a. The feet must be together. b. The feet must be joined at the ankles. c. The face and the body must be towards the direction of the Qiblah.

2. When saying the Takbeer-e-Tahreemah or "Allahu Akbar", how high should the hands be raised? a. Lift your hands up to your shoulders in such a manner that they are in line with the shoulders, and say "Allahu Akbar" and begin the Salaah. b. The palms must be facing the Qiblah. c. Hands must be inside the Burqah (veil, robe) covering your head.

3. After saying the Takbeer-e-Tahreemah, where should you place your hands? a. Females should place their hands on their chest above the breast. b. The palm of the right hand should rest on the back of the left hand. c. The fingers of each hand should be kept well pressed that they touch one another.

4. How should the Ruku be done?

a. When going into Ruku, you should bend just sufficient enough to let the fingers reach the knee.
b. The arms should be pressed towards the body.
c. The feet at the ankles should be joined together.
d. The knees should be drawn close to each other so that they touch each other.

5. How should you perform the Sajdah?
a. Sajdah should be performed in such a manner that the knees are first placed on the ground.
b. Thereafter, the hands should be placed on the ground in a way that they will finally rest in line with the ears.
c. The fingers should be well pressed together.
d. Place your head between the two hands.
e. While in Sajdah, both the nose and the forehead should touch the ground.
f. The fingers and toes should all face the Qiblah.
g. The feet should be kept straight but pointing outwards towards the right.
h. The stomach and the armpits should be close to the body.
i. The elbows should lie flat to the ground.
j. The thigh should not be raised, but it should be in as flat as possible.
k. The hips should not be raised and should be as close to the ground as possible.

6. How must you sit in the Jalsa position?
a. You should sit on the buttocks - haunch.
b. Spread both the feet towards the right side in such a manner that the right leg is over the left.
c. Both hands should be placed on the thighs with the fingers joined to one another. The tips of the fingers should be close to the knees but not holding the knees or hanging over them.


ADHAAN & IQAAMAH

1. Are women allowed to call out the Adhaan and Iqaamah for Salaah?
It is Makrooh-e-Tahrimi (almost Haraam) for women to call the Adhaan or Iqamaah. If a woman calls the Adhaan, she will be sinful and the Adhaan will have to be repeated by a male.

2. When must a female not respond to the words of the Adhaan?
It is not Waajib for a female who has Haiz or Nifas to reply to the Adhaan.

3. While the Adhaan is being called, what must one do? Whilst the Adhaan is being called, all talking, greeting and replying to the greeting should be stopped. All other work should be stopped. Cooking or cleaning of the house should be stopped. Even the recitation of the Quran should be stopped if the sound of Adhaan is heard. You should listen to it and reply to it. The same rule applies for Iqaamah. Those who remain busy in conversation will experience a bad death. If one is walking and if one hears the sound of Adhaan, then stop, listen to it and reply to it. The Hadith Shareef has reported great virtues for one who stops all work and listens to the Adhaan.


SAJDAH-E-TILAAWAT

1. If a female who has Haiz or Nifas recited the verse of Sajdah, will it be binding on her to perform the Sajdah-e-Tilaawat?
It would not be necessary for her to perform the Sajdah.

2. If a female who has Haiz or Nifas heard the verse of Sajdah, will it be necessary for her to perform the Sajdah-e-Tilaawat?
It is not Waajib for her to perform the Sajdah-e-Tilaawat if she hears such verse.