The Etiquette of Women in Prayer

الْمَرْأَةُ تُصَلِّي فِي الدِّرْعِ وَ الْمِقْنَعَةِ إِذَا كَانَ كَثِيفاً يَعْنِي سَتِيراً[4].

"A woman prays in a dress (dir'aa) and a head covering (miqna'a) if it is thick, meaning it is concealing."

نَعَمْ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَالْمَرْأَةُ قَالَ لَا وَ لَا يَصْلُحُ لِلْحُرَّةِ إِذَا حَاضَتْ إِلَّا الْخِمَارُ[1] إِلَّا أَنْ لَا تَجِدَهُ.

Hadith.1082 - Yunus ibn Ya'qub asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about a man who prays in one garment. Imam (as) said: "Yes." He then asked: "What about a woman?" Imam (as) said: "No, and it is not proper for a free woman (Hurr) to pray when she menstruates except with a khimar (headscarf), unless She does no

تَلْتَفُّ فِيهَا وَ تُغَطِّي رَأْسَهَا وَ تُصَلِّي فَإِنْ خَرَجَتْ رِجْلَيْهَا[2] وَ لَيْسَ تَقْدِرُ عَلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ فَلَا بَأْسَ.

Hadith.1083 - Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) about a woman who has only one cover (milhafa). How should She pray? Imam (as) said: "She should wrap herself in it and cover her head, and then pray. If her legs are exposed and She is unable to cover them in any other way, then there is

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ تُصَلِّي فِي دِرْعٍ وَ مِلْحَفَةٍ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا إِزَارٌ وَ لَا مِقْنَعَةٌ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ إِذَا الْتَفَّتْ بِهَا وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَكْفِيهَا[3] عَرْضاً جَعَلَتْهَا طُولًا.

Hadith.1084 - In a narration from Al-Mu'alla ibn Khunays, he asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about a woman praying in a shirt (dir') and a cover (milhafa) without a waistcloth (izar) or headcover (miqna'a). Imam (as) said: "There is no harm if She wraps herself in it, and if it is not wide enough to cover h

لَيْسَ عَلَى الْأَمَةِ قِنَاعٌ فِي الصَّلَاةِ وَ لَا عَلَى الْمُدَبَّرَةِ قِنَاعٌ فِي الصَّلَاةِ وَ لَا عَلَى الْمُكَاتَبَةِ إِذَا اشْتَرَطَ عَلَيْهَا مَوْلَاهَا قِنَاعٌ فِي الصَّلَاةِ وَ هِيَ مَمْلُوكَةٌ حَتَّى تُؤَدِّيَ جَمِيعَ مُكَاتَبَتِهَا وَ يَجْرِي عَلَيْهَا مَا يَجْرِي عَلَى الْمَمْلُوكِ فِي الْحُدُودِ كُلِّهَا.

"There is no obligation for a slave woman (amā) to wear a headcover (qina'ah) in prayer, nor for a woman who is 'mukātabah' (a slave who has entered into a contract to pay for her freedom) if her master has not required it as part of the terms of her contract, until She has fulfilled all the terms of her contract. The

قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ‌ عَنِ الْأَمَةِ إِذَا وَلَدَتْ‌[4] عَلَيْهَا الْخِمَارُ قَالَ لَوْ كَانَ عَلَيْهَا لَكَانَ عَلَيْهَا إِذَا هِيَ حَاضَتْ‌[5] وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا التَّقَنُّعُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ.

Hadith.1086 - I asked him about a slave woman (amā) who gave birth, and whether the headcover (khimar) would be required for her. Imam (as) said: "If it were required for her, She would have to wear it when She menstruates, but there is no requirement for her to wear a headcover in prayer."

إِذَا كَانَتْ مَأْمُونَةً[1] فَلَا بَأْسَ.

Hadith.1087 - Iyas ibn al-Qasim narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about a man who prays in a woman's izar (waistcloth), in her garment, and uses her khimar (headcover) as a turban. Imam (as) said: "If She is trustworthy (māʾmūnah), there is no harm."

وَ رُوِيَ‌ أَنَّ خَيْرَ مَسَاجِدِ النِّسَاءِ الْبُيُوتُ وَ صَلَاةَ الْمَرْأَةِ فِي بَيْتِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهَا فِي صُفَّتِهَا وَ صَلَاتَهَا فِي صُفَّتِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهَا فِي صَحْنِ دَارِهَا وَ صَلَاتَهَا فِي صَحْنِ دَارِهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهَا فِي سَطْحِ بَيْتِهَا وَ تُكْرَهُ لِلْمَرْأَةِ الصَّلَاةُ فِي سَطْحٍ غَيْرِ مُحَجَّرٍ.

Hadith.1088 - It is narrated: "The best places for women to pray are their homes. A woman's prayer in her house is better than her prayer in a public prayer area (ṣuffah), and her prayer in the public prayer area is better than her prayer in the courtyard of her house. Her prayer in the courtyard is better than her pra

لَا تُنْزِلُوا النِّسَاءَ الْغُرَفَ وَ لَا تُعَلِّمُوهُنَّ الْكِتَابَةَ وَ لَا تُعَلِّمُوهُنَّ سُورَةَ يُوسُفَ[2] وَ عَلِّمُوهُنَّ الْمِغْزَلَ وَ سُورَةَ النُّورِ[3]. فَإِذَا سَبَّحَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ عَقَدَتْ عَلَى الْأَنَامِلِ لِأَنَّهُنَّ مَسْئُولَاتٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ[4]