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Fatwa CenterWomen covering their feet
Question
This is very important as many women I know don't believe that the feet should be covered and I know that a lady who doesn't wear her Khimar properly will not even smell Jannah. So please elaborate on the following, Insha Allah. Please give me a Hadith stating that the feet of women should be covered during prayer. I understand that it is mentioned in the Sahih of Abu Dawood . Give proof, Insha Allah, that the feet are a part of a woman's Awrah, and that they should be covered when going out and in front of non-Mahram persons.
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Abu Hurairah (Radiya Allahu Anhu) reported that Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "There are two kinds of the inhabitants of the Hell-Fire whom I have not seen: …; and woman who will have clothes on their persons, but will appear naked; and will twist their shoulders delicately and walk with waving motions, their head will appear like the humps of waddling she-camels. They will not enter Paradise nor perceive its fragrance though its fragrance is perceptible from such and such a distance" . [Reported by Imam Muslim ]
The above named Hadith clarifies that a woman who displays her charms and discards her outer clothing will not perceive the fragrance of Paradise unless she repents or Allah's Mercy covers her.
In fact, the ruling concerning a woman who displays her charms and discards her outer clothing depends on the extent of such non-Islamic behaviour, taking into consideration that the feet should be covered since it is Haram to uncover them, while in prayer or not. In this vein, a Hadith recorded by Abu Dawood and al-Hakim , who considers such a Hadith as correct and sound, and al-Zahabi confirmed the same Hadith from Umm Salamah (Radiya Allahu Anha) who asked Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam): "Can a woman perform a prayer in a Dir' (a long and wide garment that covers a woman's body) and Khimar (head cover) without Izar (a loin cloth)?' The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "If the Dir' is long and wide so that it covers the body to the external part of her feet". The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "The whole body of a woman is an 'Awrah (parts to be covered)" . al-Tirmizi who also considers such a Hadith as sound. The above-mentioned Hadith provides us with an evidence concerning the obligation of covering the woman's feet while she is out of her house or in the presence of marriageable men. The ruling in this Hadith is comprehensive so that it indicates the feet and other parts of the body.
In another Hadith reported from Ibn 'Umar (Radiya Allahu Anhu) that Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "One who lets loose his dress by way of pride, Allah will not look towards him on the Day of Judgment". On this Umm Salama (Radiya Allahu Anha) said: 'What should women do with their trains of gowns?' The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "Women are to let down (their gowns) one span of the hand more". She said: 'This means that their feet will be uncovered'. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "So, they have to lower their garments an arm's length, and no more" . al-Tirmizi who also considers it correct and sound.
Allah knows best.
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