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Fatwa CenterPraying with one's arms lengthwise on the floor (ground)
Question
I am a revert to Islam married to a Muslim male from abroad. When I visit my husband's family abroad my female in-laws are constantly telling me I must make Sajdah with my arms on the floor up to my elbows. This seems to go clearly against a Hadith I have read in Saheeh Bukhaari (vol. 1, p 430, No. 785 Arabic English). Surely Rasulallah didn't just admonish men not to spread out their forearms on the ground like a dog. Why would this be wrong for men and not for women? The only 'evidence' I have found that points to the woman placing her forearms on the ground is as follows: Imaam Abu Daawood (275 AH) narrated in his Marasil "Yazid Ibn Abi Habib states that Rasulallah passed by two women who were performing their Salah. He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said to them, "When you prostrate, then make parts of your body touch the ground because a woman is unlike a man in these aspects". The book I have found this mention in (The Salah of Women published by the Allaah Bukhsh Barkhurdaria Trust of Karachi PK) also mentions that Allamah Muhammad Amin Ibn Abidin As- Shami (1252 AH), who was a celebrated Hanafi jurist stated "......She must place her arms flat on the ground." As you may have guessed my husband and his family follow the Hanafi school, which I have no problem with and have in my reading gained a great respect for Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allaah pleased with him. However, I do not want to blindly follow one school and feel I would not be using the intelligence Allaah has blessed me with if I did not look for where the evidence is strongest. I am the one who will have to answer to Allaah on the Day of Judgement for my actions and I need to do my best to ensure my actions are correct. Therefore please can you comment on the strength of the evidence I have cited. I am aware this may be a sensitive subject as every sister I know in England and abroad who follows the Hanafi school of Fiqh prays with her arms on the floor.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
First, all perfect praise be to Allaah who guided you to Islam and we ask Him to increase your religious knowledge and make you steadfast on His religion until you die. The Prophet 
said: "When Allaah wills good for a person, He enriches him with knowledge." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
As regards whether or not a woman should place her arms and palms on the ground when prostrating, then the answerer is that no scholars
ruled this as being mandatory. Rather, the majority of them are of the view that it is desirable for her to stick her belly to her thighs, and her elbows to the side of her body, and place her arms and palms on the floor, and lower her back and buttocks and not raise them as men.
Their evidence is that the general rules of the Islamic Law state that a woman should cover and conceal herself as much as possible. The above-described way of praying is as much as she can do in this regard. However, they do not consider this as being obligatory but only desirable. Their second evidence is the narration you mentioned in the question that the Prophet passed by two women… [Abu Daawood] This is a weak narration.
Nonetheless, other scholars are of the view that the woman should pray like the man prays because of the general evidences which state that a woman is like a man concerning Islamic rulings, especially that the Prophet said: "Pray in the same manner as you see me praying." [Al-Bukhari] This narration is general for men and women, and there is no evidence for exempting women from this narration. It is confirmed that Um Ad-Dardaa' 
used to sit [in Tashahhud] exactly like men sit, so this is evidence that the prayer for women is exactly like the prayer for men. We consider that this view is much closer to the truth.
Allaah knows best.
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