The Ruling on Covering the Feet, Hands, and Face in Prayer for a Woman

Question:
Shaykh Abdulaziz! The first message in this episode is from our brother Muhammad Yusuf Muhammad al-Jundi, from al-Hillah, al-Tahmiziyah, Iraq. He is Egyptian. Our brother began his message as follows:
To the honorable scholars, and especially to the honorable father, Abdulaziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz, peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings. We ask Allah for your continued success in what is good for Islam and Muslims, and we ask Him to grant you success always, to the extent that we have benefited from you. May Allah protect you.
Your Eminence! We heard you once speak in an answer about a woman praying without covering her hands and feet, stating that she must repeat her entire prayer. I ask for clarification on this matter, and how so? We have been upright in Allah’s religion and applying His Shari'ah since our marriage in 1984, and since we heard that episode, she has been covering her feet and hands.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows:
The scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, have stated that a woman is an awrah (part of the body that must be covered), and that it is obligatory for her to cover her body in prayer, except for her face. This is based on what came in the hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) explaining that a woman is an awrah. They differed regarding the hands: whether they should be covered or whether one is excused from covering them. As for the feet, the majority of scholars hold that they should be covered in prayer. As for the face, they agreed that there is no objection to uncovering it, and that the Sunnah is to uncover it in prayer if there is no non-mahram (relative one may not marry) present—meaning a man who is not a mahram. This is the relied-upon position in this chapter: that a woman must cover her entire body except for her face and hands.
The correct view is that it is not obligatory to cover the hands in prayer, but covering them is better to avoid the disagreement of those who made it obligatory. As for the feet, it is obligatory to cover them according to the majority of scholars, because a woman is an awrah and they are part of the awrah, and there is no need to uncover them. She should cover them with socks—two socks—or with extra clothing that covers the feet during prayer. This is what I have mentioned more than once and explained to my brothers in this program, Nur 'ala al-Darb (Light on the Path): that it is obligatory for a woman to cover her body with sufficient covering that does not reveal anything of her body. It must be sufficient covering, not thin or transparent, but covering that covers her hair and body, except for the face, for the Sunnah is to uncover it if there is no non-mahram man present.
As for the hands, scholars differed on them, and it is better to cover them. If she uncovers them, there is no blame on her. As for the feet, as mentioned before, covering them is obligatory.
As for making up the prayers she has already performed, this falls under the category of having neglected a condition. If she performed prayers in which she did not cover her feet, then it is obligatory to make them up. However, if she was ignorant of the legal ruling, perhaps Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, will forgive her for what has passed, and she will not have to make them up. It is authentically reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he saw a man praying and clicking his prayer (praying hastily), he called him and said to him—actually, he came to him and greeted him—then said to him: . He went back and prayed as he had prayed. Then he came and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who returned the greeting, then said to him: . He went back and prayed as he had prayed. Then he came a third time and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who returned the greeting, then said to him: . He did this three times. The man said: By Him who sent you with the truth as a Prophet, I do not know how to do anything other than this, so teach me. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: . It is agreed upon that it is authentic.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to repeat this current prayer, but did not order him to repeat the past prayers due to his ignorance. The apparent state of the man was that he was praying this prayer as he had in the past, but because he was ignorant, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) excused him for the past times and ordered him to repeat the current one. This indicates that if someone is ignorant of one of the obligatory acts of prayer and is then informed in the present time, he repeats the current one, while the past ones are sufficient for him due to ignorance. This is the implication of this hadith, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order this man, who was deficient in his prayer, to repeat his past prayers due to his ignorance and the hardship involved.
Similarly, a woman who performed many prayers before knowing the obligation to cover her feet does not have to repeat them, if Allah wills, according to the correct view, because she is excused by ignorance. She must only be careful in the future and be upright in the future in covering her feet and the rest of her body, except for the face and hands, as mentioned before, for they are not an awrah in prayer according to scholars. However, if she covers the hands to avoid the disagreement of some scholars, that is good, as mentioned before. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.