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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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Is there a difference between the prayer of a man and the prayer of a woman?

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And the first message in this episode is from a sister in Allah (A. A. Q.) from Kenya. The questioner says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
offer your prayers in the way you saw me offering my prayersصلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي
Sahih al-Bukhari 6008
, and what is understood from this hadith is that there is no difference between the prayer of a man and the prayer of a woman, neither in standing nor in sitting, nor in bowing, nor in prostration. Accordingly, I have been practicing this since reaching the age of accountability. However, some women in Kenya argue with me and say that your prayer is not valid because it resembles the prayer of a man. They cite examples where, in their view, the prayer of a man differs from the prayer of a woman, such as holding the hands on the chest or letting them hang down, and straightening the back in bowing, among other matters that I have not been convinced by. I would like you to clarify for me: is there a difference in the performance of the prayer between a man and a woman?
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for the answer: O sister in Allah, the questioner! The correct view is that there is no difference between the prayer of a woman and the prayer of a man. The differences mentioned by some jurists have no evidence to support them. The hadith you mentioned in the question, which is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
offer your prayers in the way you saw me offering my prayersصلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي
Sahih al-Bukhari 6008
, encompasses everyone. Islamic legislation applies to both men and women, except where there is evidence specifying a particular case. Therefore, it is recommended for a woman to pray as a man prays in bowing, prostration, recitation, and placing the hands on the chest; this is the best practice. Likewise, placing them on the knees during bowing, and likewise placing them on the ground during prostration opposite the shoulders or opposite the ears. Likewise, straightening the back in bowing, and likewise what is said in bowing and prostration, and after rising from bowing, and after rising from the first prostration; all of it is the same as the man, in accordance with his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
offer your prayers in the way you saw me offering my prayersصلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي
Sahih al-Bukhari 6008
, narrated by al-Bukhari in the Sahih. Yes.
The presenter: But O Shaykh, if you permit me, regarding the loudness of the recitation and regarding the obligation of the iqamah, does not the prayer of a woman differ from the prayer of a man in this regard?
The Shaykh: This iqamah is outside the scope of this. The iqamah and the adhan are specific to men, as established by the text. Men perform the iqamah and the adhan, but women do not perform the iqamah or the adhan. As for the loudness of the recitation, she may recite loudly in Fajr, Maghrib, and Isha; in Fajr in the two rak'ahs, in Maghrib in the first two rak'ahs, and in Isha in the first two rak'ahs, just as men recite loudly. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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