The Equality of Men and Women in the Manner of Prayer

Shaykh Abdul Aziz! This is the third time we are presenting the message from our sister (Maha A. Z.) from al-Rusafah al-A'zamiyyah in Baghdad. Our sister raises a question that may be somewhat unusual. She says: We have not found anyone to guide us to the correct performance of the prayer. You, may Allah preserve you, have described for her the correct, prescribed method of performing the prayer as taught by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). I have no doubt that you, may Allah preserve you, have some comments on what has been presented, especially since some people mention that a woman has a specific form when she performs her prayers. Also, regarding Jumu'ah and congregation for women as well. If you would be so kind, may Allah preserve you, please complete what you started?
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, upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows:
The manner of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) prayer has already been explained in two sessions, and in the second session we stopped at what concerns the supplication in the final tashahhud of the prayer. It has been established that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) prescribed for us, through His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), to say at the end of the prayer, after reciting the tahiyyat: This is prescribed for both men and women, in obligatory and voluntary prayers. It is recommended to also supplicate with whatever is easy for one; because when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught the Companions the tashahhud, he said: In another wording, he said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate with these supplications: And he said to Mu'adh: It is also established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) , that he used to say at the end of the prayer, before the taslim: It is also established in Sahih al-Bukhari from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say at the end of the prayer: These are good supplications that are prescribed to be said at the end of the prayer, after reciting the tahiyyat, the testimony, and the salawat upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). One should recite these supplications that we mentioned here and what we mentioned at the end of the previous session.
In summary, he says after the prayer upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): And if he adds other supplications as mentioned earlier, that is good, such as what was mentioned: , And likewise in the other supplication, the hadith of Sa'd: And likewise the supplication reported in the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr in the two Sahihs: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught this to the Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), and 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated: And if the Siddiq was told this supplication, what about our condition?! If the Siddiq, who is the best of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and who is guaranteed Paradise, was taught this by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: ... In the greatest need for it, one should increase in this supplication. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: .
Then it should be known that the woman is like the man in these matters. Some scholars said: The woman has a specific characteristic. There is no evidence for this; rather, what is reported from the Sunnah indicates that it is shared between men and women. Just as the man recites al-Fatihah and whatever verses or chapters are easy for him with it, so she does. Just as he raises his hands when bowing, when rising from bowing, and when standing up from the first tashahhud to the third, so she raises her hands like the man. Just as he places his hands on his chest, so she places her hands on her chest while standing in prayer. Just as he says: (Subhana Rabbi al-Azim) in the ruku', so she does. And she says in the sujud: (Subhana Rabbi al-A'la) like him. And she adds in the ruku' and sujud, like the man: (Subhanaka Allahumma Rabbana wa bihamdika, Allahumma ighfir li). She places her hands on her knees in the ruku', with her fingers spread apart. And she places her hands on the ground in the sujud opposite her shoulders or opposite her ears, like the man. She places her hands on her thighs or on her knees in the sitting between the two prostrations, like the man. She spreads her left leg between the two prostrations and in the first tashahhud. And in the final tashahhud, she sits in the turuk position, sitting on her buttocks and placing her left leg under her right leg, with her right leg to her right, like the man, exactly the same. In these matters, this is the stronger opinion, and this is the relied-upon position, as indicated by the hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Yes.
As for the taslim, the taslim is also like this. This is a known matter. When one finishes the supplication, the man and the woman say the taslim. He says: As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah, to his right, and As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah, to his left. This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do it. Men and women are equal in this, as well as in obligatory and voluntary prayers. Then, after the taslim, he says: (Astaghfirullah three times, Allahumma Anta as-Salam wa minka as-Salam, Tabarakta Ya Dhal-Jalali wa al-Ikram). The man and the woman say: (Astaghfirullah three times, Allahumma Anta as-Salam wa minka as-Salam, Tabarakta Ya Dhal-Jalali wa al-Ikram). Then the imam turns to the people if he is an imam; he turns after this and gives his face to the people, and says after this: And so the ma'mums say the same, men and women, just as the imam says: This was reported. Sometimes he says: And sometimes he does not say it (peace and blessings be upon him). This and that is established. Sometimes he says: And sometimes he does not say that. The matter is broad, praise be to Allah. He says: And sometimes he adds: All of this is recommended after every prayer, for men and women. Then it is prescribed after that to say: thirty-three times, the man and the woman, thirty-three times, counting on his fingers, counting thirty-three times, so that the total is ninety-nine. That is: thirty-three tasbih, thirty-three tahmid, and thirty-three takbir. If he says: and counts it thirty-three times, it is ninety-nine. Then he says to complete the hundred: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And this is a great virtue and a great good, a great good. The meaning is, if he says this with repentance, regret, and abandoning the sins, not just mere words, but he says this with seeking forgiveness, repentance, regret, and not persisting in the sins, then this great good is hoped for him, even for major sins. If he says it with faith, sincerity, true repentance, and regret for the sins, then Allah forgives his major and minor sins, by his repentance, sincerity, and devotion. And he says after that: [al-Baqarah:255] This is said by the man and the woman after the obligatory prayer. It is reported in the hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: There is discussion among the scholars regarding this hadith, but some of its chains are authentic. So the stronger opinion is that it is established, and that this recitation is recommended. This verse is called Ayat al-Kursi, and it is the greatest verse in the Book of Allah. It is the best and greatest verse in the Book of Allah: [al-Baqarah:255] This is called Ayat al-Kursi, and it is the greatest and best verse. It is recommended to be said after the prayer, after the taslim, after this dhikr. It is also recommended to be said when going to sleep. It is one of the means by which Allah protects the servant from Shaytan. So it is a great verse by which Allah benefits the servant. And it is one of the means of entering Paradise if he says it after every obligatory prayer, after Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha, and Fajr. And so he says it when going to sleep, and it becomes one of the means of his protection. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And this is a great virtue. Also, it is recommended for him after this to recite: [al-Ikhlas:1] and the two Mu'awwidhat, the praying imam, the one praying alone, and the ma'mum, between himself and his self: [al-Ikhlas:1] .. [al-Falaq:1] .. [an-Nas:1] once, after Zuhr, Asr, and Isha.
As for after Maghrib and Fajr, he says them three times, reciting these three surahs three times: three times: three times: three times after Fajr and Maghrib.
It is also recommended in them, after Fajr and Maghrib, to add saying: ten times, as an addition after Fajr and Maghrib. Several hadiths have come regarding this from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the one to be asked to guide us all to follow him (peace and blessings be upon him), to preserve his Sunnah, and to be upright upon his religion until we meet Him (Glorified and Exalted is He).