by his statement “al-ḥāʾiḍ” is a woman who has become legally accountable—that is, one who has reached the age at which menstruation appears.

2 – The hadith is not confined to a woman who attains puberty specifically through her first menses; rather, it applies to anyone who reaches puberty by any of its recognized signs: menstruation, the emission of semen, the growth of pubic hair, or completing fifteen lunar years. The Prophet ﷺ merely chose an expression peculiar to women—menstruation.

3 – The very onset of menstruation is itself a sign that a girl has reached puberty, even if she is younger than fifteen.

4 – Once a girl reaches puberty, she becomes responsible for every obligation laid down by the Sharīʿah.

5 – During prayer a woman must cover what she ordinarily conceals of her body, in particular her head and neck, with a khimār that envelops them completely.

6 – Covering the ʿawrah in prayer is a condition for the prayer’s validity, but the scope of the ʿawrah varies according to the worshipper’s sex and age. This will be explained in due course, God willing.

7 – By implication, the prayer of a girl who has not yet reached puberty remains valid even if she does not cover her head with a khimār, for her ʿawrah is lighter than that of a pubescent female.

8 – When the hadith denies acceptance of the prayer of one who prays without veiling her head, what is negated is the prayer’s very validity: it is neither sufficient nor sound—not merely that the reward is forfeited.