4 – It is lawful to pray in a number of situations:

First: while wearing clothes that are likely to be soiled, such as the garments of a menstruating woman, a carer, a nursing mother, or a small child. For

“the Prophet ﷺ used to pray at night while Aisha was beside him in a state of menstruation; she had a cloak (mirṭ) on, and part of it was spread over him as well,”

and

“he would pray while carrying in front of him the daughter of Zaynab; when he bowed or prostrated he would set her down, and when he stood up he would pick her up again—[the Messenger of Allah ﷺ continued his prayer with her on his shoulder until he finished, doing that throughout].”

The first report is narrated from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, with the wording: “while I was beside him” (using the first-person pronoun) instead of “while Aisha was beside him,” and “and I had a cloak over me” instead of “and part of it was over him.”

It was recorded by Muslim, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, al-Bayhaqi, and Ahmad through the chain of ʿUbayd Allah ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUtbah from her.

It also comes through another route in abridged form: “The Prophet of Allah would pray while part of my cloak was over him.” Al-Hakim and Ahmad transmitted it from Qatadah, from Kathirah ibn Abi Kathir, from Abu ʿIyad, from her. Al-Hakim said, “Its chain is sound,” and al-Dhahabi agreed.

So it is, for all of its transmitters are trustworthy narrators used by the two Shaykhs, except Kathirah ibn Abi Kathir—he was a freedman of ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Samurah, declared reliable by al-ʿIjli, and Ayyub also narrated from him.

Abu Yaʿla likewise reported it from her with the wording: