than going out, for it affords them greater concealment.

When she does leave for the mosque to perform the prayer, she must observe the following etiquettes:

A – She must be fully covered in suitable clothing and complete ḥijāb. ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “The women used to pray with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, then they would leave wrapped in their mantles, unrecognised in the dim pre-dawn light.” (1)

B – She must not wear perfume. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from the mosques of Allah; let them go out tafilāt (unperfumed).” (2) The term tafilāt means: not wearing fragrance. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “If a woman has applied incense, she must not join us for the night (ʿishāʾ) prayer.” (3) Muslim also records, on the authority of Zaynab, the wife of Ibn Masʿūd, that he ﷺ said, “When any of you attends the mosque, let her not touch perfume.”

Imām al-Shawkānī remarks in Nayl al-Aṭār (3|140–141): “This is proof that women may go out to the mosques only when their going is not accompanied by anything that could arouse temptation, such as incense that stirs desire.” He further said: