of silver worn on the toes. This was reported by Ibn Abī Hātim. This shows that women initially used to expose their feet, just as they exposed their faces and hands. They would let their hems hang down, yet a woman’s foot might become visible as she walked; they did not wear leather socks or shoes. Covering the feet during prayer entails great hardship.

Umm Salamah said:

“A woman should pray in a garment long enough to cover the tops of her feet.”

Yet when she prostrates, the soles of her feet may become visible.

In short, scriptural evidence and scholarly consensus establish that, when praying at home, she need not wear the outer garment that covers her; that is required only when she goes out. Thus, she may pray at home even with her face, hands and feet visible, just as women initially used to walk about before they were commanded to draw their outer garments over themselves. The limits of the awrah—the parts of the body requiring concealment—in prayer therefore do not correspond, in either direction, to those applicable to being seen by others.

When Ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the apparent adornment meant clothing, he did not say that her entire body, down to her nails, is awrah. Rather, that is Ahmad’s statement, meaning that such covering is a condition of prayer.

The jurists call this “Chapter on Covering the Awrah.” Yet this is not an expression used by the Messenger, nor do the Quran and Sunnah state that whatever a worshipper covers is awrah. Rather, Allah Most High said:

“Take your adornment at every place of prayer.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade circumambulating the House naked, so this applies all the more to prayer. He was asked about praying in a single garment and replied:

“Does every one of you have two garments?”