Question

Salam mufti Saab,

When women pray salah do they have to cover their feet. I.e. with socks

Kind regards

Jazakhalah

Answer

No, they don’t have to wear socks. However, if the feet can be covered by wearing a long cloak, it would be better. This is due to showing respect to the opinion of the other madhaahib.

The Madhahib (on this mas’alah) go as follows:

1) Imam Shafiee, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal (Rahimahumullah) class the feet (of women) as satr and according to their research, they have to be covered in Salah.

2) Imam Abu Hanifa’s Mufta bihi Qawl (the opinion upon which the ruling has been given) is that they don’t have to be covered. Al-Fiqh Alal Mazahib al-Arba’ah lil Jaziry p.167/1

It is also stated in Nurul-Idah (The Light of Clarification) p.159:

’Her feet are not awrah, according to the most correct of two narrations, whether the surface or the sole, because of the general nature of the necessity.’