Question: The questioner from France says: how does a woman pray when she is traveling and strange men see her? And is it allowed for her to pray sitting in order for her to be covered [while praying]?
Answer: “She does not pray sitting when she is capable of standing. She covers herself with what she has of clothing. This is because the Muslim woman does not travel nor is she in the state of residency, except that she has the Legislated clothing by which she covers all her body. So she prays with her clothing which covers her even if the people see a woman who is veiled. That does not harm her, even if they see her from head to toe. If she is covered with her clothing, then it does not harm her whether she is praying or busy with [words unclear] which she leads.
Questioner: Shaikh, should she cover her face during the prayer or not?
Shaikh: She covers her face, hands, and all her body because her whole body is awrah
Questioner: Except for in prostration?
Shaikh: In prostration, if it is possible for her to descend to the ground [and prostrate] with her face uncovered, then this is good. If she cannot do so, then she prays with her face covered”.
Source:
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
