Allah's Messenger said: "The Salat of a women who has reached the age of menstruation is not accepted without a Khimar"
Hadith Reference & Authenticity
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 377 - The Book on Salat (Prayer) by Imam at-Tirmidhi. This hadith is classified as hasan (good) by the compiler.
Meaning of Key Terms
"Khimar" refers to a head covering that conceals a woman's hair, neck, and bosom.
"Reached the age of menstruation" indicates the ruling applies to adult women who have attained puberty.
Scholarly Commentary
This hadith establishes that proper covering (awrah) is a condition for the validity of a woman's prayer. The khimar is essential as it covers what must be concealed during salah.
Scholars explain that without proper covering, the prayer is deficient and not accepted by Allah, emphasizing the importance of modesty in worship.
The ruling applies to all obligatory and voluntary prayers, highlighting that spiritual devotion must be accompanied by physical modesty.
Practical Implementation
A woman must ensure her head covering fully conceals her hair and extends to cover her neck and chest area before commencing prayer.
This requirement extends to all prayers performed in private or public, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of this Islamic ruling.