Q499 :Why do women have to cover their heads during
prayer, recitation of the Qur’an or listening to it?
A499 : It is important to understand that there is a
part of the body of every human being which must be covered so that it
may not be seen by others. That part of the body of a man extends,
according to most scholars, from waist line down to his knees. Some
scholars are of the view that this part, which we call in Islamic
terminology “Awrah” is limited to a man’s private parts. The
supporting evidence of the scholars of this view is certainly strong.
All scholars agree that Awrah of a woman includes all her body with the
exception of her face and the lower parts of her arms, from the wrists
downwards. When they offer their prayers, both men and women must
cover all their Awrah. When a woman is with other women only, her Awrah
is the same as of a man with other men, i.e. from the waist line to the
knees. With her close relatives whom she may not marry, such as her
brother, father or nephew, a woman may wear a normal dress which
reveals her head, her neck and her arms. If a woman wants to read the
Qur’an and she is alone or with other women, it is not obligatory for
her to cover her head.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )