Does My Wife Have to Cover Herself When I Pray?

Answered by Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil

Question: Assalam aleykum,

Whenever I’m praying, my wife says that it’s not compulsory for her to cover all the parts of her body. Is she correct?

Answer: Assalamualaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I pray this finds you well. May Allah reward you for reaching out to us.

Prayer

When you are praying, it is not obligatory for your wife to cover herself. Unless she is praying behind you, then she does not need to cover her awrah.

However, it would be better for her to cover herself if she walks around you in prayer, because she risks distracting you. That being said, it is better for her to not walk around you while you pray.

Please see:

A Detailed Exposition of the Fiqh of Covering One’s Nakedness (awra)

Wassalam,
[Ustadha] Raidah Shah Idil

Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil has spent almost two years in Amman, Jordan, where she learned Shafi’i’ fiqh, Arabic, Seerah, Aqeedah, Tasawwuf, Tafsir and Tajweed. She continues to study with her Teachers in Malaysia and online through SeekersHub Global. She graduated with a Psychology and English degree from University of New South Wales, was a volunteer hospital chaplain for 5 years and has completed a Diploma of Counselling from the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. She lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with her husband, daughter, and mother-in-law.