All
that has been mentioned of the description of the
Prophet's prayer (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) applies
equally to men and women, for there is nothing in the
Sunnah to necessitate the exception of women from any of
these descriptions; in fact, the generality of his
statement (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), "Pray as
you have seen me praying", includes women.
This is the view of Ibraaheem an-Nakh'i, who
said, "A woman's actions in the prayer are the same as a
man's" - transmitted by Ibn Abi Shaibah (1/75/2), with a
saheeh sanad from him.
Also, Bukhaari reported in at-Taareekh as-Sagheer
(p. 95) with a saheeh sanad from Umm ad-Dardaa', "that
she used to sit in her prayer just as a man sits, and
she was a woman of understanding."
The hadeeth about the indimaam (tucking up) of a
woman in prostration, and that she is in that regard not
like a man, is mursal and not authentic. Abu Daawood
transmitted it in al- Maraaseel on the authority of
Yazeed ibn Abi Habeeb.
As for what Imaam Ahmad has reported, as in his
son 'Abdullaah's Masaa'il, from Ibn 'Umar, that he used
to instruct his wives to sit cross-legged in prayer, its
sanad is not authentic, for it contains 'Abdullaah ibn
'Umar al-'Amri, who is a da'eef (weak) narrator.
