Every act of worship in Islam is accepted if it is based on two criteria:
**Quran- The obligation of Allah regarding it.
... **Sunnah- The way Prophet SAW performed it.
Muslims today have modified the prayer of Prophet Muhammad SAW into so many types based on their creeds and sects.
(1) DOES PERFORMING SALAH VARY WITH THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT?
Answer: Definitely NO!!! We had one Prophet Muhammad SAW and thus one way to follow….
He SAW commanded us very clearly;
“Pray as you have seen me praying”
(Sahih Bukhari,Book #91, Hadith #352)
The four Madhabs vary in their level of understanding and ability to derive rulings from the evidence and None of them called people to follow his madhhab, or was partisan in following it, or obliged anyone else to act in accordance with it or with a specific madhhab. Rather they used to call people to follow the Qur’aan and Sunnah. And that is supposed to be our ultimate goal. Follow Quran and sunnah strongly.
(2) DOES THE PRAYER OF MEN AND WOMEN DIFFER?
ANSWER: The general principle is that women are equal to men in all religious rulings, because of the hadeeth
"Women are the twin halves of men" (Reported by Imaam Ahmad )
EXCEPT when there is evidence (daleel) of a specific ruling which applies only to women.
With regard to the way women should pray:
All that has been mentioned of the description of the Prophet's prayer (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 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 (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), ‘Pray as you have seen me praying’, includes women” If there was a need for a women to pray differently then Prophet Muhammad SAW would have told so.
The acts regarding prayer which are different for Women are:
--- They do not have to give Adhaan or Iqaamah.
--- There is no obligation for congregational prayer on women.
--- All her body is AWRAH and has to be covered except her face. (Hands and feet have different scholarly opinions).
--- Friday prayer is not obligatory for her.
And rest we do not find any authentic shari’i evidence to differentiate the way a man and woman prays.
