Women’s Prayer
All that is mentioned about the description of the Prophet's (SAW) prayer applies equally to men and women, for there is nothing in the Sunnah to necessitate the exception of women from any of the descriptions; in fact, the generality of the Prophet's (SAW) statement, "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, Bukhari reported in at-Taareekh as-Sagheer (p. 95) with a saheeh sanad from Umm ad-Dardaa' (RA), "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 Dawood 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 (RA), 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.
Information Taken From The Prophet's Prayer sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam
By Shaikh Muhammad Naasir-ul-Deen Al-Albaani
Translated by Usama ibn Suhaib Hasan, Page 93
