The Egyptian Fatwa Authority explained that it is disliked (makruh) for a woman to pray wearing a niqab without a valid Sharia need. It is recommended that the face and hands remain uncovered, according to the majority of scholars from the Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali schools, with the Hanafi school also including the feet, to allow proper contact of the forehead and nose with the ground during prostration.

The fatwa cited prophetic traditions, such as Abdullah ibn Abbas saying: “I was commanded to prostrate on seven bones: the forehead—he pointed to his nose—both hands, both knees, and the tips of both feet, without covering the clothes or hair,” and Abdullah ibn Amr: “None of you should pray with his garment over his nose, for that is the seal of Satan.”

Scholars agreed that a woman should not pray wearing a niqab unless there is a valid reason, such as the presence of unrelated men in the mosque, in which case the dislike is lifted and wearing the niqab becomes permissible.

Thus, it is recommended for a woman to pray covering all her body except the face and hands (and feet according to some scholars), and praying while wearing a niqab without necessity is considered disliked but not prohibited, serving as an additional measure of caution to maintain proper prayer etiquette.

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