Question Summary:
Please educate me on the following issues regards to clothing.

Question Detail:

Please educate me on the following issues:
With all the care observed if a woman puts on relatively thick and dark clothes but when the light flashes and passes through it, her lower structure is visible.  Is her salat valid in it?  If it occurs should she break the salat?
 If the clothes are thin and the women offer salat in dark, is herthe salat valid?
 If she wraps a see-thru dopata/scarf on her head and the hair are not visible, is her salat valid?
 Sometimes the burqa buttons open making woman’s clothes visible.  Is it permissible for a woman to put on such burqa or one should use burqa which is closed completely in the front?
 Does colored and fancy embroidery burqa fulfill the purpose burqa?

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
 
1) According to the Hanafi Madhab, the ‘awra of a woman inside salah is the whole body except the hands, feet, and the face. The clothing she wears during salah must be loose enough so that the shape of her body cannot be made out. Likewise, the material of the clothing must be thick enough (non-transparent) so that her body is not exposed underneath the clothing. In your query, you mention that when light flashes, the lower structure of the woman is visible. If any parts of her body which must be covered during prayer are exposed (including any parts visible underneath transparent clothing), the salah will be invalid and she must repeat the salah. This also includes a see-thru scarf when the hair of the woman is still visible underneath the scarf due to the transparency. If just the clothing underneath is revealed, the salah will be valid.
وحد الستر أن لا يرى ما تحته حتى لو سترها بثوب رقيق يصف ما تحته لا يجوز
(Al-Bahrul Raaiq, 1/467, Rashidiyya)
( وعادم ساتر ) لا يصف ما تحته……( قوله لا يصف ما تحته ) بأن لا يرى منه لون البشرة احترازا عن الرقيق ونحو الزجاج
(Darrul Mukhtaar ma’a Raddil Muhtaar, 1/410, HM Saeed)
والثوب الرقيق الذي يصف ما تحته لا تجوز الصلاة فيه ؛ لأنه مكشوف العورة معنى
(Tabyeen al-Haqaaiq, 1/252, Ilmiyya)
( و ) الرابع ( ستر عورته )  وللحرة  جميع بدنها خلا الوجه والكفين والقدمين
(Darrul Mukhtaar, 1/404-405, HM Saeed)
2) The ‘awra must be covered in salah regardless of another person being present or not and regardless of whether salah is being performed in dark or light. Therefore, the clothes must not be transparent unless other clothes are being worn underneath covering the ‘awra.
(Hashiyyah Tahtawi, P. 210, Ilmiyya)
 
3) Refer to #1
 
4) If the buttons of the burqa open, the status of the prayer will depend on whether or not the ‘awra was exposed or not. If the woman is wearing clothing underneath the burqa and the exposed part is still covered, the salah will not break. If a quarter of any part that is supposed to be covered is exposed however, the salah will become invalid only if it is exposed to the extent that she can read SubhanAllah three times. If it is covered the moment it is exposed, the prayer will remain valid.
(Bahishti Zewar, 1/127, Zam Zam)
 
5) In principle, it is permissible for a woman to wear a burqa with fancy embroidery. However, nowadays due to the fear of fitna she should only do so in front of other women or her mehrams. If she has to be out in public, it is highly recommended to wear a burqa without bright colors and fancy embroidery as that may attract the gaze and attention of non-mehram males.
 
And Allah knows best
Wassalamu Alaikum
Ml. Asif Umar,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah