Do women have to cover their feet in prayer?

Why covering matters in prayer

Covering the awrah is a condition of a valid prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty without a head covering (Sunan Abi Dawud 641). For women, the awrah in prayer is the whole body except the face and hands, according to most scholars. The feet are where the schools disagree.

The discussion goes back to the Quran's words about what "ordinarily appears":

What the four schools say

• Hanafi: the feet are not awrah, in the school's main view. Prayer is valid with bare feet.
• Maliki: the tops of the feet should be covered; if they show, the prayer is valid, but it is recommended to repeat it within the time.
• Shafi'i: the feet, including the soles, must be covered. If they show, the prayer is not valid.
• Hanbali: the main view is that the feet must be covered, like the Shafi'i school.

All of these are respected scholarly views. If you follow a particular school or teacher, go with that. If you are new and not sure, covering your feet keeps your prayer valid in every school. For the general rules on covering, see Do I have to cover my feet as a Muslim woman?

What about the soles in sujood?

When you prostrate, a long skirt or abaya often rides up and your soles may show behind you. Scholars who require covering the feet usually recommend socks for this reason. A small, brief exposure that you fix right away does not ruin the prayer in most schools.

Easy ways to cover

• Wear plain socks or tights when you pray.
• Use a one-piece prayer dress (often sold as a "prayer outfit") that reaches the floor.
• If you make wudu with socks on, check the rules for wiping over them. See Do I have to take off my socks every time I make wudu?

Praying alone at home follows the same rules. See What do I have to cover when praying at home alone?