Is Covering The Legs And Feet Mandatory For Women?
Peace! I don’t know about the صحة of this Hadith, but it seems to me to be pointing in the opposite direction. It seems to be saying that women did not like revealing their shins and so, Umm e Salama asked the Prophet (to provide some compensation), and he made his statement a little lenient for women (because of their discomfort). Of course, no one can claim that the Prophet did not know that what he was saying meant that the women’s shins would be uncovered and he did not address it (he didn’t himself say: but remember, women are not supposed to unveil their shins). One can’t say معاذ الله that the Prophet needed Umm e Salama to remind him that women cannot unveil their shins. Rather, it was Umm e Salama who, being a woman, thought that this would make many women uncomfortable, so she questioned the Prophet regarding this.