All
that has been mentioned of the description
of the Prophet's prayer (sallallaahu 'alaihi
wa sallam) applies equally to men and women,
for there is nothing in the Sunnah to necessitate
the exception of women from any of these
descriptions; in fact, the generality of
his statement (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam),
"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, Bukhaari reported in at-Taareekh
as-Sagheer (p. 95) with a saheeh sanad
from Umm ad-Dardaa', "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 Daawood
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, 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.