Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

AS SALAM ALAIKUM W R W B..

THIS IS FROM DELHI, INIDA, A STUDENT!! HERE ARE THE FEW QUESTIONS I WOULD LIKE TO SEEK YOUR ADVICE REGARDING THEIR MENTION IN HADEETH AND QURAN:

1. PRAYING WITH HEAD UNCOVERED HAD BEEN ANSWERED BEFORE BUT I WANNT THE AUTHENTIC HADEETH AND QURAN AYAT IF THERE .. IT IS SO BECAUSE I PRAY WITHOUT CAP (OR TOPI AS THEY CALL IN URDU LANGUAGE) AND THEN ONE OF THE SCHOLAR IN THE MASJID SAI,`THAT PROPHET MPBUH USED TO PRAY MOSTLY WITH HIS HEAD COVERED , SO WE MUST ALSO DO ITT!! AND HE VERY MUCH INSISTS ON IT!!! SO I DO WEAR CAP DESE DAYS BUT PLEASE CLEAR IT SO I CAN WEAR IT WHOLE HEARTEDLY OR DO SA I USED TO..I NORMALLY REMAIN WITHOUT CAP..
2. HE ALSO SAID WE MUST EAT AND GO TO TOILET WITH CAPS ON.. PLEASE GIVE HADEETH AND I AM STRESSING ON IT SO AS TO CONVINCE MY BROTHER SCHOLARAND EVEN MYSELF..
3. NAMAZ SHOULD NOT BE PRAYED WERING HALF SHIRTS OR T-SHIRTS??
4. SHUD WE KEEP OUR PANTS ABOVE THE ANKLES?

SHUKRAN YA BROTHER

MAY GOD BLESS US ALL

AAMIN!!!

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Dressing in prayer

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question-1: PRAYING WITH HEAD UNCOVERED HAD BEEN ANSWERED BEFORE BUT I WANNT THE AUTHENTIC HADEETH AND QURAN AYAT IF THERE .. IT IS SO BECAUSE I PRAY WITHOUT CAP (OR TOPI AS THEY CALL IN URDU LANGUAGE) AND THEN ONE OF THE SCHOLAR IN THE MASJID SAI,`THAT PROPHET MPBUH USED TO PRAY MOSTLY WITH HIS HEAD COVERED , SO WE MUST ALSO DO ITT!! AND HE VERY MUCH INSISTS ON IT!!! SO I DO WEAR CAP DESE DAYS BUT PLEASE CLEAR IT SO I CAN WEAR IT WHOLE HEARTEDLY OR DO SA I USED TO..I NORMALLY REMAIN WITHOUT CAP..

Wearing a covering on the head while offering prayers or while reciting the Quran is not amongst the obligatory acts for a believing male in Shariah. If one covers his head, or leaves it uncovered; both ways his prayers and his worship will be considered valid.

The dressing norm at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was such that the Arabs used to wear a turban over their heads; and thus the Messenger of Allah (saws) normally always prayed with his head covered. Thus, if the normal dress code of the person is such that he covers his head (like the Arab ‘gatra’ or head-cover); then it is fine to pray with the head cover. But if the normal dress code of the person is such that in normal circumstances he does not cover his head, there is no need to specially cover his head while praying or reciting the Quran. But if he does cover his head, there is no harm.

Ibn 'Asakir related that the Prophet would sometimes remove his head cover (turban) and place it in front of him as a ‘sutrah’ for prayer.

It is obligatory for a believing woman to cover her head and her full body while offering her prayers.

Your Question-2: HE ALSO SAID WE MUST EAT AND GO TO TOILET WITH CAPS ON.. PLEASE GIVE HADEETH AND I AM STRESSING ON IT SO AS TO CONVINCE MY BROTHER SCHOLARAND EVEN MYSELF..

To the best of our knowledge, there is nothing in the Quran, or in the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) whereby a believer is obliged or required to wear a head cover whilst eating or visiting the toilets.

One should ask the person who claims that such a thing is required to give their evidence from the Quran or the Sunnah.

Your Question-3: NAMAZ SHOULD NOT BE PRAYED WERING HALF SHIRTS OR T-SHIRTS??

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 31:

31   O children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: but waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not those who waste.

When one visits any of the sacred Houses of Allah, or one stands to worship the Lord in prayer, in light of the above absolutely clear guidance of the Quran, it is incumbent and obligatory upon the believers that they wear their beautiful apparel and present themselves in the audience of their Lord in prayer in their best and most beautiful manner.

Just as one dresses up appropriately if one were to visit a worldly King or President of a nation; one should dress even more appropriately and formally when one wishes to visit a sacred House of Allah (masjid) or intends to offer the rite of prayer; for when one stands for prayer, he/she indeed is as if in the audience of The King of all kings, The Lord of the Universe, Allah Subhanah wa Taala.

The absolute minimum requirement of apparel under Shariah Law for the prayer of a believing male to be valid, is that all his body parts between his navel and his knees (inclusive) must be covered.

Although one is guided by the Lord and His Messenger (saws) to attire themselves appropriately when one visits the mosques or stands in prayer, if for any reason one (male only) finds himself in a situation or condition where he has only enough material to cover his ‘satr’, the prayer would be considered valid in Shariah.

Prayer in half-shirts or t-shirts of a believing male would be considered valid if his minimum ‘satr’ is covered.

Shariah Law dictates that for the prayer of a believing woman to be valid, she must cover her whole self completely just as she would in front of non-mehram males; ie. only her face, her hands, and her feet upto the beginning of her ankles my be left exposed.

Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn 'Umar and 'Aishah report that the Prophet (saws) said, "Allah does not accept the prayer of an adult woman unless she is wearing a ‘jilbaab’ (khimar, hijab, head-cover)."

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

Your Question-4: SHUD WE KEEP OUR PANTS ABOVE THE ANKLES?

Abdur Rahman said: ‘I asked Abu Sa`id al-Khudri about wearing lower garment.’ He said: ‘You have come to the man who knows it very well. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘The way for a believer to wear a lower garment is to have it halfway down his legs and he is guilty of no sin if it comes halfway between that and the ankles, but what comes lower than the ankles is in Hell.

On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not look at him who trails his lower garment conceitedly (in arrogance).’

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.678 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Prophet said, "The part of an Izar (lower garment) which hangs below the ankles, is in the Fire."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.675 Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar

The Prophet (saws) said, "Allah will not look, on the Day of Resurrection, at the person who drags his garment (behind him) out of conceit." On that Abu Bakr said, "O Allah's Messenger (saws)! One side of my Izar hangs low if I do not take care of it." The Prophet (saws) said, -You are not one of those who do that out of conceit."

Any Law has two facets:

1. The letter of the Law.
2. The spirit of the Law.

The spirit and wisdom behind the above ‘Law’ whereby the Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers to wear the ‘izaar’ or lower garment below the ankles, is that in the times of the Prophet (saws) poverty was so rampant that only the very rich could afford to wear a garment which would be long enough to reach one’s ankles. Thus the rich, in their pride and arrogance, and to show-off their wealth would wear long flowing robes which would go below their ankles (and at times drag on the ground) when most of the population at the times could not even afford to wear enough to cover oneself appropriately!

The spirit of the law dictates that a believer at all times should avoid and abstain from all types of things that beget arrogance and pride for his possessions; and if wearing the ‘izaar’ lower than the ankles begets arrogance, then the believers must indeed abstain from it.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.8 Narrated by Umar bin Al Khattab

The Prophet (saws) said, "The rewards (of deeds) are according to the intention, and everybody will get the reward for what he has intended.”

If one has absolutely no intention of displaying pride or arrogance by wearing his lower garment below his ankles, the majority of the scholars in Islam are of the opinion that Allah Subhanah would not hold him accountable for his deed. But if one so fears Allah Subhanah and wants to make absolutely sure to stay within the letter and the spirit of the law, then it would be safest and absolutely best if one wears clothes whereby the lower garment is above his ankles.

Besides, the command and guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) for the believers to adorn themselves with lower garments no longer than their ankles is for all times and not only when one offers one’s prayers. Thus it would not be considered righteousness if one only folds ones ankles when one is in prayer and at all other times his lower garments falls below his ankles.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan