Basic Clothing Description for Salaah

Wearing Forbidden Clothing Could Invalidate One’s Prayer

Question: A women uses particular clothing for prayer and it is clothing for men. Is her prayer permissible? Is this considered part of imitating men?

Answer: If the clothing is something particular for men, then it is forbidden for her to wear it regardless of whether she is praying or is outside of the prayer. This is because it is confirmed from the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi-wasallam) that he cursed those women who imitate men and appear like men as well as those men who imitate and appear like women. It is not allowed for a women to wear clothing that are particular for men and it is not allowed for men to wear clothing that are particular for women.However, we must understand the concept of “particularity”. Particularity is not with respect to colour but it is with respect to colour and description. It is, then, permissible for women to wear white clothing as long as it is not the same as the white clothing of men. If it is clear, though, that women wearing men’s clothing is forbidden, then her prayer in such clothing is not valid acording to those scholars who say that the covering in the prayer must be covering which is permissible. This is a question in which there is a difference of opininon among the scholars. Some scholars say that it is a condition that the covering or the clothing that is in itself permissible. Some do not lay down such a condition. The proof for those who lay down such a condition is that the covering of the aurah [what must be covered] in the prayer is one of the conditions for the prayer and the covering must be something that Allah has permitted. If it is something that Allah has not permitted, then it is not considered a legal covering since it goes against what is commanded. The proof of those who say that the prayer is still valid while the person is committing a sin is that the women has actually covered herself and that the sinful aspect is something that is external and is not particularly related to the prayer. in any case, the person who prays in forbidden clothing is in a dangerous situation since her prayer may be rejected and not accepted from her.

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen

Can I Make-up Salaahs for the Deceased

Not offering Some of the Prayers, due to losing One’s Mind

Question: A man died while owing some obligatory prayers which he had not offered while he was ill and out of his mind is it an obligation upon his living relatives, men or women, to make up these prayers, or will the deceased not be held accountable for them due to him losing his mind, and is it not an obligation upon his heirs to make up for these obligatory prayers?

Answer: If a person does not offer the obligatory prayers due to insanity and he has no physical illness, there is no sin upon him as he will not be held accountable for them due to him losing his mind. There is no necessity for his heirs to make up for them. And if he abandoned his prayer while he was rational, whether or not his body was afflicted with disease then he is a wicked sinner due to his abandoning prayer, and his affair will be left to his Lord and his prayer does not need to be made up.

Praying for Someone Whose Name You Forgot

He wants to perform Hajj for some People but he does not know some of their Names

Question: I have about four people who have died among my uncles and grandparents. Some of them are men and some are women, but I do not know some of their names. I want to send someone to perform Hajj for each of them from my own personal money.

Answer: If the matter is like what has been mentioned, then whoeverýs name you know from the women and men, there is no problem. Whoeverýs name you do not know, it is permissible for you to make intentions for the men and women from the paternal and maternal uncles and aunts according to the arrangement of their ages and descriptions. The intention is sufficient in that, even if you do not know the name. And success is from Allah. May Allah send blessing and peace upon our Prophet, his family and his companions.

Permanent Committee for Research and Verdicts

Should Woman Pray as Men Pray

There Is No Difference Between The Prayer Of The Man & The Woman

Question: The Messenger sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Pray as you have seen me praying” And that which is understood from this Hadeeth is that there is no difference between the prayer of the man and the prayer of the woman, not in the standing, the sitting and nor in the prostration. So I have been acting in accordance with that since reaching the age of at-Takleef (burdened/obligated to abide by the Sharee’ah). But we have women in Kenya who quarrel with me and they say that your prayer is not correct because it resembles the man’s prayer. And the examples they mention where the man’s prayer differs from the woman’s prayer are holding the two hands upon the chest and when releasing them both and the keeping of the back level in the bowing position (Rukoo’) and other than that from the issues about which I have conviction. So I would like you to clarify to me is there a difference between the performance of the prayer of the man and the woman?

Answer: O questioner, my sister for the sake of Allaah, indeed that which is correct is that there is no difference between the man’s prayer and the woman’s prayer. As for what some of the jurists mention from the difference [in the prayer of the man and the woman] then there is no evidence for it. And the hadeeth that you mentioned in the question being the statement of the prophet may the peace and blessings be upon him:“Pray as you have seen me praying”1 [This Hadeeth]is a fundamental principle which generally includes everybody and the legislations are in generality for men and women except for when there is established proof making it specific. So the Sunnah for the woman is that she prays as the men pray in the rukoo’ (bowing), the prostration (sujood), the recitation, putting the hands upon the chest and other than that. This is what is best, this is how to put them (hands) upon the knees in the rukoo’, this is how to put them upon the ground in prostration either in level with shoulders or in level with the ears, this how you make your back level in the rukoo’ and this what is said in the rukoo’ and the prostration and after the rising from the rukoo’ and rising up from the prostration and between the two prostrations. All of it is just the same as the men acting in accordance to his (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) statement: “Pray as you have seen me praying” [Reported by al-Bukhaaree in as-Saheeh.]

Because It May Have Good In It

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wODzqkpyuNE&feature=BFa&list=PL5584C26037E52C29&lf=mh_lolz

Father & Son in Salaah

Do I NEED to Pray? Nouman Ali Khan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=iYB_9U29-4c&feature=endscreen

Fiqh of Dress for Salaah for Women

Can girls pray in pants? What is the clothing that is prescribed in sharee’ah for praying?.

Praise be to Allaah. 

The clothing that is prescribed for women to pray in is any clothing that covers her entire body apart from the face and hands; it should be loose and opaque, so that it does not show the shape of any part of her body. 

The fact that a woman’s clothing should cover all of her body whilst praying is indicated by the hadeeth of Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who was asked about what clothes a woman should pray in. she said: “She should pray in a khimaar (head cover) and a long chemise that covers the tops of her feet.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 639. It was also narrated in a marfoo’ report (i.e., attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in Buloogh al-Maraam (p. 40): The imams classed the mawqoof report as saheeh. Ibn Taymiyah said: The well known view is that it is mawqoof, with an isnaad that stops at Umm Salamah, but it carries the same weight as a marfoo’ report. Sharh Kitaab al-Salaah min al-‘Umdah, p. 365. 

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah does not accept the prayer of a woman who menstruates (i.e., an adult woman) unless her head is covered.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 641; al-Tirmidhi, 377; Ibn Maajah, 655; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7747. 

So it is essential to wear something that covers the entire body apart from the face. The scholars differed as to whether it is obligatory for a woman to cover her hands and feet when praying. 

With regard to the hands: the majority of scholars are of the view that it is not obligatory to cover them. Two views were narrated concerning that from Imam Ahmad. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was of the view that it is not obligatory. It says in al-Insaaf: That is the correct view. 

With regard to the feet: the majority of Maalikis, Shaafa’is and Hanbalis are of the view that it is obligatory to cover them. This is also the view stated in a fatwa of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas (6/178): 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

The entire woman is ‘awrah when she is praying, apart from her face. The scholars differed with regard to the hands. Some of them said it is obligatory to cover them, and others said it is allowed to leave them uncovered. The matter is broad in scope, in sha Allaah, but it is better to cover them so as to avoid an area of scholarly disagreement. As for the feet, it is obligatory to cover them when praying, according to the majority of scholars. End quote. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 10/410 

Imam Abu Haneefah, al-Thawri and al-Mazani were of the view that it is permissible for a woman to uncover her feet when praying. This is the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and by al-Mardaawi in al-Insaaf.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (2/161): 

There is no clear evidence on this matter. Hence Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was of the view that a free woman is ‘awrah except what appears of her when she is in her home, namely the face, hands and feet. He said: Women at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to wear chemises in their homes, and not every woman had two garments. Hence if menstrual blood got onto her garment, she could wash it and pray in it. The hands and feet are not ‘awrah when praying, or with regard to looking. Based on that, there is no solid evidence on this matter, and I follow Shaykh al-Islam in this regard; this is how we understand it, but we cannot be certain of it, because even if a woman has a garment that reaches to the floor, when she prostrates the bottom of her feet will appear. End quote. 

See: al-Mughni, 1/349; al-Majmoo’, 3/171; Badaa’i’ al-Sanaa’i’, 5/121; al-Insaaf, 1/452; Majmoo’ al-Fataawa by Ibn Taymiyah, 22/114. 

But if the garment is thin and shows what is beneath it, and the colour of the skin can be seen, then it is not regarded as covering. 

Rawdat al-Taalibeen by al-Nawawi, 1/284; al-Mughni, 2/286. 

This is indicated by the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen: people with whips like the tails of cattle with which they strike the people, and women who are clothed yet naked…” Narrated by Muslim, 2128. 

With regard to the words “clothed yet naked”, al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ (4/3998): It was said that they wear thin garments that show the colour of the skin. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said in al-Tamheed (13/204): What is meant by the phrase “clothed yet naked” is those who wear light garments which show and do not conceal, so they are clothed in name but naked in reality. End quote. 

The evidence that the garment should be loose and opaque is the hadeeth of Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave me a qubti garment from the gifts that Dihyah al-Kalbi had given to him, and I gave it to my wife to wear. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Why are you not wearing the qubti garment?” I said: “I gave it to my wife to wear.” He said: “Tell her to put a ghalaalah underneath it for I fear that it will show the size of her bones.” Narrated by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra, 2/234; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Jilbaab al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, p. 131. 

The qubti garment is a garment made of thin white linen that was made in Egypt. Lisaan al-‘Arab, 7/373. 

The ghalaalah is a kind of slip or undergarment.  

Based on this, it is not permissible for a woman to wear tight clothes that show her ‘awrah, such as pants or trousers. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: 

Even if they are wide and opaque, because they distinguish one leg from the other, so they do not cover properly. Moreover there is the fear that this makes women resemble men, because pants are a man’s garment. End quote. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 12/286 

As for the validity of her prayer, even if she goes against this ruling and prays wearing these tight clothes, her prayer is still valid, because what is required is to cover the ‘awrah, and she has done that. 

See also question no 46529 

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said:  

It is not permissible to wear tight clothes which show the limbs and the shape of a woman’s body. Tight clothes are not permissible for men or women, but it is especially forbidden for women, because the fitnah in their case is greater. 

With regard to praying in particular, if a person prays with his ‘awrah covered in such clothes, his prayer is valid in an of itself, because the ‘awrah is covered, but he is sinning by praying in tight clothes, because he has transgressed one of the rules of prayer by wearing tight clothes. This is one aspect. Another aspect is that it is a cause of temptation and draws attention, especially in the case of women. So women should cover themselves with loose garments which will cover them and not show any of the limbs of their body or attract attention. So it should not be a thin or see-through garment, rather it should be a concealing garment which will cover the woman completely. End quote. 

Al-Muntaqa min Fataawa al-Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, 3/454.