What is the ruling on letting the garment hang below the ankles? If a person does not intend to display arrogance with it, but it is merely a custom, what is your opinion on that? Is the prayer in it valid or not?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on letting the garment hang below the ankles? If a person did not intend to display arrogance with it, but it is merely a custom, what is your opinion on that? Is the prayer in it valid or not? Because I have heard some people say that whoever prays in a garment that extends below the ankles has no prayer. Please inform us, and may Allah guide you?
The Shaykh : Letting the garment hang below the ankles is forbidden if it goes below the ankles. However, if a person does it out of arrogance and drags it on the ground, his punishment is very severe.Sunan Ibn Majah 2208Sahih (Darussalam) He said it three times, and Abu Dharr said: "They have failed and lost. Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 106a And in the hadith of Ibn 'Umar: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1731Sahih (Darussalam) So the hadith of Ibn 'Umar qualifies the hadith of Abu Dharr, and the one who lets his garment hang is the one who does it out of arrogance.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If a person drags his garment out of arrogance, then Allah the Exalted will not look at him on the Day of Resurrection, nor purify him, and he will have a painful punishment.Sunan Abi Dawud 4093Sahih (Al-Albani) So it is forbidden, but it does not carry the punishment with which the one who drags his garment out of arrogance is punished. Because this is what is below the ankles, so it is in the Fire. The torment by the Fire is only for what has gone below the ankles.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : He will be branded and tormented by it in the Fire. Do not be surprised that the punishment by the Fire is for a part of the body, for this is established in the authentic hadith of Abu Hurayrah:Sunan Ibn Majah 453Sahih (Darussalam) regarding a group who performed ablution and were deficient in washing their feet. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called out with his highest voice: Sunan Ibn Majah 453Sahih (Darussalam) Here, the punishment is only for the place of the deficiency, which is the heels.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Likewise, what is below the ankles is in the Fire. The punishment is for what occurred in the excess, which is only what is under the ankles.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Based on this, we say that what of the garments goes below the ankles is forbidden, whether a person does it out of arrogance or as a custom among people.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And this custom must be avoided, because if a custom contradicts the Shari'ah, it is an invalid custom that a person must avoid. As for the validity of the prayer, this issue is based on a principle about which there is disagreement: is it a condition for the validity of the prayer that the covering be permissible, or not? Some scholars have said that it is required that the covering garment be permissible, and that if a man prays in a garment that is forbidden for him, his prayer is invalid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And based on this, if he prays in a garment worn out of arrogance, his prayer is invalid. This is the well-known position in the madhhab of Imam Ahmad, and there is a hadith about which scholars have spoken regarding its authenticity.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And some of the scholars say that it is not required that the covering be permissible, but rather the covering is achieved by the forbidden garment, because the reality of the covering has been achieved, and the fact that the garment is forbidden does not prevent covering with it; rather, the person sins by it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And based on this, the prayer is valid in the garment, even if it is worn out of arrogance.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : In any case, in this issue, a Muslim must not look at it from only one angle: is the prayer valid or not valid? Rather, he must look at it from both angles. So we say: this is a forbidden garment, and it is obligatory for the Muslim to avoid it in his prayer and in other than his prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And this is, as is known, regarding men. As for women, what is prescribed for them is to cover their feet with their garments. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Letting the garment hang below the ankles is forbidden if it goes below the ankles. However, if a person does it out of arrogance and drags it on the ground, his punishment is very severe.
There are three to whom Allah will not speak on the Day of Resurrection nor will He look at them or purify them, and theirs will be a painful torment.
ثلاثة لا يكلمهم الله يوم القيامة ولا ينظر إليهم ولا يزكيهم ولهم عذاب أليمthe dragger of lower garment, the recounter of obligation the seller of goods by false oath.
المسبل والمنان والمنفق سلعته بالحلف الكاذبWhoever arrogantly drags his garment, Allah will not look at him
من جر ثوبه خيلاء لم ينظر الله إليهThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If a person drags his garment out of arrogance, then Allah the Exalted will not look at him on the Day of Resurrection, nor purify him, and he will have a painful punishment.
but what comes lower than the ankles is in Hell
ما أسفل من الكعبين فهو في النارThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : He will be branded and tormented by it in the Fire. Do not be surprised that the punishment by the Fire is for a part of the body, for this is established in the authentic hadith of Abu Hurayrah:
Woe to the heels because of Hell-fire.
ويل للأعقاب من النارWoe to the heels because of Hell-fire.
ويل للأعقاب من النارThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Likewise, what is below the ankles is in the Fire. The punishment is for what occurred in the excess, which is only what is under the ankles.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Based on this, we say that what of the garments goes below the ankles is forbidden, whether a person does it out of arrogance or as a custom among people.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And this custom must be avoided, because if a custom contradicts the Shari'ah, it is an invalid custom that a person must avoid. As for the validity of the prayer, this issue is based on a principle about which there is disagreement: is it a condition for the validity of the prayer that the covering be permissible, or not? Some scholars have said that it is required that the covering garment be permissible, and that if a man prays in a garment that is forbidden for him, his prayer is invalid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And based on this, if he prays in a garment worn out of arrogance, his prayer is invalid. This is the well-known position in the madhhab of Imam Ahmad, and there is a hadith about which scholars have spoken regarding its authenticity.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And some of the scholars say that it is not required that the covering be permissible, but rather the covering is achieved by the forbidden garment, because the reality of the covering has been achieved, and the fact that the garment is forbidden does not prevent covering with it; rather, the person sins by it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And based on this, the prayer is valid in the garment, even if it is worn out of arrogance.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : In any case, in this issue, a Muslim must not look at it from only one angle: is the prayer valid or not valid? Rather, he must look at it from both angles. So we say: this is a forbidden garment, and it is obligatory for the Muslim to avoid it in his prayer and in other than his prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And this is, as is known, regarding men. As for women, what is prescribed for them is to cover their feet with their garments. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.