Is it permissible to pray in shoes at all times, or are there specific times for this, with the evidence provided?
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The questioner : Is it permissible to pray in shoes at all times, or are there specific times for this, with the evidence provided? I hope you will provide information on this.
The Shaykh : Praying in sandals is permissible; indeed, it is a recommended practice (sunnah). It is established in "al-Bukhari and Muslim" from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was asked: Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) pray in his sandals? He said: Yes. And in the Sunan, it is reported from him, from him (peace and blessings be upon him), that he was praying with his companions one day in his sandals, so he took them off, and the people took off their sandals. When he finished his prayer, he asked them: Why did you take off your sandals? They said: O Messenger of Allah! We saw you take off your sandals, so we took off ours. He said This indicates that praying in sandals is a recommended practice (sunnah) for the imam and the followers, but this is if he is wearing his sandals. If he is not wearing his sandals, he prays barefoot as he was barefoot. A person should not take off his sandals when he intends to enter the mosque unless there is a reason that necessitates it. Know that if a recommended practice (sunnah) leads to harm, then it is better to leave off that harm. If the sandals are hard, made of hard leather, and you are a follower in prayer, and praying in them causes harm to the people praying next to you, then removing the harm is better than performing the recommended practice (sunnah). You can perform the recommended practice (sunnah) if you are praying alone, either in the house or in the mosque, such as the greeting of the mosque. Here is a matter in which many people err: they enter from the street into the mosque in their sandals without looking inside them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is contrary to the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that one who enters the mosque should first look inside his sandals. If he sees harm or filth in them, he removes it; otherwise, he enters and prays in them. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, esteemed Shaykh. A message was received by the program from a listener from the Arab Republic of Egypt, Rajai Muhammad Abd al-Salam, residing in Iraq. He says in his message: I am one of the listeners of the program "Light on the Path" and I am keen to listen to it every day because of the many benefits I find in it that benefit us in religion and worldly life. I wish your program further success, and I hope that the scholars of virtue will respond to my questions. His first question says.
The Shaykh : Praying in sandals is permissible; indeed, it is a recommended practice (sunnah). It is established in "al-Bukhari and Muslim" from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was asked: Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) pray in his sandals? He said: Yes. And in the Sunan, it is reported from him, from him (peace and blessings be upon him), that he was praying with his companions one day in his sandals, so he took them off, and the people took off their sandals. When he finished his prayer, he asked them: Why did you take off your sandals? They said: O Messenger of Allah! We saw you take off your sandals, so we took off ours. He said
Indeed, Jibril came to me and said: If there is harm or filth in them, take them off
إن جبريل أتاني، فقال: إن فيهما أذى أو قذراً فخلعتهماThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is contrary to the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that one who enters the mosque should first look inside his sandals. If he sees harm or filth in them, he removes it; otherwise, he enters and prays in them. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, esteemed Shaykh. A message was received by the program from a listener from the Arab Republic of Egypt, Rajai Muhammad Abd al-Salam, residing in Iraq. He says in his message: I am one of the listeners of the program "Light on the Path" and I am keen to listen to it every day because of the many benefits I find in it that benefit us in religion and worldly life. I wish your program further success, and I hope that the scholars of virtue will respond to my questions. His first question says.