Is it permissible for the imam to lead people in prayer with his head uncovered?
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The questioner : This is a message received from Hamid Ma'ashi from Homs Governorate, Syria. In his first question, he asks: Is it permissible for the imam to lead people in prayer with his head uncovered?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is permissible for a person to lead people in prayer with his head uncovered, because covering the head is not a condition of the prayer. However, if he is among a people whose custom is to cover their heads with clothing, he should cover his head, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-A'raf 7:31] The adornment here includes everything with which a person adorns himself, such as headwear and body clothing. Likewise, if he prays as a follower with his head uncovered, or prays alone, there is nothing wrong with it. However, if a woman is of age, it is not permissible for her to uncover her head.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is because the well-known view among many scholars is that a woman in prayer is an awrah (part of the body that must be covered) except for her face, which is not an awrah. She may uncover it, and this is better than covering it, unless there are non-mahram men around her, in which case she must cover her face so that they do not look at it. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is permissible for a person to lead people in prayer with his head uncovered, because covering the head is not a condition of the prayer. However, if he is among a people whose custom is to cover their heads with clothing, he should cover his head, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid
يا بني ءادم خذوا زينتكم عند كل مسجدThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is because the well-known view among many scholars is that a woman in prayer is an awrah (part of the body that must be covered) except for her face, which is not an awrah. She may uncover it, and this is better than covering it, unless there are non-mahram men around her, in which case she must cover her face so that they do not look at it. Yes.