Is it permissible for a woman to pray in tight-fitting clothes?
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The questioner : O our Shaykh, is it permissible for a woman to pray in tight-fitting clothes?
The Shaykh : If by the word "permissible" you mean whether the prayer is valid, then it appears to be valid. However, if by "permissible" you mean that there is no harm in doing so, then there is great harm in it. You know that among the conditions of the clothing intended to cover the 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered), for men let alone women, is that it must not be tight-fitting or clinging. However, we do not have evidence that the prayer is invalid in this case. But there is no doubt that in this third sense, it is not permissible, yet the prayer is valid.
The questioner : A woman at home might be wearing ordinary clothes, which are sometimes tight-fitting or similar.
The Shaykh : She must wear an abaya and a sheet, or something similar, over them.
The Shaykh : If by the word "permissible" you mean whether the prayer is valid, then it appears to be valid. However, if by "permissible" you mean that there is no harm in doing so, then there is great harm in it. You know that among the conditions of the clothing intended to cover the 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered), for men let alone women, is that it must not be tight-fitting or clinging. However, we do not have evidence that the prayer is invalid in this case. But there is no doubt that in this third sense, it is not permissible, yet the prayer is valid.
The questioner : A woman at home might be wearing ordinary clothes, which are sometimes tight-fitting or similar.
The Shaykh : She must wear an abaya and a sheet, or something similar, over them.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.