Is covering the 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) a condition for the validity of the prayer? If so, is the prayer of a man invalid without covering his 'awrah, and likewise, is the prayer of a woman invalid without a khimar (head covering)?

The questioner : Some students of knowledge say that covering the 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) in prayer is among the obligations, not among the conditions. Based on this, they say that the prayer of a woman who prays without a khimar (head covering) is valid, or that of a man who is naked, but that they only commit a sin. How accurate is this statement? May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : The khimar (head covering) mentioned in the question refers to the head covering, of course, is that not so?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah does not accept the prayer of a menstruating woman except with a khimar (head covering)." This is an explicit text that if any part of a woman's 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) is exposed, she has no prayer. So what is the point of the question?

The questioner : So her prayer, meaning, is it invalid once?

The Shaykh : "Allah does not accept," what do we understand from this?

The questioner : That it is rejected.

The questioner : Some answered, O our Shaykh, that it is not accepted, meaning it does not imply invalidity or non-fulfillment.

The Shaykh : What is the evidence?
The student : The evidence is that some hadiths were reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) containing the phrase "not accepted," such as his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): , and they said here that it does not negate fulfillment.

The Shaykh : What is the evidence? Stay in your place.

The questioner: Stay in your place.

The Shaykh : What is the evidence that the prayer is valid?

The questioner : Yes, they say here.

The Shaykh : No, not here, there.

The questioner : There?

The Shaykh : So what is the evidence that the prayer is accepted there, I mean, that the prayer is valid?

The questioner : Whoever visits a fortune-teller...

The Shaykh : Yes, his prayer is not accepted for forty days. What is the evidence that the prayer is valid?

The questioner : The evidence is that we do not tell the one who went to a fortune-teller, "Do not pray," and there is no one among the scholars who said...

The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar, that is the meaning of the hadith. It means that if he prays, his prayer is not accepted; it does not mean that we tell him not to pray.

The questioner : So it is not accepted.

The Shaykh : It is not accepted, of course. We do not say anything other than what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said...

The questioner : Meaning, his prayer is not valid?

The Shaykh : It is not valid, of course.

The questioner : And if we are asked, do we say it is not valid?

The Shaykh : Meaning, Professor, pay attention. When we interpret a text, it is not permissible for us to interpret it except with evidence. Just as we said regarding commands, the default for commands is obligation. If we say that this is not for obligation, there must be evidence.