What is the ruling on praying in a long garment? Does it invalidate the prayer or not?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the ruling on praying in a long garment? Does it invalidate the prayer or not? Knowing that many people pray in long garments and ignore the ruling on wearing a garment that hangs below the ankles. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : This question requires an answer that discusses two issues:
The first issue: lengthening the garment, the trousers, or the shalwar until it hangs below the ankles. We say: this lengthening is among the major sins, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 3573Sahih (Darussalam) And there is no warning except for a disobedience that is among the major sins. There is no difference between letting it hang below the ankles out of arrogance and vanity, or out of desire without arrogance.
Some people have thought that this warning applies only if it is done out of arrogance, saying: I did not do it out of arrogance, but out of desire for it. This is a wrong assumption, for the warning for arrogance is more severe and greater than the warning for one whose garment, trousers, or shalwar hangs below the ankles. Because the warning for arrogance is: as established in Sahih Muslim from Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Ibn Majah 2208Sahih (Darussalam) They said: They have failed and lost, O Messenger of Allah. Who are they? He said: Sahih Muslim 106a.
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1731Sahih (Darussalam) When the punishment differs, it is not permissible to equate one with the other, because if one were equated with the other, it would necessitate the falsification of one report by the other, because if the action were one, its punishment would not differ.
In any case, I say to those who have been afflicted with letting their garments, trousers, or shalwar hang below the ankles: Fear Allah in yourselves, and know that what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said is the truth, and that if you commit its causes and conditions, you have exposed yourselves to it and wronged yourselves.
As for the prayer, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have differed regarding one who prays in a garment that is forbidden for him: is his prayer valid or not?
Some of them said: The prayer is valid, because the prohibition of wearing the forbidden garment is general and does not specifically apply to prayer. A general prohibition that covers when a person is in worship or not in worship does not invalidate the worship. For this reason, backbiting does not invalidate fasting, even though it is forbidden in fasting and otherwise, because its prohibition is general.
And if the prohibition is specific, it invalidates the worship. For this reason, eating and drinking invalidate fasting, because their prohibition is specific to fasting. It is known that letting the garment hang below the ankles is forbidden in prayer and outside of prayer. So the prayer in the forbidden garment is valid, but the wearer is sinful for wearing it. The one who lets his garment, trousers, or shalwar hang below the ankles is in great danger regarding his prayer, because some of the people of knowledge, indeed many of the scholars, have said: His prayer is not valid.
The questioner : Thank you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah magnify your reward.
The Shaykh : This question requires an answer that discusses two issues:
The first issue: lengthening the garment, the trousers, or the shalwar until it hangs below the ankles. We say: this lengthening is among the major sins, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
But whatever is lower than the ankle is in the Fire
ما أسفل من الكعبين ففي النارSome people have thought that this warning applies only if it is done out of arrogance, saying: I did not do it out of arrogance, but out of desire for it. This is a wrong assumption, for the warning for arrogance is more severe and greater than the warning for one whose garment, trousers, or shalwar hangs below the ankles. Because the warning for arrogance is:
That Allah will not speak to him on the Day of Resurrection, nor look at him, nor purify him, and for him is a painful punishment.
ألا يكلمه الله يوم القيامة، ولا ينظر إليه، ولا يزكيه، وله عذاب أليمThere 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 الكاذبAnd he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever arrogantly drags his garment, Allah will not look at him
من جر ثوبه خيلاء لم ينظر الله إليهIn any case, I say to those who have been afflicted with letting their garments, trousers, or shalwar hang below the ankles: Fear Allah in yourselves, and know that what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said is the truth, and that if you commit its causes and conditions, you have exposed yourselves to it and wronged yourselves.
As for the prayer, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have differed regarding one who prays in a garment that is forbidden for him: is his prayer valid or not?
Some of them said: The prayer is valid, because the prohibition of wearing the forbidden garment is general and does not specifically apply to prayer. A general prohibition that covers when a person is in worship or not in worship does not invalidate the worship. For this reason, backbiting does not invalidate fasting, even though it is forbidden in fasting and otherwise, because its prohibition is general.
And if the prohibition is specific, it invalidates the worship. For this reason, eating and drinking invalidate fasting, because their prohibition is specific to fasting. It is known that letting the garment hang below the ankles is forbidden in prayer and outside of prayer. So the prayer in the forbidden garment is valid, but the wearer is sinful for wearing it. The one who lets his garment, trousers, or shalwar hang below the ankles is in great danger regarding his prayer, because some of the people of knowledge, indeed many of the scholars, have said: His prayer is not valid.
The questioner : Thank you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah magnify your reward.