He says in his letter: While performing the obligatory 'Asr prayer on one day, I saw a child praying while wearing his sandals, and on another occasion, I saw a man praying while wearing his sandals.
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The questioner : He says in his letter: While performing the obligatory 'Asr prayer on one day, I saw a child praying while wearing his sandals, and on another occasion, I saw a man praying while wearing his sandals. Also, in one of the Friday prayers, I saw a man praying in his sandals. I do not know whether their prayers are valid or invalid. I ask you to clarify the truth for me, as the matter has become confusing. May Allah reward you and increase you in knowledge?
The Shaykh : Ameen, praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. The truth is that praying in sandals is one of the recommended practices (sunnah) established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) through his saying, his action, and his approval. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also ordered a man, when he comes to the mosque, to look at his sandals; if he finds any harm in them, he should wipe them, otherwise he should pray in them, or as he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered. It is established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Anas that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray in his sandals. Once he prayed with his Companions and took off his sandals, so the people took off their sandals. When he finished his prayer, he said: They said: We saw you, O Messenger of Allah, take off your sandals, so we took off ours. He said: Mishkat al-Masabih 766 This recommended practice (sunnah) is established by the saying, action, and approval of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is one of the most strongly established recommended practices.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, people have abandoned acting upon it now, and only a rare few of people act upon it. Perhaps one of the reasons for this is that people do not care when they enter with their sandals; they enter from the streets with them, and they are contaminated and not clean. For this reason, people left this recommended practice (sunnah) and began to take off their sandals when they enter the mosques.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And they take them in their hands or leave them at the mosque door to keep the mosques pure and out of fear that someone might enter the mosque in a manner other than the way the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to enter the mosque.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Otherwise, if a person were assured that people would enter the mosques with their sandals in the manner the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered, by looking at them and removing any harm from them by wiping, and then praying in them, a person would call to that by his word and his action, so that the recommended practice (sunnah) would not die and be abandoned.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But what prevents this and stands in its way is the misuse of sandals in prayer by some people, where they enter the mosque with them or in them without looking at them and without purifying them from harm.
In any case, I hope that the answer has become clear.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : And that wearing sandals in prayer is a recommended practice (sunnah), but as we said, a person should not enter the mosque with them unless he has purified them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And cleaned them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Also, from Halamy Muhammad al-Baythi from al-Qasim, there is another question regarding prayer.
The Shaykh : Ameen, praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. The truth is that praying in sandals is one of the recommended practices (sunnah) established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) through his saying, his action, and his approval. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Differ from the Jews, for the Jews do not pray in their sandals.
خالفوا اليهود، فإن اليهود لا يصلون في نعالهمWhat is the matter with you that you took off your sandals?
ما شأنكم خلعتم نعالكم؟Gabriel came to me and informed me that there was filth on them
إن جبريل أتاني فأخبرني أن فيهما أذًى فخلعتهماThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, people have abandoned acting upon it now, and only a rare few of people act upon it. Perhaps one of the reasons for this is that people do not care when they enter with their sandals; they enter from the streets with them, and they are contaminated and not clean. For this reason, people left this recommended practice (sunnah) and began to take off their sandals when they enter the mosques.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And they take them in their hands or leave them at the mosque door to keep the mosques pure and out of fear that someone might enter the mosque in a manner other than the way the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to enter the mosque.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Otherwise, if a person were assured that people would enter the mosques with their sandals in the manner the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered, by looking at them and removing any harm from them by wiping, and then praying in them, a person would call to that by his word and his action, so that the recommended practice (sunnah) would not die and be abandoned.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But what prevents this and stands in its way is the misuse of sandals in prayer by some people, where they enter the mosque with them or in them without looking at them and without purifying them from harm.
In any case, I hope that the answer has become clear.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : And that wearing sandals in prayer is a recommended practice (sunnah), but as we said, a person should not enter the mosque with them unless he has purified them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And cleaned them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Also, from Halamy Muhammad al-Baythi from al-Qasim, there is another question regarding prayer.