The Ruling on the Prayer of One Who Lets His Garment Hang Below the Ankles
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Question:
The questioner asks and says: What is the ruling on the prayer of one who lets his garment hang below the ankles? With evidence? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Letting the garment hang below the ankles is forbidden; it is not permissible to let the garment hang below the ankles. This is when the clothing extends below the ankle, whether the clothing is trousers, a sarong, a shirt, a coat—which is the cloak—or anything else. This applies to the man, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the authentic hadith:Sunan an-Nasa'i 5331Sahih (Darussalam) which al-Bukhari included in his Sahih, and based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Abi Dawud 4087Sahih (Al-Albani) which Muslim included in the Sahih. And if it is accompanied by arrogance, the sin becomes greater, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1731Sahih (Darussalam).
So with arrogance, the sin is greater. And without arrogance, but with negligence, he is sinful, and it is not permissible according to the correct view. However, it is not like the one who does it out of arrogance; his sin is less. The common occurrence is that he does it out of arrogance, even if he did not intend arrogance. The common occurrence is that he does it for that reason. If he is negligent with it, it leads him to arrogance and pride. Also, it is extravagance in clothing, and exposing it to impurities and dirt. So it is not permissible absolutely.
As for the woman, there is no harm in letting her garment hang by a span or an arm’s length, because by doing so she covers her feet.
The prayer is valid despite the sin. He is sinful, but the prayer is valid, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order the one who lets his garment hang to repeat it. Rather, the prayer is valid. And so, whenever it relates to sins that a person commits in his garment or otherwise, such as having a garment that is forbidden, or stolen, or has the garment hanging below the ankles, the prayer is valid, but with the sin. Or praying in stolen land. This is the correct opinion among the scholars. Some scholars hold that the prayer is not valid.
The presenter: In stolen land specifically, or in all of this?
The Shaykh: In all of it: the stolen garment, and the one who lets his garment hang. But the correct view is that the prayer is not repeated. The prayer is valid. The correct view is that it is valid, because this prohibition is not specific to prayer, but it is general. He is not allowed to let his garment hang, neither in prayer nor outside of it. He is not allowed to steal, neither in prayer nor otherwise. He is not allowed to enter stolen land, nor pray in it, nor sit in it. So the prohibition is general, not specific to prayer. The prayer is invalidated by what is specific to it, such as a dirty garment invalidates the prayer, because it is specific to prayer. Such as exposing the awrah, and the like. What is specific to prayer invalidates it if he exposes his awrah intentionally, or prays in a dirty garment, because this is specific to prayer and invalidates it. Such as speaking in it, such as turning away from the qiblah, and the like. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh. This hadith that you mentioned includes what it includes of severe warning. And this warning may not be mentioned in greater sins than what is mentioned here. What is your guidance, O Shaykh, to the noble listeners regarding this severe warning in this hadith, and what is similar to it in the hadiths or verses? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: There is no doubt that this warning necessitates aversion from these matters and caution against them. And perhaps the wisdom in that—and Allah knows best—is that the motives are strong. The motives for letting the garment hang, and boasting about giving, and false oaths for the sake of... goods. The motives are strong. So it was the wisdom of Allah that He made the warning severe to deter from these sins, and that would be stronger in deterrence. Because many people may be driven by the love of money to false oaths, and selling goods with false oaths. So from the mercy of Allah is that He made His severe prohibition against that, so that he does not harm the world with his false oaths.
And so, a person may have negligence in boasting about giving. He gives and boasts to people. And this is from a lack of manliness, and from the smallness of the soul. So from the mercy of Allah is that He made the warning, so that the believer cautions himself from this despicable character, which is that he boasts over whom he gave: I did this for you, I gave you, I did good to you. He boasts over him. And so, the motives for letting the garment hang are many: for arrogance, and negligence. And for this, the severe warning came to warn against this despicable character, which is letting the garment hang. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. So is this warning on its apparent meaning, or does it have another direction?
The Shaykh: On its apparent meaning. But that does not necessitate disbelief. Rather, the warning, Allah may forgive, and the warning is not executed. Yes, just as He warned many of the sinners: He warned the killer with the Fire, He warned the fornicator, He warned the thief. But He may forgive, Glorified is He. Yes, and this is if he did not repent. And whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance.
The presenter: Praise be to Allah, may Allah reward you with good.
The questioner asks and says: What is the ruling on the prayer of one who lets his garment hang below the ankles? With evidence? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Letting the garment hang below the ankles is forbidden; it is not permissible to let the garment hang below the ankles. This is when the clothing extends below the ankle, whether the clothing is trousers, a sarong, a shirt, a coat—which is the cloak—or anything else. This applies to the man, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the authentic hadith:
Whatever of the Izar comes below the ankles is in the Fire.
ما أسفل من الكعبين من الإزار فهو في النارNarrated Abu Dharr: The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: There are three to whom Allah will not speak and at whom He will not look on the Day of Resurrection, and whom He will not declare pure, and they will have a painful punishment. I asked: Who are they, Messenger of Allah, they are losers and disappointed ? He repeated it three times. I asked: Who are they. Messenger of Allah, they are losers and disappointed ? He replied: The one who wears a trailing robe, the one who takes account of what he gives, and the one who produces a ready sale of a commodity by false swearing.
ثلاثة لا يكلمهم الله، ولا ينظر إليهم يوم القيامة، ولا يزكيهم، ولهم عذاب أليم: المسبل إزاره، والمنان فيما أعطى، والمنفق سلعته بالحلف الكاذبWhoever arrogantly drags his garment, Allah will not look at him on the Day of Judgement.
من جر ثوبه خيلاء لم ينظر الله إليه يوم القيامةSo with arrogance, the sin is greater. And without arrogance, but with negligence, he is sinful, and it is not permissible according to the correct view. However, it is not like the one who does it out of arrogance; his sin is less. The common occurrence is that he does it out of arrogance, even if he did not intend arrogance. The common occurrence is that he does it for that reason. If he is negligent with it, it leads him to arrogance and pride. Also, it is extravagance in clothing, and exposing it to impurities and dirt. So it is not permissible absolutely.
As for the woman, there is no harm in letting her garment hang by a span or an arm’s length, because by doing so she covers her feet.
The prayer is valid despite the sin. He is sinful, but the prayer is valid, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order the one who lets his garment hang to repeat it. Rather, the prayer is valid. And so, whenever it relates to sins that a person commits in his garment or otherwise, such as having a garment that is forbidden, or stolen, or has the garment hanging below the ankles, the prayer is valid, but with the sin. Or praying in stolen land. This is the correct opinion among the scholars. Some scholars hold that the prayer is not valid.
The presenter: In stolen land specifically, or in all of this?
The Shaykh: In all of it: the stolen garment, and the one who lets his garment hang. But the correct view is that the prayer is not repeated. The prayer is valid. The correct view is that it is valid, because this prohibition is not specific to prayer, but it is general. He is not allowed to let his garment hang, neither in prayer nor outside of it. He is not allowed to steal, neither in prayer nor otherwise. He is not allowed to enter stolen land, nor pray in it, nor sit in it. So the prohibition is general, not specific to prayer. The prayer is invalidated by what is specific to it, such as a dirty garment invalidates the prayer, because it is specific to prayer. Such as exposing the awrah, and the like. What is specific to prayer invalidates it if he exposes his awrah intentionally, or prays in a dirty garment, because this is specific to prayer and invalidates it. Such as speaking in it, such as turning away from the qiblah, and the like. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh. This hadith that you mentioned includes what it includes of severe warning. And this warning may not be mentioned in greater sins than what is mentioned here. What is your guidance, O Shaykh, to the noble listeners regarding this severe warning in this hadith, and what is similar to it in the hadiths or verses? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: There is no doubt that this warning necessitates aversion from these matters and caution against them. And perhaps the wisdom in that—and Allah knows best—is that the motives are strong. The motives for letting the garment hang, and boasting about giving, and false oaths for the sake of... goods. The motives are strong. So it was the wisdom of Allah that He made the warning severe to deter from these sins, and that would be stronger in deterrence. Because many people may be driven by the love of money to false oaths, and selling goods with false oaths. So from the mercy of Allah is that He made His severe prohibition against that, so that he does not harm the world with his false oaths.
And so, a person may have negligence in boasting about giving. He gives and boasts to people. And this is from a lack of manliness, and from the smallness of the soul. So from the mercy of Allah is that He made the warning, so that the believer cautions himself from this despicable character, which is that he boasts over whom he gave: I did this for you, I gave you, I did good to you. He boasts over him. And so, the motives for letting the garment hang are many: for arrogance, and negligence. And for this, the severe warning came to warn against this despicable character, which is letting the garment hang. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. So is this warning on its apparent meaning, or does it have another direction?
The Shaykh: On its apparent meaning. But that does not necessitate disbelief. Rather, the warning, Allah may forgive, and the warning is not executed. Yes, just as He warned many of the sinners: He warned the killer with the Fire, He warned the fornicator, He warned the thief. But He may forgive, Glorified is He. Yes, and this is if he did not repent. And whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance.
The presenter: Praise be to Allah, may Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.