QUESTION:

As Salaamu Alaikum,

Dear Mufti Sahib,

Hope all is well with you. I would please like a response to my questions. A person wearing a jubba or kurta for salah will be rewarded based on his attire resembling that of Rasulullaah صلى الله عليه و سلم، however a person wearing a shirt or t shirt, jeans, baseball cap backwards etc., clothing of non muslims. Will he be rewarded for wearing these types of clothing for salah or will these clothing bring about loss in rewards or even sins for going against the sunnah? Also a person will be rewarded for following the sunnah but will a person be rewarded for doing something which is jaaiz but not according to sunnah?

 

ANSWER:

Wa Alaikum As Salaam,

With respect to a male’s clothing for Salah, it must be understood that for the validity of Salah, one’s awrah/satr (concealable parts of the body) must be properly well – covered and the clothing/garment must be pure/clean.

If these two conditions are fulfilled, then the Salah is valid regardless of whether it is a Jubba or shirt. In the books of the Fiqh, it is mentioned ‘And covering the Awrah is a condition for the validity of Salah’.

(Al Jawharah An Nayarah – Sharh Al Qudoori page. 127 – Qadeemi)

It is also stated , ‘The Awrah of a man is from below the navel to below the knees’.  (Tahtawi Ala Ad Durr 2/76 DKI)

The Fuqaha have further stated, Cleanliness/purity from impurities in the body, clothing and place is a condition for the validity of Salah’. (Tahtawi Ala Ad Durr 2/77 DKI)

The above is the minimum required laws to be fulfilled with respect to one’s wearing for Salah to be valid.

However, when it comes to one’s attire for Salah, one must know that it (Salah) is one of the greatest forms of Ibadah (worship) to Allah, and one is required to stand before Him with full devotion, sincerity, humility and respect. Along with this, one’s attire for Salah should be dignified and respectful. It is not just about covering the Awrah, but it is about manners and respect shown to Allah in one’s attire while standing before Him.

Allah Himself commands the believers in the Holy Quran regarding standing in Salah and says, “And stand before Allah with full devotion/obedience’ (Surah Al Baqarah 2. Verse 238)

In Salah, the Musali (worshiper) stands before Allah and converses with Him. As such, he must stand with awe, fear, respect, sincerity, full devotion and attention. The Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) himself said ‘Certainly when one of you is in Salah, Allah is in front of his face’. (It means Allah turns His mercy, acceptance and attention towards His servant in Salah).  (Bukhari Hadith No. 406, 405, 531)

In another tradition, the Mesenger of Allah (S.A.W) said, ‘Indeed when one of you stands in his Salah, he converses with his lord, or his lord is between him and the Qibla’.  (Bukhari Hadith No. 406 Kitab As Salah)

These narrations make it abundantly clear that when a person is in Salah, he stands in front of Allah, who looks at him and sees his every move and posture.

The servant must therefore understand that when he stands before Allah in Salah, he must stand with utmost respect, fear and humility, while putting on his best clothes. It is for this reason, Allah has commanded the believers regarding their clothing for Salah and said, ‘O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (beautiful garment) at the time of every Salah’. (Surah Al Araf verse 31)

While explaining this verse, commentators of the Holy Quran have stated that Allah instructs His servants to adorn themself with beautiful clothing when they perform Salah. They must attire themselves with beautiful clothing, acceptable in the Shariah, that are clean and pure and covers the body.

From the above verse, it is clearly established that when one stands to perform Salah, he should attire himself with the best clothes. In the words of the Quran, ‘Take your beautiful garment at the time of every Salah’. (Surah Al Araf verse 31) 

While explaining the clothing in which a male should perform Salah, the Fuqaha have written,

‘It is Mustahab to perform Salah in three garments. Qamees (Kurta /Jubba), Izaar (lower garment) and Amamah/Topi’. (Fath Bab Al Inayah 1/312 Dar Al Qalam Beirut; Tahtawi Ala Maraaqi 1/674)

The above text mentions that performing Salah in the Kurta/Jubba is regarded as ‘Mustahab’ (liked, commendable), and so, it will bring rewards to a person.

Narrations also make it evident that wearing the Qamees (Kurta/Jubba) was beloved to the Prophet (S.A.S). Regarding this, Umm Salma (RA, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (S.A.S) said, ‘There was no garment more beloved to the Prophet (S.A.S) than the Qamees (Abu Dawood) No. 4025)

 

Because of this, Allamah Ibn Abideen Shami (A.R) has stated in Radd Al Muhtar:

‘Wearing Qamees and Jubba and similar clothing, is from the Sunnah’. (Radd Al Muhtar – Kitab Al Libas)

So, to answer your question, a person will be rewarded for performing Salah while wearing a Jubba or Kurta (which is a Qamees) since this was loved by the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) and he wore it for Salah, and doing an act with the intention of following the ‘way of the Prophet (S.A.W) brings reward to the person. It is for this reason the early Fuqaha have stated that it is Mustahab to perform Salah in a Qamees.

With respect to performing Salah while wearing a shirt, T-Shirt, Jeans etc. which are worn by both Muslims and non-Muslims, Salah in these will be valid, and one will not be sinful. Once they are clean, cover the awrah and does not have Haram/Makrooh images on them, one’s rewards for Salah will not be decreased. However, one will not achieve the reward of following the Sunnah. It is about this, the Fuqaha stated,

‘Leaving off a Sunnah does not cause a sin, but it causes deprivation of rewards, and if left out regularly it is wrong/bad’. (Radd Al Muhtar 1/123 HM Saeed)

If one does something Jaa’iz (permissible), but it is not in accordance with the sunnah, then there will be no sin and no reward.

With respect to performing Salah in shirt, T-Shirt, jeans etc. the following guidelines are given: –

  1. It is Makrooh (reprehensible) to perform Salah in tight clothing which shows the shape of the awrah. About this, the Fuqaha have stated,

‘As for if the garment is thin so that what is under it can be seen, or tight that it describes the shape of the Awrah, then it is Makrooh’. (Radd Al Muhtar 1/410 HM Saeed)

The Fuqaha have further stated, ‘And a thin transparent garment which describes what is underneath, Salah is not permissible in it’. (Fatawa Hindiya 1/65 DKI 2021)

  1. Clothing with pictures of animate objects is Makrooh for Salah. In this regard, the Fuqaha have stated, ‘It is Makrooh to wear clothing with pictures of animate beings, and Salah in it is Makrooh’

(Radd Al Muhtaar 1/647 HM Saeed)

  1. It is Makrooh to perform Salah in clothes that one works in, or sleeps in, when better is available. That is, clothing which one wears to work in and it becomes dirty, smelly and soiled, should not be worn to perform Salah.

In a similar manner, clothing which one sleeps in, should not be worn while performing Salah.

Regarding this, the Fuqaha have stated, ‘It is Makrooh to perform Salah in clothes for sleeping and work if he has other clothes’.  (Radd Al Muhtar 1/640 HM Saeed)

  1. Wearing clothes that are specifically worn by disbelievers and sinners, or are worn by a Muslim to imitate them, is Makrooh also. In this regard, the Fuqaha have written,

‘Imitating the people of kufr (shirk) in (wear/dress) is Haram only when the wear/dress is specific to them and not worn by others, or he wears it with the intention of imitating them’

(Radd Al Muhtaar 6/358 HM Saeed)

 

And Allah Knows best

Mufti Waseem Khan

16/10/2026