SECTION ON PRAYER · 78 – THE NUMBER OF GARMENTS WORN DURING PRAYER
625 – From Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about performing prayer in a single garment. He replied, “Does each of you have two garments?” [406]
EXPLANATION
It is valid to perform prayer in a single long shirt that covers all the limbs. The aim is the covering of the ʿawra (private parts that must be covered). Even if it is with a single shirt, if the covering of the ʿawra is achieved, there is no objection to performing prayer in it. What is meant by ‘shirt’ is a long shirt extending from the chin to the ankles.
626 – From Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Let not one of you perform prayer in a single garment without a part of that garment being on his shoulder.” [407]
EXPLANATION
It is disliked (makrūh) to perform prayer with only a waist-wrapper (peştemal) tied below the waist, because the shoulders, back, and chest remain uncovered. For men, covering these limbs is among the etiquettes (adab) of prayer. This is the view of Imām Abū Ḥanīfa, Mālikī, and Shāfiʿī. According to Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal: If a person has a garment that can cover his shoulders but prays with his shoulders uncovered, his prayer is not valid. The evidence for this is this hadith. (Bezl al-Majhūd, vol. 4, p. 284)
627 – From Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When one of you performs prayer in a single garment, let him throw its two ends crosswise over his shoulders.” [408]
EXPLANATION
If a person wraps himself in a seamless garment like an iḥrām, he should throw the right end over his left shoulder and the left end over his right shoulder and perform his prayer in this way. When the ends are thrown over the shoulders like this, the body is covered as if a sewn garment is worn.
628 – From ʿUmar ibn Abū Salama (may Allah be pleased with him): I saw the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) performing prayer wrapped in a single garment, having thrown its two ends crosswise over his two shoulders. [409]
629 – From the father of Qays ibn Ṭalq (may Allah be pleased with him): We came to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). A man came and said, “O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about performing prayer in a single garment?” The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) took off his shirt, put it over his cloak (ridāʾ), wrapped himself in both (making them into a single garment), then the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) stood and led us in prayer. When he finished the prayer, he said: “Can all of you find two garments?”