Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
➊
Some people consider it necessary to wear a cloak (chadar) for the completion of proper appearance, arguing that since in ordinary circumstances the use of a cloak is deemed necessary for the completion of adornment, it should also be required in prayer. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah wishes to point out that the validity of prayer does not depend on the number or type of garments; for its validity, covering the awrah (private parts) is sufficient. If the awrah is covered with a single lower garment (izar), then there is no need for a cloak. It is another matter that wearing a cloak increases adornment, but doing so is not necessary for the validity of prayer, as demonstrated by Jabir radi Allahu anhu, who, despite having a cloak, performed the prayer without it to clarify its permissibility.

➋
In Chapter 9, a statement of Umar radi Allahu anhu is mentioned, that when Allah grants someone abundance, it should be manifested. From this statement, one might mistakenly think that in a state of abundance, it is not permissible to pray with only one garment. It is possible that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah established this chapter to dispel this misconception, because it is clarified therein that Jabir radi Allahu anhu had another cloak available, yet despite this abundance, he performed the prayer in a single garment. From this, it is understood that even in a state of abundance, doing so is permissible and is not contrary to piety.

➌
Jabir radi Allahu anhu, instead of explaining the issue verbally, arranged for practical instruction, as this is more beneficial. It is common among people to treat the Sunnahs, etiquettes, and recommended acts (mustahabbat) as if they are obligatory (fard) and compulsory (wajib), whereas each should be kept in its proper place. Therefore, Jabir radi Allahu anhu taught the people, and from this it is also understood that for educational purposes, sometimes the preferable and better option can be left aside, as Jabir radi Allahu anhu did, because praying in a single garment is permissible. However, it is better that if one has the means for more garments, they should be used in prayer.
And Allah knows best.

Question:
Is a man's prayer valid if he prays bareheaded? Please clarify with evidence.

Answer:
Covering the awrah (private parts that must be covered) in prayer is obligatory, and it is also necessary to have something on the shoulders. Other than this, no specific clothing is established as obligatory in the Shari‘ah. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) also performed prayer in only one garment, as is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (radi Allahu anhu).

The narrator Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir states that one day when I went to Jabir (radi Allahu anhu), he was performing prayer wrapped in a single garment, while another garment was placed nearby. When he finished the prayer, someone said: “You are performing prayer in only one garment while another garment is also with you.” He replied: “Yes! I want ignorant people like you to see me.” Then he said:

رأيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يصلي هكذا [بخاري،كتاب الصلاة، باب الصلاة بغير رداء 370]
“I saw the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) performing prayer in this manner.”

In another narration of Sahih al-Bukhari:

رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يصلي في ثوب واحد مشتملا به في بيت أم سلمة، واضعا طرفيه على عاتقيه [بخاري،كتاب الصلاة،باب الصلاة فى الثوب الواحد ملتحفا به]
“I saw the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) wrapped in a single garment, performing prayer in the house of Umm Salamah (radi Allahu anha), with its two ends placed on his shoulders.”

However, a woman’s prayer is not valid if she is bareheaded, because the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah has graded it as authentic:

لا يقبل الله صلاة حائض إلا بخمار [ابوداؤد، كتاب الصلاة باب المرأة تصلي بغير خمار 641]
Shaykh al-Albani has graded it as authentic.
“Allah does not accept the prayer of a mature woman except with a khimar (head covering).”

This hadith is also clear evidence that a man’s prayer is valid if he is bareheaded. For him, such a garment is not necessary; otherwise, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would have stated that neither a man’s nor a woman’s prayer is valid if performed bareheaded. However, no such statement is found in any hadith.

Now, from these evidences, no one should think that praying in a single garment was only valid when Muslims had few clothes, and that when Allah granted abundance, covering the head became obligatory. To ascertain the reality of this matter, let us ask the Commander of the Faithful, Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (radi Allahu anhu), for he certainly understood the Shari‘ah better than us. In similar circumstances, someone asked him about praying in a single garment: Sayyiduna Umar (radi Allahu anhu) counted more than one garment, but did not mention garments that cover the head. [بخاري، كتاب الصلاة : باب الصلاة فى القميص والسراويل 365]

Even in times of abundance and prosperity, the Commander of the Faithful (radi Allahu anhu) understood that covering the head is not obligatory. Now, to abandon these authentic and elevated (marfu‘) hadiths and the understanding of the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum) in favor of one’s own intellect is by no means just.

Hadith Footnote:
On the surface, this hadith does not appear to have any connection with this chapter.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has included it here because, in the following narration, it is not explicitly mentioned that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed prayer in a single garment, whereas in this narration it is clearly stated.

Explanation:
During the time of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, most people possessed only a single garment, and they would cover their private parts and perform prayer in it.
Jabir radi Allahu anhu, despite having other garments available, performed prayer in a single garment so that people would know that this is also permissible.
Even today, in many villages, especially among nomadic tribes, such people can still be found who, from head to toe, make a single sheet or blanket into a lower and upper garment and cover their private parts with it.
Islam has provided allowance for all such people to perform prayer in this manner.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
The intention of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah is that the validity of prayer does not depend on the number of garments, but rather on the covering of the ‘awrah (private parts), regardless of how that is achieved.
In the presented narration, Jabir radi Allahu anhu prayed in a single sheet and, to cover his ‘awrah, he tied both ends of the sheet around his neck.
It is also understood from this that if a person has more than one garment but still prays in only one, it is permissible to do so, although it is better to pray in a complete set of clothes. Thus, in the first narration, the action of Jabir radi Allahu anhu is described.
From the second narration, it is learned that Jabir radi Allahu anhu prayed in a single garment because he had seen the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam pray in a single garment. However, a contrary narration is transmitted from Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu, as he said:
No man should pray in a single garment, even if it is as vast as the earth and sky.
The hadith scholar Ibn Battal rahimahullah has attributed a similar prohibitive ruling to Ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu.
In the end, there was consensus that prayer can be performed in a single garment, provided it covers (the ‘awrah), even if other garments are available.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/607)

➋
In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated that the one who reported from Jabir radi Allahu anhu about praying in a single garment was ‘Ubadah ibn Walid.
From a narration in Sahih Bukhari (360),
it is known that Sa‘id ibn Harith asked about this matter, while in another narration in Sahih Bukhari (370),
Ibn al-Munkadir says:
We said:
O Abu ‘Abdullah!—meaning, we asked about this matter.
It is possible that several people asked about this matter on different occasions.
In response to Ibn al-Munkadir, Jabir radi Allahu anhu said:
I wanted someone ignorant like you to see me praying in this manner.
From Jabir radi Allahu anhu’s reply, it is understood that one should not object to the actions of the senior scholars without proper investigation; rather, in the view of the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in, such objection is foolishness and ignorance.
What Jabir radi Allahu anhu meant was that he did this intentionally, and there is absolutely no room for your objection in this matter.
You should have considered that a Companion knowledgeable of the Shari‘ah is performing this action, and in this action, neither intellect nor analogy has any role; therefore, this action itself is proof of permissibility. But instead of deriving a ruling from this action, you began to object, which is a sign of foolishness and ignorance.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/606)

➌
(Mushkhab)
does not mean the common stool (table) found among us, but rather it refers to three sticks being stood upright, their upper ends joined together and their lower ends spread apart, just as soldiers in a parade ground stand three rifles together. At that time, people would place their clothes on this wooden stand during ritual bath (ghusl) and other times, and they would also hang water skins on it to cool the water. Shepherds would also use it, meaning they would hang their bucket and water skin on it.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/606)

Benefit:
(Tawash-shuh)
refers to the method
which has been described in benefit number 1 of the previous hadith, or it means that the edge of the garment which is on the right shoulder
should be passed under the left armpit, and the one which is on the left shoulder
should be passed under the right armpit.
Then both edges should be joined together and tied with a knot on the chest.