سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 31
۞ يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُوا۟ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ ﴿31﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes), while praying and going round (the Tawâf of) the Ka‘bah, and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allâh) likes not Al-Musrifûn (those who waste by extravagance).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ يَـٰبَنِىٓ
yābanī
O Children
ءَادَمَ
ādama
(of) Adam
خُذُوا۟
khudhū
Take
زِينَتَكُمْ
zīnatakum
your adornment
عِندَ
ʿinda
at
كُلِّ
kulli
every
مَسْجِدٍۢ
masjidin
masjid
وَكُلُوا۟
wakulū
and eat
وَٱشْرَبُوا۟
wa-ish'rabū
and drink
وَلَا
walā
but (do) not
تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ ۚ
tus'rifū
be extravagant
إِنَّهُۥ
innahu
Indeed, He
لَا
lā
(does) not
يُحِبُّ
yuḥibbu
love
ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ
l-mus'rifīna
the extravagant ones
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
O children of Adam! Dress well whenever you attend a mosque, and eat and drink, but do not be extravagant [30], for Allah does not like those who are extravagant.
[29]
How Many Garments Should Be in the Prayer Attire:
Here, "adornment" refers to clothing, and this clothing should be clean and pure so that it becomes a means of adornment. Which garments should be included in this attire? For the answer to this question, consider the following hadiths:
1. Amr bin Abi Salamah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ prayed in (only) one garment. He ﷺ placed its two ends on his shoulders in opposite directions. [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوٰة، باب عقد الازار على القفا فى الصلوة]
2. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "None of you should pray in a single garment in such a way that nothing is on his shoulders." [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوة، باب إذا صلى فى الثوب الواحد فليجعل على عاتقيه]
3. Sayyiduna Anas ؓ says that Sayyidah Aisha ؓ had a curtain which she had hung on one side of her house. The Prophet ﷺ (upon seeing this curtain) said: "Remove this curtain from here, for its pictures distract me in my prayer." [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوة۔ باب ان صلى فى ثوب مصلب او تصاوير]
4. Abu Maslamah Sa'id bin Yazid Azdi says: I asked Anas bin Malik ؓ: "Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ pray with his shoes on?" Sayyiduna Anas ؓ said: "Yes." [بخاري، كتاب الصلوة، باب الصلوة فى النعال]
From these hadiths, it is understood that:
1. Prayer can be performed in at least one garment, provided it is large enough that after placing it on the shoulders in opposite directions, it can still cover the body down to the shins on both sides.
2. It is necessary to have a garment on both shoulders; it is not necessary to have anything on the head.
3. No garment should have such designs or pictures that divert attention from Allah and attract it to themselves.
4. There is no limit to the number of garments; whether it is a turban or cap, etc., even prayer can be performed with shoes on, provided their soles are clean, and prayer can be performed with shoes both at home and in mosques, as especially when wearing new shoes, the prayer of gratitude is offered. Despite such clear commands in the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, some people have made praying bareheaded a matter of dispute. One group has gone to the extreme of saying that prayer is not valid at all if performed bareheaded, while the other group has gone to the opposite extreme, not limiting the issue to mere permissibility but making it their distinctive practice. The wrong approach of the first group is obvious, because in the state of Ihram, all prayers and even Tawaf, etc., are performed bareheaded; if prayer could not be performed bareheaded, then certainly a command would have been given to cover the head in the state of Ihram, as is the case for women. As for the second group, their reasoning is based on the following hadith:
The Issue of Praying Bareheaded:
Muhammad bin Munkadir says: "Jabir ؓ (bin Abdullah) prayed in a single lower garment, which he tied on his nape, and his clothes were placed on a stool. Someone (Ubadah bin Walid) said to him: 'Do you pray in a single lower garment (while you have other clothes)?' Jabir ؓ replied: 'This is so that a fool like you may see me, and during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, which of us had two garments?'" [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوة، باب عقد الازار على القفا فى الصلوة]
From this hadith, the following points are understood:
1. Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah ؓ, who prayed in only one garment (i.e., bareheaded) while having other clothes, did not do this as a daily routine. Otherwise, the questioner would not have needed to ask such a question.
2. Sayyiduna Jabir ؓ did this deliberately so that it would become clear to uninformed people that prayer is permissible even in a single garment, even if the head remains uncovered.
3. Sayyiduna Jabir ؓ also explained the reason for this: in the time of the Prophet ﷺ, most people did not even have two garments.
The summary of these clarifications is that, to the extent of permissibility, there is no objection or dislike in performing prayer bareheaded, but if a cap or turban, etc., is available, then wearing it is better, as this was the practice of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the noble Companions, because covering the head is also a part of adornment. Therefore, praying bareheaded should not be made a distinctive practice. However, even in the presence of clothes, there is no harm in occasionally praying bareheaded due to some need or benefit.
[30]
The Harm of Extravagance in Eating and Drinking:
Some physicians say that Allah Almighty has expressed half of the knowledge of medicine in this brief sentence, because most diseases arise from overeating or carelessness in food. Extravagance can mean overeating, eating at improper times, and lack of dietary discipline. These are the physical harms of extravagance, and the moral harms are even greater. For example, a person who is only concerned about his own food and drink will not only fail to do favors for others, but will also be unable to fulfill the legitimate rights of others. Furthermore, Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have strictly forbidden the waste of wealth, and its consequences are far-reaching.
[29]
How Many Garments Should Be in the Prayer Attire:
Here, "adornment" refers to clothing, and this clothing should be clean and pure so that it becomes a means of adornment. Which garments should be included in this attire? For the answer to this question, consider the following hadiths:
1. Amr bin Abi Salamah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ prayed in (only) one garment. He ﷺ placed its two ends on his shoulders in opposite directions. [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوٰة، باب عقد الازار على القفا فى الصلوة]
2. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "None of you should pray in a single garment in such a way that nothing is on his shoulders." [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوة، باب إذا صلى فى الثوب الواحد فليجعل على عاتقيه]
3. Sayyiduna Anas ؓ says that Sayyidah Aisha ؓ had a curtain which she had hung on one side of her house. The Prophet ﷺ (upon seeing this curtain) said: "Remove this curtain from here, for its pictures distract me in my prayer." [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوة۔ باب ان صلى فى ثوب مصلب او تصاوير]
4. Abu Maslamah Sa'id bin Yazid Azdi says: I asked Anas bin Malik ؓ: "Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ pray with his shoes on?" Sayyiduna Anas ؓ said: "Yes." [بخاري، كتاب الصلوة، باب الصلوة فى النعال]
From these hadiths, it is understood that:
1. Prayer can be performed in at least one garment, provided it is large enough that after placing it on the shoulders in opposite directions, it can still cover the body down to the shins on both sides.
2. It is necessary to have a garment on both shoulders; it is not necessary to have anything on the head.
3. No garment should have such designs or pictures that divert attention from Allah and attract it to themselves.
4. There is no limit to the number of garments; whether it is a turban or cap, etc., even prayer can be performed with shoes on, provided their soles are clean, and prayer can be performed with shoes both at home and in mosques, as especially when wearing new shoes, the prayer of gratitude is offered. Despite such clear commands in the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, some people have made praying bareheaded a matter of dispute. One group has gone to the extreme of saying that prayer is not valid at all if performed bareheaded, while the other group has gone to the opposite extreme, not limiting the issue to mere permissibility but making it their distinctive practice. The wrong approach of the first group is obvious, because in the state of Ihram, all prayers and even Tawaf, etc., are performed bareheaded; if prayer could not be performed bareheaded, then certainly a command would have been given to cover the head in the state of Ihram, as is the case for women. As for the second group, their reasoning is based on the following hadith:
The Issue of Praying Bareheaded:
Muhammad bin Munkadir says: "Jabir ؓ (bin Abdullah) prayed in a single lower garment, which he tied on his nape, and his clothes were placed on a stool. Someone (Ubadah bin Walid) said to him: 'Do you pray in a single lower garment (while you have other clothes)?' Jabir ؓ replied: 'This is so that a fool like you may see me, and during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, which of us had two garments?'" [بخاري۔ كتاب الصلوة، باب عقد الازار على القفا فى الصلوة]
From this hadith, the following points are understood:
1. Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah ؓ, who prayed in only one garment (i.e., bareheaded) while having other clothes, did not do this as a daily routine. Otherwise, the questioner would not have needed to ask such a question.
2. Sayyiduna Jabir ؓ did this deliberately so that it would become clear to uninformed people that prayer is permissible even in a single garment, even if the head remains uncovered.
3. Sayyiduna Jabir ؓ also explained the reason for this: in the time of the Prophet ﷺ, most people did not even have two garments.
The summary of these clarifications is that, to the extent of permissibility, there is no objection or dislike in performing prayer bareheaded, but if a cap or turban, etc., is available, then wearing it is better, as this was the practice of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the noble Companions, because covering the head is also a part of adornment. Therefore, praying bareheaded should not be made a distinctive practice. However, even in the presence of clothes, there is no harm in occasionally praying bareheaded due to some need or benefit.
[30]
The Harm of Extravagance in Eating and Drinking:
Some physicians say that Allah Almighty has expressed half of the knowledge of medicine in this brief sentence, because most diseases arise from overeating or carelessness in food. Extravagance can mean overeating, eating at improper times, and lack of dietary discipline. These are the physical harms of extravagance, and the moral harms are even greater. For example, a person who is only concerned about his own food and drink will not only fail to do favors for others, but will also be unable to fulfill the legitimate rights of others. Furthermore, Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have strictly forbidden the waste of wealth, and its consequences are far-reaching.
