Prohibited Clothing for Salah: An Analytical Overview
✍ By: Imran Ayub Lahori
It is impermissible for men to wear silk at any time, and therefore it is also prohibited to perform Salah while wearing silk garments. The prohibition is based on clear and authentic evidences, outlined below:
➊ Narrated by ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه):
“Do not wear silk, for whoever wears it in this world will not wear it in the Hereafter.”
[Bukhārī 5830, 5834; Kitāb al-Libās: Bāb Lubs al-Ḥarīr wa Iftirāshih li-l-Rijāl; Muslim 2069; Aḥmad 1/20; Nasā’ī 8/200]
➋ Narrated by Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما):
“Only those who have no share in the Hereafter wear silk in this world.”
[Bukhārī 5835; Muslim 2069]
➌ Narrated by Abū Mūsā (رضي الله عنه):
“Gold and silk have been made lawful for the women of my Ummah and unlawful for its men.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī 1404; Kitāb al-Libās: Bāb Mā Jā’a fī al-Ḥarīr wa al-Dhahab; Tirmidhī 1720; Aḥmad 4/392; Nasā’ī 8/161; Bayhaqī 2/425]
➤ These evidences clearly establish that wearing silk is prohibited for men.
Narrated by ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه):
“The Prophet ﷺ forbade wearing silk except in the measure of two, three, or four fingers.”
[Bukhārī 5828–5830; Kitāb al-Libās; Muslim 2069; Abū Dāwūd 4042; Nasā’ī 20238; Ibn Mājah 3593; Aḥmad 1/15]
➤ Hence, wearing silk equivalent to the width of four fingers is allowed.
Narrated by Ḥudhayfah (رضي الله عنه):
“The Prophet ﷺ forbade us from wearing silk and brocade and from sitting on them.”
[Bukhārī 5837; Kitāb al-Libās: Bāb Iftirāsh al-Ḥarīr]
According to the majority (jumhūr) of scholars, this indicates that sitting on silk is also forbidden.
[Fatḥ al-Bārī 11/472; al-Umm 1/185; Ḥilyat al-ʿUlamāʾ 2/67; al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr 476; al-Khurashī 1/245; al-Inṣāf 1/475]
Scholars differ on whether Salah performed while wearing forbidden silk is valid:
Narrated by Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما):
“Whoever wears a garment of fame in the world, Allah will clothe him with a garment of humiliation on the Day of Judgment.”
[Ḥasan: Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd 3399; Kitāb al-Libās: Bāb fī Lubs al-Shuhrah; Abū Dāwūd 4029; Aḥmad 2/139; Ibn Mājah 3607]
A garment of fame refers to clothing that differs conspicuously in color or appearance from common clothing, drawing people’s attention and evoking pride or arrogance. This Hadith clearly prohibits such clothing.
Note: This prohibition is not limited to luxurious garments, but even applies to wearing extremely poor or odd clothing to gain attention.
[Nayl al-Awṭār 1/596]
Wearing usurped clothing (taken unlawfully) is unanimously considered ḥarām.
[Al-Rawḍah al-Nadiyyah 23431]
If one performs Salah in such garments, is it valid?
If the person possesses no other means of covering the ʿawrah besides the usurped clothing or something like tree leaves, then Shariah permits use of another’s property in necessity.
[Al-Mughnī li Ibn Qudāmah 2/316; Al-Sayl al-Jarrār 1/164]
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (رضي الله عنه):
“The Prophet ﷺ saw me wearing two muʿaṣṣafar garments and said: ‘These are the clothes of disbelievers, do not wear them.’”
[Muslim 2077; Kitāb al-Libās wa al-Zīnah: Bāb al-Nahy ʿan Lubs al-Rajul al-Thawb al-Muʿaṣṣafar; Aḥmad 2/162; Nasā’ī 8/203]
Thus, wearing such clothing during Salah is impermissible.
Muʿaṣṣafar refers to garments dyed with a specific yellow herb (ʿuṣfūr), typically associated with disbelievers.
Clothing that is forbidden in Islam—whether due to its material (silk, gold), origin (usurped), appearance (shuhrah), or association (muʿaṣṣafar)—should not be worn during Salah. While the majority of scholars do not invalidate the prayer itself in such garments, the act remains sinful, and in some cases, repeating the prayer is encouraged.
✍ By: Imran Ayub Lahori
Introduction
It is impermissible for men to wear silk at any time, and therefore it is also prohibited to perform Salah while wearing silk garments. The prohibition is based on clear and authentic evidences, outlined below:
❖ Evidences for the Prohibition of Silk for Men
➊ Narrated by ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه):
“Do not wear silk, for whoever wears it in this world will not wear it in the Hereafter.”
[Bukhārī 5830, 5834; Kitāb al-Libās: Bāb Lubs al-Ḥarīr wa Iftirāshih li-l-Rijāl; Muslim 2069; Aḥmad 1/20; Nasā’ī 8/200]
➋ Narrated by Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما):
“Only those who have no share in the Hereafter wear silk in this world.”
[Bukhārī 5835; Muslim 2069]
➌ Narrated by Abū Mūsā (رضي الله عنه):
“Gold and silk have been made lawful for the women of my Ummah and unlawful for its men.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī 1404; Kitāb al-Libās: Bāb Mā Jā’a fī al-Ḥarīr wa al-Dhahab; Tirmidhī 1720; Aḥmad 4/392; Nasā’ī 8/161; Bayhaqī 2/425]
➤ These evidences clearly establish that wearing silk is prohibited for men.
◈ Permissibility of Wearing Silk Less than Four Fingers Wide
Narrated by ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه):
“The Prophet ﷺ forbade wearing silk except in the measure of two, three, or four fingers.”
[Bukhārī 5828–5830; Kitāb al-Libās; Muslim 2069; Abū Dāwūd 4042; Nasā’ī 20238; Ibn Mājah 3593; Aḥmad 1/15]
➤ Hence, wearing silk equivalent to the width of four fingers is allowed.
◈ Sitting on Silk is Also Prohibited
Narrated by Ḥudhayfah (رضي الله عنه):
“The Prophet ﷺ forbade us from wearing silk and brocade and from sitting on them.”
[Bukhārī 5837; Kitāb al-Libās: Bāb Iftirāsh al-Ḥarīr]
According to the majority (jumhūr) of scholars, this indicates that sitting on silk is also forbidden.
[Fatḥ al-Bārī 11/472; al-Umm 1/185; Ḥilyat al-ʿUlamāʾ 2/67; al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr 476; al-Khurashī 1/245; al-Inṣāf 1/475]
◈ Does Salah in Silk Clothing Remain Valid?
Scholars differ on whether Salah performed while wearing forbidden silk is valid:
- Majority (Jumhūr): Though wearing such garments is ḥarām, the Salah remains valid.
- Imām Mālik (رحمه الله): The individual must repeat the prayer within the valid time.
[Nayl al-Awṭār 1/556; Fatḥ al-Bārī 2/38] - Rājih (Preferred View):
If a person declares silk as ḥarām, then wearing it during prayer is undoubtedly forbidden. However, declaring the invalidity of such a prayer requires clear and specific evidence, which is not known to scholars.
[Al-Sayl al-Jarrār 1/163]
◈ Wearing Garments of Fame (Thawb al-Shuhrah)
Narrated by Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما):
“Whoever wears a garment of fame in the world, Allah will clothe him with a garment of humiliation on the Day of Judgment.”
[Ḥasan: Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd 3399; Kitāb al-Libās: Bāb fī Lubs al-Shuhrah; Abū Dāwūd 4029; Aḥmad 2/139; Ibn Mājah 3607]
A garment of fame refers to clothing that differs conspicuously in color or appearance from common clothing, drawing people’s attention and evoking pride or arrogance. This Hadith clearly prohibits such clothing.
Note: This prohibition is not limited to luxurious garments, but even applies to wearing extremely poor or odd clothing to gain attention.[Nayl al-Awṭār 1/596]
◈ Salah in Usurped (Ghaṣbī) Garments
Wearing usurped clothing (taken unlawfully) is unanimously considered ḥarām.
[Al-Rawḍah al-Nadiyyah 23431]
If one performs Salah in such garments, is it valid?
- Imām al-Shawkānī (رحمه الله):
The invalidity of such a Salah requires specific proof, which does not exist.
[Al-Sayl al-Jarrār 1/163] - Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, al-Shāfiʿī (رحمهما الله):
Salah in such garments is valid.
[Nayl al-Awṭār 1/553] - Rājih (Preferred View):
The person is guilty of committing a grave sin (due to usurpation), but whether the Salah is invalid is not established by conclusive evidence.
If the person possesses no other means of covering the ʿawrah besides the usurped clothing or something like tree leaves, then Shariah permits use of another’s property in necessity.[Al-Mughnī li Ibn Qudāmah 2/316; Al-Sayl al-Jarrār 1/164]
◈ Wearing Muʿaṣṣafar (Dyed with Yellow Plant)
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (رضي الله عنه):
“The Prophet ﷺ saw me wearing two muʿaṣṣafar garments and said: ‘These are the clothes of disbelievers, do not wear them.’”
[Muslim 2077; Kitāb al-Libās wa al-Zīnah: Bāb al-Nahy ʿan Lubs al-Rajul al-Thawb al-Muʿaṣṣafar; Aḥmad 2/162; Nasā’ī 8/203]
Thus, wearing such clothing during Salah is impermissible.Muʿaṣṣafar refers to garments dyed with a specific yellow herb (ʿuṣfūr), typically associated with disbelievers.
Conclusion
Clothing that is forbidden in Islam—whether due to its material (silk, gold), origin (usurped), appearance (shuhrah), or association (muʿaṣṣafar)—should not be worn during Salah. While the majority of scholars do not invalidate the prayer itself in such garments, the act remains sinful, and in some cases, repeating the prayer is encouraged.
