Excerpt from the book “Ṣaḥīḥ Namāz-e-Nabawī ﷺ” authored by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ʿAzīz, published by Maktabah Dār al-Andalus
For the validity of Ṣalāh, it is obligatory that one’s body, clothing, and place of prayer are pure. The following are the details:
❀ The body becomes impure due to the following substances:
❀ However, urine or dung of permissible (ḥalāl) animals does not make the body impure, as mentioned in the ḥadīth:
“Some people from the tribe of ʿUraynah came to Madinah and accepted Islam. They became ill, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered them to drink the milk and urine of camels.”
[Bukhārī, Book of Wudū’, Chapter on Camel Urine – 233]
❀ Blood emerging from parts other than the private area does not invalidate purity. The Prophet ﷺ used to offer Ṣalāh in such a condition during battles.
❀ It is obligatory upon a Muslim to keep their clothes pure.
Allah Almighty says:
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ
(Sūrat al-Mudaththir: 4–5)
“And purify your garments, and shun all filth.”
❀ Clean clothes are a precondition for prayer—without them, Ṣalāh is not valid.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“If one of you finds menstrual blood on her garment, she should scratch it off, wash it with water, and then offer Ṣalāh in it.”
[Bukhārī, Book of Menstruation – 307; Muslim – 291]
❀ It is permissible to pray in clean shoes.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“When any of you comes to the masjid, let him look at his shoes. If he sees dirt or filth, let him wipe it off on the ground, and then he may pray in them.”
[Abū Dāwūd, Book of Ṣalāh, Chapter: Prayer in Shoes – 650; Ṣaḥīḥ]
❀ Anything that makes the body impure also renders the clothes impure.
❀ Wearing silk is prohibited for men.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Silk and gold are prohibited for the men of my Ummah and permissible for its women.”
[Tirmidhī – 1720; Nasā’ī – 5147, 5149; Ṣaḥīḥ]
❀ If impurity is discovered on shoes during prayer, one should remove them.
Narration:
The Prophet ﷺ once removed his shoes during prayer. When asked why, he said:
“Jibrīl (عليه السلام) came to me and informed me there was filth on them.”
[Abū Dāwūd – 650; Ṣaḥīḥ]
❀ If impurity is found on clothing, and removing it exposes the area between shoulder and knees, the prayer breaks (Refer to the section on clothing for more detail).
❀ If impurity is on the body and cannot be removed during prayer, one must stop the prayer, purify themselves, and repeat the prayer, as bodily purity is a condition for Ṣalāh.
◈ Madhī must be washed.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
توضأ واغسل ذكرك
“Perform Wudū’ and wash your private part.”
[Bukhārī – 269; Muslim – 306]
◈ Splashes from ḥalāl animals’ urine do not harm purity.
◈ If the urine of a male infant (only breastfed) falls on one’s body or clothes, sprinkling water over it is enough.
◈ However, if a female infant urinates on clothes or body, the area must be washed, as:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
يغسل بول الجارية وينضح بول الغلام ما لم يطعم
“Wash the urine of a girl, and sprinkle water over the urine of a boy, as long as he hasn’t started eating food.”
[Abū Dāwūd – 377; Nasā’ī – 305; Tirmidhī – 71; Ibn Mājah – 526; Ṣaḥīḥ]
◈ Urine or excrement of adults must be washed.
[Bukhārī – 220; Muslim – 284]
◈ Menstrual blood or any other impurity must be washed.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“If menstrual blood stains your clothes, scratch it off, wash it, and pray in it.”
[Bukhārī – 307; Muslim – 291]
◈ If semen is wet, it must be washed.
Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:
“The Prophet ﷺ used to wash semen and go out to prayer in that garment.”
[Muslim – 289]
◈ If semen dries, it is sufficient to scrape it off.
Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:
“Indeed, I used to scrape off dry semen from the garment of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with my fingernail.”
[Muslim – 290]
◈ For madhī, sprinkling water over the affected area is enough.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
يكفيك بأن تأخذ كفا من ماء فتنضح بها من ثوبك حيث ترى أنه أصابه
“It is sufficient for you to take a handful of water and sprinkle it where you think the madhī has touched.”
[Abū Dāwūd – 210; Tirmidhī – 115; Ṣaḥīḥ]
◈ The same rulings apply to prayer mats, carpets, or rugs.
◈ If shoes have filth, rubbing them on clean soil purifies them.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
إذا وطئ أحدكم بنعله الأذى فإن التراب له طهور
“If one of you steps on impurity with his shoes, the soil will purify it.”
[Abū Dāwūd – 385; Ṣaḥīḥ]
◈ Wetness or watermarks remaining after washing clothes do not harm purity.
Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:
“I used to wash semen from the garment of the Prophet ﷺ, and he would go for prayer while water spots were still visible.”
[Bukhārī – 229, 230; Muslim – 289]
◈ These rulings apply equally to men and women.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
خمس من الفطرة: الختان، والاستحداد، ونتف الإبط، وتقليم الأظفار، وقص الشارب
“Five practices are part of natural disposition: circumcision, shaving pubic hair, plucking armpit hair, trimming the nails, and shortening the moustache.”
[Bukhārī – 5889; Muslim – 257]
◈ These should be done at least once every forty days.
Sayyidunā Anas رضي الله عنه said:
“We were assigned a time limit for trimming the moustache, clipping the nails, plucking the armpit hair, and shaving the pubic hair—not to exceed forty days.”
[Muslim – 258]
◈ For a new Muslim, the hair of pre-Islamic life should be removed and circumcision performed.
The Prophet ﷺ said to a convert:
ألق عنك شعر الكفر واحتتن
“Remove the hair of disbelief and undergo circumcision.”
[Abū Dāwūd – 355, 356; Ḥasan]
◈ Any surface becomes impure when soiled with the same impurities that affect the body or clothing.
◈ Purification is done by pouring water over the area until the impurity is removed.
In Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, a Bedouin urinated in Masjid al-Nabawī. The people scolded him, but the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Let him finish.” Then, he ordered a bucket of water to be poured over the area and told the companions:
“You were sent to make things easy, not to make them difficult.”
[Bukhārī – 220; Muslim – 284]
✔ This teaches that if someone is ignorant, do not interrupt their act, rather educate them afterwards in a kind way.
✖ At shrines or locations where people worship other than Allah, make vows in other names, offer sacrifices, or prostrate.
✖ In graveyards or even near a single grave, prayer is not allowed due to resemblance to idolaters.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
لا تجلسوا على القبور ولا تصلوا إليها
“Do not sit on graves and do not pray facing them.”
[Muslim – 972]
✔ One cannot pray in a graveyard as long as graves are present.
✔ If the graves are removed, then the place can be converted into a masjid. The Prophet ﷺ built Masjid al-Nabawī after removing the graves of polytheists.
[Bukhārī – 428; Muslim – 524]
✔ Other prohibited places for Ṣalāh are mentioned in the chapter “Masājid” (to be referred separately).
❖ Section One: External Purity (Ẓāhirī Ṭahārah)
For the validity of Ṣalāh, it is obligatory that one’s body, clothing, and place of prayer are pure. The following are the details:
Purification of the Body
❀ The body becomes impure due to the following substances:
- Human urine, feces, semen, pre-seminal fluid (madhī), post-urination fluid (wadhī), menstrual blood, postnatal bleeding, istihāḍah, leukorrhea, and saliva of a dog.
❀ However, urine or dung of permissible (ḥalāl) animals does not make the body impure, as mentioned in the ḥadīth:
“Some people from the tribe of ʿUraynah came to Madinah and accepted Islam. They became ill, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered them to drink the milk and urine of camels.”
[Bukhārī, Book of Wudū’, Chapter on Camel Urine – 233]❀ Blood emerging from parts other than the private area does not invalidate purity. The Prophet ﷺ used to offer Ṣalāh in such a condition during battles.
Purification of Clothing
❀ It is obligatory upon a Muslim to keep their clothes pure.
Allah Almighty says:
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ
(Sūrat al-Mudaththir: 4–5)
“And purify your garments, and shun all filth.”
❀ Clean clothes are a precondition for prayer—without them, Ṣalāh is not valid.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“If one of you finds menstrual blood on her garment, she should scratch it off, wash it with water, and then offer Ṣalāh in it.”
[Bukhārī, Book of Menstruation – 307; Muslim – 291]❀ It is permissible to pray in clean shoes.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“When any of you comes to the masjid, let him look at his shoes. If he sees dirt or filth, let him wipe it off on the ground, and then he may pray in them.”
[Abū Dāwūd, Book of Ṣalāh, Chapter: Prayer in Shoes – 650; Ṣaḥīḥ]❀ Anything that makes the body impure also renders the clothes impure.
❀ Wearing silk is prohibited for men.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Silk and gold are prohibited for the men of my Ummah and permissible for its women.”
[Tirmidhī – 1720; Nasā’ī – 5147, 5149; Ṣaḥīḥ]❖ Discovering Impurity During Prayer
❀ If impurity is discovered on shoes during prayer, one should remove them.
Narration:
The Prophet ﷺ once removed his shoes during prayer. When asked why, he said:
“Jibrīl (عليه السلام) came to me and informed me there was filth on them.”
[Abū Dāwūd – 650; Ṣaḥīḥ]❀ If impurity is found on clothing, and removing it exposes the area between shoulder and knees, the prayer breaks (Refer to the section on clothing for more detail).
❀ If impurity is on the body and cannot be removed during prayer, one must stop the prayer, purify themselves, and repeat the prayer, as bodily purity is a condition for Ṣalāh.
❖ How to Purify the Body and Clothes
◈ Madhī must be washed.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
توضأ واغسل ذكرك
“Perform Wudū’ and wash your private part.”
[Bukhārī – 269; Muslim – 306]◈ Splashes from ḥalāl animals’ urine do not harm purity.
◈ If the urine of a male infant (only breastfed) falls on one’s body or clothes, sprinkling water over it is enough.
◈ However, if a female infant urinates on clothes or body, the area must be washed, as:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
يغسل بول الجارية وينضح بول الغلام ما لم يطعم
“Wash the urine of a girl, and sprinkle water over the urine of a boy, as long as he hasn’t started eating food.”
[Abū Dāwūd – 377; Nasā’ī – 305; Tirmidhī – 71; Ibn Mājah – 526; Ṣaḥīḥ]◈ Urine or excrement of adults must be washed.
[Bukhārī – 220; Muslim – 284]◈ Menstrual blood or any other impurity must be washed.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“If menstrual blood stains your clothes, scratch it off, wash it, and pray in it.”
[Bukhārī – 307; Muslim – 291]◈ If semen is wet, it must be washed.
Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:
“The Prophet ﷺ used to wash semen and go out to prayer in that garment.”
[Muslim – 289]◈ If semen dries, it is sufficient to scrape it off.
Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:
“Indeed, I used to scrape off dry semen from the garment of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with my fingernail.”
[Muslim – 290]◈ For madhī, sprinkling water over the affected area is enough.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
يكفيك بأن تأخذ كفا من ماء فتنضح بها من ثوبك حيث ترى أنه أصابه
“It is sufficient for you to take a handful of water and sprinkle it where you think the madhī has touched.”
[Abū Dāwūd – 210; Tirmidhī – 115; Ṣaḥīḥ]◈ The same rulings apply to prayer mats, carpets, or rugs.
◈ If shoes have filth, rubbing them on clean soil purifies them.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
إذا وطئ أحدكم بنعله الأذى فإن التراب له طهور
“If one of you steps on impurity with his shoes, the soil will purify it.”
[Abū Dāwūd – 385; Ṣaḥīḥ]◈ Wetness or watermarks remaining after washing clothes do not harm purity.
Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:
“I used to wash semen from the garment of the Prophet ﷺ, and he would go for prayer while water spots were still visible.”
[Bukhārī – 229, 230; Muslim – 289]◈ These rulings apply equally to men and women.
❖ Section Two: Natural Cleanliness (Fiṭrī Ṭahārah)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
خمس من الفطرة: الختان، والاستحداد، ونتف الإبط، وتقليم الأظفار، وقص الشارب
“Five practices are part of natural disposition: circumcision, shaving pubic hair, plucking armpit hair, trimming the nails, and shortening the moustache.”
[Bukhārī – 5889; Muslim – 257]◈ These should be done at least once every forty days.
Sayyidunā Anas رضي الله عنه said:
“We were assigned a time limit for trimming the moustache, clipping the nails, plucking the armpit hair, and shaving the pubic hair—not to exceed forty days.”
[Muslim – 258]◈ For a new Muslim, the hair of pre-Islamic life should be removed and circumcision performed.
The Prophet ﷺ said to a convert:
ألق عنك شعر الكفر واحتتن
“Remove the hair of disbelief and undergo circumcision.”
[Abū Dāwūd – 355, 356; Ḥasan]❖ Section Three: Purity of the Place of Prayer
◈ Any surface becomes impure when soiled with the same impurities that affect the body or clothing.
◈ Purification is done by pouring water over the area until the impurity is removed.
In Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, a Bedouin urinated in Masjid al-Nabawī. The people scolded him, but the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Let him finish.” Then, he ordered a bucket of water to be poured over the area and told the companions:
“You were sent to make things easy, not to make them difficult.”
[Bukhārī – 220; Muslim – 284]✔ This teaches that if someone is ignorant, do not interrupt their act, rather educate them afterwards in a kind way.
❖ Places Where Prayer Is Prohibited
✖ At shrines or locations where people worship other than Allah, make vows in other names, offer sacrifices, or prostrate.
✖ In graveyards or even near a single grave, prayer is not allowed due to resemblance to idolaters.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
لا تجلسوا على القبور ولا تصلوا إليها
“Do not sit on graves and do not pray facing them.”
[Muslim – 972]✔ One cannot pray in a graveyard as long as graves are present.
✔ If the graves are removed, then the place can be converted into a masjid. The Prophet ﷺ built Masjid al-Nabawī after removing the graves of polytheists.
[Bukhārī – 428; Muslim – 524]✔ Other prohibited places for Ṣalāh are mentioned in the chapter “Masājid” (to be referred separately).
