Amount of Clothing Required for Men in Salah Beyond Covering the ‘Awrah
✍ By: Imran Ayub Lahori
For a man performing Salah, it is obligatory to cover the ‘awrah (from navel to knees). However, placing a cloth over the shoulders is also instructed, unless there is a genuine shortage of clothing.
➊ Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
“None of you should pray in a single garment without having any part of it on his shoulders.”
[Bukhārī 359, 360; Kitāb al-Ṣalāh: Bāb Idhā Ṣallā fī al-Thawb al-Wāḥid Fal-Yajʿal ʿAlā ʿĀtiqayhi; Muslim 516; Abū Dāwūd 626; Aḥmad 2/243; Nasā’ī 2/71]
This Hadith clearly emphasizes that a man should not perform Salah in a single garment unless some portion covers the shoulders.
➋ In another narration, the instruction is more specific:
“Whoever prays in a single garment should place its ends across his shoulders.”
[Bukhārī 360; Abū Dāwūd 627; Aḥmad 2/255; Sharḥ Maʿānī al-Āthār 1/381; Ibn Ḥibbān 2304; Sharḥ al-Sunnah 517]
This implies that draping both ends of the garment over opposite shoulders is the recommended method when praying in one cloth.
If one does not have enough cloth to cover both the shoulders and the body, then at the minimum, the ‘awrah must be covered. This is based on the Hadith:
➌ Narrated by Jābir (رضي الله عنه):
“If the garment is tight (narrow), then tie it as an izār (lower wrap).”
[Bukhārī 361; Kitāb al-Ṣalāh: Bāb Idhā Kāna al-Thawb Ḍayyiqan; Muslim 3010; Ibn Khuzaymah 767; Bayhaqī 2/238; Ibn Ḥibbān 2305; Aḥmad 3/335]
This Hadith affirms that in the absence of a second cloth, it is permissible to cover only the ‘awrah using a lower garment (izār).
✍ By: Imran Ayub Lahori
Core Ruling
For a man performing Salah, it is obligatory to cover the ‘awrah (from navel to knees). However, placing a cloth over the shoulders is also instructed, unless there is a genuine shortage of clothing.
❖ Instruction to Place Cloth on the Shoulders
➊ Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
“None of you should pray in a single garment without having any part of it on his shoulders.”
[Bukhārī 359, 360; Kitāb al-Ṣalāh: Bāb Idhā Ṣallā fī al-Thawb al-Wāḥid Fal-Yajʿal ʿAlā ʿĀtiqayhi; Muslim 516; Abū Dāwūd 626; Aḥmad 2/243; Nasā’ī 2/71]
This Hadith clearly emphasizes that a man should not perform Salah in a single garment unless some portion covers the shoulders.➋ In another narration, the instruction is more specific:
“Whoever prays in a single garment should place its ends across his shoulders.”
[Bukhārī 360; Abū Dāwūd 627; Aḥmad 2/255; Sharḥ Maʿānī al-Āthār 1/381; Ibn Ḥibbān 2304; Sharḥ al-Sunnah 517]
This implies that draping both ends of the garment over opposite shoulders is the recommended method when praying in one cloth.❖ What If the Garment Is Too Small?
If one does not have enough cloth to cover both the shoulders and the body, then at the minimum, the ‘awrah must be covered. This is based on the Hadith:
➌ Narrated by Jābir (رضي الله عنه):
“If the garment is tight (narrow), then tie it as an izār (lower wrap).”
[Bukhārī 361; Kitāb al-Ṣalāh: Bāb Idhā Kāna al-Thawb Ḍayyiqan; Muslim 3010; Ibn Khuzaymah 767; Bayhaqī 2/238; Ibn Ḥibbān 2305; Aḥmad 3/335]
This Hadith affirms that in the absence of a second cloth, it is permissible to cover only the ‘awrah using a lower garment (izār).
Conclusion
- Minimum requirement for men's Salah: Covering the ‘awrah (navel to knees).
- Shoulders should also be covered, especially when a suitable garment is available.
- If the cloth is too small, covering the private area with an izār alone is sufficient.
