✿ Written by: Shaykh Mubashar Ahmad Rabbānī ḥafiẓahullāh
Is there any ḥadīth that prohibits adjusting clothes or arranging hair during prayer? Kindly clarify.
During Ṣalāh, one should stand with calmness and composure, focusing on the performance of its essential acts (arkān) with humility and attentiveness.
It is common among people to:
Such actions should be avoided, as they contradict the spirit of khushūʿ (humble concentration) in prayer.
It is narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما that the Prophet ﷺ said:
«أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَسْجُدَ عَلَى سَبْعَةٍ، لَا أَكُفُّ شَعَرًا وَلَا ثَوْبًا»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī – Kitāb al-Adhān, Bāb: Lā Yakuffu Thawbahu fī aṣ-Ṣalāh, ḥadīth no. 816)
“I have been commanded to prostrate on seven parts (of the body), and not to tuck up hair or garments (during prayer).”
This ḥadīth clearly indicates that:
Therefore, one should avoid such actions in order to maintain the sanctity and humility of the prayer.
❖ Question:
Is there any ḥadīth that prohibits adjusting clothes or arranging hair during prayer? Kindly clarify.
❖ Answer:
During Ṣalāh, one should stand with calmness and composure, focusing on the performance of its essential acts (arkān) with humility and attentiveness.
It is common among people to:
- Play with their head hair,
- Or adjust their beard during prayer.
Such actions should be avoided, as they contradict the spirit of khushūʿ (humble concentration) in prayer.
❖ Prophetic Instruction
It is narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما that the Prophet ﷺ said:
«أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَسْجُدَ عَلَى سَبْعَةٍ، لَا أَكُفُّ شَعَرًا وَلَا ثَوْبًا»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī – Kitāb al-Adhān, Bāb: Lā Yakuffu Thawbahu fī aṣ-Ṣalāh, ḥadīth no. 816)
“I have been commanded to prostrate on seven parts (of the body), and not to tuck up hair or garments (during prayer).”
❖ Ruling Derived
This ḥadīth clearly indicates that:
- Playing with or adjusting one’s clothes or hair during prayer is discouraged.
- Such behavior is contrary to the adab (etiquette) and focus required in Ṣalāh.
Therefore, one should avoid such actions in order to maintain the sanctity and humility of the prayer.
