Source: Ahkam wa Masail – Masail al-Salah, vol. 1, p. 98
What is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ regarding placing a scarf or cap on the head? Is it Sunnah to enter the mosque or pray bareheaded?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh. Ammā ba‘d:
1. Turban on the Prophet’s ﷺ head
2. Wiping over the turban during wudu
3. Mention of Khimar and ‘Isabah
Example – During Hajj and ‘Umrah:
«لاَ يَقْبَلُ اللّٰهُ صَلاَةَ حَائِضٍ إِلَّا بِخِمَارٍ»
"Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a head-covering."
(Sunan Abi Dawud – Kitab al-Salah, Bab fi al-Mar’ah tusalli bila Khimar)
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي، وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَاب
Question
What is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ regarding placing a scarf or cap on the head? Is it Sunnah to enter the mosque or pray bareheaded?
Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh. Ammā ba‘d:
Head Covering in the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ
1. Turban on the Prophet’s ﷺ head
- On one occasion, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered Makkah, he had a black turban on his head.
(Sahih Muslim – Kitab al-Hajj; Sunan Abi Dawud – Kitab al-Libas; Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi – Kitab al-Libas)
2. Wiping over the turban during wudu
- In a hadith, it is mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ performed wudu and wiped over his turban.
(Sahih al-Bukhari – Kitab al-Wudu, Bab al-Mas-h ‘ala al-Khuffayn)
3. Mention of Khimar and ‘Isabah
- Other narrations mention the Prophet ﷺ wearing a khimar (a cloth like a scarf) and ‘isabah (a wrapped head-cover), showing that covering the head was part of his Sunnah.
Praying or Entering the Mosque Bareheaded
- It is also authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ entered the mosque and prayed bareheaded on certain occasions.
Example – During Hajj and ‘Umrah:
- During Hajj and ‘Umrah, the Prophet ﷺ entered Masjid al-Haram bareheaded and prayed there without head covering.
Ruling for Women
- The Prophet ﷺ clearly instructed that an adult woman’s prayer is not accepted without a head-covering:
«لاَ يَقْبَلُ اللّٰهُ صَلاَةَ حَائِضٍ إِلَّا بِخِمَارٍ»
"Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a head-covering."
(Sunan Abi Dawud – Kitab al-Salah, Bab fi al-Mar’ah tusalli bila Khimar)
Summary
- For men:
- Covering the head in prayer is from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and was his general practice.
- Praying bareheaded is also permissible and established from his actions.
- For women:
- Covering the head is obligatory in salah; praying without a khimar is invalid.
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي، وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَاب
