Ruling on Wearing Trousers Below the Ankles During Salah – Clarification from Hadith
Source: Ahkam wa Masail, Chapter: Issues of Purification, Vol. 1, p. 88
If trousers are worn below the ankles, does it invalidate wudu? Please clarify in the light of hadith.
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ‘ala Rasulillah, amma ba’d!
According to Islamic teachings, letting garments hang below the ankles is a prohibited act, and severe warning has been given for being in such a state during Salah. A hadith recorded in Mir’at al-Mafateeh explains this matter clearly.
عن عطاء بن يسار عن بعض أصحاب النبي ﷺ قال بينما رجل يصلي وهو مسبل إزاره قال له رسول الله ﷺ اذهب فتوضأ قال فذهب فتوضأ ثم جاء فقال له رسول الله ﷺ اذهب فتوضأ ثم جاء فقال رجل يا رسول الله ما لك أمرته أن يتوضأ ثم سكت عنه؟ فقال إنه كان يصلي وهو مسبل إزاره وإن الله تبارك وتعالى لا يقبل صلاة عبد مسبل إزاره
Source References:
ʿAṭā ibn Yasār (رحمه الله) narrates from a companion of the Prophet ﷺ that:
A man was praying while his lower garment was hanging below his ankles. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him:
"Go and perform wudu."
He went and performed wudu, then returned. The Prophet ﷺ again said:
"Go and perform wudu."
When he returned, someone asked:
"O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, why did you command him to perform wudu and then remain silent afterwards?"
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
"He was praying while his garment was below his ankles, and indeed Allah, Blessed and Exalted, does not accept the prayer of a man whose garment is below his ankles."
❀ Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai (رحمه الله) graded this hadith as hasan.
❀ Imam al-Nawawi (رحمه الله) included it in Riyadh al-Saliheen and stated that Abu Dawood narrated it with a sahih chain according to the condition of Muslim.
This hadith makes it clear that if a person prays while his garment is hanging below the ankles, his Salah is not accepted.
The Prophet ﷺ commanded the man to perform wudu again, even though there was no apparent reason for his wudu to be invalidated. Scholars have deduced from this that wearing garments below the ankles is so disliked that the Prophet ﷺ instructed renewal of wudu so that the prayer could be repeated.
❀ Salah is not accepted if a person’s trousers or lower garment are below the ankles.
❀ The hadith does not explicitly state that wudu is invalidated, but the command to renew wudu shows the severity of this act.
❀ Along with physical purification, proper dress is also essential for Salah.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
Source: Ahkam wa Masail, Chapter: Issues of Purification, Vol. 1, p. 88
Question
If trousers are worn below the ankles, does it invalidate wudu? Please clarify in the light of hadith.
Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ‘ala Rasulillah, amma ba’d!
According to Islamic teachings, letting garments hang below the ankles is a prohibited act, and severe warning has been given for being in such a state during Salah. A hadith recorded in Mir’at al-Mafateeh explains this matter clearly.
Text of the Hadith
عن عطاء بن يسار عن بعض أصحاب النبي ﷺ قال بينما رجل يصلي وهو مسبل إزاره قال له رسول الله ﷺ اذهب فتوضأ قال فذهب فتوضأ ثم جاء فقال له رسول الله ﷺ اذهب فتوضأ ثم جاء فقال رجل يا رسول الله ما لك أمرته أن يتوضأ ثم سكت عنه؟ فقال إنه كان يصلي وهو مسبل إزاره وإن الله تبارك وتعالى لا يقبل صلاة عبد مسبل إزاره
Source References:
- Mentioned by al-Haythami in Majma’ al-Zawa’id (Vol. 5, p. 145)
He said: Narrated by Ahmad, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih. - Imam al-Nawawi in Riyadh al-Saliheen: Narrated by Abu Dawood with a sahih chain according to the condition of Muslim.
Explanation of the Hadith
ʿAṭā ibn Yasār (رحمه الله) narrates from a companion of the Prophet ﷺ that:
A man was praying while his lower garment was hanging below his ankles. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him:
"Go and perform wudu."
He went and performed wudu, then returned. The Prophet ﷺ again said:
"Go and perform wudu."
When he returned, someone asked:
"O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, why did you command him to perform wudu and then remain silent afterwards?"
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
"He was praying while his garment was below his ankles, and indeed Allah, Blessed and Exalted, does not accept the prayer of a man whose garment is below his ankles."
Scholarly Opinions
❀ Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai (رحمه الله) graded this hadith as hasan.
❀ Imam al-Nawawi (رحمه الله) included it in Riyadh al-Saliheen and stated that Abu Dawood narrated it with a sahih chain according to the condition of Muslim.
Ruling and Clarification
This hadith makes it clear that if a person prays while his garment is hanging below the ankles, his Salah is not accepted.
The Prophet ﷺ commanded the man to perform wudu again, even though there was no apparent reason for his wudu to be invalidated. Scholars have deduced from this that wearing garments below the ankles is so disliked that the Prophet ﷺ instructed renewal of wudu so that the prayer could be repeated.
Conclusion
❀ Salah is not accepted if a person’s trousers or lower garment are below the ankles.
❀ The hadith does not explicitly state that wudu is invalidated, but the command to renew wudu shows the severity of this act.
❀ Along with physical purification, proper dress is also essential for Salah.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
