Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
If a person performs ṣalāh while having an impure (najis) item in his pocket, what is the ruling on his prayer?
If one knowingly performs prayer while carrying something impure, the prayer must be repeated (ʿiyādah).
However, if it was done forgetfully or unknowingly, the prayer is valid and does not need to be repeated.
Sayyidunā Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه narrated:
إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى في نعليه، فصلى الناس في نعالهم، ثم ألقى نعليه، فألقى الناس نعالهم وهم في الصلاة، فلما قضى صلاته قال: ما حملكم على إلقاء نعالكم في الصلاة؟ قالوا: يا رسول الله، رأيناك فعلت ففعلنا، قال: إن جبريل أخبرني أن فيها أذى، فإذا أتى أحدكم المسجد فلينظر، فإن رأى في نعليه أذى، وإلا فليصل فيهما.
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed wearing his sandals, so the people also prayed wearing theirs. Then during the prayer, the Prophet ﷺ removed his sandals, and seeing that, the people also removed theirs.
When the Prophet ﷺ finished the prayer, he said:
‘What made you remove your sandals during the prayer?’
They replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we saw you do so, and we did the same.’
The Prophet ﷺ said:
‘Jibrīl informed me that there was some impurity on them. Therefore, when any of you comes to the mosque, he should look at his sandals; if he finds impurity on them, let him remove them, but if not, he may pray wearing them.’”
(Musnad al-Ṭayālisī, p. 286; Musnad Aḥmad, 3/20; Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 650; Musnad Ibn Ḥumayd: 880; Musnad Abī Yaʿlā: 1194; al-Sunan al-Kubrā lil-Bayhaqī, 2/406)
The Prophet ﷺ prayed while his sandals were unknowingly contaminated with impurity (najāsah).
When he learned of it, he did not repeat the portion of prayer already performed.
This proves that if impurity is carried or worn during prayer unknowingly, the prayer remains valid.
Therefore, if someone prays while having an impure object in his pocket, and later discovers it after the prayer, he is not required to repeat the prayer.
But if he was aware of the impurity beforehand and still prayed intentionally, the prayer must be repeated.
❖ Question:
If a person performs ṣalāh while having an impure (najis) item in his pocket, what is the ruling on his prayer?
✿ Answer:
If one knowingly performs prayer while carrying something impure, the prayer must be repeated (ʿiyādah).
However, if it was done forgetfully or unknowingly, the prayer is valid and does not need to be repeated.
❀ Evidence from the Sunnah:
Sayyidunā Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه narrated:
إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى في نعليه، فصلى الناس في نعالهم، ثم ألقى نعليه، فألقى الناس نعالهم وهم في الصلاة، فلما قضى صلاته قال: ما حملكم على إلقاء نعالكم في الصلاة؟ قالوا: يا رسول الله، رأيناك فعلت ففعلنا، قال: إن جبريل أخبرني أن فيها أذى، فإذا أتى أحدكم المسجد فلينظر، فإن رأى في نعليه أذى، وإلا فليصل فيهما.
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed wearing his sandals, so the people also prayed wearing theirs. Then during the prayer, the Prophet ﷺ removed his sandals, and seeing that, the people also removed theirs.
When the Prophet ﷺ finished the prayer, he said:
‘What made you remove your sandals during the prayer?’
They replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we saw you do so, and we did the same.’
The Prophet ﷺ said:
‘Jibrīl informed me that there was some impurity on them. Therefore, when any of you comes to the mosque, he should look at his sandals; if he finds impurity on them, let him remove them, but if not, he may pray wearing them.’”
(Musnad al-Ṭayālisī, p. 286; Musnad Aḥmad, 3/20; Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 650; Musnad Ibn Ḥumayd: 880; Musnad Abī Yaʿlā: 1194; al-Sunan al-Kubrā lil-Bayhaqī, 2/406)
❀ Authentication of the Ḥadīth:
- Imām Ibn Khuzaymah (ḥadīth no. 1017) and Imām Ibn Ḥibbān (ḥadīth no. 2185) both graded it Ṣaḥīḥ (authentic).
- Imām al-Ḥākim declared it Ṣaḥīḥ upon the conditions of Imām Muslim, and al-Dhahabī agreed with him.
- Imām al-Nawawī also authenticated its chain.
(Khilāṣat al-Aḥkām, 1/319)
❀ Explanation:
The Prophet ﷺ prayed while his sandals were unknowingly contaminated with impurity (najāsah).
When he learned of it, he did not repeat the portion of prayer already performed.
This proves that if impurity is carried or worn during prayer unknowingly, the prayer remains valid.
Therefore, if someone prays while having an impure object in his pocket, and later discovers it after the prayer, he is not required to repeat the prayer.
But if he was aware of the impurity beforehand and still prayed intentionally, the prayer must be repeated.
Summary:
- Knowingly carrying impurity: Prayer must be repeated.
- Unknowingly or forgetfully carrying impurity: Prayer is valid and accepted.
- The evidence is based on the authentic practice of the Prophet ﷺ regarding his sandals containing impurity.
