Ruling on Praying in Shoes Whose Soles Are Impure (Najis)

Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri

❖ Question:​

If the sole of a shoe is impure (najis), what is the ruling on praying while wearing it?

✿ Answer:​

If it is known beforehand that the sole of the shoe is impure,
then it is not permissible to perform prayer while wearing it.


However, if one discovers during the prayer that the shoe is impure,
then he should remove the shoe immediately and continue the prayer;
there is no need to repeat the prayer.

❀ 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 this, 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 (najāsah) on them.
Therefore, when any of you comes to the mosque, he should look at his sandals.
If he sees impurity on them, let him remove them; if not, let him 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) graded it ṣaḥīḥ (authentic).
• Imām al-Ḥākim declared it ṣaḥīḥ according to the conditions of Imām Muslim, and Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī agreed.
• Imām al-Nawawī also said: “Its chain is ṣaḥīḥ.”
  (Khilāṣat al-Aḥkām, 1/319)

❀ Explanation:​

From this ḥadīth we learn that:

• The Prophet ﷺ initially prayed wearing shoes that unknowingly had impurity.
• When he was informed during prayer, he removed them immediately and continued his prayer.
• He did not repeat the prayer nor restart it from the beginning.

This establishes the principle that:

• If one knows of impurity before prayer, he must remove it before praying.
• If one learns during prayer, he removes the impurity and continues without restarting.

Summary:​

• If the sole of the shoe is impure and known, prayer is not permissible in it.
• If impurity is discovered during the prayer, remove the shoe and continue the prayer.
• The Prophet ﷺ himself demonstrated this ruling in the authentic ḥadīth above.
• Therefore, prayer is valid after removing the impurity, and no repetition is required.