What Garments Are Permissible for Prayer and What Garments Are Not

him about wearing the skin of a dead animal (carrion) during prayer if it has been tanned. Imam (as) said: "No, even if it has been tanned seventy times."

Hadith.750 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) was asked about the verse in which Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, said to Musa (as): "Remove your sandals, for you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa" (Surah Taha 20:12). Imam (as) said: "They were made from the skin of a dead donkey."

Hadith.751 - Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) and Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) were asked: "We buy clothes that may have come into contact with wine or the fat of a pig during their tailoring. Should we pray in them before washing them?" They replied: "Yes, there is no harm. Allah (swt) has only forbidden eating and drinking it (pork and wine) but has not forbidden wearing it, touching it, or praying in it."

Hadith.752 - Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Halabi asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about a man who has only one garment, and it has urine on it, but he is unable to wash it. Imam (as) said: "He should pray in it."

Hadith.753 - He was asked by Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi 'Abdillah about a man who becomes ritually impure (junub) in a garment and has no other garment and is unable to wash it. Imam (as) said: "He should pray in it."

Hadith.754 - In another narration, Imam (as) said: "He should pray in it, and when he finds water, he should wash it and repeat the prayer."

Hadith.755 - Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) about a man who is without clothing and the time for prayer arrives, and he finds a garment that is half covered in blood or entirely covered in blood. Should he pray in it, or should he pray without clothing? Imam (as) said: "If he finds water, he should wash it; if he does not find water, he should pray in it and should not pray without clothing”.

Hadith.756 - Safwan ibn Yahya wrote to Abu Al-Hasan, Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) asking about a man who has two garments, one of which has been contaminated with urine, but he does not know which one. When the time for prayer arrives and he fears missing it, and he has no water available, what should he do? Imam (as) said: "He should pray in both of them."

Hadith.757 - Muhammad ibn Muslim said to Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) about the presence of blood on a garment while in prayer. Imam (as) said: "If you see it and have another garment with you, remove it and pray in the other garment. If you do not have another garment, continue your prayer, and you do not have to repeat it, provided that the blood does not exceed the size of a dirham. If it is less than a dirham, it is of no consequence whether you see it or not. But if you saw it and it was more than a dirham's size and neglected to wash it, and you prayed multiple prayers in that state, you must repeat all the prayers you performed in that garment. However, this is not the same ruling as for semen or urine." Imam (as) then emphasized that the impurity of semen is more severe than urine and said: "If you see semen before or after, you must repeat the prayer. If you inspected your garment and did not find it and prayed, there is no need for repetition, and the same applies for urine”.

Hadith.758 - The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "A sword is like a garment; you may pray with it as long as you do not see any blood on it. A bow is also like a garment."

Hadith.759 - "It is not permissible for a man to pray while there is a sword in front of him, because the Qibla is a place of security." This was narrated from The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as).

Hadith.760 - Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) about whether it is permissible for a man to pray while there is a rack with clothes hanging on it in front of him. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm."

Hadith.761 - He (Ali ibn Ja'far) asked him (Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as)) about a man praying while there is garlic or onion in front of him. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm."

Hadith.762 - He (Ali ibn Ja'far) asked him (Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as)) about whether it is permissible for a man to pray on growing vegetation (fresh grass). Imam (as) said: "If he places his forehead on the ground, then there is no harm."

Hadith.763 - He (Ali ibn Ja'far) asked him (Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as)) about praying on growing grass or lush greenery that covers fresh ground. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm."

Hadith.764 - He (Ali ibn Ja'far) asked about whether it is permissible for a man to pray with a lamp (or flame) placed in front of him in the direction of the Qibla. Imam (as) said: "It is not permissible for him to face the fire."

Hadith.765 - As for the narration reported from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) stating: "There is no harm if a man prays while the fire, the lamp, or an image is in front of him, for the One to whom he is praying is closer to him than that which is in front of him,"

Hadith.766 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) was asked about praying while wearing a black cap. Imam (as) said: "Do not pray in it, for it is the attire of the people of the Fire”.

Hadith.767 - The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said in what he taught his companions: "Do not wear black, for it is the clothing of Pharaoh."

Hadith.768 - The Messenger of Allah (sw) disliked wearing black except in three cases: the turban, the shoes, and the cloak.

O’ Archangel Jibril (as), what is this attire?" Archangel Jibril (as) replied: "It is the attire of your uncle's descendants, O’ Muhammad. Woe to your progeny from the progeny of your uncle al-Abbas." The Prophet (sw) then went out to al-Abbas and said: "O’ uncle, woe to my progeny from your progeny." Al-Abbas asked: "O’ Messenger of Allah (sw), should I end myself (to prevent this)?" The Prophet replied: "The Pen has decreed what is to come."

"Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, revealed to one of His prophets, saying: 'Tell the believers not to wear the attire of My enemies, not to eat the foods of My enemies, and not to follow the paths of My enemies, lest they become My enemies as they are My enemies.'".

I was with Abu 'Abdillah (as) in Al-Hirah when a messenger from Abu al-Abbas, the Caliph, came to invite him. So he (Imam (as)) called for a cloak, one side of which was black and the other white. He wore it and then said: 'Indeed, I wear it while knowing that it is the clothing of the people of the Fire.'"

Hadith.772 - The Messenger of Allah (sw) said: "A man should not pray while wearing an iron ring."

Hadith.773 - He (Messenger of Allah (sw)) said: "Allah (swt) has not purified a hand that wears an iron ring."

"No, and he should not wear it, for it is the attire of the people of the Fire."

Prophet said to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as): "Indeed, I love for you what I love for myself, and I dislike for you what I dislike for myself. Do not wear a gold ring, for it is your adornment in the Hereafter. Do not wear crimson, for it is among the garments of Iblis, Do not ride on a red saddlecloth, for it is among the mounts of Iblis. And do not wear silk, for Allah (swt) will burn your skin on the Day you meet Him."

Hadith.776 - Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) regarding a man praying while a bird is in front of him. Imam (as) said: ‘There is no harm’. (Ali ibn Ja’far asked): ‘Regarding a man praying while there is a date palm tree with fruit in front of him’ Imam (as) said: ‘There is no harm’ (Ali ibn Ja’far asked): ‘Regarding a man praying in a vineyard with grapes’ Imam (as) said: ‘There is no harm’ (Ali ibn Ja’far asked): ‘Regarding a man praying with a donkey standing in front of him’ Imam (as) said: "He should place a stick or a rod or something as a barrier between himself and the donkey, then pray, and there is no harm. (Ali ibn Ja’far asked): ‘Regarding a man praying while having a leather pouch made of donkey or mule hide with him’ Imam (as) said: “It is not suitable for him to pray while it is with him unless he fears it will be lost, then there is no harm if he prays while it is with him.” (Ali ibn Ja’far asked): ‘Regarding a man who has a loose tooth while in prayer, should he remove it’ Imam (as) said: "If it does not bleed, he may remove it; but if it bleeds, he should stop. (Ali ibn Ja’far asked): ‘Regarding a man praying with a bird in his sleeve’ Imam (as) said: “If he fears it may escape, there is no harm”. (Ali ibn Ja’far asked): ‘Regarding a man with a wart or wound, can he cut it or remove a piece of flesh from it during prayer’ Imam (as) said: "If he does not fear that it will bleed, there is no harm; but if he fears it will bleed, he should not do it." (Ali ibn Ja’far asked): ‘Regarding a man struck by someone during prayer, causing a wound and bleeding, who leaves to wash the blood without speaking until returning to the mosque’ Imam (as) said: "He must restart the prayer and cannot count what he prayed before." (Ali ibn Ja’far asked): ‘Regarding a man who sees bird droppings or other filth on his clothing during prayer, can he scrape it off’ Imam (as) said: ‘There is no harm’ And Imam (as) also said: "There is no harm if a man raises his gaze to the sky while praying."

Hadith.777 – He (Ali ibn Ja’far ) asked Him, Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as), about whether it is permissible for women and children to wear anklets. Imam (as) said: "If they are silent (do not make noise), there is no harm, but if they produce sound, it is not appropriate”.

Hadith.778 - He (Ali ibn Ja’far ) asked Him, Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as), about a musk pouch being with someone while they are praying, either in their pocket or clothing. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in that."

Hadith.779 - He (Ali ibn Ja’far ) asked Him, Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) about whether it is permissible for a man to pray with beads or pearls in his mouth. Imam (as) said: "If it prevents him from reciting (properly), then no; but if it does not prevent him, there is no harm."

Hadith.780 - Ammar ibn Musa asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about whether it is permissible for a man to pray with an open Qur'an in front of him facing the qibla. Imam (as) said: ‘No’ I (Ammar ibn Musa) asked: "What if it is in its cover?" Imam (as) said: ‘Yes’. (Ammar ibn Musa) then asked about praying with a bowl containing perfume in front of him. Imam (as) said: ‘Yes’. (Ammar ibn Musa) asked: "What if there is a censer made of brass in front of him?" Imam (as) said: ‘Yes’. (Ammar ibn Musa) asked: "What if it has fire in it?" Imam (as) said: ‘He should not pray until it is moved away from his qibla.’ (Ammar ibn Musa) asked about praying in a garment with the image of a bird or other figures on its design. Imam (as) said: ‘No’. (Ammar ibn Musa) asked about wearing a ring with an engraved image of a bird or other figures while praying. Imam (as) said: ‘Prayer is not valid with it.’

Hadith.781 - Habib ibn al-Mu'alla asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as), saying: "I am a man who experiences frequent forgetfulness, so I can only maintain focus in my prayer by moving my ring from one finger to another." Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in that."

Hadith.782 - Muhammad ibn Muslim asked Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as): "Can a man pray while covering his mouth (muffling)?" Imam (as) said: "While on an animal, yes; but on the ground, no”.

Hadith.783 - Abdul Rahman ibn Al-Hajjaj asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about black dirhams (coins) with images on them being with a man while he prays, whether tied or untied. Imam (as) said: "I do not desire that he prays while having these dirhams with images on them." Then Imam (as) said: "People have no choice but to safeguard their belongings, so if he prays while having them, let them be behind him, and he should not place anything between himself and the qibla”.

Hadith.784 - Musa ibn Umar ibn Buzai' asked Abu Al-Hasan, Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as): "I tie a waist wrap and a scarf over my shirt during prayer." Imam (as) said: "There is no harm”.

Hadith.785 - Al-Ays ibn Al-Qasim asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about a man praying in a woman's garment or her waist wrap, or wrapping himself with her headcover. Imam (as) said: "Yes, if it is clean (from any impurity)”.

"He should untie the waistband and place it over his shoulder and pray. If he has a sword but no garment, he should hang the sword around himself and pray standing”.

"The minimum acceptable covering for you to pray in is to have something on your shoulders, like the wings of a swallow”.

Hadith.788 - Abu Basir asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about what is sufficient clothing for a man to pray in. Imam (as) said: "Hussain ibn Ali (as) prayed in a garment that reached up to half his shin and was close to his knees, with only as much covering on his shoulders as the wings of a swallow. When he would bow (in ruku'), it would slip off his shoulders, and whenever he prostrated (Sujood), it would touch his neck, so he would pull it back over his shoulders with his hand, and this remained his practice until he completed the prayer”.

"Sayyida Fatimah Al-Zahra {S.A} prayed in a tunic with a headscarf covering her head, and She did not have more on than what concealed her hair and her ears”.

a man asked him (Abu Ja'far (as)): "If a person sees a scorpion, a snake, or a serpent while he is praying, should he kill it?" Imam (as) said: "Yes, if he wishes to do so."

Hadith.791 - Suleiman ibn Jaafar al-Ja'fari asked the righteous servant Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) about a man who goes to the market and buys a fur garment without knowing if it is from a properly slaughtered (halal) animal or not. Can he pray in it? Imam (as) said: "Yes, you are not obligated to inquire about that. Abu Ja'far (as) used to say, 'The Khawarij (a group known for extreme practices) imposed restrictions upon themselves out of ignorance; indeed, religion is more accommodating than that.'".

Hadith.792 - Ismail ibn Isa asked Abu Al-Hasan al-Ridha about leather and fur items purchased from a market in the mountain regions: Should a person inquire about their source of slaughter (i.e., whether it was properly done) if the seller is a Muslim but not a known believer? He (as) replied: "You should inquire if you see that the sellers are polytheists selling those items. But if you see them performing prayer, then you do not need to ask”.

"There is no harm in it”.

he heard Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) say: "Anything that eats leaves and plants, there is no problem in praying while wearing it (its leather or fur), but anything that eats carrion, do not pray in it”.

Hadith.795 – Zurarah said that Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) said: "The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) came out to a group of people and saw them praying in the mosque with their cloaks draped (over their shoulders), and Imam (as) said to them: 'What is the matter with you that you drape your garments as if you are Jews coming out of their synagogues?' Meaning, beware of draping your garments (while praying)."

"Beware of the 'wrapped shroud' (al-samma')." I asked: "And what is the 'wrapped shroud'?" Imam (as) said: "It is when you take your garment under your arm and place it over one shoulder”.

Hadith.797 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) stated regarding a man who finds himself outside without clothing and the time for prayer arrives, that he should pray standing while uncovered if no one can see him. However, if he is in view of others, he should pray sitting.

him about wearing the garment of a Magian (Zoroastrian) and praying in it. Abu Abdullah (as) replied: "Yes." Then he asked: "But they drink wine." He (as) said: "Yes, we buy Sabiriyyah garments (a type of fabric) and wear them without washing."

"This is from the actions of the people of Lot." I (Ziyad) said: "He wraps the cloth over his shirt." Imam (as) said: "This is an act of arrogance." I said: "The shirt is thin, and he covers himself with it." He responded, "This, along with unfastening the buttons during prayer, flicking pebbles, and chewing gum (frankincense) in gatherings or while on the street, are among the practices of the people of Lot."

Hadith.800 - Abdullah ibn Bukayr asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about a man praying while letting the sides of his garment hang loose. Imam (as) said: "There is no issue with it”.

Hadith.801 - Abu Basir asked Him about a man praying in extreme heat and fearing for his forehead due to the hot ground. Imam (as) replied: "He should place his garment beneath his forehead”.

Hadith.802 - Dawud Al-Sarmi asked Abu Al-Hasan Imam Ali ibn Muhammad Al-Hadi (as) about going on a journey where there may be no place to pray except on snow. How should he pray in such a case? Imam (as) replied: "If you can avoid prostrating on the snow, then do not prostrate on it. But if it is not possible, then level it and prostrate on it."

Hadith.803 - Ibrahim ibn Abi Mahmoud said to Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as) about a man who prays on a bed made of teakwood and prostrates on the teakwood itself. Imam (as) replied: "Yes, there is no issue”.

"There is no issue with praying on mats made from reeds or on palm-leaf mats, and on any plant-based material, except for fruit”.

Hadith.805 - Sama’a ibn Mehran asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) regarding eating the meat of wild animals, including birds and other beasts. Imam responded, "As for eating their meat, we dislike it, but as for their skins, you may use them to ride on but do not wear anything made from them for prayer."

"I saw Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as) praying in a silk cloak (jubbah made of khazz)."

Hadith.807 - Ali ibn Mahziyar narrated: "I saw Abu Ja'far al-Thani (Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Jawad (as)) praying both the obligatory and non-obligatory prayers in a cloak made of fine silk fabric (khazz taruni). He gave me a cloak made of khazz, informed me that he had worn it on his body and prayed in it, and instructed me to pray in it as well."

I wrote to Abu Ja'far al-Thani (Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Jawad (as)) concerning clothing made from squirrel (sanjab), mink (fanak), and silk (khazz), and I said: 'May I be your ransom, I would like you not to respond with dissimulation (taqiyya) regarding this matter.' The Imam (as) wrote back in his own handwriting, 'Pray in them.'"

a man asked Abu al-Hasan al-Thalith (Imam Ali ibn Muhammad Al-Hadi (as)), about praying in silk (khazz) that is mixed with rabbit fur. The Imam wrote in response: "That is permissible."

Hadith.810 - Ibrahim ibn Mahziyar wrote to Abu Muhammad Imam Hasan ibn Ali (as), asking about praying in garments dyed with crimson (qirmaz), saying, "Our companions avoid praying in it." The Imam wrote back: "There is no problem with it at all, and all praise is due to Allah (swt)."

Hadith.811 - He (Ibrahim ibn Mahziyar) wrote to Imam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan (as) asking about a man who replaces cotton in his cloak with qazz (a type of silk): "Can he pray in it?" Imam (as) replied: "Yes, there is no problem with it."

"There is no issue if a garment's warp, buttons, or trim is made of silk; what is disliked for men is pure silk (mubham)”.

"There is no issue in taking (a piece) from the silk covering of the Ka’ba and using it as a cover for a Quran or making it into a prayer mat to pray upon."

Hadith.814 - Muhammad ibn Ismail ibn Bazi' asked Abu Al-Hasan Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as), about praying in a garment with patterns (decorations), and the Imam disliked it if it contained images (representations).

Hadith.815 - Sama’a ibn Mehran asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about wearing a sword during prayer that has glue or leather (adhesive substances, such as glue made from animal parts) on it. Imam (as) replied: "There is no problem as long as you do not know that it is from a dead (non-slaughtered) animal”.

Hadith.816 - Ali ibn al-Rayan ibn al-Salt asked Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Thalith (as) about a man who cuts his hair or trims his nails and then proceeds to prayer without shaking the remnants off his clothes. The Imam said: "There is no issue (no problem)."

Hadith.817 - Yunus ibn Ya'qub asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about a man praying while wearing a burṭulah (a type of hat or head covering). The Imam said: "It does not harm him (there is no issue)."

"Whoever goes out on a journey without wrapping the turban under his chin and suffers from an ailment for which there is no remedy, let him blame none but himself”.

Hadith.819 - The truthful one, Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as), said: "I guarantee that whoever leaves his house with his turban wrapped under his chin will return to it safely."

Hadith.820 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as), said: "I am amazed by one who goes about seeking to fulfil a need while in a state of ritual purity (wudu) — how is it that his need is not met? And I am amazed by one who seeks to fulfil a need while wearing his turban wrapped under his chin — how is it that his need is not met?"

Hadith.821 - The Prophet, said: "The distinction between the Muslims and the polytheists is the wearing of turbans."

Hadith.822 - It has also been reported from the Messenger, by those outside the Shi'a tradition that he commanded the wearing of turbans (tallaḥḥi) and forbade wrapping without a tail (iqti'āṭ).

Hadith.823 - Al-Halabi and Abdullah ibn Sinan asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) whether a man may recite during prayer with his garment covering his mouth. The Imam said: "There is no issue with that." In another narration by Al-Halabi, it is added: "As long as he can hear his murmuring (sound of his recitation)”.

Hadith.824 - Rifa'ah ibn Musa asked Abu Al-Hasan Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) about a person who is dyed (with henna or similar) and whether they can pray while in this state if they are able to perform prostration and recitation. Imam (as) replied: "Yes, as long as their cloth (used during the process) is pure and they are in a state of wudu (ritual purity). There is also no issue if a woman prays while She is dyed and her hands are bound (covered)."

Hadith.825 - Ali ibn Ja'far and Ali ibn Yaqtin asked Abu Al-Hasan Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) about whether a man and a woman may pray while dyed with henna or wasmah (a type of dye). Imam (as) said: "If they expose the mouth and nostrils, there is no problem."

Hadith.826 - Muhammad ibn Muslim asked Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) about a man praying without taking his hands out of his garment. The Imam said: "If he takes his hands out, it is good, but if he does not, there is no issue (no problem)."

"There is no issue if one of you prays in a single garment with its buttons undone. Indeed, the religion of Muhammad (sw) is upright (easy and straightforward)."