The Ruling on wearing Thin Clothes that do not cover the 'Awrah in Prayer

Question :

Thin clothes have become commonplace among the Muslim populace, especially in the summer; and on many occasions we observe people in prayer wearing them, and underneath them, they wear short undergarments which only cover half or a third of the thigh. Likewise, some of them wear short vests so that the garment reveals what is below the navel. As your Excellencies know, covering the 'Awrah is a condition for the acceptance of prayer. Are these (garments) considered to cover (the 'Awrah)? Inform us, may Allah bless you.

Answer:

There is a consensus among the Muslims that it is an obligation upon the worshipper to cover his 'Awrah in prayer and it is not permissible for him to pray in a state of undress, whether man or woman. And the woman's 'Awrah covers a wider area than that of the man. The 'Awrah of a man is between the navel and the knees, and he must also cover the shoulders, or at least one of them, if he is able to do so, for the Prophet said to Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him:

*If the garment is wide, then wrap yourself in it, and if it is tight, then wear it as an Izar.

In the Hadith of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, he said:

"None of you should pray in one garment that does not cover anything of his shoulder.

As for the woman, all of her body is 'Awrah in prayer, except her face; and scholars have differed over the status of the hands, some of them claiming that it is obligatory to cover them, while others allowed them to be uncovered. The case regarding them is open to argument, but it is better to cover them, in order to avoid the disagreements of the scholars. As for the feet, they must be covered in prayer according to the majority of scholars. Abu Dawud - may Allah have mercy on him - reported on the authority of Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she asked the Prophet: "May a woman pray in a long shirt and a head covering - without an Izar?" He replied:
"If the long shirt is wide and it covers up her feet.

Ibn Hajar may Allah have mercy on him said in Bulugh Al- Maram: "And the scholars have authenticated this up to Umm Salamah."

Based on what we have mentioned, it is an obligation upon the man and the woman that their clothes cover the 'Awrah; and if they are thin and do not cover it, then the prayer is invalid; this includes wearing short undergarments which do not cover the thighs which is an obligation upon the man if he does not wear over them something which covers the thighs. In this case, his prayer would be invalid. And likewise, when a woman wears thin garments which do not cover the 'Awrah, her prayer is invalid.

Prayer is a pillar of Islam and its greatest pillar, after the Shahadatain. Therefore, it is obligatory upon all Muslims - men and women to be meticulous and painstaking therein, to fulfill all of its conditions and to avoid all those things that may cause it to be invalidated. Allah, the Almighty, the All- Powerful says:

Guard strictly (the five obligatory) Salawat (prayers), especially the middle Salah (i.e. the best prayer - 'Asr).

And Allah, the Most Glorified says:
And offer prayers perfectly (lqamatus-Salat) and give Zakah.

And there is no doubt that being meticulous and painstaking in implementing its conditions and all that Allah has made obligatory therein is included in the command to guard the prayers and perform them perfectly.

If there is an unrelated man in the woman's presence when she prays, she must cover her face; likewise in Tawaf, she must cover the whole of her body, because Tawaf comes under the same ruling as prayer. And through Allah is success attained.