Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

asalamailuk rahmatullah

I do have confusion regarding dress code during namaz. some how i come to know that during namaz lower(paint or pazama) should not cover the anckel.but i come to know frm Q-TV pakistan that if somebody is wearing a dress which is not covering the anckle than its ok but some body wearing long lenth paint or pazama he cant fold that lower from below, he can perform namaz as it. pls. tell me detail about it
and with some related hadis
allah hafiz 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Garment lower than ankle

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Abdur Rahman said: ‘I asked Abu Sa`id al-Khudri about wearing lower garment.’ He said: ‘You have come to the man who knows it very well. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘The way for a believer to wear a lower garment is to have it halfway down his legs and he is guilty of no sin if it comes halfway between that and the ankles, but what comes lower than the ankles is in Hell.

On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not look at him who trails his lower garment conceitedly (in arrogance).’

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.678 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Prophet said, "The part of an Izar (lower garment) which hangs below the ankles, is in the Fire."

Any Law has two facets:

The letter of the Law.

The spirit of the Law.

The spirit and wisdom behind the above ‘Law’ whereby the Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers to wear the ‘izaar’ or lower garment below the ankles, is that in the times of the Prophet (saws) poverty was so rampant that only the very rich could afford to wear a garment which would be long enough to reach one’s ankles. Thus the rich, in their pride and arrogance, and to show-off their wealth would wear long flowing robes which would go below their ankles (and at times drag on the ground) when most of the population of those times could not even afford to wear enough to cover oneself appropriately!

The spirit of the law dictates that a believer at all times should avoid and abstain from all types of things that beget arrogance and pride for his possessions; and if wearing the ‘izaar’ lower than the ankles begets arrogance, then the believers must abstain from it.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.8 Narrated by Umar bin Al Khattab

The Prophet (saws) said, "The rewards (of deeds) are according to the intention, and everybody will get the reward for what he has intended.”

If one has absolutely no intention of displaying pride or arrogance by wearing his lower garment below his ankles, the majority of the scholars in Islam are of the opinion that Allah Subhanah would not hold him accountable for his deed. But if one so fears Allah Subhanah and wants to make absolutely sure to stay within the letter and the spirit of the law, then it would be safest and absolutely best if one wears clothes whereby the lower garment is above his ankles.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.49 Narrated by An Numan bin Bashir

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, 'Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it.”

Secondly, the command and guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) for the believers to adorn themselves with lower garments no longer than their ankles is for all times and not only when one offers one’s prayers. Thus it would not be considered righteousness if one only folds ones ankles when one is in prayer and at all other times his lower garments falls below his ankles.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan