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:

Aslamoalaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
May Allah`s Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you.
i am student of engineering in Lahore Pakistan and i heve confusion in something about dress in Prayer. i asked this question many times from "Scholars" , answers were different now i want to know it from U.
First of all it is "sharat" of Namaz that dress must be Proper. we wear pent in University,i also know that when one`s offering prayer ones pent must not on or lower than ones ankles.folding of any dress piece is "Makroo he tanzihi", i want to know may we fold our pent in Prayer or not?
Zazakomullah khair.

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Answer:

Ankles fold pants in prayer dress code

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah and His Messenger (saws) have neither specified nor limited the believers to a particular Islamic dress, but rather gave some conditions which the dress one adorns himself/herself with must be fulfilled:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 26:

26 O ye children of Adam! We have bestowed clothing upon you to cover your shame as well as to be an adornment to you; but the clothing of ‘taqwa’ (piety, righteousness, etc.) that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah that they may receive admonition!

Provided that the below five conditions of apparel are not violated, there is absolutely no restriction on the type or color of clothing the believers are allowed to wear in Islam:

1. Clothes worn should not announce arrogance.
2. The ‘satr’ of the person (man or woman) must be completely covered.
3. The clothes worn must not be tight so as to display ones figure and curves, nor should it be transparent.
4. The clothes worn must not be an imitation of the pagans or disbelievers.
5. Men should not imitate women in their clothing; nor should women imitate men in their clothing.

Neither the Messenger of Allah (saws) nor his noble companions wore special or different clothes after Allah Subhanah guided them to the Truth of Al-Islam, but whatever clothes were worn in the area or culture they grew up in, provided it did not violate any of the laws of Shariah, were worn by the believers.

Your Question: First of all it is "sharat" of Namaz that dress must be Proper.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 31:

31 O children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer.

When one stands in ‘qiyaam’ to offer their prayers, one is in essence in the audience of their Lord Creator, Most Majestic, Most Supreme; and just as one would dress in beautiful apparel if one were to meet with a worldly dignitary or ruler or king….it is only appropriate that one dress in their best when one stands in audience with the King of all kings, Ruler of all rulers, Allah Subhanah, the Lord Creator and Master of everything that exists in existence.

Your Question: i also know that when one`s offering prayer ones pent must not on or lower than ones ankles.folding of any dress piece is "Makroo he tanzihi", i want to know may we fold our pent in Prayer or not?
There is indeed a mis-conception that Shariah prohibits the believers from wearing their lower garment below their ankles ‘only’ when in the state of prayer! The truth is that the Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers from wearing their lower garments below their ankles in pride at all times, including when they offer their prayers!

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:

1. The letter of the Law.
2. 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 at the 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 indeed 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 7.675 Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar

The Prophet (saws) said, "Allah will not look, on the Day of Resurrection, at the person who drags his garment (behind him) out of conceit (arrogance and pride)." On that Abu Bakr (saws) said, "O Allah's Messenger (saws)! One side of my Izar hangs low if I do not take care of it." The Prophet (saws) said, “You are not one of those who do that out of conceit (pride and arrogance)."

We reiterate again 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.

Your Question: i want to know may we fold our pent in Prayer or not?

If the normal clothing of one is such that their lower garment (pants, etc.) does not fall below their ankles, that would be the closest to the letter as well as the spirit of the law; but if without any pride or arrogance, the clothing one wears at normal times happens to fall below their ankles, there is absolutely no need for one to fold their pants only when they offer their prayers. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

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 and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan