Conditions for the Clothes of the Praying Person

Imam Khamenei

Ruling 01. The clothes of a praying person should be:

1. Pure.
2. Permissible to use.
3. Not part of an animal that has not been ritually slaughtered.
4. Not part of an animal of prohibited (ḥarām), i.e. non-eatable meat.
5. For men, not made of gold.
6. For men, not made from silk.

Ruling 02. The clothes of a praying person should be clean.

This means that if they perform a prayer with clothes that are [ritually] filthy (najis), while they are unaware that such thing renders a prayer invalid, their prayer is invalid. However if they are an unblameworthy/ inculpably ignorant person (jāhil qāṣir) , i.e., they do not think that their prayer might be invalid, they are exempted.

Ruling 03. If one does not know that their body or clothes are ritually filthy (najis) but realizes it after completing the prayer, their prayer is valid. However, if prior to performing the prayer, one knew that their body or clothes were ritually filthy (najis) but forgot and performed the prayer, their prayer is invalid.

Ruling 04. When a person doubts whether their clothes are ritually filthy (najis), they are ruled as pure, and if one performs the prayer wearing them, the prayer is valid. However, if one’s clothes were ritually filthy (najis) before and one doubts they have been ritually cleansed, one cannot perform the prayer while wearing them.

Ruling 05. If a person performs a prayer not knowing whether or not their clothes are ritually filthy (najis), and after completing the prayer they become aware that the clothes were ritually filthy (najis), their prayer is valid.

Ayatollah Sistani

Ruling 01. If on account of not knowing the ruling a person performs prayers with an impure body or with impure clothing, and if he was not negligent in learning the ruling, then it is not necessary for him to perform the prayer again or make it up.

Ruling 02. If someone is certain that his body or clothing is not impure and after prayers, he realises it was impure, his prayers are valid.

Ruling 03. If someone forgets that his body or clothing is impure and remembers it during or after prayers, in the event that his forgetfulness was due to carelessness and heedlessness, he must perform the prayer again based on obligatory precaution. If the prescribed time for the prayer has expired, he must make it up. [If his forgetfulness was not due to carelessness and heedlessness and] he remembers after prayers [that his body or clothing was impure], it is not necessary for him to perform the prayer again. However, if he remembers this during prayers, he must act according to the instructions that will be mentioned in the next ruling.

Ruling 04. Wearing clothing made of a material, colour, or style that is not normal for someone who wants to wear it is unlawful if it would cause him disrespect and humiliation. However, his prayers are valid if he performs prayers in that clothing, even if that is his only covering.

Ruling 05. It is not unlawful for a man to wear a woman’s clothing, nor for a woman to wear a man’s clothing, and performing prayers with such clothing does not invalidate the prayer. However, based on obligatory precaution, it is not permitted for a man to appear in the form of a woman, and similarly vice versa.

Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi

Ruling 01: Prayer is permitted in the leather clothing that is acquired from Muslim stores although there may be doubt whether the animal was slaughtered according to legal methods or not. As for when it is certain that the leather is imported from non-Muslim countries and that its purchaser are heedless people that have not investigated into the affair of that leather, prayer is not permitted in it. When it is not known whether the leather is from an Islamic country or non-Islamic country, there is no objection in it.

Ruling 02: It is obligatory that the clothing of the worshipper not be composed of the animal of forbidden flesh, rather, even when there is one hair on the worshipper in prayer, there is an objection also.

Ruling 03: When there is doubt in whether this clothing is taken from wool, fur or hair of an animal of lawful flesh or unlawful flesh, it is proper to pray in it whether it is manufactured in an Islamic country or non-Islamic country.

Ruling 04: Prayer in clothing embroidered with gold is not permitted for a man and the prayer in (such clothing) is invalid. However, there is no objection in that for women when it is not extravagant. Clothing like this is forbidden for men in situations other than prayer also.

Ruling 05: It is forbidden for men to wear jewellery manufactured from gold, like a ring made of gold or a gold wristwatch and similar things. Prayer with these is invalid. The obligatory precaution is to avoid the usage of eyeglasses in which are gold also. However, using all of these are permitted for women in prayer and instances other than prayer.