Cover in Righteousness

The Noble Qur'an Al-A'raaf 7:26

O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment* upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better. Such are among the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, that they may remember (i.e. leave falsehood and follow truth).

*clothing/covering

What Must Be Covered During Prayer

The male 'Aura for prayer is that he must cover himself with clothes from umbilicus of his abdomen to his knees, and it is better that his both shoulders should be covered.

The Noble Qur'an 7:32

O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes), while praying and going round (the Tawâf of) the Ka'bah, and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allâh) likes not Al-Musrifûn (those who waste by extravagance).

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Who has forbidden the adoration with clothes given by Allâh, which He has produced for his slaves, and At-Taiyibât [all kinds of Halâl (lawful) things] of food?" Say: "They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and) exclusively for them (believers) on the Day of Resurrection (the disbelievers will not share them)." Thus We explain the Ayât (Islâmic laws) in detail for people who have knowledge.

 

 The Thighs

The thighs are part of the aura and it should be a man's intentions to keep it covered. The following is  from Fiqh 1.111b

Says 'Aishah, "The Prophet was sitting with his thigh exposed when Abu Bakr asked, and received, permission to enter. The same thing happened with 'Umar. However, when 'Uthman sought permission to enter, the Prophet covered himself with his clothes. When they left, I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, you permitted Abu Bakr and 'Umar to enter while your thigh was exposed. When 'Uthman asked permission to enter, you covered yourself with your clothes.' He said, 'O 'Aishah, should I not be shy of a man who, by Allah, even the angels are shy of'?" (Related by Ahmad and al-Bukhari in mu'allaq form. )

Says Anas, "During the battle of Khaibar, the Prophet's gown was withdrawn from his thigh until I could see its whiteness." (Related by Ahmad and al-Bukhari.)

Says Ibn Hazm, "It is correct to say that the thigh is not part of the 'aurah. If it were so, why would Allah allow His Prophet, who is protected (from sin), to uncover his so that Anas and others could see it? Allah would have kept him from doing this. According to Jabir as recorded in the two Sahihs, when the Prophet was young (before his prophethood), he was one time carrying the stones of the Ka'bah, wearing only a loincloth. His uncle al-'Abbas said to him, 'O nephew, why don't you untie your waistcloth and put it on your shoulder for padding?' The Prophet did so and fell unconscious. He was never seen naked again after that."'

Muslim records from Abu al-'Aliya that 'Abdullah ibn as-Samit struck his thigh and said, "I asked Abu Dharr, and he struck my thigh as I struck yours, and he said, 'I asked the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, and he struck my thigh as I have struck yours and said, 'Perform the prayer in its time..." Ibn Hazm said, "If the thigh was 'aurah, why would the Messenger of Allah touch it?" If the thigh was 'aurah according to Abu Dharr, why would he have struck it with his hand? The same can be asked for 'Abdullah ibn as-Samit and Abu al-'Aliya. It is not allowed for a Muslim to strike with his hand another man's pubic area, or the clothes over the pubic area. Nor can a man touch the clothing over a woman's 'a urah .

Ibn Hazm mentions that Hubair ibn al-Huwairith looked at Abu Bakr's thigh when it was uncovered, and that Anas ibn Malik came to Qas ibn Shamas when his thigh was uncovered.

However, the following hadith are used to show that the thighs and so on are part of the 'aurah:

Reported Muhammad Jahsh, "The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, passed by Ma'mar while his thighs were uncovered. He said, to him, 'O Ma'mar, cover your thighs, for they are (part of the) 'aurah." This is related by Ahmad, al-Hakim and al-Bukhari in Tareekh and in mu'allaq form in his Sahih.

Reported Jurhad, "The Messenger of Allah passed by me when the cloak I was wearing did not cover my thigh. He said, 'Cover your thigh, for it (is part of the) 'aurah." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi, who called it hassan, and by al-Bukhari in mu'allaq form in the Sahih.

 Envelope (completely cover) oneself in Clothing
and Keep It Clean

The Noble Qur'an 74:1-4
1. O you (Muhammad SAW) enveloped (in garments)!
2. Arise and warn!
3. And your Lord (Allâh) magnify!
4. And your garments purify!

Fiqh 1.109b

Concerning bodily purity, Anas related that the Prophet upon whom be peace, said, "Stay clean of urine, as the majority of punishment in the grave is due to it." This is related by ad-Daraqutni, who said it is hassan.

Reported 'Ali, I used to have a great deal of prostatic fluid flowing, so I asked a man to ask the Prophet about it (as I was shy to ask him, due to my relationship with him through his daughter). He asked him and the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Make ablution and wash your penis." (Related by al-Bukhari and others.)

'Aishah also related that the Messenger of Allah said to women with a prolonged flow of blood, "Wash the blood from yourself and pray . "

Concerning purity of clothing, we have the following: Says Allah, "And purify your raiment" (al-Muddathir 4). Jabir ibn Sumrah reported that he heard a man ask the Prophet, "May I pray in the same clothes that I had on during intercourse with my wife?" He said, "Yes, but if you see some stains on it, you must wash it." This hadith is related by Ahmad and Ibn Majah. Its narrators are trustworthy. Reported Mu'awiyyah, "I asked Umm Habibah, 'Did the Prophet pray in the same clothes that he wore when he had intercourse?' She said, 'Yes, if there were no stains on it."'(Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.) Abu Sa'eed reported that the Prophet removed his shoes and the people behind him did likewise. When he finished the prayer, he asked, "Why did you remove your shoes?" They said, "We saw you remove yours." He said, "Gabriel came to me and informed me that there was some filth on them. Therefore, when one of you comes to the mosque, he should turn his shoes over and examine them. If one finds any dirt on them, he should rub them against the ground and pray with them on." The hadith is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Hakim, Ibn Hibban and Ibn Khuzaimah. The latter grades it as sahih.

This hadith shows that if one enters the mosque (with his shoes on) and is unaware of some impurity or has forgotten it, and he suddenly remembers it during the prayer, he must try to remove it and proceed with the prayer. He does not have to repeat it later on.

Hadith - Abu Dawood 3150, Narrated Ubadah ibn as-Samit
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The best shroud is a lower garment and one which covers the whole body, and the best sacrifice is a horned ram.

 Clothing must not be Tight.

Covering entire body is preferred over covering just lower half.

Hadith - Sahih Bukhari 1.357, Narrated Said bin Al Harith

I asked Jabir bin 'Abdullah about praying in a single garment. He said, "I traveled with the Prophet during some of his journeys, and I came to him at night for some purpose and I found him praying. At that time, I was wearing a single garment with which I covered my shoulders and prayed by his side. When he finished the prayer, he asked, 'O Jabir! What has brought you here?' I told him what I wanted. When I finished, he asked, 'O Jabir! What is this garment which I have seen and with which you covered your shoulders?' I replied, 'It is a (tight) garment.' He said, 'If the garment is large enough, wrap it round the body (covering the shoulders) and if it is tight (too short) then use it as an Izar (tie it around your waist only.)' "

Silk Garments

Hadith - Sahih Al-Bukhari 7.693, Narrated Uqba bin Amir
A silken Farruj was presented to Allah's Apostle and he put it on and offered the prayer in it. When he finished the prayer, he took it off violently as if he disliked it and said, "This (garment) does not befit those who fear Allah!"

Saffron  (Yellow, Red/Yellow) Colored Garments

Bowl of Harvested Saffron Among Crocus Blossoms Harvesters pick the three red-orange stigma from each saffron crocus blossom to be sold as the saffron spice.     A Saffron Shoulder Bag History records that the Phoenecians and Carthegenians used Saffron’s golden hues to dye the veils of their brides. Even now, Buddhist monks use it for coloring their robes. Indian brides use it for the ceremonial painting of their skins. The Irish use it for tinting wool. The Japanese use it for hand painting kimonos. It has also been used in the arts and paintings. Before the Renaissance, saffron had several religious uses. Even today, Indian hindu women, when offering prayers, receive a paste of saffron on their foreheads (Tikka) as a symbol of blessings, good luck and benevolance. Also in India, saffron is offered as a sacrifice in many hindu temples. Certain Hindu texts have been known to be written with saffron ink.

Hadith - Sunan of Abu Dawood #4037, Narrated Imran ibn Husayn The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I do not ride on purple, or wear a garment dyed with saffron*, or wear shirt hemmed with silk. Hadith - Sunan of Abu Dawood #4210, Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) disliked ten things: 1. Yellow colouring... Hadith - Sunan of Abu Dawood #4055, Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As We came down with the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) from a turning of a valley. He turned his attention to me and I was wearing a garment dyed with a reddish yellow dye. He asked: What is this garment over you? I recognised what he disliked. I then came to my family who were burning their oven. I threw it (the garment) in it and came to him the next day. He asked: Abdullah, what have you done with the garment? I informed him about it. He said: Why did you not give it to one of your family to wear, for there is no harm in it for women. *a moderate orange to orange yellow color

Patterns/Marks In the Clothing: Simple Clothing Preferred

Hadith - Sunan of Abu Dawood, #4041, Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin, r.a.
The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) once prayed wearing a garment having marks. He looked at its marks. When he saluted, he said: Take this garment of mine to AbuJahm, for it turned my attention just now in my prayer, and bring a simple garment without marks.

Hadith - Muwatta 3.72 - Looking in the Prayer at What Distracts You From It
Yahya related to me from Malik from AIqama ibn Abi AIqama from his mother that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Abu Jahm ibn Hudhayfa gave the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, a fine striped garment from Syria and he did the prayer in it. When he had finished he said, 'Give this garment back to Abu Jahm. I lookedat its stripes in the prayer and they almost distracted me.' "

Sadaqa Not Accepted with Unlawful Clothing

Hadith - Muslim
Then [the Messenger saaws] mentioned a man who had traveled for a long time. Unkempt and covered in dust, he raised his hands to the heavens (and cried): 'O my Lord! O my Lord!' His food was unlawful, his drink was unlawful, his clothing was unlawful, and what he had provided to sustain himself with was also unlawful. How could his invocation be accepted?"

 Gratitude to Allah for the Protection of Clothing

The Noble Qur'an An-Nahl 16:81
And Allâh has made for you out of that which He has created shades, and has made for you places of refuge in the mountains, and has made for you garments to protect you from the heat (and cold), and coats of mail to protect you from your (mutual) violence. Thus does He perfect His Grace unto you, that you may submit yourselves to His Will (in Islâm).

 Wearing White

Hadith - Al-Tirmidhi 4623, Narrated 'Aisha, r.a.
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was questioned about Waraqah and Khadijah said to him, "He believed in you, but died before you appeared as a prophet." Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) then said, "I was shown him in a dream, wearing white clothes, and if he had been one of the inhabitants of Hell he would have been wearing different clothing." [Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it]

Hadith - Sahih Al-Bukhari 7.717, Narrated Abu Dharr, r.a.
I came to the Prophet while he was wearing white clothes and sleeping....

 Wearing Green

Hadith - Sahih Al-Bukhari 7.705, Narrated 'Aisha, r.a.
When Allah's Apostle died, he was covered with a Hibra Burd (green square decorated garment).

Hadith - Sunan of Abu Dawood, Narrated Abu Rimthah, r.a.
I went with my father to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and saw two green garments over him.

 Wearing Red

It is permissible to wear red clothes if the red is combined with another colour; it is not permissible to wear plain red, because the Prophet (saaws) forbade doing so.

The hadith which forbid wearing plain red

1. From al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (saaws) forbade us to use soft red mattresses and qasiy – garments with woven stripes of silk.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5390)

2. From Ibn ‘Abbaas, who said: “I was forbidden (to wear) red garments and gold rings, and to recite Qur’aan in rukoo’.” (Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, no. 5171. Imam Albaani said: its isnaad is sahih. Saheeh Sunan al-Nasaa’i, 1068).

3. From ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-Aas (may Allaah be pleased with them both), who said: “A man passed by the Prophet SAWS wearing two red garments and greeted him with salaam, but he SAWS did not return the greeting.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2731; Abu Dawood, no. 3574. Al-Tirmidhi said: this hadeeth is hasan ghareeb with this isnaad). According to the scholars, the meaning of this hadith is that the Prophet SAWS disliked the wearing of garments dyed with safflower (the red dyestuff obtained from safflowers), but he had no objection to garments dyed with clay or other substances, so long as it was not dyed with safflower. This hadeeth was classed as da’eef by al-Albaani (Da’eef Sunan Abi Dawood, 403; Da’eef Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 334. He said: its isnaad is da’eef).

Hadith which may be understood to mean that it is permissible to wear red if it is mixed with another colour

1. From Hilaal ibn ‘Aamir from his father, who said: “I saw the Messenger of Allaah SAWS in Mina, giving a khutbah sitting on his mule, wearing a red cloak, and ‘Ali was in front of him, repeating what he said (in a loud voice, so that the people could hear).” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, no. 3551; classed as sahih by al-Albaani – Sahih Sunan Abi Dawood, 767).

2. The hadeeth of al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allah SAWS was of average build. I saw him in a red hullah, and I never saw anyone more handsome than him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 5400; Muslim, 4308).

3. From al-Baraa’, who said: “I never saw anyone who has hair wearing a red hullah and looking more handsome than the Messenger of Allah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He had hair down to his shoulders, he was broad-shouldered and was neither short nor tall.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, no. 1646. He said: in this chapter there is a report from Jaabir ibn Samurah and Abu Rimthah and Abu Juhayfah. This hadeeth is hasan saheeh…)

4. From al-Baraa’ who said: “The Messenger of Allaah SAWS had hair down to his earlobes. I saw him wearing a red hullah, and I have never seen anyone more handsome than him.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, no. 4072; Ibn Maajah, no. 3599. Classed as sahih by Albaani – Saheeh Sunan Abi dawood, 768).

5. Al-Bayhaqi narrated in al-Sunan: “[The Prophet] SAWS used to wear a red cloak on Eid.”

What is meant by a red hullah is a suit of two Yemeni garments which are woven with red and black stripes, or red and green stripes. It is described as red because of the red stripes in it.

This is the view of a number of scholars, such as al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (Fath al-Baari Sharh ‘ala Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 5400) and Ibn al-Qayyim (Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1-137). And Allah knows best

 Wear an 'Izar

An 'Izar (loing wrap) is a rectangular piece of cloth worn wrapped around the waist for modesty.

Hadith - Bukhari 7.695 (Also 7.744) Narrated Ibn Abbas, r.a. The Prophet (saaws) said, "Whoever cannot get an Izar, can wear trousers, and whoever cannot wear sandals can wear Khuffs."

 Garment Should Not Hang Past Ankles

Hadith - Al-Muwatta 48.12, Similar narration in Abu Dawood #4082
Yahya related to me from Malik from al Ala ibn Abd ar-Rahman that his father said, "I asked Abu Said al-Khudri about the lower garment. He said that he would inform me with knowledge and that he had heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'The lower garment of the mumin should reach to the middle of his calves. There is no harm in what is between that and the ankles. What is lower than that is in the Fire. What is lower than that is in the Fire. On the Day of Rising, Allah will not look at a person who trails his lower garment in arrogance.' "

Hadith - Sahih Al-Bukhari 7.678, Narrated Abu Huraira, r.a.
The Prophet (saaws) said, "The part of an Izar which hangs below the ankles is in the Fire."

Hadith - Sunan of Abu Dawood, Narrated AbuJurayy Jabir ibn Salim al-Hujaymi
The Prophet saaws said, "Have your lower garment halfway down your shin; if you cannot do it, have it up to the ankles. Beware of trailing the lower garment, for it is conceit and Allah does not like conceit."

Folding up the hem because your garment is too long, is forbidden. Pull the trousers upwards, instead. (hint: hard to do if your pants are too tight to start with!)

Hadith - Sahih Muslim #5200, Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar, r.a.

I happened to pass before Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) with my lower garment trailing (upon the ground). He said: Abdullah, tug up your lower garment. I tugged it up, and he again said: Tug it still further, and I tugged it still further and I went on tugging it afterward, whereupon some of the people said: To what extent? Thereupon he said: To the middle of the shanks*.

*The part of the leg between the knee and ankle.

 

 

Said Ibn 'Abbas, "The Prophet ordered us to prostrate on seven bodily parts and not to fold back the hair or clothing: the forehead, the hands, the knees and the feet." In another wording, the Prophet said, "I have been ordered to prostrate on seven bodily parts: the forehead, and he pointed to his nose, the hands, the knees and the ends of the feet." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) In another narration, he said, "I have been ordered to prostrate on seven bodily parts and not to fold back the hair or clothing: the forehead, the nose, the hands, the knees and the feet." (Related by Muslim and an-Nasa'i.)