Performing salaah with the Garments below the Ankles

Q: Salaah-592: Is it permissible or not to wear the lower garment or trousers below the ankles? Is it necessary to fold the trousers above the ankles before performing salaah, as many people do? Will salaah need to be repeated if performed with the garment below the ankles?

Answer: It is Makrooh to perform salaah with the garments hanging below the ankles and such a salaah is not accepted. Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah RADI. reports that a person was performing salaah with his lower garment hanging below the ankles. "Go and perform wudhu." Rasulullaah SAW. instructed him, when he had done s? and returned, Rasulullaah SAW. repeated the instruction. The man again went to perform wudhu and returned. Someone then asked. "O Rasulullaah SAW. Why have you instructed him io repeat his wudhu?" Rasulullaah SAW. replied, "He was performing salaah with his lower garment hanging below the ankles and Allaah does not accept the salaah of a person whose lower garment hangs below the ankles.

Another Hadith from Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Masood RADI. states that he heard Rasulullaah SAW. say, "Whoever allows his lower garment to hang below the ankles out of pride in salaah, then neither is it necessary for Allaah to make Jannah permissible for him nor Jahannam forbidden for him.

It is the requirement of the Shari'ah for men to wear their garment above the ankles. although it is best for the garment to reach halfway up the calves. It is a serious sin to have the garments hanging below the ankles. Consider the following Ahadeeth:

1. Hadhrat Abu Sa'eed Khudri RADI. reports that he heard Rasulullaah SAW. say, the lower garment of a Mu'min reaches halfway down his calves and there will be no harm in it extending between this point and the ankles, However. whatever extends below the ankles will be in the fire of Jahannam." After repeating this thrice, Rasulullaah SAW. then added. "On the Day of Qiyaamah, Allaah will not even look (with mercy) at the person whose lower garment hangs below the ankles out of pride.

2. Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah RADI. reports that Rasulullaah SAW. said, Whatever portion of the lower garment extends below the ankles will be in the fire of Jahannam.

3.Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah RADI. narrates that Rasulullaah SAW. said, "Allaah will not even look (with mercy) at the person who allows lower garment hangs below the ankles out of pride.

4.Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Umar RADI. reports that Rasulullaah SAW. said, "On the Day of Qiyaarnah. Allaah will not even look (with mercy) at the person whose lower garment hangs below the ankles out of pride.

5.Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Umar RADI. narrates that Rasulullaah SAW. said, "A person allowed his lower garment to hang below the ankles out of pride when the ground swallowed him up and he will continue plunging through the earth until the Day of Qiyaamah.

6.Hadhrat Abu Dharr RADI. reports that Rasulullaah SAW. said, "There are three persons to whom Allaah will not even speak on the Day of Qiyaamah, will not took at (with mercy) and neither purify (of their sins).

They shall have to suffer a painful punishment. They are truly at a loss, O Rasulullaah SAW. Who are they," Hadhrat Abu Dharr RADI. enquired. When Rasulullaah SAW. repeated himself thrice, Hadhrat Abu Dharr RADI. again said. "They are truly at a loss, O Rasulullaah SAW. Who are they." Rasulullaah SAW. explained, "They are the person whose lower garment hangs below his ankles. the one who reminds people of the favours he did for them and the one who sells his goods by taking false oaths.
Allaah dislikes the person whose lower garment hangs below the ankles so much that he will not be blessed with Allaah's mercy on the night of Baraa'ah (15th of Sha'baan). A Hadith states that on the night of Baraa'ah, all will be forgiven except for the one whose garment flows beneath his ankles, the one who disobeys his parents and the one who is a habitual drunkard.

Rasulullaah SAW. also said that on the night of Baraa'ah, Allaah frees from Jahannam as many people as there are hairs on the goats of the Banu Bakr tribe (a tribe known for the large number of goats they reared). However, Allaah does not look with mercy at the Mushrik, the one who bears malice, the one who severs family ties, the one whose garment flows beneath his ankles. the one who disobeys his parents and the one who is a habitual drunkard.

The seriousness of the crime can be gauged from the above Ahadeeth. It is so grave that no true Mu'min will dare contradict this injunction. This act is usually carried out due to pride and to imitate the non-Muslims. A person should be conscious of this at all times and the excuse will not be acceptable that it is not done out of pride, but happens by accident.

The book Addul Aathaam states that it is totally Haraam for men to Wear their trousers or lower loincloths beneath the ankles becaurse Rasulullaah SAW. explicitly mentioned that whatever portion of the lower garment hangs beneath the ankles will be in the fire of Jahannam. As for the condition of pride mentioned in some Ahadeeth, it must be noted that the condition is not a prerequisite for the prohibition but rather a cursory clause. This is established from the statements of the Muhadditheen.

Had it not been for the element of pride in a person, he would feel no difficulty in wearing the garment above the ankles and he would not look down and scoff at people who do wear it above the ankles. In fact, scoffing at the practice makes one a Kaafir.

It is therefore necessary for Muslim men to wear their garments above the ankles at all times and not only in salaah. The sin is however substantially greater when committed in salaah.

Fataawaa Daarul Uloom (Vol.4 P5.127) states that it is Makrooh to wear the trousers below the ankles and the act deprives one of the rewards of salaah. It is also necessary to wear the garments above the ankles out of salaah because the Ahadeeth have sounded warnings against this.

And AIIaah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.2