Content
What Garments Are Permissible for Prayer and What Garments Are Not
وَ سَأَلَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ اَلْجَعْفَرِيُّ اَلْعَبْدَ اَلصَّالِحَ مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يَأْتِي اَلسُّوقَ فَيَشْتَرِي جُبَّةَ فِرَاءٍ لاَ يَدْرِي أَ ذَكِيَّةٌ هِيَ أَمْ غَيْرُ ذَكِيَّةٍ أَ يُصَلِّي فِيهَا فَقَالَ «نَعَمْ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمُ اَلْمَسْأَلَةُ إِنَّ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ كَانَ يَقُولُ «إِنَّ اَلْخَوَارِجَ ضَيَّقُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ بِجَهَالَتِهِمْ إِنَّ اَلدِّينَ أَوْسَعُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ».
Suleiman ibn Jaafar al-Ja'fari asked the righteous servant Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (a.s) about a man who goes to the market and buys a fur garment without knowing if it is from a properly slaughtered (halal) animal or not. Can he pray in it? Imam (a.s) said: "Yes, you are not obligated to inquire about that. Abu Ja'far (a.s) used to say, 'The Khawarij (a group known for extreme practices) imposed restrictions upon themselves out of ignorance; indeed, religion is more accommodating than that.'".
وَ سَأَلَ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عِيسَى أَبَا اَلْحَسَنِ اَلرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلْجُلُودِ وَ اَلْفِرَاءِ يَشْتَرِيهِ اَلرَّجُلُ فِي سُوقٍ مِنْ أَسْوَاقِ اَلْجَبَلِ أَ يَسْأَلُ عَنْ ذَكَاتِهِ إِذَا كَانَ اَلْبَائِعُ مُسْلِماً غَيْرَ عَارِفٍ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ «عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْهُ إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ اَلْمُشْرِكِينَ يَبِيعُونَ ذَلِكَ وَ إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ فَلاَ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْهُ.
Ismail ibn Isa asked Abu Al-Hasan al-Ridha about leather and fur items purchased from a market in the mountain regions: Should a person inquire about their source of slaughter (i.e., whether it was properly done) if the seller is a Muslim but not a known believer? He (a.s) replied: "You should inquire if you see that the sellers are polytheists selling those items. But if you see them performing prayer, then you do not need to ask”.
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يُونُسَ أَنَّ أَبَاهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى أَبِي اَلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: يَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ اَلْفَرْوِ وَ اَلْخُفِّ أَلْبَسُهُ وَ أُصَلِّي فِيهِ وَ لاَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ ذَكِيٌّ فَكَتَبَ «لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ.
It was narrated from Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Yunus that his father wrote to Imam Abu Al-Hasan (a.s) asking about wearing fur or leather socks (khuff) and praying in them without knowing if they were from a properly slaughtered (halal) animal. He (a.s) replied: "There is no harm in it”.
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ هَاشِمٍ اَلْحَنَّاطِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ: «مَا أَكَلَ اَلْوَرَقَ وَ اَلشَّجَرَ فَلاَ بَأْسَ بِأَنْ تُصَلِّيَ فِيهِ وَ مَا أَكَلَ اَلْمَيْتَةَ فَلاَ تُصَلِّ فِيهِ.
It was narrated from Hashim Al Hannat that he heard Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (a.s) say: "Anything that eats leaves and plants, there is no problem in praying while wearing it (its leather or fur), but anything that eats carrion, do not pray in it”.
وَقَالَ زُرَارَةُ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «خَرَجَ أَمِيرُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَى قَوْمٍ فَرَآهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ فِي اَلْمَسْجِدِ قَدْ سَدَلُوا أَرْدِيَتَهُمْ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ «مَا لَكُمْ قَدْ سَدَلْتُمْ ثِيَابَكُمْ كَأَنَّكُمْ يَهُودُ قَدْ خَرَجُوا مِنْ فُهْرِهِمْ » يَعْنِي بِيعَتَهُمْ إِيَّاكُمْ وَ سَدْلَ ثِيَابِكُمْ.
Zurarah said that Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) said: "The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) came out to a group of people and saw them praying in the mosque with their cloaks draped (over their shoulders), and Imam (a.s) said to them: 'What is the matter with you that you drape your garments as if you are Jews coming out of their synagogues?' Meaning, beware of draping your garments (while praying)."
وَقَالَ زُرَارَةُ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «إِيَّاكَ وَ اِلْتِحَافَ اَلصَّمَّاءِ» قَالَ قُلْتُ وَ مَا اَلصَّمَّاءُ قَالَ «أَنْ تُدْخِلَ اَلثَّوْبَ مِنْ تَحْتِ جَنَاحِكَ فَتَجْعَلَهُ عَلَى مَنْكِبٍ وَاحِدٍ.
Zurarah narrated that Abu Ja'far, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) said: "Beware of the 'wrapped shroud' (al-samma')." I asked: "And what is the 'wrapped shroud'?" Imam (a.s) said: "It is when you take your garment under your arm and place it over one shoulder”.
وَ رُوِيَ: «فِي اَلرَّجُلِ يَخْرُجُ عُرْيَاناً فَتُدْرِكُهُ اَلصَّلاَةُ أَنَّهُ يُصَلِّي عُرْيَاناً قَائِماً إِنْ لَمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ وَ إِنْ رَآهُ أَحَدٌ صَلَّى جَالِساً.
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) stated regarding a man who finds himself outside without clothing and the time for prayer arrives, that he should pray standing while uncovered if no one can see him. However, if he is in view of others, he should pray sitting.
وَ رَوَى أَبُو جَمِيلَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: أَنَّهُ سَأَلَهُ عَنْ ثَوْبِ اَلْمَجُوسِيِّ أَلْبَسُهُ وَ أُصَلِّي فِيهِ قَالَ «نَعَمْ» قَالَ قُلْتُ يَشْرَبُونَ اَلْخَمْرَ قَالَ «نَعَمْ نَحْنُ نَشْتَرِي اَلثِّيَابَ اَلسَّابِرِيَّةَ فَنَلْبَسُهَا وَ لاَ نَغْسِلُهَا.
Abu Jamila narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) that he asked him about wearing the garment of a Magian (Zoroastrian) and praying in it. Abu Abdullah (a.s) replied: "Yes." Then he asked: "But they drink wine." He (a.s) said: "Yes, we buy Sabiriyyah garments (a type of fabric) and wear them without washing."
وَ رَوَى زِيَادُ بْنُ اَلْمُنْذِرِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: أَنَّهُ سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ وَ هُوَ حَاضِرٌ عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يَخْرُجُ مِنَ اَلْحَمَّامِ أَوْ يَغْتَسِلُ فَيَتَوَشَّحُ وَ يَلْبَسُ قَمِيصَهُ فَوْقَ إِزَارِهِ فَيُصَلِّي وَ هُوَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ «هَذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ قَوْمِ لُوطٍ » فَقُلْتُ إِنَّهُ يَتَوَشَّحُ فَوْقَ اَلْقَمِيصِ قَالَ «هَذَا مِنَ اَلتَّجَبُّرِ» قُلْتُ إِنَّ اَلْقَمِيصَ رَقِيقٌ يَلْتَحِفُ بِهِ قَالَ «هُوَ وَ حَلُّ اَلْأَزْرَارِ فِي اَلصَّلاَةِ وَ اَلْخَذْفُ بِالْحَصَى وَ مَضْغُ اَلْكُنْدُرِ فِي اَلْمَجَالِسِ وَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ اَلطَّرِيقِ مِنْ عَمَلِ قَوْمِ لُوطٍ».
Ziyad ibn al-Mundhir narrated from Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s) that a man, while in his presence, asked about a person who exits the bathhouse or performs a ritual bath, then wraps himself and wears a shirt over his lower garment and prays in this manner. Imam (a.s) said: "This is from the actions of the people of Lot." I (Ziyad) said: "He wraps the cloth over his shirt." Imam (a.s) said: "This is an act of arrogance." I said: "The shirt is thin, and he covers himself with it." He responded, "This, along with unfastening the buttons during prayer, flicking pebbles, and chewing gum (frankincense) in gatherings or while on the street, are among the practices of the people of Lot."
وَ سَأَلَ عَبْدُ اَللَّهِ بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: فِي اَلرَّجُلِ يُصَلِّي وَ يُرْسِلُ جَانِبَيْ ثَوْبِهِ قَالَ «لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ.
Abdullah ibn Bukayr asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) about a man praying while letting the sides of his garment hang loose. Imam (a.s) said: "There is no issue with it”.
