Praise be to Allah
There is a consensus amongst all the scholars that it is obligatory to cover the ‘awrah while praying. The man’s ‘awrah is between the navel and the knee. However, there is disagreement over the knee whether it is the awrah or not. The shoulder is the area between the shoulder blade and the neck.
Imam Ahmad was of the view that the prayer must be done covering the minimum awrah which is between the navel and the knee and at least one shoulder. If not, the prayer is nullified[i].
Ahmad and some of the salaf (may Allah have mercy on them) said: If he was able to put something over his shoulder, his prayer is not valid unless he covers his shoulder, because of the apparent meaning of the hadeeth. And another report was narrated from Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) stating that his prayer is valid, but he is sinning by not doing that.
Evidence to support that prayer is not valid unless he covers his shoulder.
1- Allaah has commanded the worshipper to beautify and adorn himself for prayer, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes) while praying”[al-A’raaf 7:31].
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
….Which Allaah revealed because the mushrikeen used to circumambulate the Ka’bah naked. Every place of prostration is a mosque (masjid), and this indicates that covering oneself for prayer and tawaaf is what is meant by adorning oneself to worship Allaah. Hence the word adornment is used rather than the word covering, to demonstrate that what is meant is that a person should adorn himself and not limit it to simply covering”[ii].
2- Hadith of the Prophet Mohammad, upon whom be peace,. He said, “Let not one of you pray in a one-piece garment without it extending to cover one of his shoulders”[iii].
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said, in the commentary on Sharh Zaad al-Mustaqni’: Differentiating between obligatory and naafil prayers is contrary to the apparent meaning of the hadeeth. Moreover, the author said: “with one of his shoulders” but the hadeeth indicates that both shoulders must be covered. What the author said is the well-known view of the madhhab[iv].
Some Ahadith on prayer in single garment.
1- Abu Huraira reported: An inquirer asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) about the prayer in a single garment. He (the Holy Prophet) adds: “Has every one of you two garments”[v]?
2- Umar b. Abu Salama reported: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) praying in Umm Salama’s house in a single garment, placing its two ends over his shoulders[vi]”.
3- The men used to pray with the Prophet with their Izars tied around their necks as boys used to do; therefore the Prophet told the women not to raise their heads till the men sat down straight (while praying)[vii].
4- Ibn ‘Umar reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, “If one of you is going to pray, he should wear two garments, for Allah has the most right that you should look good for Him. If one does not have two garments, he should cover himself with a cloak when he prays, but not like the Jews do[viii].”
5- Narrated Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir:
Once Jabir prayed with his Izar tied to his back while his clothes were Lying beside him on a wooden peg. Somebody asked him, “Do you offer your prayer in a single Izar?” He replied, “I did so to show it to a fool like you. Had anyone of us two garments in the lifetime of the Prophet?” [ Bukhari, Hadith 352]
I will quote two pieces of evidence, If Allah wills, which will suffice to prove that a man doesn’t need to cover his shoulders or shoulder blades when praying, but it is mustahabb.
Evidence number 1:
Sa’eed ibn al-Haarith who said: We asked Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah about praying in a single garment and he said: I went out with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on one of his journeys and I came at night for some purpose, and I found him praying and I was wearing a single garment. I wrapped myself in it and prayed beside him. When he had finished he said: “What is this walking at night O Jaabir?” I told him of my need, and when I had finished he said: “What is this wrapping that I see?” I said: It is too small. He said: “If it is large enough, wrap it around the body, and if it is too small, tie it around your waist.[ix]”
The majority of scholars interpreted this as meaning it is a mustahabb, to reconcile between the reports.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said,
“The second opinion is that covering the shoulders is Sunnah and not obligatory, and there is no difference between obligatory and naafil prayers, because of the hadeeth, “if it is too small, tie it around your waist”. This view is the more correct one, and it is the view of the majority. The idea that there should be something on the shoulders is not because the shoulders are ‘awrah, rather it is so that the clothing may be complete and the waist wrapper be tied properly, because if it is not secured at the shoulders, it may come loose and fall. In this case, the covering of the shoulders is sought for another purpose; it is not sought in and of itself[x].
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim: With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “No one of you should pray in a single garment with nothing on his shoulders”, the scholars said: The reason behind it is that if he wraps it around his waist and no part of it is on his shoulders, there is no guarantee that his ‘awrah will not become uncovered, unlike if he places part of it over his shoulder. And because he may need to hold it with his hand or both hands so he will be distracted by that, and will miss out on the Sunnah of placing the right hand over the left hand beneath his chest, and raising the hands when it is Sunnah to do so, and so on. And because he is not covering the upper body which is the place of adornment. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes)” [al-A’raaf 7:31]. Moreover, Maalik, Abu Haneefah, and al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on them) and the majority of scholars said that this is a prohibition in the sense of being makrooh, and it is not haraam. So if a man prays in a single garment that covers his ‘awrah, but no part of it is on his shoulder, then his prayer is valid although it is makrooh, whether he was able to put something on his shoulder or not. End quote.
Evidence number 2-
‘Umar ibn al-Khattab became angry at the dispute between Ubayy ibn Ka’b and Ibn Mas’ood about prayer in a single garment. Ubayy said, ‘Prayer in one garment is good and fine; Ibn Mas’ood said, ‘That is only if one does not have many clothes.’ So ‘Umar came out in anger, saying, ‘Two men from among the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), who are looked up to and learned from, disputing? Ubayy has spoken the truth and not cared about Ibn Mas’ood. But if I hear anyone disputing about it after this I will do such and- such to him’.[xi]”
Conclusion:
A man doesn’t need to cover his shoulders or shoulder blades when praying, but it is mustahabb to do so as an adornment and out of respect for the prayer and the fact that he is standing before his Lord, may He be glorified and exalted; but if he prays with his shoulders or shoulder blade bare, his prayer is valid. It is related that when al-Hassan ibn ‘Ali prayed, he would wear his best clothes. He was asked about that and he said, “Verily, Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty, so I beautify myself for my Lord.” Such a view is in accord with Allah’s words, “And wear your adornment for every prayer.Allah Knows Best.[xii]“
[i] See al-Insaf( 1/456).
Quoted in A Commentary On Zad Al-Mustaqni, Salih Fauzan Al-Fawzan, Vol- 1, page 206
[ii] . Sharh al-‘Umdah, 4/258, 259
[iii] Reported by al-Bukhari (1/100) and Muslim (2/61) from the narration of Abu Hurairah.
[iv] End quote from al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (2/168).
[v] Imam Muslim, translation by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui , Volume: The Book of Prayers (Kitab Al-Salat), hadith number- 1043.
[vi] Imam Muslim, translation by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui , Volume: The Book of Prayers (Kitab Al-Salat), hadith numb-1047
[vii] Narrated/Authority of Sahl, Hadith No: 358, Sahih Bukhari, Chapter: 8, Prayers (Salat)
[viii] Related by at-Tabarani and al-Baihaqi
quoted in quoted in Fiqh us sunnah, Sayed Sabiq, PDF, Page 65
[ix] al-Bukhaari (361) and Muslim (3010)
[x] al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (2/168). , https://islamqa.info/en/answers/125425/do-men-have-to-cover-their-shoulders-whilst-praying
[xi] Ibn ‘Abdul Barr in Jaami’ Bayaan al-‘Ilm (2/81-2),
quoted in The Prophet’s Prayer Described “from beginning to end as though you see it” , By Sheikh Muhammed Naasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaani, PDF, Page-17
[xii] Quoted in Fiqh us sunnah, Sayed Sabiq, PDF, Page 65
https://islamqa.info/en/answers/125425/do-men-have-to-cover-their-shoulders-whilst-praying
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