QUESTION:

What do the noble ulamā say about this that during the winter season jumpers are worn over clothing and after performing wudū we pull down the sleeves of our jumpers but the sleeves of our shirts sometimes remain folded. Is it necessary to straighten these too and in the scenario that they are not unfolded will the prayer be Makrūh Tahrīmī (prohibitively disliked)?

ANSWER:

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب

Praying with the clothing folded i.e. rolled up, has been forbidden in the sacred hadīth and any prayer delivered in such a state will be makrūh tahrīmī (prohibitively disliked) and wajib al-i’ādah (necessary in repetition).  Moreover, in the sacred hadīth folding the clothing has been prohibited unrestrictedly, be it the outer or inner clothing. Thus, in order for the prayer to be delivered without dislike it will be necessary to unfold the sleeves of the inner shirt alongside the sleeves of the jumper.  If in the scenario asked about the sleeve of the inner shirt, below the jumper, is folded above half the forearm and prayer was offered in that state then it will be makrūh tahrīmī and necessarily repeatable.

It is mentioned in the sacred hadīth:

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“I have been ordered to prostrate on seven bones, upon the forehead”, and he ﷺ indicated with his hand to his nose, “the two hands, the two knees and the edges of the two feet and that we do not gather up the clothing nor the hair.”

[Sahīh al-Bukhārī, hadīth 812]

In ‘Mirqāt al-Mafātīh’, Mullā ‘Alī al-Qārī (May Allah shower him with mercy) under the final wording of this hadīth mentions:

“From the gathering up of the clothing and the hair is tying the hair and folding the clothes.”

[Mirqāt al-Mafātīh Volume 2 page 561]

It is mentioned in ‘al-Bahr al-Rā’iq’:

“Folding up the sleeves also enters into the meaning of gathering up the clothing.”

[al-Bahr al-Rā’iq Volume 2 page 42]

It is also mentioned in ‘Halbat al-Mujallī’:

“To fold the sleeves to what is above half the forearm should also be makrūh because folding the clothes is also rightly applicable to this.”

[Halbat al-Mujallī, Volume 2 page 287]

Sayyidī A’la Hazrat al-Imām Ahmad Ridā Khān (May Allah shower him with mercy) states:

“It is found in all the reference texts of the Madhab: “folding of one’s clothing is makrūh”.  Thus, it is necessary that a person unfold and lower his sleeves and then enter into prayer, even if it means losing a rak’at with the Imām. If someone prayed with his sleeves folded then the prayer should be repeated as is the ruling upon every prayer delivered with dislike.”

[al-Fatāwā al-Ridwiyyah Jild 7 pages 310, 311]

Sadr al-Sharī’ah Badr al-Tarīqah ‘Allāmah Mawlānā Muftī Amjad ‘Alī al-A’zhamī (May Allah shower him with mercy) states:

“Praying with the sleeves folded up over half the forearm or having gathered up the lower end of the upper garment, is also Makrūh Tahrīmī, whether this was folded up before the prayer commenced or during the prayer.”

[Bahār e Sharī’at Volume 1 page 624]

الله أعلم عز و جل و رسوله أعلم صلى الله تعالى عليه وآله و سلم

Answered by Muftī Abū al-Hasan Fudayl Ridā al-‘Attārī
20th Dhu al-Hijjah al-Harām 1439 AH (1st September 2018)

Translated by Ustādh Ibrar Shafi

Source: Dār al-Iftā Ahl al-Sunnah (Da’wat e Islami)

Read the original Urdu answer here: [Q-ID0662] What is the ruling of praying Salah with the sleeves folded?

Also see:

[Q-ID0664] What is the ruling on having trousers kept below the ankles during Salah?

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