Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed
What is the ruling on wearing clothing that has pictures of animals? Is there a difference between the clothing of children and adults? What is the ruling on praying in such clothes?
According to Al-Tuhfa, it is unlawful to wear clothes that have pictures of animals, even if the picture is of an imaginary creature, such as horses with wings. The condition for the unlawfulness is that the pictures include what the creature cannot live without, such as the top half of the body. However, if the picture is of some part of the body that does not normally support life, such as the picture of a head, a head and chest with no abdomen, a hand, a foot or the lower part of the body, then it is not unlawful to wear. This is according to the relied upon position of the great scholar Ibn Hajar, in disagreement with the great scholar Al-Ramli.
There is no difference between children’s and adults’ clothing with respect to the above rulings, as our imams have not made a distinction therein.
It is not unlawful to pray in clothes with pictures on them, and the prayer in such clothes is valid, although it is disliked.