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Pants above the Ankles

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askmufti.co.za

Q: I have been told by a friend of mine that folding of the pants above the ankles when one reads salaah is a sin and that it is better to let the pants hang below the ankles. He mentions that there is a hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam in Sahih Muslim that advises against folding of the hair and garments in salaah. Kindly advise if this is  correct.

A. Many Hadeeth are clear on the prohibition of wearing the pants below the ankles. An example is the Hadeeth in Bukhaari wherein Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) says that whichever portion below the ankles is covered will be in Jahannam.  The pants should permanently be above the ankles, whether in or out of Salaah. If a person wears the pants below the ankles, the least he can do is to fold it when performing Salaah. 

Mufti Siraj adds:
We have seen this pamphlet wherein it is emphasized that the pants should be shortened and not folded when making Salaah. However, the correct view is that the ideal thing is for one to have pants that is permanently above the ankles, even by a few centimetres. But if one has a trouser that is below the ankles, then the least he should do is to fold it up to above the ankles. This folded garment is the lesser of the two evils.

Allah Ta’aala knows best.

Moulana Yusuf Laher


This answer was collected from AskMufti.co.za, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Siraj Desai of Darul-Uloom Abubakr, South Africa.

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