Question
What is the ruling for wearing a hat in Salah for men? Is is sunnah or wajib? Also what is the ruling for the hair being uncovered at the front (next to the forhead)? Does it invalidate the Salah?
Answer
One should be aware that covering the head is a sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم) both inside and outside of the prayer.
Imam Zahid al-Kawthari (رحمة الله عليه) has mentioned: “The prayer of who is bare headed, without a valid excuse, is valid if his prayer has brought together all the necessary conditions and pillars, but doing so is in opposition to the inherited sunnah and the inherited practise in every land from the Muslim lands successively century after century.”
[Maqalat al-Kawthari, pg 165]
Imam Amjad Ali al-A’zhami (رحمة الله عليه) has mentioned: “Praying bare headed out of laziness, considering it to be a burden or that it is making feel hot, is Makruh Tanzihi (minor dislike).”
[Bahare Shari’at vol 2 pg 631]
A man should wear an imamah or hat in such a way that the forehead remains uncovered so that prostrates with forehead touching the ground directly. However, if the hair of the forelock remained uncovered it would not invalidate’s prayer.
Allāh knows best.
Answered by Ustadh Ibrar Shafi
Published by the Dar-ul-Ifta of Akhuwat-e-Islami as Q-ID0072. Read it on Akhuwat-e-Islami