[Q 732] Salah with Sleeveless Top Covered by Chaddar

Question

Respected Mufti sahib if a lady wearing short sleeves or shirt without sleeves but covered properly with thick chaddar for namaz that it cant be seen . Will namaz be valid?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

It is a condition for salah that the awrah remains covered from the beginning until the end of the prayer. Salah is standing before the Divine Court, and for this, one should ensure good attire.

For a woman, it is essential to cover the entire arms up to the wrist joint from the start of the salah until its completion. Therefore, if she prays by wrapping a thick sheet in such a way that this part remains covered by the thick sheet even during movement in rukoo’, sujood, or throughout the entire salah, then the salah will be valid.

It should be clear that if, during salah, a quarter or more of one arm becomes exposed, or if both arms are exposed less than a quarter but, when joined, they equal a quarter, and they remain exposed for the duration it takes to say “SubhanAllah” three times, then the salah will break.

It is stated in Durr al-Mukhtar:

(وللحرة) ولو خنثى (جميع بدنها) حتى شعرها النازل في الأصح (خلا الوجه والكفين) فظهر الكف عورة على المذهب (والقدمين)

(Ad-Durr al-Mukhtar ma’ Rad al-Muhtar, vol. 1, p. 405)

It is stated in Fatawa Ridawiyyah: The rulings apply to a quarter of every limb. For example:

1. If a quarter of a limb becomes exposed, even unintentionally, and one performs rukoo’, sujood, or any complete pillar in that state, then the salah is nullified by consensus.

2. If, in the aforementioned scenario, a complete pillar was not performed, but enough time passed to say “SubhanAllah” three times, then according to the preferred opinion, the salah is also nullified.

3. If the takbir tahrimah is pronounced while a quarter of a limb is exposed, then the salah will not commence at all, even if it does not remain exposed for the duration of three tasbeehs.

4. In all these situations, if less than a quarter of a limb is exposed, then the salah will be valid, even if the exposure remains from intention to salam, though in some cases, it is undoubtedly sinful and disrespectful.

5. If small parts of multiple limbs, for example two, are exposed, and combining all the exposed body parts does not reach a quarter of the smaller of those two limbs, then the salah is valid.

(Fatawa Ridawiyyah, vol. 6, p. 30, Raza Foundation)

Answered by: Mubashir Madani (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajjad Attari
Translated answer
Date: 18th October 2026