Is the Prayer Valid If One Prays in Impure Clothes Without Knowing It?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question: Assalamu alaykum

Is the prayer valid if one prays in impure clothes but had no clue of them being impure at that time?

Does one have to repeat all of those prayers?
Answer:  Walaikum assalam,

I hope you’re doing well, insha’Allah.

The base assumption of all objects is that they are pure, unless certainly established otherwise. Likewise, the base assumption of all actions is validity, unless certainly established otherwise. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya; Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Hold fast to those two assumptions; assume that your clothes were pure (or, if there was impurity, it was excusable)—and that your past prayers were valid. Ignore doubts.

Be grateful to Allah Most High for the blessing of ease in religion. Allah Most High tells us, “And He has placed no hardship for you in religion.” [Qur’an, 22.78]

Please see: Key Principles Relating to Certainty, Doubt, and Baseless Misgivings (waswasa)
And Allah is the giver of success and facilitation.

[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is a scholar and researcher of Islamic law and Executive Director of SeekersGuidance Global After ten years overseas, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in the Summer of 2007. In May 2008 he founded SeekersGuidance Global to deal with the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge—both online and on the ground—in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. He has been repeatedly listed as one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims (The Muslim500).