Is It Permissible to Cover My Forehead During the Prayer? (Shafi’i)

Answered by Shaykh Jamir Meah

Question: Assalamu alaykum

Is it permissible to wipe one feet at a time with a towel during wudu to avoid wetting my shoes or the surrounding areas at work?

I sometimes wear a winter cap during prayer which covers my forehead and ears. Are these parts permissible to cover during prayer or is it better to leave them exposed?

Answer: Assalam ‘alaykum. Jazakum Allah khayr for you questions.

Wiping the feet in wudu

The condition of a valid wudu in our school is that one ‘washes’ the limbs, except the head, which one ‘wipes’. Washing means that the water flows over the limbs, while wiping means merely moistening the area. Given this, you would need to ensure that you ‘wash’ your feet, and not wipe it, whether with your hands or a towel. However, you could dry the feet after washing them.

If washing the feet is an issue at work, you may consider buying khuffs, which can be bought in leather or in sock styles.

Covering the Head During Prayer

It is valid to cover any part of the body during prayer, however, one must ensure that a part of the forehead (skin) touches the ground during prostrating, even if a very small part of it.

[Nail al Raja]

Warmest salams,
[Shaykh] Jamir Meah

Shaykh Jamir Meah grew up in Hampstead, London. In 2007, he traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he spent nine years studying the Islamic sciences on a one-to-one basis under the foremost scholars of the Ribaat, Tarim, with a main specialization and focus on Shafi’i fiqh. In early 2016, he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continues advanced studies in a range of Islamic sciences, as well as teaching. Jamir is a qualified homeopath.