A man may do his Salāt with his head is uncovered unlike women; their heads are part of their private parts that should be totally covered.

However, a male muslim should preferably be in his most beautiful and neatest shape when he does his Salāt, so he should preferably wear a turban or any kind of head cover.



Uncovering the head in Salāt for no legal reason is one of the detested act especially in obligatory and congregational Salāt.(3)



Al-Albānī said: ‘I think, doing Salāt while the head is uncovered is a detested act for a muslim should be in his most beautiful Islamic appearance when doing Salāt. The prophet (Sallalaahu Alahi wa Sallam) said: ‘Allāh (Subhanahu wa Taala) is more worthy that one beautifies oneself for’.JAs-Salaf used to consider it a detested act to uncover one’s head, walk in the street and get into the mosque in such a state. This bad habit has actually got into our Islamic countries through colonization and muslims regretfully adopted it blindly and hence loosing most of their Islamic characteristics. This [hadīth](1) should not be taken as a pretext to abandon this Islamic tradition especially when doing Salāt.



As for some Egyptian muslim brethren who claim that one is permitted to uncover his head [in Salāt] like he does in Hajj, this is indeed a false analogy. Uncovering the head in Hajj is one of its rites that no other act of worship shares. Had this kind of analogy been correct, then uncovering one’s head in Salāt would have been obligatory since it is so in Hajj. Those who claim the first part of this conditional clause should stick to its second part otherwise it should be totally abandoned and they had better do so’.(2)



It was not proved that he (Sallalaahu Alahi wa Sallam) did his Salāt while uncovering his head. If he (Sallalaahu Alahi wa Sallam) had done so, it would have been related by the Sahāba. Whoever claims that the prophet (Sallalaahu Alahi wa Sallam)did so must present the proof, for truth must always be followed.(4)



It is worth saying here that the one who does his Salāt while uncovering his head, his Salāt is correct although he has done a detested act as Al-Baghawī and many other ‘Ulamah stated.(5)

Consequently, those who refrain from doing Salāt behind an Imām who uncovers his head, their act is improper although the Imām should be in his most beautiful shape in his Salāt, fullfilling what he could of the prophet’s (Sallalaahu Alahi wa Sallam) Sunnah. May Allāh (Subhanahu wa Taala) guide us to the Right Path.



FootNotes:



(3) Muhammad’s Rashid Rida Fatawa (vol. 5 / p. 1849) and “As-Sunan wal Mubtada ‘at” (p. 69).

* The first part of the hadith is “When one of you intends to do his Sal?t, he should wear his best clothes, for Allah (?) …”. This hadith is narrated by At-Tahawi in ‘Sharh Ma‘ani Al-’Athar “(vol. 1 / p.221), At-Tabarani and Al-Baihaqi in “As-Sunan Al-Kubra “(vol. 2 / p. 236). Its chain of narrators is sound as is mentioned in “Majma’Az-Zawa’id “(vol. 2 / p.51). “As-Silsilah As-Sahihah “(no. 1369).



(1) The hadīth states Sometimes, the prophet (Sallalaahu Alahi wa Sallam) used to take off his turban and place it in front of him in Salāt as a Sutra”. This is a weak Hadīth. Al-Albānī said: ‘Ibn ‘Asākir was the only one to narrate it. I clarified its points of weakness in the “Silsilah Ad-Da‘īfah” (no. 2538)… Had this hadīth been authentic, it does not mean by any means to uncover one’s head all the time, it only indicates that he (Sallalaahu Alahi wa Sallam) used to do so if he had no Sutra, for taking Sutra is much more important than covering the head.

(2) Tamām Al-Minnah Fī At-Ta‘līq Alā Fiqh As-Sunnah” (pp. 164-5).

(4) Ad-Din Al-Khālis (vol. 3 / p. 214) and “Al-Ajwibah An-Nāfi‘ah ‘An Al-Masā’il Al-Wāqi‘ah” (p. 110).

(5) Al-Majmū’(vol. 2 / p. 51).