What Is the Ruling on Past Prayers in a See-Through Thobe and Prayers Without Witr Qunut?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Question
I noticed my white thobe is slightly see-through when held against my body. I prayed many prayers in it without tucking my undershirt into my pants, so my lower back may have been exposed; I sometimes prayed in it without a shirt underneath.
After I reverted, I also prayed witr many times without the dua in the third rakat, and I am not sure I always prayed witr.
Do I have to make these up?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate
May Allah Most High keep your heart attentive and steady, and protect it from anxious second-guessing of worship already given.
You do not need to make up any of these prayers. They are valid. Move forward with calm and confidence.
The Underlying Concepts
The Hanafi imams settled a governing principle for moments like yours. A Muslim’s act is assumed sound when it can reasonably be interpreted that way.
Imam Badr al-Din al-Ayni (Allah have mercy on him) wrote, “The principle is that a Muslim’s action is not interpreted as wrongdoing or invalidity when it can be interpreted as soundness and correctness.” [Ayni, al-Binaya Sharh al-Hidaya]
You can apply this to your past prayers where you have some hesitation about certain conditions (like valid coercion).
This was the way of the God-fearing (muttaqi) Hanafi faqih of Damascus, Shaykh Adib Kallas (Allah have mercy on him), when he met questions of this kind.
Assume validity. Set the doubts down. Walk forward.
A few specifics may settle the heart further:
One. Regarding the Clothing
The clothing standard in prayer is that the garment covers the awra such that, in normal light and in normal wearing, a close onlooker cannot make out the color of the skin underneath.
A thobe that becomes faintly see-through only when pressed flat against the body in direct light meets this standard in ordinary prayer, even if not ideal. [Karani, Bada’i al-Sana’i; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
The lower back during prayer is covered by the thobe itself, which drapes from the shoulders over the body. Whether the undershirt was tucked or not surely does not change this.
What About Witr?
As for witr without the qunut: omitting the qunut dua in the third rakat is a missed wajib act within the prayer. It does not invalidate the prayer in the Hanafi school. The prayer was valid. There is no make-up required. [ibid; Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
As for whether you prayed witr at all in some early days: a new Muslim who did not know witr was wajib, and who cannot now recall what was and was not prayed, is not asked to chase a number he cannot establish.
Also, with respect to early practice of a new Muslim, one can also take into account other schools’ position that Witr is a sunna (thus not requiring a make-up), while upholding the more cautious position of our Hanafi school for current and future practice.
This, too, I relate directly from Shaykh Adib Kallas (Allah have mercy upon him).
The principles of this are discussed in the works of the following qualified scholarship (taqlid), such as Sidi Abd al-Ghani al-Nablusi’s Nihayat al-Tahqiq, as well as in Ibn Abidin’s Radd al-Muhtar.
Going Forward, Cover Without Worry
Wear a thobe or an undergarment that conceals your awra plainly in normal light, including outside in the sun. Once your clothing meets that standard, refuse every doubt that arrives after you have said the takbir.
Doubts of this kind are the whisperer’s work against the worshiper, and the worshiper’s protection is not to open the door to them.
Allah Most High accepted what you offered Him when you knew less. He looks at the heart that turned to Him.
Pray now in calm confidence, and leave the past in the open hand of His mercy.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani
Related Answers
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Do I Have to Perform the Forgetfulness Prostrations If the Supplication for the Qunut of Witr Prayer Is Omitted?
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Explains alternatives for those who have not yet memorized the prescribed Qunut supplication.
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is a recognized specialist scholar in the Islamic sciences, having studied under leading scholars from around the world. He is the Founder and Executive Director of SeekersGuidance.
Shaykh Faraz stands as a distinguished figure in Islamic scholarship. His journey in seeking knowledge is marked by dedication and depth. He spent ten years studying under some of the most revered scholars of our times. His initial studies took place in Damascus. He then continued in Amman, Jordan.
In Damascus, he was privileged to learn from the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas. Shaykh Adib al-Kallas was renowned as the foremost theologian of his time. Shaykh Faraz also studied under Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi in Damascus. Shaykh Hassan is recognized as one of the leading Hanafi jurists of our era.
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Shaykh Faraz is also an accomplished author. His notable work includes “Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School.” This book, published by White Thread Press in 2004, is a significant contribution to Islamic literature.
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Shaykh Faraz Rabbani’s life and work embody a profound commitment to Islamic scholarship. His teachings continue to enlighten and guide seekers of knowledge worldwide.
