Wearing a cap, is it a sunnah?

June 1, 2014 By

Question:

Is wearing a topi (hat) sunnah or a mere tradition? One person says that it is a mere tradition. He also says that nowhere in the Hanafi Fiqh books is it mentioned that wearing a topi is recommended when praying. Is he correct?

Answer:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Wearing a topi (hat) is from the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and the practice of the sahabah, the tabi’een, the tab’ tabi’een and the general Muslims in every generation. To say that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), the sahabah, thetabi’een etc. did not wear a topi is a grave mistake and a clear error. It is absurd to say that the Muslims have been wearing a topi in every generation and location due to mere tradition. For details on this topic, we recommend the book “The Crown of a Believer” by my teacher, Mufti Husain Kadodia sahib (May Allah protect him). It can be downloaded by clicking here. It is also available from our download page.

To say that nowhere in the Hanafi Fiqh books is it mentioned that wearing a topi is recommended when offering salat is also absurd. It is mentioned in almost every HanafiFiqh book that offering salat with the head covered is mustahab (preferable) – i.e. salatwith the head covered carries more rewards than offering salat bareheaded – and that it ismakrooh (undesirable) to offer salat bareheaded due to laziness. However, if by offeringsalat bareheaded, one feels more khushu’ (humility) then it is not makrooh to offer salatbareheaded in that case. The references and citations from Hanafi Fiqh books is given in the footnote below.[i]

And Allah Ta’ala knows best

Mufti Faizal Riza
2/5/2013

Darul Ifta Australia
www.fatwa.org.au

 

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Filed Under: Fatwa, Salaat (Prayer)