Question Summary:
i would like you to analyse the Fatwa given by the Brelvi Ulama regarding folding the trousers above the ankles in salaah,they say that it is makrooh e tahreemi to fold the trousers above the ankles…

Question Detail:

Muhtaram Mufti Ebrahim Saheb D.B i would like you to analyse the Fatwa given by the Brelvi Ulama regarding folding the trousers above the ankles in salaah,they say that it is makrooh e tahreemi to fold the trousers above the ankles because of the hadeeth mentioned in the Fatwa.I would also like to know if the hadeeth which prohibits folding the clothes is saheeh and its reference.Jazakumullah

The Fatwa which prohibits folding trousers above ankles given by Brelvi Ulama.

Q: If the pant's hems are at ankles can they be folded before performing Namaz?
A: If pant's bottoms are at ankle it is not allowed to fold them to perform namaz, perform the Namaz without folding them. If pant's hems are kept below ankles because of pride, it is HARAM, in this case Namaz will be Makrooh-e-Tehreemi (Wajib to repeat Namaz) otherwise it's only Makrooh-e-Tanzeehi which is Khilafe Aula in Namaz. Same is written in Fatawa-e-Rizvia in part three on page 448. In case of folding the pants hems in Namaz will definitely be Makrooh-e-Tehreemi which will make it Wajib to perform the Namaz again. It's in Hadees *. Rasool Allah Sallallahu Alaihe Wasslam said:" I was ordered that not to fold hair and cloth (In Namaz)" ted in Darr-e-Mukhtar with Shami Part one page 473. art one, Page 137)-Allah Ta'ala Knows the best.

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
We have analysed the fatwa which you have attached and concluded that although the Hadith which has been quoted is authentic, it is used out of context. The hadith is quoted in the following kitabs
1)      Sahih Al Bukhari 1/281 Dar al kitab al Arabi
2)      Sahih Muslim 4/430 Dar al Ma’rifa
3)      Sunan An Nasai 2/555, 564 Dar al Ma’rifa
4)      Sunan Abi Dawood 1/337 Dar al kitab al Arabi
5)      Sunan At Tirmidhi 2/62 Dar Ihya athurath al Arabi
 
It is amazing to see that inspite of this hadith being quoted in five of the six authentic books, the Barelwis still opt to give a reference of a hadith from a Fiqh book. Nevertheless, the above references reveal that this hadith is authentic. However, it has been used out of context. This hadith means that a person should not fold his clothes before making Sajda so that his clothes or hair does not touch the floor; rather he should let his hair and clothes flow on the earth. Allowing his hair and clothes to flow on the floor while in Sajda is an act of humility whereas folding it has been described as an act of arrogance. While going in prostration the hair and clothe which touches the ground is obviously not over the ankles.
Secondly, the fatwa states that wearing the pants over the ankles without pride is ‘makrooh tanzeehi’ and ‘khilafe aula’. The author has not produced any texts from the madhab to prove his claim. Nonetheless, we will admit that in Fatawa al hindiyyah there is a quotation which could substantiate the verdict which you have produced. It is mentioned
فتاوى الهندية - (ج 5 / ص 333  دار الفكر)
وإسبال الإزار والقميص بدعة ينبغي أن يكون الإزار فوق الكعبين إلى نصف الساق وهذا في حق الرجال وأما النساء فيرخين إزارهن أسفل من إزار الرجال ليستر ظهر قدمهن إسبال الرجل إزاره أسفل من الكعبين إن لم يكن للخيلاء ففيه كراهة تنزيه كذا في الغرائب
 
“Isbal of the trouser and shirt is an innovation. It is necessary that the trousers of a person be kept above his ankles till half-way the shin. This is with regards to males. As for women, they should let their trousers flow lower than the trouser of a male in order to cover the apparent portion of their feet. For a male to allow his trousers below his ankles is makrooh tanzihi AS MENTIONED IN AL GHARA’IB.” (Al Hindiyyah 5/333, Dar al fikr)    
The same verdict has been given An Nihlawi (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him) in his ‘Ad Durar al Mubaha’ (pg 38, Al Matba al Ilmiyyah, Damascus), Allamah Ala al Deen ibn Abideen (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him) in his ‘Hada’iyya al Ala’iyya’ (pg 238, Dar Ibn Hazm)  and Moulana Abdul Hay Laknawi (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him) in his Fatawa. However, the verdict of Hindiyyah is a quotation from the book ‘Al Gharaa’ib’. The author of this book is unknown. Hence, it is not permissible to issue a fatwa from such a work. Moulana Abdul Hay Laknawi (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with him) has based his verdict on Hindiyyah, thus there is no strength to his verdict. Likewise, Allamah Nihlawi and Allamah Ala al Deen ibn Abideen (May Allah Ta'ala be pleased with them) has not given a reference for this statement to any earlier work of the Madhab. There are certain commentaries of hadith which also mention that it is ‘makrooh tanzeehi’ to wear the trousers over the ankles if a person does not have pride; however; verdicts cannot be given from commentaries of Hadith.  Since there is no mention of this issue in the earlier works of the madhab and those who did discuss it from the latter day Scholars did not base it upon any strong bases, the Ulama of Deoband had to resort to the principles of the madhab and derive a ruling accordingly. After looking into the severe warnings and numerous Ahadith, they have concluded that it is Makrooh tahreemi to wear the trousers below the ankles if a person does not have pride. Consider the following authentic Ahadith which are mentioned in Riyaadh as Saliheen with reference to the Sahih sitta
 
رياض الصالحين (تحقيق الدكتور الفحل) - (ج 1 / ص 426)
 وعن أبي هريرة - رضي الله عنه - : أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ، قال : (( لا ينظر الله يوم القيامة إلى من جر إزاره بطرا )) متفق عليه .
 
 وعنه ، عن النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ، قال : (( ما أسفل من الكعبين من الإزار ففي النار )) رواه البخاري .
 
 وعن أبي ذر - رضي الله عنه - ، عن النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ، قال : (( ثلاثة لا يكلمهم الله يوم القيامة ، ولا ينظر إليهم ، ولا يزكيهم ، ولهم عذاب أليم )) قال : فقرأها رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ثلاث مرار ، قال أبو ذر : خابوا وخسروا ! من هم يا رسول الله ؟ قال : (( المسبل((5)) ، والمنان((6)) ، والمنفق سلعته بالحلف الكاذب )) رواه مسلم .
وفي رواية له : (( المسبل إزاره )) .      
 
 وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما ، عن النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ، قال : (( الإسبال في الإزار ، والقميص ، والعمامة ، من جر شيئا خيلاء لم ينظر الله إليه يوم القيامة )) رواه أبو داود والنسائي بإسناد صحيح .
 
وعن أبي جري جابر بن سليم - رضي الله عنه - ، قال ….قال رسول الله صلي الله عليه و سلم:وإياك وإسبال الإزار فإنها من المخيلة . وإن الله لا يحب المخيلة
 
وعن أبي هريرة - رضي الله عنه - ، قال : بينما رجل يصلي مسبل إزاره ، قال له رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : (( اذهب فتوضأ )) فذهب فتوضأ ، ثم جاء ، فقال : (( اذهب فتوضأ )) فقال له رجل : يا رسول الله ، ما لك أمرته أن يتوضأ ثم سكت عنه ؟ قال : (( إنه كان يصلي وهو مسبل إزاره ، وإن الله لا يقبل صلاة رجل مسبل )) رواه أبو داود بإسناد صحيح على شرط مسلم .
 
وعن أبي سعيد الخدري - رضي الله عنه - ، قال : قال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : (( إزرة المسلم إلى نصف الساق ، ولا حرج - أو لا جناح - فيما بينه وبين الكعبين ، فما كان أسفل من الكعبين فهو في النار ، ومن جر إزاره بطرا لم ينظر الله إليه )) رواه أبو داود بإسناد صحيح .
 
 وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما ، قال : مررت على رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - وفي إزاري استرخاء ، فقال : (( يا عبد الله ، ارفع إزارك )) فرفعته ثم قال : (( زد )) فزدت ، فما زلت أتحراها بعد . فقال بعض القوم : إلى أين ؟ فقال : إلى أنصاف الساقين . رواه مسلم .
The conclusion of the Ulama of Deoband also fits with a number of qawaid of ifta viz.
1-Giving preference to the view supported by the Ahadith
2- Giving preference to the more cautious view.
 
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. Ismail Moosa,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah