By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Max Shimba Ministries
Introduction
It is often observed that Muslims criticize Christians for praying while wearing shoes inside their churches. The question arises — did the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, himself pray with his shoes on while inside the mosque? In this paper, we examine this issue using primary Islamic sources and authenticated Hadith compilations to evaluate the practice of the Prophet and the instruction he gave regarding footwear during prayer.
Prophet Muhammad’s Practice of Praying with Shoes
According to several Hadith reports, Prophet Muhammad indeed prayed with his shoes on inside the mosque. This is evident in the narration found in the book Al-Ulu wal-Marjan:
“Permission to pray with shoes.”
Anas bin Malik (R.A) narrated from Sa‘id bin Yazid Al-Azdi (R.A), who said:
“I asked Anas bin Malik (R.A), ‘Did the Prophet (S.A.W) pray while wearing his shoes?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’”
— (Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 383, Vol. 1)
This narration explicitly indicates that Prophet Muhammad performed prayers while wearing his shoes, and a specific chapter title in this collection grants permission for such a practice.
Instructions Regarding Cleanliness of Shoes
The Prophet not only prayed with his shoes on but also gave instructions to his followers concerning the cleanliness of their footwear before prayer. This is recorded in Bulugh al-Maram min Jam’i Adillatil Ahkam:
Hadith No. 171:
Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri (R.A) reported that the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) said:
“When any one of you comes to the mosque, let him look at his shoes. If he finds filth (najasah) on them, let him wipe them off and then pray in them.”
— (Reported by Abu Dawood, Ibn Khuzaymah graded it Sahih)
The commentary explains that if someone steps on filth with their shoes, they can purify them by rubbing them against the ground or soil until the impurity is removed.
Further Instruction Regarding Shoes and Safety in the Mosque
An additional narration shows that Prophet Muhammad expected worshippers to have their shoes available during prayer for practical reasons. In a situation involving a scorpion inside the mosque, the Prophet instructed:
“Whoever amongst you sees a scorpion while praying should kill it with his left shoe.”
— (Mkweli Mwaminifu, Vol. 1-2, Hadith No. 188, p. 88)
This command implies that Muslims would have their shoes on or immediately accessible even while engaged in prayer.
Discussion
The consistent theme from these narrations is that the Prophet of Islam not only allowed but also performed prayer while wearing shoes, as long as they were clean. The practice of removing shoes before prayer was a later custom influenced by differing cultural and environmental factors, particularly as mosques began using rugs and carpets.
Consequently, it appears inconsistent when Muslims criticize Christians for praying while wearing shoes in church buildings, especially when the founder of their own faith engaged in the practice and instructed others to do so.
The critique here is not merely about footwear etiquette but about the double standards in religious polemics. If the Prophet prayed in shoes and permitted it conditionally, it undermines the argument that Christian practices of praying with shoes are impure or disrespectful.
Conclusion
This study of primary Islamic texts confirms that Prophet Muhammad did pray in his shoes within the mosque and allowed his followers to do the same, provided their shoes were clean. Thus, the polemic against Christians praying with shoes appears to be unfounded, especially in light of these authenticated narrations.
References
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Al-Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Ismail. Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, Hadith No. 383.
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Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani. Bulugh al-Maram min Jam’i Adillatil Ahkam. Hadith No. 171.
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Abu Dawood, Sulayman ibn Ash‘ath. Sunan Abi Dawood.
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Ibn Khuzaymah, Muhammad ibn Ishaq. Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah.
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Mkweli Mwaminifu, Vol. 1-2, Hadith No. 188, p. 88.
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Al-Ulu wal-Marjan, p. 179.
Bibliography
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Al-Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Ismail. Sahih al-Bukhari. Darussalam Publishers.
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Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani. Bulugh al-Maram min Jam’i Adillatil Ahkam. Darussalam Publishers.
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Abu Dawood, Sulayman ibn Ash‘ath. Sunan Abi Dawood. Darussalam Publishers.
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Ibn Khuzaymah, Muhammad ibn Ishaq. Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah. Dar al-Ma’rifah.
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Mkweli Mwaminifu. Nairobi: East African Islamic Publishers.
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Al-Ulu wal-Marjan. Cairo: Dar al-Hadith.
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