Regarding the issue of the imam praying without covering his head, I would say:
Firstly, Islamic law has established rulings for prayer and has made certain conditions for its validity and acceptance. Our judgment on prayer is based on its validity. Upon reviewing the conditions for prayer in the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence, we find no mention of the necessity of men covering their heads during prayer, whether they are leading the prayer or following as a follower. As long as the conditions of purity, covering the obligatory parts of the body, facing the qiblah, and performing the essential acts of prayer are met, the prayer is considered valid. In one of the schools of jurisprudence, covering the head is not considered a requirement for covering the obligatory parts of the body.
Secondly, some of the Hanafi and Maliki scholars, as well as some scholars like Al-Albani, have emphasized the importance of covering the head during prayer, to the extent that some consider not covering the head to be resembling non-Muslims. They deemed it disliked for both the imam and the follower to pray without covering their heads. These scholars based their opinion on the regular practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the pious predecessors of the Islamic community who used to cover their heads during prayer.
Thirdly, the opinion that covering a man’s head during prayer is not obligatory, and that uncovering it is not disliked, is based on the following:
1- The Prophet (peace be upon him) performed Hajj and Umrah and led the Muslims in prayer with his head uncovered. If covering the head was from the recommended or desirable acts of prayer, the Prophet would have done so himself. The Prophet instructed his companions to perform idhtibaa’ (a practice of wrapping the lower garment under the armpits and leaving the shoulders uncovered) during Tawaf (circumambulation around the Kaaba), and to leave it at other times. Therefore, if covering the head during prayer was recommended and leaving it uncovered was disliked, the Prophet would have made an exception and covered his head during prayer while in the state of Ihram.
2- In Al-Jaami’ As-Sagheer, Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet used to wear a white qalansuwa (a headgear), and Al-Azizi stated that its chain of narration is good (Hasan). In another narration by Al-Rawyanee and Ibn Asakir from Ibn Abbas, it is reported that the Prophet used to wear a “Qalansuwa” under a turban (Amamah) and without a turban, and he used to wear turbans without a “Qalansuwa”. He used to wear the Yemeni “Qalansuwa”, which is made of white cotton, and in battles, he used to wear a “Qalansuwa” with earflaps. Sometimes, he would take off his “Qalansuwa” and use it as a prayer mat while praying. The last paragraph, reported by Ibn Asakir from Ibn Abbas, mentions that the Prophet sometimes took off his “Qalansuwa” and used it as a prayer mat while praying. However, the narration by Ibn Abbas is not free from criticism regarding the authenticity of the chain of narration.
3- The Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke in several hadiths about actions that improve the prayer, but he did not mention covering the head in general. Some example of this are:
– As reported by Al-Bukhari from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If you pray and have only one garment, then if it is wide, wrap it around you, but if it is narrow, cover yourself with it.”
– Muslim reported from Umar ibn Abi Salama (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) praying in a single garment, wrapped around himself, with its ends reversed over his shoulders.”
– Muslim reported from Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “None of you should pray in a single garment that does not cover his shoulders.”
Since the principle is that it is not permissible to delay clarification when it is needed, if covering the head during prayer was recommended, he would have mentioned it or prohibited leaving it uncovered just as he did with the shoulders.
4- Fourthly, matters related to personal appearance fall under the category of customs, and the recommendations given by the Shari’ah are sufficient in this regard.
This means that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not wear a turban specifically for the purpose of prayer, but he frequently wore it in most other situations, such as when receiving delegations, during battles, while traveling, and while residing in his city.
Therefore, the question arises: why single out the turban among the other types of clothing that the Prophet (peace be upon him) wore during prayer and at other times? The answer lies in the fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) grew up in a culture where removing the turban was considered a sign of weakness, so he adhered to it just as the Arabs, both Muslims and non-Muslims, did. Only those who were considered losers, whether they were slaves, insane, or young, would not wear a turban.
Therefore, if the well-known custom is to cover the head, it is recommended for the imam to cover his head, and it is disliked for him to go against the people. Similarly, if the well-known custom is to leave the head uncovered, then it is permissible for the imam to do so.
And Allah knows best.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr