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Fatwa CenterIt is recommended for a man to cover his head during prayer
Question
NABI S.A.W.S HAS EVER PRAYED WITHOUT COVERING HIS HEAD... GIVE ANS WITH AUTHENTIC HADEES
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
We have previously pointed out in Fataawa 89242 and 82625 that covering the head is not obligatory in prayer and that there is no explicit evidence, as far as we know, for the dislikeability of offering prayer bareheaded.
Likewise, we do not know any Hadeeth that proves that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, never prayed bareheaded. However, there is a Hadeeth, with a weak chain of narrators stating that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would sometimes remove his cap and place it in front of him as a Sutrah (an object that prevents others from passing in front of the praying person within his praying area) while offering the prayer.
However, the Noble Quran proved that one should take his adornment for prayer in the saying of Allaah The Almighty: {Take your adornment at every Masjid.}[Quran 7:31] Therefore, scholars view that covering the head in prayer is recommended. Al-Mawsoo‘ah Al-Fiqhiyyah (Fiqh Encyclopedia) reads: "There is no difference in opinion among jurists regarding the recommendation of covering the head in prayer for men with a turban or the like because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to pray covering his head. As for women, it is obligatory upon them to cover their head in prayer." [End quote]
It was also stated in the Fataawa of the Permanent Committee of Iftaa': "It is recommended for the one who offers prayer to be in his best and most beautiful shape and most complete purity and cleanness for Allaah The Almighty says (what means): {Take your adornment at every Masjid.} [Quran 7:31], meaning for every prayer. Also, it was reported from Ibn ‘Umar 
when he was asked about the one who offers prayer bareheaded: "Allaah The Almighty has more right on one to adorn himself for Him than all other people."" [End quote]
Moreover, some scholars viewed that offering prayer bareheaded is disliked. Shaykh Al-Albaani 
said in Tamaam Al-Minnah: "My opinion on this issue is that praying bareheaded is something disliked; as it is acknowledgeable that it is desirable for the Muslim to enter prayer in the most perfect Islamic appearance, due to the Hadeeth: "Allaah is worthier of your self- adornment than anyone else." Indeed, it is not part of excellent attire according to the customs of the Salaf (our righteous predecessors) to habitually uncover one's head, and be in such a manner while walking in the street or entering places of worship. Rather, it is a foreign (non-Muslim) custom which infiltrated many Islamic countries when the disbelievers invaded them and brought their habits along with them. The Muslims began to imitate them in this regard, and by doing so and following other similar customs, they lost their Islamic personality." [End quote]
Allaah Knows best.
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