Rules about Performing Salah (Prayer) in an Unclean Cloth Regardless One Knows it or Not

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who performs Salah (prayer) wearing another man’s clothes for many days, then the owner of clothes inform him that he does not wear them for Salah (prayer). He (the Imam) said, ‘He does not need to perform any of his Salah (prayer) again.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who performs Salah (prayer) and there is feces of human being, cat or dog in his clothes, ‘Must he perform his Salah (prayer) again?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He is not required to perform his Salah (prayer) again, if he did not know about it.’”

“Abu Ja‘far, or abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘You are not required to perform your Salah (prayer) again, because of blood that you did not see except that which is from Hayd (menses), a small amount or otherwise, you see it or not are all the same.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If your clothes come in contact with wine or intoxicating al-Nabidh (a kind of wine), you must wash it, if you know the area but if you do not know the area then wash all of that cloth and if you have performed Salah (prayer) with it perform it again.’”

“I once wrote to the man (a.s.), asking him about clothes which come in contact with wine and flesh of pig, if I can perform Salah (prayer) wearing such cloth or not. Our people have differences on the issue. Certain ones say, ‘You can perform Salah (prayer) with it because only drinking is unlawful.’ Certain others say, ‘You must not perform Salah (prayer) wearing them.’ He (the Imam) wrote, ‘You must not perform Salah (prayer) wearing them: it is rijs (filthy).’ I then asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about someone who borrows clothes from one whom he knows consumes al- Jirry (scale-less fish) or drinks wine. He then returns what he has borrowed. Can he perform Salah (prayer) wearing them before washing? He (the Imam) said, ‘He does not perform Salah (prayer) wearing them before washing.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who performs two Rak‘at Salah (prayer) wearing clothes in which one has experienced sexual relation, then he comes to know it. He (the Imam) said, ‘He is required to perform it from the beginning.’ He (the narrator) has said that he then asked him (the Imam) about one who performs Salah (prayer) wearing clothes in which sexual relation is experienced or there is blood in it. He completes his Salah (prayer) then he comes to know it. He (the Imam) said, ‘His Salah (prayer) is passed. He is not required to perform it again.”’

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who experiences sexual relation during the night and takes Ghusl (bath). In the morning finds semen in his clothes. He (the Imam) said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah who has not left anything without a limit. If he gets up in the morning and looks but does not find anything, he is not required to perform his Salah (prayer) again, but if he gets up and does not look, he is required to perform his Salah (prayer) again.’”

I once asked one of the two Imam, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about a man who finds blood in clothes of his brother while he is performing Salah (prayer). He (the Imam) said, ‘He is not required to inform him until he completes his Salah (prayer) again.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who finds semen or blood in his clothes. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he learns before performing Salah (prayer) that there is semen in his clothes, then performs Salah (prayer) in it without washing; he is required to perform his Salah (prayer) again, but if he did not know, he is not required to perform his Salah (prayer) again. If he thinks that something has happened then investigates but does not see anything it is sufficient to pour water on it.’”

“I once sent a question to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), through Ibrahim ibn Maymun and told him to ask him (the Imam) about the case of a drop of urine found on one’s thigh but one performs Salah (prayer) and then remembers that he has not washed it. He (the Imam) said, ‘He is required to perform his Salah (prayer) again.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who performs Salah (prayer) with clothes in which there is feces of human beings or cat or dog, if he is required to perform his Salah (prayer) again. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he did not know he is not required to perform his Salah (prayer) again.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Wash your clothes clean because of urine of all inedible animals.’”

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who vomits in his clothes, if he can perform Salah (prayer) in them without washing. He (the Imam) said, ’It is not an offense to do so.’”

“I read in the letter of ’Abd Allah ibn Muhammad to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), in which he has said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause. Zurarah has narrated for abu Ja’far, and abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about wine which pollutes one’s clothes that the two Imam had said, “It is not an offense to perform Salah (prayer) with such clothes. Only drinking wine is unlawful.” People other than Zurarah have narrated from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.). He (the Imam) has said, “If wine or al-Nabidh (a kind of wine) or any intoxicating thing pollutes your clothes, wash if you know the area of contact. If you do not know the area of contact, then wash all of such clothes. If you have performed Salah (prayer) with it perform such Salah (prayer) again.” Please instruct me which one I must follow. He (the Imam) wrote with his signature, “You must follow the words of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.).’”

“Yunus and I were in Baghdad. I walked with him in the market. An owner of beer opened the container of his beer and drops from it came in contact with clothes of Yunus and I saw him depressed until it became Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime). I asked him, ‘O abu Muhammad, do you want to perform Salah (prayer)?’ He said, ‘I do not want to perform Salah (prayer) until I return home and wash this wine from my clothes.’ I then said, ‘Is this your opinion or it is something you narrate.’ He said, ‘Hisham ibn al-Hakam has narrated that he asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about beer. He (the Imam) said, ‘Do not drink it; it is unknown wine. If it pollutes your clothes, wash them clean.’”

“I once wrote to al-Rida’ (a.s.), saying, ‘I make sword sheathing of leather from dead donkeys. My clothes come in contact with it and I perform Salah (prayer) with them. He (the Imam) (a.s.), wrote to me, ‘Find other clothes for your Salah (prayer).’ I then wrote to abu Ja’far, the second (a.s.), saying, ‘I would write to your father (a.s.), about such and such issues. It became difficult for me and I then began to make them from leather of wild donkeys, properly slaughtered.’ He (the Imam) wrote to me, ‘All good deeds require patience, I pray to Allah to grant you blessings. If what you do is from wild ones and properly slaughtered, then it is not harmful.’”