Is it permitted to pray wearing shoes or sandals?

Yes, it is permitted to pray wearing shoes or sandals. There are numerous Hadith narrations in which the Prophet ﷺ permitted one to pray wearing sandals.

سَعِيدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الأَزْدِيُّ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ: أَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي فِي نَعْلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ

Sa`id bin Yazid al-Azdi said, I asked Anas bin Malik (May Allah Most High be pleased with him), ‘Did the Prophet ﷺ pray with his sandals on?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ (Sahih al- Bukhari, 386).

In the Hadith above we find Sayidina Anas ibn Malik confirming that the Holy Prophet ﷺ did pray in his Mubarak sandals at times. There are numerous narrations that support this fact.

عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ شَدَّادِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «خَالِفُوا الْيَهُودَ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يُصَلُّونَ فِي خِفَافِهِمْ، وَلَا نِعَالِهِمْ». هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحُ الْإِسْنَادِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ. وقال الذهبي: صحيح

Shaddad bin Aws said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘Be different to the Jews, for they do not pray in their leather socks or their sandals.’ (Hakim, al-Mustadrak 956, Sahih according to Imam al-Dhahabi).

The Hadith above is also found in Abi Dawood 652, with slightly variant wording. Here the Prophet ﷺ goes further and encourages the Muslims to differentiate themselves from the Jews with regards to the issue of praying in sandals (or shoes). There are so many Hadith narrations to support this point, which is why the Hanafi scholars were unequivocal regarding the issue.

(خالفوا الْيَهُود فَإِنَّهُم لَا يصلونَ فِي نعَالهمْ وَلَا فِي خفافهم). وَرَوَاهُ الْحَاكِم أَيْضا، فَيكون مُسْتَحبا من جِهَة قصد مُخَالفَة الْيَهُود، وَلَيْسَت بِسنة لِأَن الصَّلَاة فِي النِّعَال لَيست بمقصوده بِالذَّاتِ. (عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري).

Be different to the Jews, for they do not pray in their sandals or leather socks. Al-Hakim narrated it too. So it (praying in footgear) is Mustahab (recommended) from the perspective that it contradicts the Jews. It is not Sunnah because the purpose is not to pray in footgear itself (rather to be different to the Jews).  (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni, Umdatu al-Qari).

دليل على استحباب الصلاة في النعال الطاهرة وهو منصوص عليه في المذهب. (حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح شرح نور الإيضاح).

This is evidence for the recommendation to pray Salah in sandals that are clean, and this is explicitly mentioned in the Madhab. (Imam al-Tahtawi, Haashiyah al-Tahtawi ala Maraaqi al-Falah).

The Hanafi scholars clarified that the sandals or shoes one is praying in must be clean. It is important to note that the assumption is that the sandals or shoes are clean unless preservable impurities are identified.

And Allah (Most High) Knows Best.

– Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (04.01.2022)

See also:

Can you pray Salah in a t-shirt?

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