naked despite being able to clothe himself, his prayer is invalid. (1) Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah likewise reported that the scholars unanimously agreed that if a person prays naked while able to wear clothing, his prayer is invalid. (2)

It must be covered with something that does not reveal the skin.

His statement, “It must be covered with something that does not reveal the skin”: the subject of “must” refers back to covering the awrah; that is, the awrah must be covered “with something,” meaning with that which covers it. The word “something” may also be understood as an indefinite noun qualified by what follows: with a garment that does not reveal the skin. In other words, the covering is stipulated not to reveal the skin, not merely not to disclose the shape of the limb. To describe something is to mention its qualities. A garment does not describe by speech, but it does so by its apparent state. Thus, if the garment worn on the body fully shows the colour of the skin so that it is clearly visible, it is not a covering. But if, for example, it shows the outline of the trousers beneath it from the rest of the limb, then it is a valid covering.

Conditions of the garment:

The garment that provides the required covering must fulfil four conditions: ….

The first condition: it must not reveal the skin, as the author stated. If it does reveal it, it is not sufficient, because proper covering cannot be attained without this. Accordingly, if someone wears a garment made of plastic that prevents water and air from passing through, the prayer performed in it is invalid, because it does not cover; rather, it reveals the skin.

The second condition: it must be pure. If it is impure, one may not pray in it; and if one does pray in it, his prayer is invalid—not because the required covering is absent, but because it is unlawful to carry an impurity during the prayer. The evidence is as follows: