his clothes be clean, and that the spot on which he stands, bows, and prostrates be clean as well—all of it. No one may pray wearing an impure garment, or upon an impure cloth, or on ground that has been defiled, whether the impurity has dried or not, until it is washed away with water. Removing impurity from one’s clothes, body, and place of prayer is, according to Malik, a confirmed sunnah, although some have deemed it obligatory; the majority of the early authorities follow the first position. For that reason Malik held that anyone who has prayed in a filthy garment must repeat the prayer only while its time remains, seeking completeness—just as we mentioned regarding the one who errs in the qiblah. The same applies, in his view, to someone who prays on defiled ground, unless a barrier shields him from it.
Any clean garment may be worn in prayer or prayed upon, provided it is not silk. If a person finds nothing else to wear, praying in silk is preferable to praying in a soiled garment. Malik’s disciples disagree widely on this point, yet what we have stated is the soundest view. Whoever possesses only a garment tainted with impurity should pray in it rather than go naked, and then repeat the prayer within its time. Likewise, anyone who has prayed in silk should, as a recommended act, repeat the prayer if he finds another garment while the time still lasts.
Another opinion holds that if someone covers his ʿawrah in prayer with silk alone while another garment is available, he must repeat that prayer forever—both within its time and afterward—because he performed it with something forbidden, rendering it invalid. A different view says that whoever prays upon a silk cloth or in a silk garment without necessity has acted wrongly, yet he is not required to repeat the prayer; he should seek Allah’s forgiveness.
If a worshiper notices a small amount of blood on his clothing, he continues his prayer and nothing is required of him; but if the amount is considerable, he must break off the prayer and wash the garment or put on