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Is it permissible to pray while wearing headphones to listen to non-musical white noise to alleviate external disturbance?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The default is that a worshipper should not use headphones that block out sounds, unless there are disturbing and distracting noises that prevent proper devotion (khushu') in prayer. In such a case, it is permissible to use them, by analogy with the permissibility of closing one's eyes during prayer when there is a need. It is stipulated that there should be no medical harm from their use, and that they should not distract the worshipper from their prayer with any sounds they emit. As for the follower (ma'mum), it is not prescribed for him to use them because they prevent him from following the imam.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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