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Is covering the head with a turban a Prophetic Sunnah or an Arab custom, and is the virtue of congregational prayer attained by following an imam with an uncovered head, and what is the opinion of the Four Imams on this matter?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Covering the head with a turban is a customary practice among Arabs. The Prophet's (peace be upon him) action of wearing it indicates that the Sunnah aligns with custom unless it contradicts Islamic law. The virtue of congregational prayer is attained by anyone who follows an imam with an uncovered head, and the turban has no bearing on increasing the reward. Scholars have unanimously agreed on the validity of prayer with an uncovered head. Jurists have recommended covering the head during prayer for men due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) practice. The Hanafis disliked prayer with an uncovered head if it was due to laziness and not humility.

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

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