Is it permissible to wear a shirt with some words written on it while praying behind the Imam?
Ruling on Praying in Garments with Pictures, Writings, and Emblems:
Firstly: If the pictures are of forbidden things (such as images of women, crosses, hostile symbols, drawings of animate beings, or forbidden foods like alcohol and tobacco), then it is absolutely forbidden to wear them, and praying in them is even more forbidden.
Secondly: If the garments bear phrases that encourage disobedience or a defect in belief (such as "Kiss me" or "Follow me" or similar), then it is forbidden to wear them outside of prayer, and even more so within prayer, due to the indecency, evil, and invitation to immorality or disbelief they contain.
Thirdly: If they are free from forbidden pictures or words, and contain decorations, shapes, or other phrases: 1. Distracting: If they attract attention and distract worshippers, then it is disliked to pray in them, due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) prohibition of anything that distracts in prayer, like the hadith of Aisha regarding the embroidered garment with emblems. 2. Non-distracting: If the decorations and words are minor and do not attract the worshipper's attention or are customary, there is no dislike in praying in them.
In conclusion: The shirt in question, if its writing is not forbidden but is noticeable and distracts worshippers, then praying in it is disliked; otherwise, it is not. However, if the writing carries forbidden meanings, then it is not permissible to wear it at all.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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