Does Allah reject the prayer of one whose trousers are below his ankles?

Question: Is this Hadith authentic? If so, what does it mean?

إن الله تعالى لا يقبل صلاةَ رجلٍ مسبلٍ إزارَه

Answer: This Hadith is reported by Abu Dawud in his Sunan (Hadith 638) with the narrator being Abu Hurairah:

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ بَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ يُصَلِّي مُسْبِلاً إِزَارَهُ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ اذْهَبْ فَتَوَضَّأْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَذَهَبَ فَتَوَضَّأَ ثُمَّ جَاءَ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏”‏ اذْهَبْ فَتَوَضَّأْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَذَهَبَ فَتَوَضَّأَ ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا لَكَ أَمَرْتَهُ أَنَّ يَتَوَضَّأَ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ إِنَّهُ كَانَ يُصَلِّي وَهُوَ مُسْبِلٌ إِزَارَهُ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لاَ يَقْبَلُ صَلاَةَ رَجُلٍ مُسْبِلٍ إِزَارَهُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

It is also reported by Ahmad in his Musnad (Hadith 16628) with the narrator being “some of the Prophet’s companions”:

حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبَانُ، وَعَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: بَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ يُصَلِّي وَهُوَ مُسْبِلٌ إِزَارَهُ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «اذْهَبْ فَتَوَضَّأْ»، قَالَ: فَذَهَبَ فَتَوَضَّأَ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «اذْهَبْ فَتَوَضَّأْ»، قَالَ: فَذَهَبَ فَتَوَضَّأَ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟ مَا لَكَ أَمَرْتَهُ يَتَوَضَّأُ؟ ثُمَّ سَكَتَّ قَالَ: إِنَّهُ كَانَ يُصَلِّي وَهُوَ مُسْبِلٌ إِزَارَهُ وَإِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَقْبَلُ صَلَاةَ عَبْدٍ مُسْبِلٍ إِزَارَهُ

The Hadith revolves around Abu Ja’far al-Mu’adhdhin al-Ansari al-Madani. Al-Tirmidhi said: His name is unknown. Ibn al-Qattan described him as majhul al-hal. Some claimed that Abu Ja’far here is Imam al Baqir but this is not accurate due to this Abu Ja’far being described as an Ansari and a mu’adhdhin (caller to prayer), while it’s known that al-Baqir was a Hashimi Qurashi and isn’t known to have worked as a mu’adhdhin. Moreover, this Abu Ja’far explicitly stated in more than one hadith that he heard from Abu Hurayrah, while al-Baqir is not known to have heard from Abu Hurayrah.

The scholars have differed over the authenticity of this report. However, what seems to be strongest is that the report is not authentic due to the unknown status of Abu Ja’far and also due to the fact that only Yahya b. Abi Kathir took this report from him who, whilst a thiqah, the oddity in the content of this report makes us question the reliability of the report.

The aspect of oddity is that if this hadith were authentic, it suggests that having one’s garment hang below the ankles (i.e., isbaal) invalidates wudhu, as the Prophet, according to this hadith, orders it be repeated multiple times. Yet we don’t have any scholar from the companions or the pious early generations saying that isbaal invalidates wudhu.

As for isbaal invalidating the Salah itself, this is differed over amongst the jurists. Those who say that the Salah is invalidated by isbaal rely on this Hadith. However, we have established its weakness. And assuming it is authentic, the denial of acceptance in the Hadith is not due to the absence of a condition or the presence of a prohibiting factor, and so it means:

1. The denial of complete acceptance, i.e., it’s not accepted in a way that achieves full pleasure and reward from Allah.
   
2. That the bad deed committed counterbalances the good deed (prayer) in the scales, making it as if it were not accepted.

Examples of this include the denial of acceptance for the prayer of a runaway slave, someone with alcohol in their stomach, or someone who visits a fortune teller, despite the consensus on the validity of their prayers. The meaning here is that Allah will not reward them for these prayers.

However, it must be said that engaging in an act associated with pride (isbaal) during an act meant for humility (Salaah) is problematic from a spiritual standpoint, especially when there are Hadith that state Allah “does not look at the one who drags his garment out of pride.”

So, one should try his best to avoid this when praying.

And Allah knows best!