Scholars say T-shirts with images of pop stars not appropriate for prayers

Even though there isn’t a rule that regulates the colors and patterns of clothing worn during prayers, several Islamic scholars said T-shirts bearing pictures of celebrities are not proper in a situation where worshipping God should be the main focus.

Going to prayers wearing T-shirts with pictures of actors and actresses or football players is not prohibited in Islam, but is considered inappropriate, said the Egyptian Deputy Minister of Endowments, Salem Abdul Galil.

“It is not prohibited because the prayer will anyway be properly performed, yet it shows lack of consideration for the spiritual context,” he told the Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm.

Abdul Galil added this is especially applicable to communal prayers at a mosque on Fridays, where a sermon precedes the prayer, because it distracts other worshippers, who are expected to focus on the prayer itself and not the clothing of fellow worshippers.

Azhar scholar Sami Abdul Fattah said this is the time when Muslims should be careful with what they wear because they are standing in front of God.

“It is inappropriate to meet God with clothes that bear the pictures of human beings God created,” he told the paper.

Abdul Moeti Bayoumi, member of al-Azhar’s Center for Islamic Research, said that Muslims should be in a certain mood when they pray and that reaching this mood is difficult with this type of clothes.

“Worshippers have to enter in a state of tranquility and submission to God when they pray,” he said.

The issue was raised after it was noticed that a sizable portion of youths in Egypt go to the mosque wearing T-shirts with pictures of celebrities, the most common of whom are footballers Lionel Messi Mohamed Abu Trieka and Madonna.

(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid)