Can girls pray in pants?

Praise
be to Allah.

The clothing that is prescribed for women
to pray in is any clothing that covers her entire body apart from the face
and hands; it should be loose and opaque, so that it does not show the shape
of any part of her body. 

The fact that a woman’s clothing should
cover all of her body whilst praying is indicated by the hadeeth of Umm
Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who was asked about what clothes a
woman should pray in. she said: “She should pray in a khimaar (head cover)
and a long chemise that covers the tops of her feet.” Narrated by Abu Dawood,
639. It was also narrated in a marfoo’ report (i.e., attributed to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar
said in Buloogh al-Maraam (p. 40): The imams classed the mawqoof
report as saheeh. Ibn Taymiyah said: The well known view is that it is
mawqoof, with an isnaad that stops at Umm Salamah, but it carries the same
weight as a marfoo’ report. Sharh Kitaab al-Salaah min al-‘Umdah, p.
365. 

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah does not accept the prayer of a woman who
menstruates (i.e., an adult woman) unless her head is covered.” Narrated by
Abu Dawood, 641; al-Tirmidhi, 377; Ibn Maajah, 655; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7747. 

So it is essential to wear something that
covers the entire body apart from the face. The scholars differed as to
whether it is obligatory for a woman to cover her hands and feet when
praying. 

With regard to the hands: the majority of
scholars are of the view that it is not obligatory to cover them. Two views
were narrated concerning that from Imam Ahmad. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
was of the view that it is not obligatory. It says in al-Insaaf: That
is the correct view. 

With regard to the feet: the majority of
Maalikis, Shaafa’is and Hanbalis are of the view that it is obligatory to
cover them. This is also the view stated in a fatwa of the Standing
Committee for Issuing Fatwas (6/178): 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: 

The entire woman is ‘awrah when she is
praying, apart from her face. The scholars differed with regard to the
hands. Some of them said it is obligatory to cover them, and others said it
is allowed to leave them uncovered. The matter is broad in scope, in sha
Allaah, but it is better to cover them so as to avoid an area of scholarly
disagreement. As for the feet, it is obligatory to cover them when praying,
according to the majority of scholars. End quote. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz,
10/410 

Imam Abu Haneefah, al-Thawri and al-Mazani
were of the view that it is permissible for a woman to uncover her feet when
praying. This is the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and by
al-Mardaawi in al-Insaaf.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (2/161): 

There is no clear evidence on this matter.
Hence Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was of the view that a free woman is
‘awrah except what appears of her when she is in her home, namely the face,
hands and feet. He said: Women at the time of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to wear chemises in their homes, and
not every woman had two garments. Hence if menstrual blood got onto her
garment, she could wash it and pray in it. The hands and feet are not ‘awrah
when praying, or with regard to looking. Based on that, there is no solid
evidence on this matter, and I follow Shaykh al-Islam in this regard; this
is how we understand it, but we cannot be certain of it, because even if a
woman has a garment that reaches to the floor, when she prostrates the
bottom of her feet will appear. End quote. 

See: al-Mughni, 1/349; al-Majmoo’,
3/171; Badaa’i’ al-Sanaa’i’, 5/121; al-Insaaf, 1/452;
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa by Ibn Taymiyah, 22/114. 

But if the garment is thin and shows what
is beneath it, and the colour of the skin can be seen, then it is not
regarded as covering. 

Rawdat al-Taalibeen
by al-Nawawi, 1/284; al-Mughni, 2/286. 

This is indicated by the hadeeth of Abu
Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are two types of
the people of Hell whom I have not seen: people with whips like the tails of
cattle with which they strike the people, and women who are clothed yet
naked…” Narrated by Muslim, 2128. 

With regard to the words “clothed yet
naked”, al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ (4/3998): It was said that they
wear thin garments that show the colour of the skin. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said
in al-Tamheed (13/204): What is meant by the phrase “clothed yet
naked” is those who wear light garments which show and do not conceal, so
they are clothed in name but naked in reality. End quote. 

The evidence that the garment should be
loose and opaque is the hadeeth of Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allaah be pleased
with him) who said: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
gave me a qubti garment from the gifts that Dihyah al-Kalbi had given to
him, and I gave it to my wife to wear. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Why are you not wearing the qubti
garment?” I said: “I gave it to my wife to wear.” He said: “Tell her to put
a ghalaalah underneath it for I fear that it will show the size of her
bones.” Narrated by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra, 2/234; classed
as hasan by al-Albaani in Jilbaab al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, p. 131. 

The qubti garment is a garment made of
thin white linen that was made in Egypt. Lisaan al-‘Arab, 7/373. 

The ghalaalah is a kind of slip or
undergarment.  

Based on this, it is not permissible for a
woman

when praying to wear tight clothes that show her ‘awrah, such as
pants or trousers. 

As for the validity of her prayer, even if
she goes against this ruling and prays wearing these tight clothes, her
prayer is still valid, because what is required is to cover the ‘awrah, and
she has done that. 

See also question no

46529 

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said:  

It is not permissible to wear tight
clothes which show the limbs and the shape of a woman’s body. Tight clothes
are not permissible for men or women, but it is especially forbidden for
women, because the fitnah in their case is greater. 

With regard to praying in particular, if a
person prays with his ‘awrah covered in such clothes, his prayer is valid in
an of itself, because the ‘awrah is covered, but he is sinning by praying in
tight clothes, because he has transgressed one of the rules of prayer by
wearing tight clothes. This is one aspect. Another aspect is that it is a
cause of temptation and draws attention, especially in the case of women. So
women should cover themselves with loose garments which will cover them and
not show any of the limbs of their body or attract attention. So it should
not be a thin or see-through garment, rather it should be a concealing
garment which will cover the woman completely. End quote. 

Al-Muntaqa min Fataawa al-Shaykh Saalih
al-Fawzaan, 3/454.