Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
Prayer is valid if clothes have a small hole that exposes only a minor or doubtful part of the `Awrah. Scholars, including Ibn Qudamah, Ahmad, and Abu Hanifah, agree that slight exposure does not invalidate prayer. However, if the exposure is significant and clear, the prayer must be repeated, and believers are encouraged to dress properly before worship.
Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
You don’t need to worry about this issue if you didn’t do it intentionally.
If a small part of the `Awrah is visible during prayer, the prayer is still valid. It does not matter how long the prayer lasts or whether you knew about it before or after praying. The main thing is whether others can see it.
According to Ibn Qudamah, a small exposure of the `Awrah does not invalidate the prayer. Scholars like Ahmad and Abu Hanifah agree with this view. Abu Dawud mentions that slight, unclear exposure is okay during worship. Ibn Taymiyyah also says that a small part of the `Awrah can be visible without affecting the prayer’s validity, no matter how long.
However, if the exposure is significant and precise, you must repeat the prayer. You don’t need to repeat the prayer if you are unsure whether your `Awrah was fully covered. Doubt alone does not invalidate it.
In short, minor and unnoticeable exposure of the `Awrah does not affect the prayer’s validity. But if the exposure is noticeable, you must pray again.
With this understanding, you can be at ease – your prayer is valid. Still, I encourage you to dress appropriately before praying. As Allah commands: “O Children of Adam! Dress properly whenever you are at worship. Eat and drink, but do not waste. Surely He does not like the wasteful.” (Al-`Araf 7:31)
These fatwas give further breakdowns:
- Can I Pray with a Hole in My Pants?
- Is Prayer Valid with Mistakes in Quran Recitation?
- Is Prayer Valid behind Imam Who Cannot Read Quran?
- Is Congregational Prayer Valid if a Woman Walks Ahead?
Almighty Allah knows best.