praying with rolled up sleeves

[Abu Isra'il]

Imam Nawawi said: "The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is not permissible to pray with one's sleeves or garment rolled up and the like, or with one's hair braided or with one's hair wrapped up beneath the turban and so on. All of that is not permissible according to the consensus of the scholars, and it is makruh in the sense of being discouraged and not proper. If a person prays like that, he has done something wrong but his prayer is valid." (Sharh Sahih Muslim, 209)

It is stated in the Hanafi sources: "It is also makruh to pray with the sleeves rolled up, baring the forearms." (Fathu'l-Qadir, 1/418)

It is stated in the Shaafi‘i sources: "It is makruh to wrap or tie his hair or roll or tuck up his garment, such as rolling up his sleeves or tucking up his hem, even if he only did that in order to work, or he is offering the funeral prayer, because of the hadith the soundness of which is agreed upon: “I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones, and not to roll or tuck up my garment or hair.” The reason why that is not allowed when prostrating is that it is contrary to proper focus and humility." (Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj, 2/162)

It is stated in the Hanbali sources: "It is makruh to roll or tuck up one’s garment. Some of the scholars mentioned the reason for this prohibition as being that the hair and so on prostrate with a person and it is makruh to roll up the sleeves. This was stated in al-Ri‘aayah, for the mentioned reason above. If he does that -i.e., tucks up the hair and rolls up his garment and so on because of some work that he was doing before the prayer- it is makruh for him to leave them like that, because of what is stated above, and because of the hadith of Ibn Abbas (ra), according to which he saw Abd-Allah ibn al-Haarith praying with his hair braided at the back. He stood up and undid his braid. When Abd-Allah had finished praying, he came to Ibn Abbas and said: What have you to do with my head? He said: I heard RasulAllah (saw) say: “The likeness of such a one is that of a person who prays when he is tied up." (Muslim)" (Kashshaaf al-Qinaa, 1/373)

It is stated in the Maliki sources: "It is makruh for one who is praying to roll up his sleeves or wrap them around his arm (if they are wide), because that is a kind of distraction from proper focus (khushu). That applies if he did that in order to pray. But if that is how he dresses or it was for the purpose of work, then the time for prayer came and he prayed like that, then it is not makruh for him, as was stated by Ibn Yunus, because RasulAllah (saw) said: “I have been commanded to prostrate on seven parts and not to tuck up my hair or garment.” And he said that the prohibition on that only applies if one does that deliberately before praying." (al-Kharashi, Sharh Mukhtasar Khalil, 1/250)