Short answer
Not if the shorts leave your knees or thighs uncovered. For men the awrah is from the navel to below the knee, and in the Hanafi school the knee is included, so shorts above the knee make the prayer invalid. Long shorts that cover the knees are valid but disliked.
A man's awrah in salah is from the navel to just below the knees, the knees included. If a quarter of a limb such as the thigh or knee is uncovered for the time of one pillar, the prayer is invalid. Praying in clothes you would not wear before respected people is makruh tanzihi.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- The awrah is between the navel and the knee, the knee itself not included, so shorts must cover down to the knee.
- Hanbali
- The awrah is between the navel and the knee, the knee not included.
- Maliki
- The severe awrah is the private parts; uncovering the thigh does not invalidate the prayer, though it is disliked and repeating it within its time is recommended.
Explanation
Covering the awrah (the part of the body that must be covered) is a condition of salah. In the Hanafi school a man's awrah runs from the navel down to and including the knees. The Prophet ﷺ told a man whose thigh was showing to cover it, saying the thigh is awrah.
- Shorts above the knee: the knees and part of the thighs show, so the prayer is invalid. Repeat it.
- Knee-length shorts that ride up in sajdah or ruku: check before you start. If a quarter of the knee or thigh shows for as long as it takes to say "subhanallah" three times, the prayer breaks.
- Long shorts or three-quarter trousers covering the knees: the prayer is valid, but it is better to wear full trousers.
- See-through or very thin fabric: if skin colour shows, it does not count as covering.
The Quran tells us to "take your adornment at every masjid", and the scholars draw from it that we should pray in decent clothes, the kind we would wear to meet a respected person. So even when shorts are technically valid, keep a pair of light trousers or a lungi in your bag, car or office for prayer.
For women's dress in salah and the full rules on covering, see our guide to awrah for men and women and how women pray.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-A'raaf 7:31
۞ يَٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُوا۟ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍۢ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ ﴿٣١﴾
O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.
Proper, decent clothing is called for when praying.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2798
Graded sahih... غط فخذك فإنها من العورة ...
"Cover your thigh, for it is part of the awrah."
The thigh is awrah for men.
Sahih al-Bukhari 359
Sahih... لا يصلي أحدكم في الثوب الواحد ليس على عاتقيه شيء ...
"None of you should pray in a single garment with nothing on his shoulders."
Dressing properly for prayer goes beyond the bare minimum.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the conditions of prayer. A man's awrah is from below the navel to the knee, and the knee is awrah.
- al-Durr al-Mukhtar with Radd al-Muhtar, Chapter on the conditions of prayer, covering the awrah. Exposure of a quarter of a limb for the time of one pillar invalidates the prayer.
- Minhaj al-Talibin, Chapter on the conditions of prayer. The male awrah is between the navel and the knee.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.