Is a woman's voice part of her `awrah

There are scholars who maintain that a woman's voice is part of her
'awrah. Qadhi Ibn Al-Arabi said: And the entire woman is awrah; her
body, her voice, and it is not permissible for her to uncover that unless
out of necessity, or need such as witnessing (in court), or a disease that
is affecting her body [Ahkaam Al Qur'aan 3/1579]
Allah says:


O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. if You keep Your duty (to
Allh), Then be not soft In speech, lest He In whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or
evil desire for adultery, etc.) should be moved with desire, but speak In an honourable
manner. (33:32)
The above verse is evidence for the fact that man can be enticed by the
soft alluring voice of a woman.
Also, the scholars who hold this view cite the hadeeth found in Bukhari
wherein the Prophet said that Subhanallah is for the men and clapping is
for the woman when they need to get the attention of the Imaam during
Salaah as evidence that a woman's voice is awrah.
On the other hand, other scholars maintain that a woman's voice is not
part of her awrah in principle, for women used to complain to the
Prophet as well as ask him about Islamic matters. They also did this with
the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs and the rulers after them. And they
would greet non-mahram men with salaams and return greetings, and
they were never denounced for it. Nevertheless, it is not permissible for
a woman to speak in a soft or attractive voice, because of the
aforementioned verse. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daaimah lil-Buhooth
al-Ilmiyyah wal-Iftaa, 6/83)

In front of children
The general principle that should be applied is that if the child
understands what the awrah is and will remember what he/she saw,
then it is not permissible for a woman to uncover her awrah in front
of him/her. But if he does not understand because he is little (for
example a year old), then it is permissible.
The Permanent Council (of scholars in Saudi Arabia) said: what a woman
is permitted to uncover in front of her children that which is customarily
uncovered, such as the face, hands, forearms, feet and so on. (Fataawa
al-Lajnah al-Daaimah [17/297])
Skimpy clad woman
It is reported that the Prophet said: There are two types of the people of
Hell whom I have not seen yet. People with whips like the tails of cattle,
with which they strike the people with (i.e. wrongfully and unjustly), and
women who are clothed yet naked, who are Maailaat and Mumilaat (there
are two interpretations: 1) who are misguided and misguide others 2) they
walk with an enticing swagger). They will not enter Paradise nor even smell
its fragrance, although its fragrance may be detected from such and such a
distance. (Related by Muslim 2128, Ahmad 8451 and Maalik 1694 all with
slightly different wordings)
The scholars interpret clothed yet naked as referring to women who
wear tight clothes which covers the body but reveals the contours and
shape of their physique, or it refers to transparent clothing that does not
cover what is beneath it, or short clothes which does not cover the `Awrah.

Shaykh ul Islaam ibn Taymiyyah explained the phrase to mean: the

wearing of clothes that does not cover her so she is clothed but in reality
she is naked, like the woman who wears clothing which is thin so as to
show her skin or clothing which is tight which clings revealing her bodily
parts for example her posterior or the thigh or the likes. The real
clothing of a woman is that which covers her, without revealing the
shape of her limbs or more than that because it is that which is loose
and non transparent. (al fataawa al jaami'ah li Imra'atul muslima vol.3
p845)

Many women feel that it is justifiable to wear revealing clothes in the

presence of other woman, stating that they have covered their `Awrah,
hence the permissibility of wearing sleeveless, strapless clothes.
No doubt, a womans `Awrah in the company of woman is from her navel to
her knee; yet the condition of this is that there is no fear of Fitnah. The
circumstances we find ourselves in today are such that it is not unheard of
that some women are tempted by other women especially ones who are
dressed in an enticing attractive fashion. If a woman's attire leads to fitnah,
it is Haraam for her to dress in that manner, even if she is among woman
only.
Furthermore, the Prophet did not say that women's clothing should cover
only the area between the navel and the knee. It was not even known
among the women or men of the jaahiliyyah to cover only the area from
the navel to the knee. The prophet was prohibiting the people from looking
at another person's `Awrah, because the awrah of a person who is wearing
loose clothing may sometimes be exposed when answering the call of
nature or for some other reason, so he was commanding them to not look
if such a situation arose.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah mentioned that what women wore inside
their houses at the time of the Prophet covered everything from the heel of
the foot up to the palm of the hand. It is also known that the women of the
Sahaabah used to wear loose garments which would drag along the
ground. The Prophet allowed them to let it trail up to a cubit, but no more
than that.
Women must fear Allah and feel that sense of modesty which is a part of a
women's natural disposition and which is an important part of faith, as the
Prophet said: Modesty is a branch of faith. And it is said in the proverbial
sense, more shy than the virgin in her seclusion. A woman must not be
influenced with the pressures placed on her by society to dress in an
indecent manner.
(For further reading refer to Fatawaa Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn
Uthaymeen [2/825-826])

When one is in seclusion

It is considered good manners with Allah for one to keep them-selves
concealed when there is no excuse to be unclothed. Ya'laa reported that
the Messenger of Allah saw a man taking a shower in an open space of
land, and he was not wearing a lower garment. The Prophet then
climbed the pulpit and said, "Verily, Allah Azza Wa Jall is Hayeeun (i.e.
He loves modesty) and Sateer (He loves for His slaves to cover
themselves): He loves al-Hayaa (modesty) and As-Sitr (for His slaves to
cover themselves). So if one of you takes a shower, then let him cover
himself." (Related by Abu Dawood 4012 and Al Albaanee ruled his
narration authentic)
In another narration the Messenger of Allah was asked, 'What about
when one of us is alone?' He said, "Allah is more deserving of (people
being) shy of Him than people (are deserving of others being shy of
them)." (Related by Ahmad 19530, At Tirmidhee 2794 who graded it
'Hasan', Abu Dawood 4017 and al Albaanee ruled his narration 'Hasan')
Imitating the opposite gender's dress code
Ibn Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah cursed men who imitate
women, and women who imitate men." Another narration is worded
thus: "The Prophet cursed effeminate men and masculine women". And
he said, "Expel them from your homes". The Prophet then expelled so
and so, and Umar expelled so and so." (Related by Bukharee 5885, 5886,
and others)
Imitation includes dressing, talking, walking and making ones physical
appearance (for example cutting one's hair) like the other gender.
Reflecting the blessings of Allah in one's clothes
If Allah has blessed an individual with wealth, it should be seen in his
clothes; he should dress in clean beautiful clothes, without being
extravagant, self conceited or vain. Abul Ahwas related that his father
said, "I went to the Prophet wearing an inferior garment." The Prophet
asked, "Do you have wealth?" He answered "Yes". The prophet then
asked, "What kind of wealth?" He said, "Allah gave me camels, sheep,
horses and slaves." The Prophet then said, "So if Allah gave you wealth,
then let the effects of His favour and generosity be seen upon you."
(Related by Aboo Dawood 4063 and Al Albaanee declared it authentic)

Note: There is nothing blameworthy in adorning one's self in beautiful

clothes, on condition that pride and grandeur to not enter the heart.
When one struts, swaggers and feels superior due to the clothes he is
wearing then the warning of the Prophet (which will be mentioned in
the following chapter) pertains to this individual.
Ibn Hajr said, "With the various proofs in mind, it becomes clear that a
person is not harmed or held blameworthy for wearing beautiful, lawful
clothing even if it is very expensive if he does to display Allah's
blessings upon him, if he is thankful for those blessings, and of he does
not disparage those who cannot afford similar clothing. Ibn Mas'ood
reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "He will not enter Paradise
who has in his heart an atom's weight of pride". A man said, "Verily, a
man loves for his garment to be nice and for his shoes to be nice." The
Prophet then said, "Verily, Allah is Jameel (beautiful), and He loves
beauty. Pride is to deny the truth and to disparage people and look
down upon them."
Required length of one's garment
The Prophet said: On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not look at the
one who dragged his garment out of pride. Abu Bakr said to him: O
Messenger of Allah, my waistcloth slips down if I do not pay attention to
it. He said: You are not one of those who do it out of pride. (Related
in full in al Bakharee (5784 and partially in Muslim 2085)
Abu Huraira also reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "As a man
was walking in a Hullah (a two piece garment), admiring his own self,
with his Jummah (hair that reaches one's shoulders) combed, Allah
made the earth swallow him, and he will continue to sink in it until the
Day of Resurrection." (Reported by Bukharee 5789, Muslim 2088 and
others)
In another hadeeth Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah
said, "On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not look at the one who
dragged his waistcloth conceitedly". (Related by al-Bukhaari 5788
Saheeh Muslim 2087 and others)
These hadeeths are proof that it is unlawful to drag ones garments out
of pride. Since the hadeeth contains a threat of punishment, it indicates
that to drag one's clothes out of pride is a major sin.

Pride and grandeur (Takabbur) is one of Allah's perfect attributes; it is a

attribute of perfection for Allah, but it is a defect in all created beings,
for none among them is worthy of it. Abu Sa'eed Al Khudree reported
that the Messenger of Allah said, "Al-Izz (The Glory and Might) is His
Izzar (lower garment) and Al Kibriyaa (Grandeur and pride) is His Ridaa
(robe), (and Allah said), 'So as for he who challenges Me in them, I will
punish him." (Related by Muslim 2620)
An Nawawee stated that 'challenges Me' refers to a person who tries to
adopt those qualities for himself, thus setting himself up as a partner.
The hadeeth contains a severe warning against as well as a clear
prohibition of pride and haughtiness."
There are three ways of dragging one's clothes on the ground
a) One does it from a sense of pride and self admiration; Allah will

not look at such a person on the Day of Resurrection

b) One does habitually following the custom of others; he feels no

sense of pride or self admiration. In this case the following words

of the Prophet apply: "Whatever is below the ankle is in the
Hellfire". (Will be discussed in detail)
c) One's garment falls below the ankle unintentionally, and no pride
or self admiration is felt. This person is not held blameworthy, for
the same happened to the Prophet when there was an eclipse of
the sun, "He then stood, dragging his garment and rushing, until
he arrived at the Masjid." (Related by Bukharee 5785) Ibn Hajr
said, "This indicates that the prohibition does not embrace a
person whose garment drags on the ground simply because he is
rushing (to go somewhere and as a result it falls down to below
his ankles)."
Isbaal
Isbaal is the term used to refer to wearing one's clothes below the
ankles.
The ahadeeth that establish the issue of Isbaal are authentic and clear in
their warning to the one who practices Isbaal.
Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet said: "Whatever is lower than
the ankles from the izaar (lower garment) is in the HellFire." (Related by
(al-Bukhaari, 5787

Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet said: "There are three whom Allah
will not speak to on the Day of Judgment, nor look at, nor will He purify
them and theirs will be a painful punishment: 'Al Musbil' (the one who
wears his garment below his ankles), 'Al Mannan' (the one who reminds
others of his favors), and the one who sells his product by means of
(making false oaths." (Reported by Muslim, 106 and others
The Prophet said: "Isbaal (wearing ones garment below the ankles) may
apply to the izaar (lower garment), the shirt or the turban. Whoever
allows any part of these to trail on the ground out of arrogance, Allah
will not look at him on the Day of Judgement." (Reported by Abu Dawud,
(4085, and al-Nisaai, 5334, with a saheeh isnaad
Ibn Abbaas reported that the Prophet said: "Allah will not look at the
one who wears his lower garment below his ankles." (Reported by al(Nisaai in al-Mujtabaa, Kitaab al-Zeenah, Baab Isbaal al-Izaar
Hudhayfah said: "The Messenger of Allah took hold of the muscle of my
calf (or his calf) and said, This is where the izaar should stop; if you
insist, it may be lower, but it should not reach the ankles." (Reported by
al-Tirmidhi, who said this is a saheeh hasan hadeeth; see Sunan al(Tirmidhi, 1783
Ibn Umar said: "I passed by the Messenger of, and my izaar had slipped
down. He said, O Abdullah, pull up your izaar! so I pulled it up. He said,
More! so I pulled it up more, and always made sure it was pulled up
properly after that." Some people asked, "To where did you pull it up?" He
said, "To mid-calf length." (Reported by Muslim, 2086; al-Dhahabi, Kitaab
(al-Kabaair, 131-132

As indicated in the above hadeeth a man's lower garment must fall

somewhere between the middle of his calf and above his ankles. Men
should raise their garments so that neither pride nor self admiration
.enters the heart
Isbaal and woman
The warning with regard to Isbaal only applies to men; women on the
other hand are commanded to cover their feet, and it is permitted for
them to lengthen their garments by a cubit.

It was narrated that Ibn Umar said: The Messenger of Allah said:
Whoever allows his garment to drag out of pride, Allah will not look at
him on the Day of Resurrection. Umm Salamah said: What should
women do with their hems? He said: Lower it a handspan. She said:
Then their feet will show. He said: Let them lower it a cubit, but no
more than that. (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi 1731, al-Nasaai 5336 and
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi)
And Allah says:

And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment
(24:31)

An Nawawee said: "The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is

permissible for women to let their garments hang below their ankles
(Isbaal). Clear permission has been narrated from the Prophet for them
to lower their hems by a cubit. (Sharh Muslim, 14/62)
Shaykh Abd al-Azeez ibn Baaz said: ".. With regard to women, they
have to make their clothes long enough to cover their feet, because the
feet are awrah. It is not permissible for a man to imitate women by
dragging his garment or in any other way. (Majmoo Fataawa al-Shaykh
Ibn Baaz, 5/28)
When there is no pride involved.
The scholars differed with regards to the one who lets his garment hang
below the ankle with no intention of showing off, being smug or
arrogant. There are three views in mentioned by the scholars:
a)
b)
c)

Haraam
Makrooh
Permissible

The majority of scholars from the four schools of thought are of the view
that it is not haraam.
Ibn Muflih said in al-Adaab al-Shariyyah (3/521): "Abu Haneefah wore
an expansive rida and let it drag on the ground. It was said to him: Are
we not forbidden to do this? He said: That is for those who show off and
we are not among them. (See: al-Fataawa al-Hindiyyah [5/333])
In the Maalki school of thought there are two opinions, some of them
were of the view that it is Haraam, such as Ibn al-Arabi and al-Qaraafi
whilst others said that it was Makrooh and not Haraam.
Ibn al-Arabi said: "It is not permissible for a man to let his garment go
beyond his ankle and say that he is not being arrogant by doing so,
because the text mentions the prohibition and refers to the reason, and
it is not permissible for anyone to say I am not one of those referred to
in the text, because the reason does not apply to me, because that
attitude goes against shareeah and is an unacceptable claim. It is a kind
of arrogance to make ones garment and izaar longer, so he is definitely
lying." (Aaridat al-Ahwadhi 7/238)
With regard to the Shaafais, they stated that it is not haraam unless it is
done with the intention of showing off.
Imam al-Shaafai said, as was mentioned by al-Nawawi: It is not
permissible to let the garment hang low when praying or otherwise in
order to show off. As for letting the garment hang low for reasons other
than showing off when praying, it is not as serious, because of the
Prophet said to Abu Bakr when he told him that his izaar slipped down
on one side: You are not one of them (i.e., those who let the garment
hang down out of pride). (al-Majmoo 3/177)
And al-Nawawi said: It is not permissible to let the garment hang down
below the ankles if it is done in order to show off. If it is done for any
other reason then it is makrooh. The apparent meaning of the
ahaadeeth which limit it to letting the garment drag in order to show off
indicates that it is haraam specifically when done to show off. This was

stated by al-Shaafai who differentiated between different cases. (Sharh

Muslim 14/62)
However some of the Shaafais such as al-Dhahabi and al-Haafiz Ibn
Hajar were of the view that it is Haraam.
Al-Dhahabi said in response to the one who lets his garment hang below
the ankle and says I am not doing that to show off:
You see him behaving in an arrogant manner and thinking of himself as
not one of them (those who are arrogant), but this is a foolish notion.
And you see him looking at a text that is general in meaning, and he
limits it's meaning on the basis of another, separate hadeeth, to
conclude that it is only haraam when it is done in order to show off!
So he allows a concession based on the words of al-Siddeeq (Abu Bakr),
who said: O Messenger of Allah, my izaar slips down, and he said: O
Abu Bakr, you are not one of those who do that to show off.
We say: Abu Bakr did not tie his izaar in such a way that it hung below
the ankles in the first place, rather he tied it so that it came above the
ankle, but it slipped down after that.
And the Prophet said: The izaar of the believer should come to mid-calf,
but it does not matter if it comes between (that point) and the ankle.
The same prohibition applies to the one who lets his trousers cover his
ankles, or makes his sleeves too long. All of that is showing off which is
deeply hidden in the psyche. (Siyar Alaam al-Nubala 3/234)
With regard to the Hanbalis, they stated that it is not haraam.
It says in al-Iqnaa: It is makrooh for a mans garment to come below his
ankle unnecessarily. (1/139)
Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni: It is makrooh to let the chemise, izaar
and trousers come below the ankle, and if he does that in order to show
off then it is haraam. (2/298)

The view that it is haraam is the view favoured by most of the

contemporary scholars, including Shaykh Ibn Baaz, Shaykh Ibn
Uthaymeen, Shaykh Ibn Jibreen, Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, the scholars
of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas and others.
Wearing clothes to draw attention to one's self
It is impermissible to wear strange or extravagant clothes to gain fame
and reputation of the community, or to draw the attention of others.
Someone who endeavors to dress in this fashion will look down upon
others which is against the teachings of Islam. Ibn Umar reported that
the Messenger of Allah said, "Whoever wears a garment of Shuhrah (one
that is ostentatious or showy and that is worn to attract the attention of
others) in this world, then Allah will attire him with a garment of
humiliation on the Day of Resurrection." (Related by Ahmad 5631, and
with a different wording from Aboo Dawood 4029 and al Albaanee ruled
his narration to be Hasan)
A garment of Shuhrah is not limited to expensive clothing; even cheap
clothes can be worn for Shuhrah. It is not the price tag that constitutes
clothing to be considered as being worn for Shuhrah, rather it is the
intention of the wearer. If he intends to draw special attention to
himself by what he wears he is committing the sin of Shuhrah.
Therefore, one can fall into this category by wearing inferior clothes so
people consider him as pious and ascetic.
Men wearing gold
It is impermissible for a man to adorn himself with gold. It contradicts
the natural masculinity of a man and furthermore the Messenger of
.Allah declared this prohibition in an explicit and unambiguous manner
Abdullah Ibn Abbaas reported that the Messenger of Allah saw a
gold ring on a mans hand. He took it off and threw it aside, saying,
"Would any of you take a burning coal and hold it in his hand?" When
the Messenger of Allah had gone away, someone said to the man, "Take
your ring and benefit from it (i.e., sell it)." He said, "No, by Allah, I will

not take it after the Messenger of Allah has thrown it away." (Reported
(by Muslim 2090
Abu Umaamah reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Whoever
wears gold in this world will not wear it in the Hereafter." (Related by
(Muslim 2074
Abu Huraira related that the Prophet forbade the wearing of gold rings.
((Related by Bukharee 5864, Muslim 2089
This prohibition is limited to the men; a woman is allowed to add to her
.beauty by wearing gold
The prohibition of gold for men includes pure gold, gold alloys, cut
.pieces, joined pieces, gold inlay, etc
As for gold-plating and gilding, some scholars are of the opinion that
such articles are forbidden for men if it is possible to extract gold from
them (by peeling or shaving off, for example); if no gold can be extracted
.from them, then such items are permitted
Other scholars are of the opinion that it is not permitted to wear an item
which is wholly or mostly gold-plated, but if only a little part of it is gold
-plated (like the hands of a watch, or the numerals, or the tiny points
denoting numbers), then it is permitted to wear it. They say that the
issue is its appearance, not its value: hence if the gold-plating is very
obvious and covers everything, it is not permitted, because most people
can not distinguish between gold-plate and real gold, and some may
follow this persons example and begin to wear pure gold. And Allah
knows best (Mawsooah al-Fiqhiyyah, 1/119; Fataawa Islaamiyyah,
(4/254
Note: If need be, a man may use gold as prosthesis for a wound or
physical defect. Abdur Rahmaan Ibn Turfah related that his gradfather,
Arfajah Ibn As'ad, had his nose cut off on the day of Al Kulaab. He took a
nose of silver, but then a foul smell began to issue from the place of his
nose, and so the Prophet gave him an order, after which he took a nose

made of gold. (Related by Abu Dawood 4232 and Al Albaanee ruled it

(Hasan
White gold
To establish the permissibility or impermissibility of men wearing white
gold, the nature of white gold and what constitutes white gold has to be
defined.
Gold metal is dense, soft, shiny and the most malleable and ductile pure
metal known. Pure gold has a bright yellow colour and luster
traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing
in air or water. Pure gold is yellow in colour, and coloured gold can be
developed into various colours. These colours are generally obtained
by alloying gold with other elements in various proportions.
In al-Mujam al-Waseet it says: Gold is a metal that is yellow in colour.
Professor Muhammad Husayn Joodi said in his book: It is well known
that every kind of metal that is used in making ingots, such as copper,
silver, palladium, platinum, zinc etc have an obvious effect on the ingots
colour, hardness and melting point. Gold gives a yellow colour and
prevents oxidization of the ingot. Copper gives the ingot a red color and
makes it stronger and harder. (Uloom al-Dhahab wal-Siyaaghat alMujawharaat [Sciences of gold and jewels])
White gold may be applied to several things:
1 It is applied to the metal platinum.
It is permissible for men to wear platinum and there is no sin in that,
because there is nothing in the shareeah to suggest that it is forbidden
for men. The fact that people refer to it as white gold does not make it
haraam, because this is just a name that is given to it, but in reality it is
not gold.
Similarly, cotton is also called white gold and oil is called black gold,
because it is precious and valuable, this does not make either element

haraam. Furthermore, it is permissible for men to wear precious stones

such as diamonds, rubies etc.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daaimah lil-Ifta: We do not know of
anything wrong with men wearing diamonds, if they are pure and there
is no gold or silver mixed into them. (24/76)
2 The name white gold is given to the traditional yellow gold, but it is
plated with a layer of platinum.
Wearing this is haraam for men, because in reality he is wearing gold
even though in appearance it does not resemble gold. And according to
scholarly consensus it is Haraam for men to wear gold, as was
mentioned by Imam al-Nawawi in Sharh Saheeh Muslim.
3 The name white gold is also given to regular yellow gold that is mixed
with a specific percentage of platinum or another metal, of which more
or less is added, depending on the standard of gold desired. This is
common practice and what is usually meant by the term white gold.
Hence white gold is usually defined as: an alloy of gold and at least
one white metal, usually nickel, manganese or palladium. Like yellow
gold, the purity of white gold is given in karats.
In practice, this entails that to prepare a kilogram of 21 carat gold; 875
grams of pure (24 carat) gold is mixed with 125 grams of silver and
copper. If the same amount (125 grams) of platinum is added to the
pure yellow gold instead of copper and silver, it results in a kilogram of
white 21 carat gold.
Similarly in order to make a kilogram of 18 carat gold, 750 grams of pure
gold is mixed with 250 grams of silver and copper. If on the other hand,
the same amount (250 grams) of platinum is used instead of the silver or
copper, the result is a kilogram of white 18 carat gold.
Professor Dr. Mamdooh Abd al-Ghafoor Hasan said in his book
Mamlakat al-Maaadin (the Kingdom of metals): Pure gold is not hard
enough to be used for making jewellery, but it may be mixed with

copper, silver, nickel or platinum to make it harder, which at the same

time gives it distinctive colors. A little copper makes it more reddish in
color and silver make it more whitish. Adding 25% platinum or 15%
nickel produces an ingot that is called white gold.
In summary, gold is originally yellow in color, and there is no gold that is
white in color, rather other metals may be added to it that changes its
color to white.
It is well known that adding silver or copper to gold does not alter the
fact that it is gold, and it is does not make it permissible. That also
applies to adding palladium to it.
Based on this, wearing white gold is haraam for men, because in fact it is
yellow gold, but something had been added to it to change its color to
white.
Men wearing silk
It is permissible for women to wear and use pure silk, but it is haraam
for men to do so, because of several ahadeeth, one of which is the
hadeeth of Ali ibn Abi Taalib, who said that the Prophet took a piece of
silk in his right hand and a piece of gold in his left, held them aloft and
said: These are haraam for the males of my ummah and permitted for
the females. (Reported by Abu Dawood 4057, and Al Albaanee declared
it authentic)
Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet said: "Silk is only worn in this
world by the one who will have no share of the pleasure of the
Hereafter. (Related by al-Bukhaari5853 and Muslim 2069)
Anas reported that the Prophet said: Whoever wears silk in this world
will not wear it in the Hereafter. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5832)
Nevertheless, the scholars have allowed men to wear silk in under
exceptional circumstances where there is shari evidence to support this,
such as Muslim combatants in war who are allowed to wear silk in order
to show off and exasperate the enemy, which is a kind of psychological
warfare. A man may also wear silk if he is afflicted with a severe case of
itching or some other illness that requires him to wear very soft

material. Anas reported that the Prophet allowed Abd al-Rahmaan ibn
Awf and Ibn al-Zubayr to wear silk because of a skin irritation that they
suffered from. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 2919, Muslim, 2076 and others)
Similarly if a man finds no other material with which he can cover his
`Awrah, he is permitted to use silk to cover his private parts. If it is
bitterly cold and a man has nothing else to wear but silk, he may use the
silk to protect himself from the cold.
The scholars also allowed men to wear garments containing four fingers
width of silk, because of the hadeeth of Umar ibn al-Khattaab who said
that the Prophet forbade the wearing of silk except for an area the width
of two fingers, or three or four. (Reported by Bukharee 5828, Muslim,
2969 and others)
The scholars have discussed the reasons for silk being forbidden for men
in this world. Ibn al-Qayyim suggested in Zaad al-Maaad that: Among
those who believe that there is reason and wisdom (behind the rulings
of Islam) and they are the majority are some who answer that
Islam has forbidden it so that people will keep away from it and give it
up for the sake of Allah, so they will be rewarded for that. Others reply
that it was basically created for women, as is the case with gold
jewellery, so it was forbidden for men because it can corrupt them by
making them resemble women. Some of them said that it was forbidden
because of what it may lead to in the way of pride, showing off and selfadmiration. Some of them said that it was forbidden because when it
touches the body, it makes a man effeminate and goes against his
masculinity and manliness, so if he wears it his heart gains the
characteristics of femininity and softness, as is obvious, even if he was
the most masculine and chivalrous of men. There is no doubt that
wearing silk will diminish these manly characteristics, if not take them
away altogether. Whoever is too dense to understand this should just
submit to the Wise Law-maker. (Zaad al-Maaad, 4/80)
Artificial silk
It is natural silk that is taken from the silkworm that is forbidden for
men. As for artificial silk, it is not included in the prohibition, because
there is no statement that establishes it being haraam in either the
Qur`aan or Sunnah. If the Qur`aan or Sunnah do not establish the

impermissibility of something, then that particular is permissible,

because the basic principle concerning things is that they are permitted
unless proven otherwise.
However it says al-Sharh al-Mumti, (2/207) and in Tawdeeh al-Ahkaam,
(2/447) that: some of these fabrics made from artificial silk may be very
soft and resembles the fabric worn by women. These should be avoided
by men, because what is required of men is to be tough and hard;
softness is not appropriate for men.
Small boys wearing silk
Shaikh Al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said "concerning this issue. There are
two well known views held be scholars, yet the stronger of those views
is that it is not permissible to dress young bois in silk. If a deed is haraam
for adult males, it is consequently Haraam for them to facilitate the
doing of that deed for children. After all, when a child becomes Seven
years old, he should be ordered to pray; and when he becomes ten years
old, he should be beaten if he does not pray. This being the case, how
can one say that it is permissible to dress young boys in silk? When Umar
saw that one of Az zubayr's young sons was wearing a garment made of
silk, he tore it apart and then said, 'Do not dress them in silk.' Similarly,
Ibn Masood tore up a garment made of silk that his son was wearing.
Clothes with a picture of a cross or a living being
Al Qaasim reported that Aaisha once purchased a cushion that had
pictures (of animals or human beings) on it. The prophet then stood at
the door of their home, without entering. Seeing the prophet's
displeasure, but not knowing its cause, Aisha said, "I repent to Allah
from the sin I committed. "The prophet said, "what is this cushion?" she
said "It is for you to sit on and to rest your head on." He said, "Verily, the
people of these pictures (i.e those who made them) will be punished on
the Day of Resurrection. It will be said to them, 'Bring life to that which
you have created', And verily, the angels do enter a house in which here
is a picture (of something that has a soul is hence a picture of a tree is

permissible, but one of an animal is not)." (Related by Bukharee 5957,

Muslims 2107 and others)
The Permanent council issued the following ruling: What makes images
forbidden is the fact that they are images of animate beings, whether
they are sculptures, or drawings on walls or fabric or paper, or they are
woven, and whether they are done with a quill, a pen, or a machine, and
whether they represent something real or something imaginary,
whether they are small or large, beautified or distorted, or drawn in the
form of lines representing a skeleton. What makes them forbidden is
that fact that they depict animate beings, even if they are imaginary like
pictures of ancient people, Pharaohs, or leaders and soldiers of the
Crusades, or like the pictures of Eesa (Jesus) and Maryam (Mary) that
are kept in churches, etc., because of the general meaning of the texts,
and because that is competing with the creation of Allah, and because it
is a means that leads to shirk. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daaimah (1/479)
In another narration Aaisha said that, "Verily, the Prophet left nothing in
his house that had a Tasaaleeb (a picture of a cross) on it, without
tearing it up (or breaking it etc)." (Reported by Bukharee 5952)
Ahmad related it thus: "The Messenger of Allah would not leave in his
house a garment that had a Tasaleeb on it, without tearing it up".
(Ahmad 22740)
If one's clothes have either a picture of an animate being or a cross it is
necessary that he remove, erase or efface the picture before benifiting
from the garment in any way that is lawful. This is exemplified in the
hadeeth wherein Aaisha said, "The Messenger of Allah arrived from a
journey, and (at that specific time) I was covering myself with a veil of
mine, on which there were pictures. When the Messenger of Allah saw
it, he tore it up and said, "The people that are most punished on the Day
of Resurrection are those who strive to make something similar to
Allah's creation (by drawing a picture or sculpting a statue of anything
that has a soul)." We then made that (the material that remained after
the Prophet tore it up) into a cushion or two cushions." (Reported by
Bukharee 5954, Muslim 2107 and others)

Note: Removing the image means removing all facial features, not just
the eyes.
Children's clothes
We should be diligent when dressing our children and ensure that their
clothes are free from images of animate beings. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen
said in regards to this matter: "The scholars said that it is haraam to
dress a child in what it is haraam for adults to wear. Whatever has an
image on it, it is haraam for adults to wear it, and so it is also haraam
for children to wear it.. (Majmoo Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen
(12/333)
Allah says

O You who believe! ward off from yourselves and Your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel
is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not,
(from executing) the commands they receive from Allh, but do that which they are
commanded. (66:6)
And the Prophet said: Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is
responsible for his flock. The ruler of the people is a shepherd and is
responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of his household and is
responsible for his flock. A woman is the shepherd of her husbands
house and children and is responsible for her flock. (Narrated by alBukhaari 893 and Muslim 1829)
Praying Salaah in such clothes
Prayer offered in a garment that has images of people or animals on it is
valid, but the offender has committed a sin.
The Permanent Council issued the following ruling: "It is not permissible
to pray in clothes on which there are images of animate beings, whether
people, birds, camels, cattle, sheep, or other animate beings, and it is

not permissible for a Muslim to wear them when he is not praying

either. The prayer of one who prays wearing clothes on which there are
images is valid, but he is sinning if he knows the shari ruling." (Fataawa
al-Lajnah al-Daaimah 6/179)
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen was asked about the ruling on the prayer of one
who prays in a garment on which are embroidered or printed images of
animate beings. He replied: "If he is unaware, there is no sin on him, but
if he knew (the ruling) then his prayer is valid but there is some sin
involved, according to the more correct of the two scholarly rulings.
Some scholars said that his prayer is invalid, because he has prayed in a
garment that is haraam for him. (Majmoo Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn
Uthaymeen 12/360)
The Permanent Council of scholars (in Saudi Arabia) also said, "It is
forbidden to wear a cross, both during prayer and at all other times. If
one finds a picture of a cross (on his clothes or watch etc) then he must
scratch it off or paint over it. And if he prays with it, then his prayer is
valid, and he must hasten without delay to remove the cross, for it is
symbol of the Christians, and Muslims are prohibited from imitating
them."
Note: The above discussion does not include the issue of photography
and the scholars' opinions regarding it.