Wearing Pants and Cultural Practices

Answered By Shaykh Omar Subedar

Question:

Asalaamu aleykum! I have a question about pants. I've been told that wearing pants is disliked for both men and women, for women even at home with her husband, since pants are clothes typical for the disbelievers. I've also been told that the majority of the scholars agree on this. As I've learned, pants for women in the privacy of the home or for example under the abaya/jilbab is Ok, as this does not compromise her modesty. For me as a european muslim being used to wear pants like this, it sounds a bit "harsh" that we must not even wear them at home. Which by the way brings me to my second question, about cultural practices. Where should we draw the line between religion and culture? About the issue with pants for example, why would wearing them at home be against my religion just because it is common to wear them where I come from? Thank you so much and may Allah bless you!

Answer:

Unfortunately the dilemma you’re facing is one that many people from the South Asian community face. It is disheartening to see how cultural biases have made inroads into the minds of the religiously oriented.

Before answering your question it is important for one to understand the dress code of our beautiful religion. Firstly neither Allah nor His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم have ever fixed a uniform for us; neither for a man or for a woman. What Allah has done is He has provided us with some clothing guidelines in the following verse;

 “O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best. That is from the signs of Allah that perhaps they will remember.” [7:26]

In this verse Allah has explained the objective of clothing which is;

1. To conceal the private areas of your body (‘awrah); which for a man is from the naval to the knees and for a woman is her entire body excluding her face and hands until the wrists. These areas cannot be revealed to anyone, apart from a person’s spouse or to a doctor when the need arises. Hence when adopting any attire it is important that the garment conceals these areas effectively and is not transparent or skin-tight.
2. To adorn and beautify yourself. There is nothing wrong with wearing nice and attractive clothes or garments that reflect ones social status so long as a person does not develop pride through them or wears them to show off.

‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ōd رضى الله عنه reported, “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “He who has an atom’s weight of pride in his heart shall not enter Paradise.”

One person expressed, “A man likes to have his clothes [look] nice and his shoes [look] nice. [Is this considered pride?]”

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم explained, “Allah is beautiful and adores beauty. Pride is to reject the truth and belittle people.” [Muslim: 265]

In another narration Ibn ‘Abbäs رضى الله عنهما said, “Eat what you like and wear what you like so long as two things [continue to] miss you; extravagance and conceit.” [Bukhäri: 5783]

It is important to keep in mind though that when adopting a particular outfit, imitating any individual(s) through it who have no connection with Allah and his Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم is strictly prohibited. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Whoever imitates a people, he is one of them.” [Abu Däwōd: 4031]. Similarly one should avoid wearing outfits through which he would resemble, albeit unintentionally, a person or a group of people who refuse to believe in Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم. This is why the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم would instruct his companions to tie their turbans over their prayer caps and would say, “The difference between us and the polytheists [is that we wear our] turbans over our caps.” [Abu Däwōd: 4078]

In respect to pants, this is an item of clothing that covers the part of the body from the waist to the ankles or, sometimes, the knees, each leg having a separate tubular piece. So whether a person wears a sirwal/sharwal or blue jeans, in essence he is wearing ‘pants’. ‘Pants’, as we know them here in North America is not an outfit that is particularly worn by a specific community, rather it is something that is practically worn by everyone  in this multicultural nation of ours. Hence the concern being raised in your question over wearing the garment is one that is based on a cultural bias; something that the Sharë’a is not founded on.

In conclusion there is nothing wrong with wearing a pair of pants as long as;

• They are not worn to imitate someone who has no connection with Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم
• They do not develop pride in a person’s heart
• They do not resemble the attire of a particular non Muslim community.

As for a woman, she is free to dress however she pleases in seclusion with her husband.

And Allah Knows Best