Al 'Isbaal

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A Series on the purification of the soul

ϝΎ˴˶Β˸γϹ΍
Al'Isbaal
Is It Allowed For a Muslim Male To Wear His Garments (Trousers)
Below His Ankles?

According To The Quraan And The Sunnah

Compiled by Taalib Ibn Tyson

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What is the meaning of Isbaal (ϝΎ˴˶Β˸γϹ΍)?

Ibn Munthir gave the following

meanings:

Linguistic
meaning:

To slacken the dress until it covers the

feet

Technical meaning:

The act of wearing the hem below the

ankles1
The generalized prohibition of lowering the garment is very clear and plain to see
in the
following statement of the Prophet to Sufyaan Bin Sahl, when he said:

ϦϴϠΒδϤϟ΍ ͊ΐΤϳ ϻ Ϳ΍ ˷ϥΈϓ ϞΒδΗ ϻ :ϞϬγ ϦΑ ϥΎϴϔγ Ύϳ

"O Sufyaan Bin Sahl! Do not lower your garment below your ankles because Allah
does not love the
Musbileen (those who lower their garment below their ankles).2
Al Haafiz Ibn Hajar says commenting on this Hadith:
"This lowering the garment mentioned in this Hadith is a grave sin if
done out or
conceit, pride or arrogance, etc otherwise the apparent meaning of the
meaning
indicate that itnarrated
Abu Hurairah is forbidden." 3
that Prophet said:

"Whatever is lower than the ankle is in the

Hellfire." 4

Also it is narrated that Abu Dhaar said that the Prophet

said:

"There are three people to whom Allah will neither speak on the Day of
Resurrection nor will look at

1 See Lisaanul Arab

2
Sahih Sunan Maajah and authenticated Shaykh Al'Albaani 2876

3
Fath v-10 p263

4
Al Bukhari, Ahmed, An'Nasaa'ee and others
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them nor purify them (i.e., of their sins), and they will be severely tormented."
When he repeated this
(statement) thrice, Abu Dhaar said: They are doomed and destroyed! (but) who
are they, O Messenger
of Allah?" He said, "One whose lower garment trails, one who boasts of kindness
shown to another;
Ibn Uthaymeen said regarding this
Hadith:
and who promotes sale of his business by taking false oaths."5

The fact that the Messenger of Allah mentions three punishments here in this
Hadith
shows that wearing the garment below the ankles is from the major
sins! Also the
reason why the Messenger of Allah mentions the punishment three times
is to alert
Shaykh Saleem Al'Hilali also said about this Hadith:
(the Muslim) into not doing and avoiding such grave sin. 6

This Hadith is proof that lowering the garment below the ankles in Haraam
(unlawful).7
Reasons why lowering the trousers below the ankles is
forbidden.

Lowering the garment is an imitation of

women

Lowering the garment below the ankle (while wearing trousers or these so called
pants)
is the code of dress of the women, Shaykh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyah said:

"The imitation (of others) in the outward appearances produces a

proportional
assumption of the deeds and the manners. That is why we are ordered to oppose
the
kufar… and that is why men and women are prohibited from imitating each other
in
ϢϬϨϣ ϮϬϓ ϡϮϘΑ ϪΒθΗ Ϧϣ
accordance with the Ahaadith."

"Whoever takes the similitude of certain people

becomes one of them."8

5 Muslim 106

6
Sharh Riyaad us Saaliheen v2 p629

7
see Shaykh Saleem's Sharh Riyaad us Saaliheen v2 p89
8
Abu Dawood Ahmed and others and authenticated by Shaykh Al'Albaani in his As'Silsilah

As'Saheeha v1,676
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Today we see that men (sadly enough to say) are trailing their trousers
and/or thobe
etc like women, while the women wear clothes whose lower ends are
well above the
ankles!! Some in fact above the knees! May Allah the Exalted and High guide
our men
The man who imitates women acquires from their manners according to the
extent of
and women to abide by the commands of Allah and His Messenger.
his imitation, such that by it he may end up in complete effeminacy.

The woman who imitates men assumes part of their manners until she attains
levels of
exposing herself and her beauty to strange men that she is not related to,
joining men
in walks of life which would lead her to show off her body as men do,
demanding
Lowering the trousers below the ankles is
superiority over men and doing whatever contradicts the bashfulness of
extravagance
women.9
Allah the Exalted and High his set a measure for everything, including clothes
for men.
If a Muslim exceeds the limits set by Law then he becomes extravagant

Allah the Exalted says in the Quraan:

˴Ϧϴ˶ϓ˶ή˸δ˵Ϥ˸ϟ΍ ͊ΐ˶Τ˵ϳ Ύ˴ϟ ˵Ϫ͉ϧ˶· ΍Ϯ˵ϓ˶ή˸δ˵Η Ύ˴ϟ˴ϭ ΍Ϯ˵Α˴ή˸η΍˴ϭ ΍

Ϯ˵Ϡ˵ϛ˴ϭ

"And eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not
those who are extravagant."
(Suratu Al'Araaf 31)
Al'Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:

If the Thobe (as well as any other garment) exceeds the appropriate size
of the one
who wears it, then it would be prohibited based upon extravagance and that
leads to it
being unlawful.10

9 Al'Fataawa v22 p254

10
Fath v10 p263
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Lowering the trousers leads to being unclean.

Ubaid Bin Khaalid

said:

"I was walking trailing my garment. A man spoke to

me saying:

Pull up your Thobe because that (will keep it) more clean and it will last longer. I
looked (to see who
was talking to me) and he was the Prophet. I said:

It is only a black and white stripped outer

garment. He said:

Don't you have an example in me?" I said:

I looked at him and his Garment (Izaar) and it was extending to the
middle of his shin."11
Dr. Saleh As'Saleh
said:

"The Prophet did not keep silent when he saw Abdullah bin Umar hanging
low his
garment (his Izaar). 12 This shows that the prohibition of lowering the garment for
men
is not restricted only to the case of pride and ignorance. Abdullah Bin Umar is one
of
the great Companions. Imagine what the position of the Prophet would be if he
saw
the clothes on many "contemporary" Du'aat (those who invite others to this Deen),
So our notable dear Shaykh Dr Saleh As'Saleh may Allah have mercy
or
upon his soul
even "Scholars
clearly (all trousers
says wearing due respect to them)",
or pants each
below ones trailing
ankle his cloak, garment
is forbidden.
or pants
With regret there are those from the people of Ilm who give allowance to
(trousers)."
having the 13
trousers below the ankles but with the condition that the trousers don't
drag on the
floor!
This statement (of many of those Scholars) goes against the statement of
the holy
Prophet and it also goes against what many other notable Scholars of today and
of old
11 Ash'Sharmaa'il Al'Muhammadiyah 97 and authenticated by Shaykh Al'Albaani

have said
Al'Bukhari regarding
v7 Hadith 675 those statements.
12

13
The issue of Isbaal p23
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If we look carefully at these opinions they clearly go against Allah His Messenger
and
the Ulama because the fact that if one would remove his shoes if he
has his trousers
below his ankles, (in the Masjid etc) his trousers may touch the ground or drag
on the
ground which would occur frequently for those who believe such opinion, and is
There is no doubt that this is Haraam due to the statement of the holy Prophet
in many
this
narrations and even if one does not remove ones shoes and he just has
allowed or Haraam!?
his trousers
below his ankles this is still Haraam, so both are Haraam due to the many
narrations of
the Prophet. Lets us look at the statements of our Scholars of the past and if
Ibn Hazm said describing the Musbil:
they had
such opinions.
"Isbaal generally covers trousers, lower garments, shirts, and everything people
wear."14
Al'Haafiz Ibn Hajar quoted At'Tabari as saying regarding wearing the trousers
below
the ankle:

"In the life time of the Prophet most people used to wear Izaar and Al'ardiyah
(loose
outer garments, robe, cloak, etc). But when people started wearing shirts
and other
kinds of clothes (like cloaks, etc). The same ruling or prohibition applied to the
trailing
Ibn Bataal
and hanging of the Izaar was applied.15
said:

This is a good analogical deduction. So even if there is no text that includes the
thobe,
the prohibition clearly involves all (i.e. all dresses that hang low)."16

Ibn Uthaymeen said regarding wearing trousers below the

ankles:

14 Al'Muhalla v4 p100

15
Fath v10 p260

16 Ibid
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Wearing the Thobe, robe or trousers below the ankles is (Haraam)
unlawful.17

Imaam Ath'Thahabi said regarding wearing trousers below the

ankles:

Wearing trousers that are below the ankles, long sleeves and turban with a long
tail are
(Haraam) unlawful.18

Shaykh Bin Baaz was asked the following

question:

We see some shortening their Thobes and lengthening their trousers! What is
your view
about this Oh Shaykh may Allah the Exalted bless you?

"The Sunnan is that the clothing all of it is to be worn at what is between the
middle of
the shin to the ankles. It is not allowed for it to be worn below the ankle because
of the
saying of the Messenger:

"The part of the Izaar that is below the ankle is in the Fire."19
There is not difference between the trousers and the Izaar, the Qamees or the
Busht or
what the Arabs call an Aba. The Prophet only mentioned the Izaar as an
example, not
to specify it."20
The Permanent Committee was
asked:

What is the limit for dragging ones

garment?

The reply
was:

The place for the believers garment is the middle of his shin, and any
point between
that and the ankle is permitted. Whatever goes below the ankle is Haraam, and
the one
who does so is punished in the Hereafter, and censured in this life.21

17 Sharh Riyaad us Saaliheen v2 p628

18
As'Siyar 3'234

19 Al'Bukhari

20
Arkaan al'Aslaam p149 in the section Fataawa Muhimmah Tata'llaq bis'Salah.

21
Fataawa Islamiyah v7 P367
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