Isbaal By Salafi Manhaj

Al 'Isbaal

____________________________________________________________ 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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Al 'Isbaal

____________________________________________________________ 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 3 indicate that itnarrated is forbidden." Abu Hurairah that Prophet said:

"Whatever is lower than the ankle is in the Hellfire."

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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

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See Lisaanul Arab Sahih Sunan Maajah and authenticated Shaykh Al'Albaani 2876 Fath v-10 p263 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

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Muslim 106 Sharh Riyaad us Saaliheen v2 p629 see Shaykh Saleem's Sharh Riyaad us Saaliheen v2 p89 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:

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˴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 ΍

"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

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Al'Fataawa v22 p254

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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 (all trousers due respect to them)", each trailing his cloak, garment clearly says wearing or pants below ones ankle 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 regarding those statements. Al'Bukhari v7 Hadith 675 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:

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Al'Muhalla v4 p100 Fath v10 p260 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

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Sharh Riyaad us Saaliheen v2 p628 As'Siyar 3'234 Al'Bukhari Arkaan al'Aslaam p149 in the section Fataawa Muhimmah Tata'llaq bis'Salah. Fataawa Islamiyah v7 P367

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