Question:
We are seeking from you a concise word of advice pertaining to the Islamic position on differing with the disbelievers in terms of dress, hair style and other than that.
Answer:
Allah the Most-High said:
{فَاسْتَقِيمَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعَانِّ سَبِيلَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ}
Which translates as:
“So you both keep to the Straight Way (i.e. keep on doing good deeds and preaching Allah’s Message with patience), and follow not the path of those who know not (the truth i.e. to believe in the Oneness of Allah, and also to believe in the Reward of Allah: Paradise, etc.).”[Yunus:89]
And Allah the Most-High said:
ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَىٰ شَرِيعَةٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْرِ فَاتَّبِعْهَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ إِنَّهُمْ لَن يُغْنُوا عَنكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ
That which translates as:
“Then We have put you (O Muhammad ﷺ) on a plain way of (Our) commandment [like the one which We commanded Our Messengers before you (i.e. legal ways and laws of the Islamic Monotheism)]. So follow you that (Islamic Monotheism and its laws), and follow not the desires of those who know not. Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allah (if He wants to punish you). Verily, the Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers, etc.) are Auliya’ (protectors, helpers, etc.) to one another, but Allah is the Wali (Helper, Protector, etc.) of the Muttaqun (pious).[Jathiyah:18-19]
And Allah the Most-High said:
{اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ}
That which translates as:
“Say (O Muhammad ﷺ ) to these idolaters (pagan Arabs) of your folk:] Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Quran and Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah), and follow not any Auliya’ (protectors and helpers, etc. who order you to associate partners in worship with Allah), besides Him (Allah). Little do you remember!”[Araf:3]
And likewise, resembling them constitutes one of the ways of having love for them and we have been prohibited from that (loving the disbelievers).
Allah the Most-High says:
لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ أُولَٰئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ أُولَٰئِكَ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
That which translates as:
“You (O Muhammad ﷺ) will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ), even though they were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred (people). For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with Ruh (proofs, light and true guidance) from Himself. And We will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein (forever). Allah is pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the Party of Allah. Verily, it is the Party of Allah that will be the successful.”[Mujadilah:22]
And the Prophet ﷺ said (in the hadith of Abu Said in Bukhari) “You will follow the wrong ways, of your predecessors so completely and literally that if they should go into the hole of a lizard, you too will go there.” We said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Do you mean the Jews and the Christians?” He replied, “Whom else?” (Meaning, of course, the Jews and the Christians.)
And the Messenger of Allah also stated: “Whoever imitates a people then he is one of them.”
And the Prophet ﷺ prohibited shaving the beard and letting the moustache grow long. And he ﷺ prohibited us from many different types of clothing. Then some (from amongst the scholars) say, “None of them (men and women) can wear these clothing.” And some of them say some clothing is permissible for the women but not the men. Like silk and gold.
And resembling the Christians and the Jews is a very serious matter because it affects the heart until one has love and admiration for them. While it appears that their clothing is the best in reality it’s the worst. And I swear by Allah that wearing their pants is repulsive. And these clothes that reveal the body of the woman is repulsive and it’s from resembling the disbelievers. And may Allah protect all of us from this evil.
So my advice to the Muslims is to fear Allah ﷻ and hold firm and be proud of their religion. They must be proud of their clothing. They must be proud of their morals and values. And they must be proud of the Islamic teachings and the goodness that they are upon. They should continue upon that goodness and not be swayed by the clothing or hair styles of the disbelievers or other than these things.
And Allah knows best.
Answered by: Shaikh Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ba Jamaal (May Allah preserve him)
Source: https://t.me/bajmaal/5049
Translated by: Abu Yusuf Bilal ibn Howard Robinson