Dress Code For Men And Women

Dress code is very important in Islam to be recognised as a Muslim, and to be modest and not draw a lot of attention from the opposite sex. There is very much focus on the dress code of women, and I seldom hear how men should dress. Both are important. Perhaps the rules for women are a bit stricter to protect them from harassment, but the men can't ignore their duty either, and the clothes one choose to wear should be worn with dignity.

DRESS CODE FOR MEN

Men are not allowed to wear silk and gold, based on the hadith stating that Prophet Muhammed (sallalahu 'alayhe wa salam) said: "Gold and silk are forbidden for the males of my ummah and permissible for the females." [Saheeh Ibn Maajah 3640]

Another thing that is forbidden is the wearing of skin of dead animals, unless it has been tanned. The clothes of men cannot be thin or see-through clothing, that doesn't conceal the 'awrah and it's haraam to imitate the kuffar in the way of dressing. These are the most important points of a male dress.

Another point of men's appearance is based on this hadith: "Trim the moustache and save the beard." [Bukhari & Muslim]

A man shouldn't wear garments hanging beneath his ankles. In the hadith we find: "Whatever of the lower garment is beneath the ankles is in the Fire." [Al-Bukhari, 5450, narrated by Abu Hurayrah]

And: ""There are three to whom Allah will not speak to on the Day of Resurrection and will not look at them or praise them, and theirs will be a painful torment." The Messenger of Allah (sallalhu 'alayhe wa sallam) repeated it three times. Abu Dharr said: "May they be doomed and lost; who are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "The one who let his garment hang beneath his ankles, the one who reminds others of a favour he has done, and the one who sells his product by means of false oaths."" [Muslim, 106, narrated by Abu Dharr]

The Prophet (sallalhu 'alayhe wa sallam) also forbade men to wear saffron.

The 'awrah of a man is generally accepted to be the area between the navel and the knees. Most scholars classifies this hadith as saheeh: 'Ali narrated that the Messenger of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) said "Do not show your thigh, and do not look at the thigh of anyone, living or dead." [Narrated by Abu Dawood and Ibn Majaah]

How many men actually follows this today? Most men don't think about their own clothing, and they are too focused in how their Muslims sisters dress. Dressing is an individual responsibility, and a person should look at himself first, and dress properly according to Islam, before he looks at how other people dress. We will all be judged for our actions, a man can't simply ignore the requirements for his own dress. He should at least cover the area between the navel and the knees, but in the presence of non-mahrams it's encouraged that he wears longer trousers and a long-sleeved shirt. He should guard his modesty and lower his gaze. If he sees a woman not dressed properly, he shouldn't stare and he should lower his gaze. This is explicitly mentioned in the Quran. How many men actually do that today? If a woman from the west appears in a short skirt and a blouse, they all stand and stare at her and might even throw comments! This is not allowed in Islam. You are obliged to not look at her, and Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) knows very well what you do. Out of respect of yourself and your wife, you mind your own business. This will help you to be pure inside as well.


GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MEN AND WOMEN

There are some points of islamic clothing that is in common for men and women. All people should cover their 'awrah and guard their modesty. It is also sunnah to pay attention to keeping one's clothes clean, without feeling arrogant or exaggerating about that.

"O children of Adam! We have indeed sent down to you clothing to cover your shame, and (clothing) for beauty and clothing that guards (against evil), that is the best. This is of the communications of Allah that they may be mindful." - Quran 7:27

It was stated in a hadith that Prophet Muhammed (sallalhu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: ""No one will ente Paradise in whose heart is a mustard-seed of arrogance." A man said: "What if a man likes his clothes to look nice and his shoes to look nice?" He said: "Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty; arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people." [Muslim, 91]

Another hadith states: "It is haram for women to imitate men and men to imitate women in the way they dress, because the Prophet (sallalhu 'alayhe wa sallam) cursed the men who imitate women and the women who imitate men." [Al-Bukhari, 5546]

It's sunnah for a Muslim to start with the right when dressing, and to say, bismillah, and to start with the left when taking clothes off.

It's mustahabb to wear white clothes. Ibn 'Abbas said that Prophet Muhammed (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: "Wear white clothes, for they are the best of your clothes, and shroud you dead in them." [Al-Tirmidhi, 994 & Abu Dawood, 4061 & Ibn Maajah, 1472]

It is also haram to wear clothes out of fame and vanity, garments that the wearer will become known of. Ibn 'Umar said: The Prophet (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: "Whoever wears a garment of fame and vanity, Allah will dress him in a garment like it on the Day of Resurrection." [Abu Dawood, 4029 & Ibn Majaah, 3606/3607]


DRESS CODE FOR WOMEN

Many of the Muslim women don't dress properly either, although by what I've experienced, they are more aware of their dressing.

Women should also not wear tight or transparent clothes, and they should cover all their body except the face and the hands.

"And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to ..." - Quran 24:31

"O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon them their over-garments; this will be more proper, that they may be known, and thus they will not be given trouble; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." - Quran 33:59


We should all try to abide as much as we can by the islamic dress code, and do our best to improve our iman.