Question 1

Is it permissible for a man to wear his trousers below the ankles?

Accepted Answer

Lengthening the garment below the ankles for a man is forbidden in two situations and the texts are clear: (1) if done out of arrogance (khuyala''), it is a major sin and Allah does not even look at the doer on the Day of Judgement — "Allah will not look on the Day of Resurrection at the one who lets his garment trail in arrogance." (al-Bukhari 5788, Muslim 2087); (2) if done without arrogance — merely out of habit — it is still forbidden, on the general hadith: "Whatever is below the ankles of the izar is in the Fire." (al-Bukhari 5787). The two hadiths are not in contradiction: the first specifies the harsher punishment for the one who does it out of pride; the second establishes the general prohibition for everyone. Some scholars restricted the prohibition to only the case of arrogance, but the apparent meaning of the second hadith — its generality and its absence of any qualifier — is what the strongest evidence supports. The garment of a Muslim man should fall to mid-shin, with no harm if it reaches the ankles (the upper bone), and what is below the ankles is forbidden. This applies equally to thawb, trousers, and any garment.

Question 2

What is the ruling on the beard in Islam?

Accepted Answer

Letting the beard grow is obligatory upon every Muslim man, and shaving it is forbidden. The Prophet ﷺ commanded the trimming of moustaches and the lengthening of beards in numerous authentic narrations, framing it as opposing the disbelievers and the polytheists. Every command in Islamic legal language is for obligation unless there is evidence diverting it, and no such diverting evidence exists here. Trimming a beard that exceeds a fistful is permitted according to many scholars based on the practice of Ibn ʿUmar, but completely shaving it or trimming it so short it loses its appearance contradicts the sunnah and falls under the prohibition. A Muslim should hold to this command despite social pressure, knowing that obedience to Allah and His Messenger is greater than custom.

Question 3

What must a woman cover, and when?

Accepted Answer

Ibn al-Qayyim explained that the woman's entire body is ʿawrah before non-mahram men, and that the believing women of the Sahaba covered themselves with their jalabib so that nothing of them was seen — including the face — when they went out. He noted this is the apparent meaning of "yudnina ʿalayhinna min jalabibihinna" and the position of the major Companions and their Followers.

Question 4

Is gold permitted for men?

Accepted Answer

Imam Malik narrated in al-Muwatta' that the Prophet ﷺ took silk in his right hand and gold in his left and said: "These two are forbidden for the males of my nation, permitted for the females." Malik ruled accordingly: gold jewellery and gold-thread clothing are haram for men, while permissible for women.

Question 5

What is the ruling on the beard?

Accepted Answer

Imam Ahmad held that shaving the beard is haram, based on the command of the Prophet ﷺ "Trim the moustaches and let the beards grow" (Bukhari, Muslim). He considered shaving it an act of disobedience that contradicts the explicit command of the Messenger ﷺ. Trimming what exceeds a fistful was permissible according to the practice of Ibn ʿUmar.

Question 6

Is niqab obligatory upon women?

Accepted Answer

Ibn Taymiyyah held that it is obligatory upon a woman to cover her face in front of non-mahram men, citing the verse of the jalabib (al-Ahzab 33:59) and the practice of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ and the women of the Sahaba who covered their faces while in ihram and in the presence of strangers. He stated that the face and hands are part of the ʿawrah that must be covered before non-mahrams.

Question 7

What does Islam say about modesty and the Hijab?

Accepted Answer

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-'Uthaymeen explained that the Hijab is a religious obligation (wajib) for every believing woman. The purpose of this divine injunction is to preserve the modesty, dignity, and honor of women, and to protect society from the sources of temptation (fitnah).

The correct and obligatory Hijab, according to the Shaykh, is that which covers a woman's entire body, including her face and hands, in the presence of non-mahram men (men she can legally marry). This position is based on a comprehensive analysis of the scriptural evidences and is considered the most cautious and sound view, although some scholars have permitted the uncovering of the face and hands.

The Shaykh emphasizes that the Hijab is not merely a cultural tradition but a clear act of worship and obedience to Allah. The conditions for a proper Hijab, derived from the Qur'an and Sunnah, are that it must be thick and opaque (not see-through), loose-fitting (not revealing the shape of the body), and should not be an adornment in itself, nor should it resemble the clothing of men or disbelievers.

Failing to observe the Hijab as prescribed is considered a sin for which a woman is accountable to Allah. It is a form of displaying one's adornments, which is prohibited.

Question 8

Is it obligatory for women to wear hijab/niqab in non-Muslim countries?

Accepted Answer

The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' was asked about the ruling on a Muslim woman uncovering her face in a country where she is traveling for work or study. They responded that it is not permissible for a Muslim woman to uncover her face in the presence of non-mahram men, whether in a Muslim country or a non-Muslim country. The obligation to cover is to prevent fitnah (temptation) and to preserve the woman's chastity and modesty.

The Committee bases this ruling on several pieces of evidence. The primary evidence is the verse from Surah al-Ahzab: "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused..." (Quran 33:59). The "bringing down of the outer garment" has been interpreted by many early commentators to include covering the face.

Furthermore, they cite the verse in Surah an-Nur which commands believing women to "...not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands..." (Quran 24:31). The face is considered the greatest place of beauty and adornment, and thus should be concealed from non-mahrams.

The practice of the female Companions also serves as evidence. In the well-known hadith about the incident of al-Ifk, 'Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), recounted that when she was left behind and Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal passed by her, she said, "I covered my face from him with my Jilbab." This demonstrates that covering the face in the presence of non-mahram men was the established practice among the women of the first generation.

Therefore, the obligation remains upon the woman regardless of the customs of the land she is in. The ruling is tied to the presence of non-mahram men, not the geographical location.

Question 9

What is the hijab ruling for women — what must be covered and when?

Accepted Answer

According to Shaykh Ibn Baz, it is obligatory (wajib) for a Muslim woman to cover her entire body in the presence of men who are not her mahrams (i.e., men she can legally marry). The correct and sound scholarly view is that this obligation includes covering her face and hands. This ruling is based on explicit evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah and is aimed at protecting the woman, preserving her modesty, and preventing fitnah (temptation and societal corruption).

The primary evidence is Allah's command in Surah Al-Ahzab: "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments (jalabib). That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused." The interpretation of 'bringing down the outer garment' by many of the Salaf (early Muslims) was to cover the face, either by pulling the jilbab down from the head or using a separate veil (niqab). This was understood to be a clear directive to distinguish believing women by their modesty.

Further evidence is in Surah An-Nur, where women are commanded to "not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests." Shaykh Ibn Baz argues that the face is the foremost locus of beauty and adornment, and thus it cannot be what is meant by 'that which necessarily appears.' Rather, what appears unintentionally, like the outer cloak itself, is excused.

The practice of the female Companions, such as Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) in the famous hadith of the slander (al-Ifk), confirms this understanding. When she heard the voice of a non-mahram man, she immediately covered her face. This demonstrates the established practice in the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

This obligation is conditional on the presence of non-mahram men. A woman is not required to cover her face and hands in front of her mahrams (like her father, husband, sons, brothers) or in the company of other women.

Question 10

What is hijab and is it mandatory?

Accepted Answer

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen explains that the hijab prescribed in Islam is for the woman to cover everything that is forbidden for her to show to non-mahram men. This means she must cover her entire body, including her face and hands. The ruling is that this is obligatory (fard) for every adult Muslim woman.

The evidence for this obligation is found in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Allah says in the Qur'an:

'O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.' (Surah al-Ahzab, 33:59)

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen interprets this verse as a clear command for women to cover themselves completely with their outer garments (jilbab) when they go out, which conceals them from the gaze of non-mahram men.

Another key piece of evidence is the verse:

'...and not display their adornment except what [ordinarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests...' (Surah an-Nur, 24:31)

While some scholars interpret 'what ordinarily appears thereof' as the face and hands, Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen aligns with the position that this refers to the outer cloak itself or what might be revealed unintentionally by the wind, not that these parts can be left uncovered deliberately. The purpose of hijab is to prevent fitnah (temptation, trial) and to protect the woman's honour and dignity. Revealing the face, which is the center of beauty and identity, goes against this core purpose. Therefore, in his view, the complete covering is a requirement of the faith and a defining characteristic of a pious believing woman.

Clothing & Adornment