Question: Is wearing loose pants which do not show the shins, with a long blouse on top of it which reaches half-way to the thighs or more, along with a Khimar covering the head considered the Legislated Hijab for women? Or is the Hijab the well-known Jilbab and nothing else? We hope for some detail on the issue.
Answer: “That which I see is that it is not allowed for a woman to wear pants at all because this is from the clothing specific for men. The Prophet (ﷺ) cursed the women who imitate men and vice versa [al-Bukhari (no. 5885)]. This is in relation to women who stop at above-mentioned issue. Perhaps they may begin with pants which are loose and wide and do not show the size of the woman’s thighs, behind, nor [clothing] which shows her chest and breasts. However, women do not have a limit [in relation to clothing] and they will expand in relation to that. Perhaps a day will come when women will have pants which are made from a type of plastic that sticks to the body completely and resembles a person’s skin, such that a woman walks with such pants as if she is completely naked! Even though this is far-fetched, however it is not impossible in relation to how women indulge in the issues relating to displaying their adornment. We ask Allah for safety and guidance”
[Liqaat wa Fatawaa al-Aqiliyaat al-Muslimah (pg. 154)]
Translator’s Note:
What the Shaikh describes at the end of the fatwa of elastic pants which stick to the body are nothing more than the leggings, which we see women wear today! What the Shaikh describes as ‘far-fetched’ at the time of passing this verdict is now considered normal, Allahul-Mustaan. Rather, this form of dress and clothing falls into that which the Prophet (ﷺ) prophesied 1400 years ago when he said:
صِنْفَانِ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ لَمْ أَرَهُمَا قَوْمٌ مَعَهُمْ سِيَاطٌ كَأَذْنَابِ الْبَقَرِ يَضْرِبُونَ بِهَا النَّاسَ وَنِسَاءٌ كَاسِيَاتٌ عَارِيَاتٌ مُمِيلاَتٌ مَائِلاَتٌ رُءُوسُهُنَّ كَأَسْنِمَةِ الْبُخْتِ الْمَائِلَةِ لاَ يَدْخُلْنَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلاَ يَجِدْنَ رِيحَهَا وَإِنَّ رِيحَهَا لَيُوجَدُ مِنْ مَسِيرَةِ كَذَا وَكَذَا
Two are the types of the denizens of Hell whom I did not see: people having flogs like the tails of the ox with them and they would be beating people, and the women who would be dressed but appear to be naked, who would be inclined (to evil) and make their husbands incline towards it. Their heads would be like the humps of the bukht camel inclined to one side. They will not enter Paradise and they would not smell its odour whereas its odour would be smelt from such and such distance [Saheeh Muslim (no. 2128)]
May Allah protect us all from dressing in a manner that is not pleasing to Allah.
Translated by
Faisal bin Abdul Qaadir bin Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
