What are the Muslim laws on the halal and haram in clothes?

Answer 1

Assalaamu alaikum.

Hijab for men

People usually only discuss 'hijab' in the context of women. However, in the

Glorious Qur'an, Allah (swt) first mentions 'hijab' for men before 'hijab' for the

women. The Qur'an mentions in Surah Noor:

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard

their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is

well acquainted with all that they do."

[Al-Qur'an 24:30]

The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought

comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.

Hijab for women.

The next verse of Surah Noor, says:

" And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and

guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and

ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they

should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty

except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their

sons..."

[Al-Qur'an 24:31]

Six criteria for Hijab.

According to Qur'an and Sunnah there are basically six criteria for observing

hijab:

1. Extent:

The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is

different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the male

is to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the

extent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the face

and the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even these

parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the hands

are part of the obligatory extent of 'hijab'.

All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.

2. The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.

3. The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through

them.

4. The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.

5. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex.

6. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. they

should not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of the

unbelievers' religions.

For Details about halal and haram clothes refer to Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim --> Book of dress.