Fatwa: # 16152
Category: Women
Country: South Africa
Date: 1st February 2008

Title

Is it permissible to wear jeans in your home, for your husband. Is there a difference between wearing a trouser with an abaya or a jeans with an abaya since you can hardly see both.

Question

Is it permissible to wear jeans in your home, for your husband.  Is there a difference between wearing a trouser with an abaya or a jeans with an abaya since you can hardly see both.

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

Every aspect of a life of Muslim should express Islamic values and ethos in it. That includes ones conduct, eating, attire etc. It does not behove a Muslim to conduct himself in any other way. Shame and modesty is emphasized in Shariah. It is one of the core values of Islam. Shame and modesty should also be expressed through ones attire and conduct. Non-Muslims do not understand shame and modesty as we do. Therefore their conduct and in particular their dressing does not express shame and modesty. The body is revealed or the shape of the body is revealed. This is a norm among non-Muslims.

As Muslims we should distinguish ourselves from them in every possible way. Our attire should not resemble their attire. We should not even imitate them. Rasulullah (SAW), “That person who imitates a nation is among them”.

Jeans is a common dress of non-Muslims, males and females alike. In the case of a female, it is even more abhorred Shariah prohibits a female from imitating a male. That includes imitating the attire of a male. The issue becomes of greater concern if the jeans is worn with a short top, thus exposing the shape of the lower part of the body.

In view of the above, we discourage Muslims, males and females from wearing jeans.

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa

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