Islam’s care for beauty of dress

Sunday, 02 January 2011

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Written by Dr. Ragheb Elsergany

Islam’s care for cleanliness of clothing

Islam has taken care of what should be dressed. Nice and clean clothing positively reflects on those wearing it and those living nearby and even on those who see the one properly dressed even though they do not know him.

When the Noble Qur'an talked about bless of the dress, it said it covers the shameful parts of the body and is used as adornment.

Man’s nature was designed to cover the shameful parts of the body unlike animals and birds. This nature is in itself something nice and necessary. When Adam and his wife ate from the tree, their shameful parts of their bodies were exposed to them. When they saw that they “began to sew together the leaves of the garden over their bodies.” [Heights: 22]. "This reveals that a man or a woman feels shy when their shameful parts of the body are exposed. Only people of a corrupt nature expose their shameful parts."[1]

So, appropriate clothing is something implanted in one’s soul. It is a divinely bless. Allah has drawn our attention to bless of beauty and the beauty of the inside. Allah Almighty says: “O ye Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness,- that is the best.” [Heights: 26]

One of the first early verses reads: “And thy garments keep free from stain!” [The Cloaked One: 4]. How beautiful that Islam, since man descended on Planet Earth, takes care of the inside as well as the outside of the people. It combines monotheism to cleanliness. The Quran says: “And thy Lord do thou magnify! And thy garments keep free from stain!” [The Cloaked One: 3, 4]

The cleanliness of the dress here is in the sensual sense of the word and it also applies on sins and misbehaviour. Ibn Kathir says: “This verse includes everything related to the purity of the heart.”[2]

Islam’s care for adornment

Islam has taken a great deal of care about adornment. Allah has told us to adorn. He says: “Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess.” [Heights: 31]. The verse also blamed those who do not do that “Who hath forbidden the beautiful (gifts) of Allah, which He hath produced for His servants, and the things, clean and pure, (which He hath provided) for sustenance? [Heights: 32]

Some scholars even exaggerated in understanding this verse “Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer” [Heights: 31]. They set as a condition for a worshiper to get off najasah (impure substance] to wash himself with rose water. They cited Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi in his tafsir. "They said explaining this opinion “We were ordered to pray as Allah says: ‘Establish regular prayers’ [Cattle: 72] and prayers are supplications and a worshiper supplicates to Allah, which means that we are ordered to do something else rather than offering prayers. This means that the validity of prayers is not conditional on covering the shameful parts of one’s body. However, we said this is obligatory as per the verse that says: “Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer.” [Heights: 31]

Thus, wearing clothes that are washed by rose water shows the maximum level of cleanliness and adornment. It should be done for the prayers to be valid.”[3]

Ibn Masud quoted the Prophet as saying: “"No one who has even an atom's-weight of pride in his heart will enter Paradise." A man asked him, "What if he likes his clothes and shoes to look good?" (Meaning, is this counted as pride?) The Prophet (PBUH):"Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Pride means denying the truth and looking down on other people.”[4]

It is the fine equation put by Islam; to take care of beauty provided that this does not affect the soul or push it to feel kibr (vanity). "Kibr" means not to look down to people. No problem to be very beautiful because Allah Almighty likes beauty. However, beware a grain of vanity because a grain of vanity could deprive you from entering the Paradise.

In this respect, piety or looking for the best cannot let you abandon beauty in its entirety. Let’s here have a look at the second situation narrated by Abul Ahwas citing his father. He says: “I came in shabby clothes to see the Prophet and he said: ‘Do you have money?’ I said yes. He said: ‘From where does your money come?’ I said: ‘Allah has given me camels and sheep and horses and slaves.’ He said: ‘Then if Allah gave you money and possessions, he likes for you to show it.”[5] 

Through this, we notice how Islam draws a fine line between moderation and extremism, between vanity and ugliness. Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty and also loves to see His blessings shown on people. However, he prohibits anyone who has a grain of kibr in his heart from entering the Paradise.

The Prophet used to dress nicely. We knew that when Ibn Abbas went as a messenger from Ali Ibn Abi Talib to talk to Kharijites and persuade them with what he has. Abu Dawoud quoted Ibn Abbas as saying: When the Haruriyyah (a faction of Kharijites) made a revolt, I came to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: Go to these people. I then put on the best suit of the Yemen. Abu Zumayl (a transmitter) said: Ibn Abbas was handsome and of imposing countenance. Ibn Abbas said: I then came to them and they said: Welcome to you, Ibn Abbas! What is this suit of clothes? I said: Why are you objecting to me? I saw over the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) the best suit of clothes.[6]

Islam’s care about cleanliness of dress

Islam’s care of the cleanliness and purity of the dress reached the level that the Prophet (PBUH) disliked a Muslim to go to prayers, particularly Friday prayers with dirty clothes. He even recommends those who work in professions where dresses get dirty to dedicate a clean dress for Friday prayers. The Prophet (PBUH) says: “What is the harm if any of you has two garments, if he can provide them, for Friday (prayer) in addition to the two garments for his daily work?[7]

In the Islamic jurisprudence, a address is considered najis (impure) once najasah (impure substance) reaches it like blood, excrement and urine. Prayers are not valid if a worshiper has any of these until they are removed even if najash was a little thing. Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said about the dress that was stained with urine or excrement: “A worshiper should re-do his prayers if he has little or much najasah in his dress”.[8]

Imam al-Manawi summed up this issue when he said: “Cleaning the dress and body is required as per sound reasoning, Sharia and urf (tradition). Shaykh of Islam Al-Burhan Ibn Abu Sharif used to properly dress. His dress was so white and clean to the extent you cannot distinguish him from kings in his time.

Cleanliness makes other people respect you and look up to you. Many poor people downplayed the importance of being clean to a great extent that verged on the makruh (disliked). Satan told them that it is better for them to “clean their hearts before they clean their dress”. He dissuaded them from being clean and obeying Allah who ordered them to be clean in respect for their friends and the people they sit with. If they check it, they would find that being clean from the outside makes you clean from the inside. Thus, it was reported that the Prophet never dressed dirty clothes.[9]