Prepared by the Sunnah Publishing Editorial Staff. Version 1.0

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1 A Reply to Those who Allow Isbaal Prepared by the Sunnah Publishing Editorial Staff Version 1.0 Indeed, the praise is for Allaah. We praise Him, seek His aid and ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge with Allaah the Exalted from the evils within our selves and our sinful actions. Indeed, whosoever Allaah guides, then none can misguide him and whosoever Allaah allows to be led astray, then there is no guide for him. To proceed: What follows is a reply to all those who permit the lowering or dragging of the lower garment for men. Also included within this brief study is a rebuttal of those who claim that the isbaal (dragging) is only unlawful when it is a distinguishing sign of haughtiness and boasting. THE EVIDENCE: Indeed, many ahaadeeth have been recorded as prohibiting isbaal (dragging) of the lower garment. And we shall mention some of them here as examples: [1]: From Abee Hurayrah (radiyallaahu anhu) in marfoo (raised) form, Whatever is below the two ankles from the lower garment is in the Fire. And there occurs in another narration, The lower garment of the Believer reaches to the middle of his shins, or whatever is below that, as along as it is above the ankles. So whatever is below the ankles is in the Fire. 1 [2]: From Abee Juraa Jaabir Ibn Sulaym (radiyallaahu anhu), that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, Raise your lower garment to the middle of your shins. So if you refuse, then to the ankles. And beware of dragging the lower garment, since it is from arrogance. 2 1 Related by al-bukhaaree (10/256), an-nisaa ee (8/207), Aboo Ya laa (no. 6648), Ahmad in al-musnad (2/410, 461), Aboo Nu aym in al-hilyah (7/192), al-khateeb (9/385) and al-baghawee in Sharhus-Sunnah (12/12). 2 Saheeh: Related by Aboo Daawood (no. 4048), at-tirmidhee (no. 2722), Ahmad in al-musnad (5/63-64), Ibn Hibbaan (no. 1450), at-tahaawee in al-mushkil (4/324), al-bayhaqee (10/236) and al-baghawee (13/83-84). It was authenticated by al-albaanee in Silsilatus-Saheehah (no. 770).

2 [3]: From Abee Sa eed al-khudree (radiyallaahu anhu) when a questioner asked him, Have you heard anything from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) about the lower garment? He said, Yes. I said, Inform me. He said, I heard him (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) saying: The lower garment of the Believer reaches to the middle of his shins. It will not be held against him if it is anywhere between the middle of his shins and the ankles. And whatever is below the ankles from the lower garment is in the Fire he said this three times Allaah will not look at the one who drags his lower garment out of pride. 3 [4]: From al-mugheerah Ibn Shu bah who said, I saw the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) taking hold of Hajazah Ibn Abee Sahl and say, O Sufyaan! Do not drag your lower garment, since Allaah does not love the musbileen (those who drag the lower garment). 4 [5]: From Ubayd Ibn Khaalid al-muhaaribee who said: Ubaydah Ibn Khalf said: Whenever I would walk in al-madeenah and someone was behind me, they would say, Raise your lower garment, since it is more righteous and purer. So I came to the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and said, O Messenger of Allaah! It is merely a beautiful outer garment. He said, Do you not have an example in me? So I looked at his lower garment and it reached to the middle of his shins. 5 [6]: From Hudhayfah Ibnul-Yamaan (radiyallaahu anhu) who said, The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) took me by the muscle of my shin or his shin so he said, This is the place of the lower garment. So if you refuse, then lower. So the lower garment has no right to the ankles. 6 [7]: From Abee Dharr (radiyallaahu anhu) in marfoo (raised) form, There are three to whom Allaah will not speak on the Day of Judgement, and He will not look at them on the Day of Judgement and He will not purify them and they will have a painful punishment. I said, Who are they O Messenger of Allaah? He stated, They are defeated and have lost, repeating it three times. I said, Who are they O Messenger of Allaah? He said, 3 Saheeh: Related by Aboo Daawood (no. 4093), Ibn Maajah (no. 3573), Maalik (2/ ), and Ahmad (3/5-6, 44, 97) by way of al- Alaa Ibn Abdur-Rahmaan, from his father, from Abee Sa eed. And its isnaad is authentic according to the condition of Muslim. 4 Saheeh: Related by an-nisaa ee in al-kubraa as occurs in al-atraaf (8/473), Ibn Maajah (no. 3574) and Ibn Hibbaan (no. 1449) by way of Shareek an-nakha ee, from Abdul-Malik Ibn Umayr, from Husayn Ibn Qabeesah, from al-mugheerah with it. And al-boosayree said about it in az-zawaa id (3/149), The isnaad of this is authentic and its narrators are reliable. It was authenticated by al-albaanee in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah (no. 2876). 5 Laa Ba s bihi: Related by an-nisaa ee in al-kubraa, as occurs in al-atraaf (/224) of al-mizzee, at-tirmidhee in ash-shamaa il (no. 113) and Ahmad in al-musnad (5/364) with an isnaad that has no problem due to witnesses. It was authenticated by al-albaanee in Mukhtasarush-Shamaa il (no. 97). 6 Hasan: Related by an-nisaa ee, as occurs in al-atraaf (3/53) of al-mizzee and al-mujtabaa (8/ ), at- Tirmidhee in his Sunan (no. 1783) and in ash-shamaa il (no. 115), Ibn Maajah (no. 3572) and al-baghawee in Sharhus-Sunnah (12/10-11) by way of Abdul- Azeez Ibn Muhammad. It is also related by Ibnul-Ja d in his Musnad (no. 2652) by way of Aboo Ishaaq as-subay ee, from Muslim Ibn Nadheer, from Hudhayfah with it. 2

3 The one who drags his lower garment, the one who takes account of what he gives and the one who sells his commodity based upon a false oath. 7 [8]: From Ibn Abbaas (radiyallaahu anhu) in marfoo (raised) form, Allaah does not look at the one who drags his lower garment. 8 A DOUBT ANSWERED: So there are many ahaadeeth for the reader concerning the prohibition of dragging the lower garment and there is no evidence for those who claim that it is permissible to drag the lower garment. However, they use the following narration as a justification: There occurs in the hadeeth of Ibn Umar (radiyallaahu anhu) in marfoo (raised) form, Whosoever trails his thawb out of pride, then Allaah will not look at him on the Day of Judgement. Aboo Bakr (radiyallaahu anhu) said, O Messenger of Allaah! Indeed, one part of my lower garment comes down if I do not take care of it. So the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, You are not from amongst those who do it out of pride. 9 So those who hold onto the permissibility of trailing the lower garment use this narration. However, this is not a proof for them, since it contradicts the meanings of the texts as has been stated by the great majority of the Scholars. Indeed, we have already clarified this by mentioning the previous ahaadeeth. Firstly, it is not possible for one who knows the seerah (biography) of Aboo Bakr to listen to everything that has been related about the isbaal and then to give such an explanation from the words of as-siddeeq (radiyallaahu anhu), where he says, Indeed, one part of my lower garment comes down. This clarifies that his lower garment was above his ankles. However, one part of it would fall down, but he would always take care of it. And the reason for it continually falling down is that Aboo Bakr was an extremely thin man, as has been related by Ibn Sa d in his Tabaqaat (3/188): From Qays Ibn Abee Haazim who said, I entered along with my father upon Abee Bakr and he was a slender man with a thin white beard. So this clarifies that a part of the lower garment of Aboo Bakr (radiyallaahu anhu) would come down for an excusable reason. So how can the action of Aboo Bakr and his constant guard of making sure to raise it back up by used by those who abandon raising it altogether and then claim that they are not doing it out of pride?! 7 Related by Muslim (17/106), Aboo Daawood (no ), ad-daarimee (2/267), Aboo Nu aym in al- Hilyah (7/130, 205) and at-tirmidhee (no. 1211). 8 Jayyid: Related by an-nisaa ee (8/ ). 9 Related by al-bukhaaree (7/675). 3

4 So this doubt concerning the isbaal was refuted in the speech of al-haafidh Shamsud-Deen adh-dhahabee, when he said, All clothing that causes a sense of pride and arrogance, then it is obligatory to abandon it, even if it is from other than gold or silk. So we see a youth wearing the farjiyyah 10 of wool made with fur reaching in prices four hundred dirham or the likes. And pride and arrogance is apparent in his manner of walking. So if you advice him, then he acts arrogantly and says, I do not do this out of pride or boasting. Whereas this leader, Ibn Umar (radiyallaahu anhumaa) feared that from himself. Likewise, you will see when the ornate jurist is rebukes for an elaborate farjiyyah that reaches down to his ankles, and it is said to him: Indeed, the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, Whatever is below the ankles from the lower garment is in the Fire. He replies, He only said this to those who drag their lower garment out of pride, and I do not do this out of pride. So you will see him acting arrogantly and freeing himself from ignominy. So he deliberately makes a singular text general. So he specifies the other hadeeths to refer to pride. And he seeks excuse with the statement of as-siddeeq (radiyallaahu anhu) when he said, O Messenger of Allaah! A part of my lower garment comes down. So he said, You O Abaa Bakr are not from amongst those who do it out of pride. So we say: Firstly: Aboo Bakr (radiyallaahu anhu) never left his lower garment down at his ankles. Rather, he would take care to keep it above his ankles. Then, it would come down afterwards. Indeed, the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, The lower garment of the Believer reaches down to the middle of his shins. There is nothing wrong it is between the middle and his ankles. And the likes of this prohibition is for whosoever keeps his pants long enough to cover his ankles. And it covers long sleeves and all of this is due to pride that is concealed within the souls. 11 Secondly, it has been stated by some of the Scholars that this (the case of Aboo Bakr) was a specific circumstance and not a general rule. And that is not far-fetched. Thirdly, upon further examination of the previous narration, we find that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) distinguished between Aboo Bakr and Ibn Umar. From Ma mar, from Zayd Ibn Aslam: I heard Ibn Umar saying: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) saying, Whosoever drags his lower garment out of pride, then Allaah the Mighty and Majestic will not look at him. Zayd said: Ibn Umar used to relate that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) saw him wearing a new lower garment. So he said, Who is this? So I said, I am Abdullaah (a servant of Allaah). So he said, If you are truly Abdullaah (a servant of Allaah), then raise your lower garment. He said: So I raised it. He said: Increase. He said: So I raised it until it reached the middle of the shin. He said: Then he turned to Abee Bakr and said, Whosoever drags his thawb out of pride, then Allaah will not look at him on the Day of Judgement. So Aboo Bakr said, Indeed, 10 This is a lengthy thawb with long sleeves that is made from cotton, silk or wool. 11 Refer to Siyar A laamun-nubalaa (3/ ) of adh-dhahabee. 4

5 part of my lower garment comes down sometimes. So the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, You are not from them. 12 Fourthly, by look at the ahaadeeth, we see that there is a difference between the one who drags his lower garment out of pride and the one who drags it without pride. So there occurs in the marfoo hadeeth of Abee Hurayrah (radiyallaahu anhu), Whilst a man was walking, clad in a two-piece garment and proud of himself with his hair well-combed, suddenly Allaah made him sink into the earth and he will go on sinking into it till the Day of Resurrection. 13 So this is for the one who does it out of pride. As for the one who drags it without pride, then he is committing something unlawful and he has fallen into a forbidden action. Fifthly, the one who drags his lower garment has resembled the women. And from that which proves this is the hadeeth of Ibn Umar (radiyallaahu anhumaa) who said, The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, Whosoever drags his thawb out of pride, then Allaah will not look at him on the Day of Judgement. So Umm Salamah said, So what about the women who do that with their garments? He said, They must drag it a hand-span. So she said, What if her feet become uncovered? He said, Then let them drag their garments an arm-span, and let them not increase upon that. 14 And al-haafidh Ibn Hajr (d.852h) said, This narration points out the length of the hem permitted for the excused (the women). This refutes the claim that the general ahaadeeth prohibiting to drag the garment are restricted by other ahaadeeth with refer to doing it out of pride. 15 We ask Allaah that this brief research is guidance for those who desire to know the truth concerning this affair. 12 Saheeh: Related by Ahmad in his Musnad (2/147), Abdur-Razzaaq in al-musannaf (no ) and al- Haythamee in Majma uz-zawaa id (5/123). 13 Related by al-bukhaaree (10/258). 14 Saheeh: Related by an-nisaa ee (8/209) and at-tirmidhee (no. 1731) with an isnaad that is saheeh according to the condition of al-bukhaaree and Muslim. And it was related by Ahmad in his Musnad (6/351) by way of Ubaydullaah Ibn Naafi, from Sulaymaan Ibn Yasaar, from Umm Salamah with it. It was authenticated by al-albaanee in Saheehut-Tirmidhee (no. 1415). 15 Refer to Fathul-Baaree (10/259) of Ibn Hajr. 5