What is the fiqh of clothing?

Answer:

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

“Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty.”
[Muslim]

And he said (Allah bless him and give him peace),

“Allah loves to see the traces of His blessings on His servants.”
[Tirmidhi]

Imam Zayn al-Din al-Razi (d. 666 AH), author of the famous dictionary Mukhtar al-Sahah, explained the essential rulings of dress in his beautiful work Tuhfat al-Muluk:

“The levels of clothing

Clothing has three levels:

1. Obligatory. This is covering one’s nakedness, and warding off the harms of heat and cold…

2. Recommended. This is wearing beautiful clothing, in order to look good and adorn oneself, displaying the blessings of Allah.

3. Prohibited. This is dressing out of haughtiness and arrogance.” [Zayn al-Din al-Razi, Tuhftat al-Muluk, 277, Dar al-Basha’ir al-Islamiyya ed.]

And Allah alone gives success.

Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani

 

وَلَوْ سَلَّمَ سَاهِيًا إنْ بَعْدَ إمَامِهِ لَزِمَهُ السَّهْوُ وَإِلَّا لَا قال الرازي صاحب مختار الصحاح في تحفة الملوك:

( مراتب اللبس )
واللبس على ثلاث مراتب :
فرض : وهو ما يستر بدنه ، ويدفع عنه ضرر الحر والبرد ، من وسط ثياب القطن ، أو الكتان ، والقطن غندي أفضل .
ومستحب : وهو لبس الثياب الجميلة للتجمل والتزين وإظهار نعمة الله .
وحرام : وهو لبسها للتكبر والخيلاء .

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