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Does the prohibition on isbaal include women too?

Question: 48953

I read a hadeeth about not wearing clothes that comes down below the ankle. Does this apply to women too? Or is it for men only?.

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

The warning with regard to isbaal (wearing clothes that come
below the ankle) in the case of men does not apply to women, because women
and commanded to cover their feet, and it is permitted to them to lengthen
their garments by a cubit. 

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever allows his
garment to drag out of pride, Allaah will not look at him on the Day of
Resurrection.” Umm Salamah said: “What should women do with their hems?” He
said: “Lower it a handspan.” She said: “Then their feet will show.” He said:
“Let them lower it a cubit, but no more than that.” 

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1731; al-Nasaa’i, 5336; classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. 

“And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what
they hide of their adornment”

[al-Noor 24:31]

Ibn Hazm said: 

This text applies
to the feet and calves, which are hidden; it is not permissible to show
them.

Al-Muhalla, 3/216 

Al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad said: 

The scholars are unanimously agreed that this is forbidden to
men, not to women. 

Tarh al-Tathreeb, 8/173 

Al-Nawawi said: 

The scholars are
unanimously agreed that it is permissible for women to let their garments
hang below their ankles (isbaal). Clear permission has been narrated from
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for them to
lower their hems by a cubit.

Sharh Muslim, 14/62. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz said: 

The point is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) explained all that is good and called us to all that is
good, and he warned us against all that is evil. He (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whatever of the lower garment hangs
down below the ankles is in the Fire.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari in his
Saheeh. The izar (lower garment), trousers, thobe (dishdasha) and abaya
(cloak) should not come down below the ankles; whatever comes below the
ankles is subject to the warning mentioned in the hadeeth, with regard to
men. With regard to women, they have to make their clothes long enough to
cover their feet, because the feet are ‘awrah. It is not permissible for a
man to imitate women by dragging his garment or in any other way.  

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz,
5/28. 

And he said: 

There are many similar ahaadeeth, which indicate that isbaal
is forbidden in general terms, even if the one who does it claims that he is
not doing it for the sake of pride and showing off, because that is a means
that leads to pride, and because it is a kind of extravagance and exposing
clothing to dirt and impurities. But if a person does that with the
intention of pride then the matter is more serious and the sin is greater,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Whoever allows his garment to drag out of pride, Allaah will not look at
him on the Day of Resurrection.” The defining point here is the ankles. The
Muslim male is not allowed to let his garments come down below the ankles,
because of the ahaadeeth mentioned. 

But in the case of
females, they may make their clothes longer so as to cover the feet.

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz,
5/380 

And Allaah knows best.

Source

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