What are the clothes of fame and what is their ruling?

Question : This questioner, who has used the initials B.N. from Riyadh, says: I hope you will clarify for me what the clothes of fame are and what their ruling is. May Allah reward you.

Answer : The clothes of fame are the garments by which a person becomes famous and people point at him, saying, for example, "So-and-so wore such-and-such," whether this garment is a shirt, trousers, a ghutrah, a kufi, or something else. The important thing is that he becomes famous for it among people. Whether this is due to arrogance or due to humility, both types of fame are prohibited. This includes arrogance, where a person wears what his peers do not wear, such as a poor man wearing what the rich wear, or conversely, a rich man wearing what the poor wear and becoming famous for it. However, if a rich man is among poor people and wants to be humble by wearing clothes like theirs so as not to break their hearts, that is a praiseworthy matter.