Islam’s concern for the distinct appearance of the Muslim personality compared to others.

The Shaykh : And all of this brings us back to our previous discussion from a few hours ago regarding the difference from the People of the Book, and that this difference is not the same as the prohibition against imitating non-Muslims. What I want to clarify and explain now is that Islam, in its perfection and excellence in its complete legislation, strove for the Ummah of the response to have a distinct personality, not only in its belief, worship, and moral conduct, but also in its outward appearance. The wise Shari'ah, in what it prescribed for Muslims, wanted them to maintain their outward appearances that indicate their submission to their religion and Islam. The wise Lawgiver commanded His followers to maintain their outward appearances in accordance with their Shari'ah, just as He commands them to maintain their inner states. Therefore, it is no wonder that the scholars said, "The outward appearance is the title of the inner state." Many texts in the authentic Sunnah have come down explaining the strong connection between the outward and the inward, whether in righteousness or in corruption. We all know the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which he constantly reminded his Companions of before leading them in prayer, saying to them: . This is one of the abandoned sunnahs, unfortunately, which few of the imams of the mosques maintain. The one most deserving of it and qualified for it is the imam of the Sacred Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque. But I say, with regret, that they are among the first of those imams who have turned away from this sunnah. One of them is content to say, "Straighten your rows, straighten your rows," and that is the end of it. This would not be sufficient even if there were only one row to straighten, so how much less so when there are thousands upon thousands in each of the Makkah and Madinah mosques? So these imams must, first, revive this sunnah, and second, lengthen the interval between the iqamah and the takbir for prayer so that the rows can be straightened. It is established in the biography of 'Umar or 'Uthman in the Prophet’s Mosque, which was much smaller in area at that time than it is today, that he would assign a person to walk around and pass through the rows to straighten them. When the imam was informed that the rows had been straightened, he would begin the prayer. Now, it is even more necessary, and the mosque has expanded as Allah wills with the worshippers. Therefore, this sunnah must be revived, which reminds us of the reality of the connection between the outward and the inward, and that the matter is not as some ignorant people say when, for example, you command them to pray or command them to let the beard grow, they say, "O Shaykh, the issue is not about prayer or the beard, but rather about treating people well." Glory be to Allah! The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . So he made the difference in straightening the rows a cause for the difference of hearts. This is a small part of the many texts that indicate the concern of the wise Lawgiver for the believers to maintain their Muslim personality. Among what we were discussing is that he commanded, through the tongue of his Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), to differ from the polytheists. We all remember his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . And as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says in his great book, "Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim Mukhalafat Ahl al-Jahim," the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) explanation of this command to differ from the polytheists indicates that the difference is a goal intended in itself. This is confirmed by his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): .
In my opinion, and indeed in my knowledge, this hadith is a great hadith in confirming the previous indication that it is obligatory for the Muslim to be distinct in his appearance from the disbeliever, not only in what is of his earning, making, and work, but even in what is of the general Sunnah of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in His creation. Our Lord (Mighty and Majestic), for a profound wisdom, decreed for humans, without distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between the believer and the disbeliever, the graying of hair. Yet He said to the believer, "Differ from the polytheist." The polytheist grows old and leaves his gray hair, submitting to the cosmic will. As for the believer, he was commanded to submit to the legislative will, so He said: . Here is the point; if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commands the Muslim to dye his gray hair, which is not of his own making, so that he appears distinct from the disbeliever in his person, then we see that this is a legislative cause that must be applied in every possible matter to achieve the difference from the disbelievers.