The Ruling on Clothing Bearing the Cross
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Your Eminence! Various types of crosses have become common in clothing and goods, so I do not know if there is a specific cross that must be removed? And if this cross cannot be removed without damaging part of this item or all of this merchandise, is it obligatory to remove it? Likewise, regarding the six-pointed star, is it also obligatory to remove it, or what is the ruling?
I say—may Allah bless you—First: We must know that this is a cross; because some people think some things are crosses when they are not.
Second: We must know that it was placed there because it is a cross, not because it is a pattern on the garment, for example; because the Christians revere the cross, so they cannot make it a design on a garment; rather, they place it in a position of respect.
So these two conditions are necessary. If we verify that it is a cross, then it is obligatory to tear it, or at least it is a recommended practice to tear it, and we should boycott these clothes; if we boycott them and the merchants do not benefit from them, they will also stop selling them.
And the same is said regarding the six-pointed star, which is said: It is the symbol of the Jews, so its ruling is the ruling of the cross, even though the Jews do not take it as an object of worship; but it is specific to them.
The questioner: But the crosses—O Shaykh—come in different types,I mean: Do I have to verify that every cross is a cross?The Shaykh: We asked the Christians who became Muslims about it, and they said: The cross for us is the well-known cross; that there are two lines, one horizontal and the other vertical, and the vertical one is longer on one side than the other.
We even asked them about this cross watch they call the cross watch, and they said: This is not intended to be a cross; this is just a company logo;Because the cross, according to the Christians, they say about it: It is a long raised line, then a horizontal line, and one side of the vertical line is longer than the other; because this is the reality, for the crucified person is placed with a horizontal wooden beam in order to bind his hands to it, so is it possible that the beam placed for the hands is placed in the middle? No.
Rather, it is placed at the top, so we are in doubt about this one that was published two years ago in different shapes,And they said: These are crosses! And is the (+) sign a cross? It is not a cross.
The questioner: But they form shapes and images in the shape of the cross! The Shaykh: No.
They say: This is not a cross, for a Muslim man told me, and he was a Christian,So he said: This is what we have.
Also, there used to be buckets used to raise water from the well,At its top, there is something called: (al-'arqat), which consists of two wooden beams, one horizontal and the other vertical, so from these things, it is not a cross.
So the thing that is a cross is the one that was placed as a cross.
I say—may Allah bless you—First: We must know that this is a cross; because some people think some things are crosses when they are not.
Second: We must know that it was placed there because it is a cross, not because it is a pattern on the garment, for example; because the Christians revere the cross, so they cannot make it a design on a garment; rather, they place it in a position of respect.
So these two conditions are necessary. If we verify that it is a cross, then it is obligatory to tear it, or at least it is a recommended practice to tear it, and we should boycott these clothes; if we boycott them and the merchants do not benefit from them, they will also stop selling them.
And the same is said regarding the six-pointed star, which is said: It is the symbol of the Jews, so its ruling is the ruling of the cross, even though the Jews do not take it as an object of worship; but it is specific to them.
The questioner: But the crosses—O Shaykh—come in different types,I mean: Do I have to verify that every cross is a cross?The Shaykh: We asked the Christians who became Muslims about it, and they said: The cross for us is the well-known cross; that there are two lines, one horizontal and the other vertical, and the vertical one is longer on one side than the other.
We even asked them about this cross watch they call the cross watch, and they said: This is not intended to be a cross; this is just a company logo;Because the cross, according to the Christians, they say about it: It is a long raised line, then a horizontal line, and one side of the vertical line is longer than the other; because this is the reality, for the crucified person is placed with a horizontal wooden beam in order to bind his hands to it, so is it possible that the beam placed for the hands is placed in the middle? No.
Rather, it is placed at the top, so we are in doubt about this one that was published two years ago in different shapes,And they said: These are crosses! And is the (+) sign a cross? It is not a cross.
The questioner: But they form shapes and images in the shape of the cross! The Shaykh: No.
They say: This is not a cross, for a Muslim man told me, and he was a Christian,So he said: This is what we have.
Also, there used to be buckets used to raise water from the well,At its top, there is something called: (al-'arqat), which consists of two wooden beams, one horizontal and the other vertical, so from these things, it is not a cross.
So the thing that is a cross is the one that was placed as a cross.