The Issue of Letting the Garment Hang Below the Ankles
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Your Eminence! Is there evidence distinguishing the limit of the izar (waist-wrapping) from the limit of the qamis (shirt) or thawb (garment)? Some scholars (may Allah preserve them) hold that if the garment reaches the calf muscle, it exposes the awrah (part of the body that must be covered) during prostration, and this is not like the izar. Since covering the awrah is obligatory, and the limit of the garment is a recommended practice (sunnah) in their view, the obligatory is prioritized over the recommended. How do we reconcile this with the statement of Ibn 'Umar regarding what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: that what applies to the izar applies to the qamis?
Or as he said, is this not to be understood as a comprehensive statement regarding garments?
The correct view is that it is comprehensive, and that the mention of the izar was based on the common practice, as most people in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wore izarat (waist-wrappings) and ardah (mantles), so all are equal in this regard.
But what I would like to say is: It is not appropriate to be strict in this matter to the point of saying to one whose izar does not reach the middle of the calf or the calf muscle: that he is contrary to the guidance of the Messenger (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him), and to be severe in this.
If we examine the conditions of the Companions, we find that some of them had shirts reaching near the ankle. Here is Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) when the Messenger (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him) said: (Whoever drags his garment out of arrogance, Allah will not look at him,He said: O Messenger of Allah! One side of my izar hangs loose on me and reaches the ground, except that I hold it up,So he said: You are not one who does that out of arrogance) If the izar of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) reached below the ankles, it must have been close to the ankles; because if it had been to the middle of the calf and then reached the ground or below the ankle, his awrah would have been exposed from above. This indicates that the matter is easy,And that one who does not let it hang below the ankle, it is not said: contrary to the Sunnah, and not contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him),Rather, it is said: The matter is broad in this regard, as for the ruling, it is general: what applies to the izar applies to the qamis, the mashlah (tunic), and the sarawil (trousers).
Or as he said, is this not to be understood as a comprehensive statement regarding garments?
The correct view is that it is comprehensive, and that the mention of the izar was based on the common practice, as most people in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wore izarat (waist-wrappings) and ardah (mantles), so all are equal in this regard.
But what I would like to say is: It is not appropriate to be strict in this matter to the point of saying to one whose izar does not reach the middle of the calf or the calf muscle: that he is contrary to the guidance of the Messenger (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him), and to be severe in this.
If we examine the conditions of the Companions, we find that some of them had shirts reaching near the ankle. Here is Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) when the Messenger (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him) said: (Whoever drags his garment out of arrogance, Allah will not look at him,He said: O Messenger of Allah! One side of my izar hangs loose on me and reaches the ground, except that I hold it up,So he said: You are not one who does that out of arrogance) If the izar of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) reached below the ankles, it must have been close to the ankles; because if it had been to the middle of the calf and then reached the ground or below the ankle, his awrah would have been exposed from above. This indicates that the matter is easy,And that one who does not let it hang below the ankle, it is not said: contrary to the Sunnah, and not contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him),Rather, it is said: The matter is broad in this regard, as for the ruling, it is general: what applies to the izar applies to the qamis, the mashlah (tunic), and the sarawil (trousers).