Is it permissible in the Shari'ah for a Muslim woman to wear revealing European styles of clothing, provided that the woman covers herself from non-Muslims?

The questioner : Is it permissible in the Shari'ah for a Muslim woman to wear revealing European styles of clothing, provided that the woman covers herself from non-Muslims? And is it permissible for her to wear undergarments designed by disbelievers? What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding a woman following the European fashions, if that is the correct term, in clothing, footwear, and adornment? And what is the ruling on furnishing homes with European furniture, whether in its manufacture or design?

The Shaykh : As for the matter of a Muslim woman wearing the clothing of disbelieving women in her home, that is not prescribed and is not permissible, because it involves imitating the disbelieving women. In my opinion, this applies if she appears in those European clothes in front of her female relatives, friends, or the like, especially if it is evident that she is keen to follow their fashions; whenever a new fashion emerges among them, she adopts it from them and wears it. This indicates her extreme concern with imitating disbelievers, whom she is not permitted to imitate. In reality, this reminds me of a joke I read that indicates the extent of the weakness of women's minds and the concern of some men to fulfill their desires. The joke says that a friend saw a friend of his on the road walking quickly, carrying something in his hand. He asked him, "What makes you walk so fast?" He said, "My wife asked me to buy her a dress, which is the one in my hand, so I am hurrying to bring it to her before it becomes outdated by a new fashion and she refuses it." This concern, as is observed among Muslim women, with great regret, is a warning that they, men and women, are fulfilling what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) warned some of the Companions about. They asked him to make for them a Dhat Anwat, just as the polytheists had a Dhat Anwat. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Therefore, following the ways of the disbelievers is something the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) warned his Ummah about, so that they would not fall into such things. Along with the many hadiths, some of which I mentioned in my book "The Hijab of the Muslim Woman in the Book and the Sunnah", they all converge on the prohibition of imitating the disbelievers. This prohibition applies to women as it applies to men. Among this is his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: So, any attire that is specific to the disbelievers is not permissible for a Muslim to adorn himself with, in order to avoid imitating those who differ from us. Rather, there is a matter of much greater importance, indicating the concern of the Wise Lawgiver for Muslims to maintain their Muslim identity. It is not only that they should not intentionally imitate the disbelievers, but that they should intentionally differ from them in their customs, and even in things that cannot, or certainly cannot, be said to be their customs, because they are not of their own choosing. Rather, that is what Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) made a sunnah for the disbelievers, even in things that are not of their customs or traditions. For example, they grow old just as Muslims grow old, but they do not dye their hair. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the Muslims to differ from them by dyeing their hair. Therefore, he said: As for the second part of the question, which is furnishing with various types of adornment, such as curtains, cushions, chairs, and what is called today sofas, and boasting and extravagance in them, all of this is something a Muslim should not fall into, even if he is among those whom Allah has blessed with abundant wealth. This is because extravagance is a type of prohibited indulgence, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is established in Sahih Muslim that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered upon Aisha and saw that she had covered the walls with curtains, he disliked that (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: So, the least that can be said about this type of furnishing asked about is that it is disliked, and it may reach the level of being forbidden. Yes.