Benefits of the Hadith: (… from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), who said:
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The Shaykh : The apparent meaning of their being cursed is that he invoked a curse upon them, meaning he said, “O Allah, curse them.” Imitation includes imitation in clothing, appearance, gait, and speech. Anyone who imitates women in these matters, or vice versa, falls under the curse.
In this is evidence that the Lawgiver considers it obligatory, or it is part of His wisdom, that there be a distinction between men and women so that a man does not imitate a woman and a woman does not imitate a man. This serves as a rebuke to those who seek to equate men and women, claiming that women must be given the same freedom as men, exactly the same. Some of them, may Allah protect us from that, have even denied the halving of her inheritance and the halving of her blood money, and the like, in objection to the ruling of Allah and His Messenger.
The conclusion is that this hadith is clear, for the Shari'ah has a consideration that a man be distinguished from a woman in everything, such that the one who imitates is cursed by the tongue of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And the curse is expulsion and distance from the mercy of Allah.
In this is evidence that imitation is among the major sins, for there is no curse for a minor sin; every sin upon which a curse is established is among the major sins. There is no difference between imitating her in seriousness or in acting, meaning there is no difference between making oneself like a woman or imitating in the sense of acting, performing the role of a woman, for this falls under the curse.
And the most vile and uglier than that is for a woman to imitate a man in sexual intercourse, and that is through lesbianism between women, or for a man to imitate a woman through sodomy, may Allah protect us, by calling to himself as a woman calls to herself, or by allowing people access to himself as a woman allows access to herself. This is often seen in some people whom you find wearing soft clothes and acting coquettishly as women do. This is the reprehensible imitation that leads to lewdness, may Allah protect us. Yes.
In this is evidence that the Lawgiver considers it obligatory, or it is part of His wisdom, that there be a distinction between men and women so that a man does not imitate a woman and a woman does not imitate a man. This serves as a rebuke to those who seek to equate men and women, claiming that women must be given the same freedom as men, exactly the same. Some of them, may Allah protect us from that, have even denied the halving of her inheritance and the halving of her blood money, and the like, in objection to the ruling of Allah and His Messenger.
The conclusion is that this hadith is clear, for the Shari'ah has a consideration that a man be distinguished from a woman in everything, such that the one who imitates is cursed by the tongue of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And the curse is expulsion and distance from the mercy of Allah.
In this is evidence that imitation is among the major sins, for there is no curse for a minor sin; every sin upon which a curse is established is among the major sins. There is no difference between imitating her in seriousness or in acting, meaning there is no difference between making oneself like a woman or imitating in the sense of acting, performing the role of a woman, for this falls under the curse.
And the most vile and uglier than that is for a woman to imitate a man in sexual intercourse, and that is through lesbianism between women, or for a man to imitate a woman through sodomy, may Allah protect us, by calling to himself as a woman calls to herself, or by allowing people access to himself as a woman allows access to herself. This is often seen in some people whom you find wearing soft clothes and acting coquettishly as women do. This is the reprehensible imitation that leads to lewdness, may Allah protect us. Yes.