She says in her letter: I am a girl, and all my clothes have buttons and are short. Is this forbidden, as some people believe? Also, what about long fingernails? Thank you.
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The questioner : She says in her letter: I am a girl, and all my clothes have buttons and are short. Is this forbidden, as some people believe? Also, what about long fingernails? Thank you?
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with buttons, as they are a type of fastener. The default ruling for customs, clothing, food, and dwellings is that they are lawful.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Except for what evidence has established as forbidden. I am not aware of any prohibition regarding buttons, whether they are on the front or the back.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for short clothes...
The questioner : She specifically means the sleeves are short, because she says: "And short sleeves?"
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the issue of short sleeves or short clothes, if there is no man in the house who is not one of her mahram (relatives one may not marry), then there is nothing wrong with it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Unless these clothes are of a style specific to the disbelievers, in which case it is not permissible, because that is imitating them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, if there is someone in the house who is not one of her mahram, such as her husband's brother, her uncle, or the like, then it is not permissible for her to wear short clothes that reveal her legs, arms, or the like.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Okay, and regarding the fingernails?
The Shaykh : As for the fingernails, this is contrary to the Sunnah and contrary to the fitrah (the innate natural disposition). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that trimming the fingernails is part of the fitrah. Contradicting this is a contradiction of the fitrah. And if the intention is to imitate non-Muslims, then this is forbidden for her.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : BecauseSunan Abi Dawud 4031Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani).
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The Sunnah is to trim the fingernails, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set a time limit for his ummah (the Muslim community) regarding this, that they should not be left for more than forty days. So the upper limit is forty days; otherwise, whenever they grow long, they should be trimmed.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, they should not be left for more than forty days.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with buttons, as they are a type of fastener. The default ruling for customs, clothing, food, and dwellings is that they are lawful.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Except for what evidence has established as forbidden. I am not aware of any prohibition regarding buttons, whether they are on the front or the back.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for short clothes...
The questioner : She specifically means the sleeves are short, because she says: "And short sleeves?"
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the issue of short sleeves or short clothes, if there is no man in the house who is not one of her mahram (relatives one may not marry), then there is nothing wrong with it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Unless these clothes are of a style specific to the disbelievers, in which case it is not permissible, because that is imitating them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, if there is someone in the house who is not one of her mahram, such as her husband's brother, her uncle, or the like, then it is not permissible for her to wear short clothes that reveal her legs, arms, or the like.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Okay, and regarding the fingernails?
The Shaykh : As for the fingernails, this is contrary to the Sunnah and contrary to the fitrah (the innate natural disposition). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that trimming the fingernails is part of the fitrah. Contradicting this is a contradiction of the fitrah. And if the intention is to imitate non-Muslims, then this is forbidden for her.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because
He who copies any people is one of them.
من تشبّه بقوم فهو منهمThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The Sunnah is to trim the fingernails, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set a time limit for his ummah (the Muslim community) regarding this, that they should not be left for more than forty days. So the upper limit is forty days; otherwise, whenever they grow long, they should be trimmed.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, they should not be left for more than forty days.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.