Ruling on whoever Lowers his Garment and Lengthens his Trousers 

Q: Some people lower their garments to be above the ankle, but their trousers remain long. What is the ruling on this? 

A: Isbal (lengthening and trailing cloths below the ankles) is unlawful and unacceptable (in religion) whether this is in shirts, garments, trousers, or Al-Bisht (A woollen robe worn by Bedouins). Isbal means lengthening and trailing clothes below the ankles. This is because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

 “The part of a garment which hangs below the ankles is in the Fire.”

 (Narrated by Al-Bukhari) 

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) also said: 

“Three persons whom Allah shall neither speak to on the Day of Resurrection, nor look at, nor purify, and they shall have a painful torment: he who lets his Izar (lower garment) hang below his ankes (out of pride), he who reminds (the people) of what he gives, and he who sells his merchandise by false swearing.”

 (Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih). The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to some of his Companions: “Beware of trailing the lower garment, for it is conceit.” 

These Hadiths indicate that Isbal (lengthening and trailing clothes below the ankles) is one of the major sins even if the person doing so claims that he does not intend to show conceit at all. As for the person who wants to show conceit by doing so, his sin is worse, as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: 

“Allah will not look on the Day of Judgment at him who drags his robe (behind him) out of pride.” 

This is because such a person committed both Isbal (lengthening and trailing clothes below the ankles) and arrogance. We implore Allah to grant us safety from this.

As for what the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to Abu Bakr when he said to him (صلى الله عليه وسلم): “O Messenger of Allah, my Izar slips down unless I hold it.” The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: "You are not of those who do it out of pride,” 

This Hadith does not indicate that Isbal is permissible for the one who does not intend to show conceit. It indicates that the person whose Izar slips down without intending to show conceit and the person who holds it just to be on the safe side, is guiltless. Some people lower the trousers under the ankle, and this is not permissible. The Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is that shirts, and so on, should be halfway between the shin and the ankles according to all Hadiths.

May Allah grant us success! 

[Majmoo ’al-Fataawa Ibn Baaz, Vol.: 6; pp. 383 - 384]

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