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Fatwa ID: 21650
Title: Men's dress
Category: Manners and Ethics
Scholar: Dr. Main Khalid Al-Qudah
Date: 04/27/2008

Question

Why aren't we talking about men's hijab and the Sunnah of how men should look like Muslims? What bugs me is that I have a "uniform," yet I see most men dressed like (imitating) the kuffar (disbelievers)! Forgive me, but that is what I see. Isn't there a hadith that says, "He who imitates a people is one of them?" Does that include imitating clothes? Aren't we supposed to be easily recognized as Muslims? I was on the bus one day and saw some brothers dressed in very Islamic clothes, with head covers (also a strong Sunnah!), and I said out loud, "Look! Muslims! Some people were surprised and said, "We're Muslims, too!" I looked at them and said, "Really? I can't tell, but those! They look like Muslims!" Isn't that the way it should be? Why are we (Muslims) spending our money on their clothes, their fashion and their hairstyles? Well, the list goes on...


Answer

There is no Islamic code of dress for men at all! They are free to dress any way they want, as long as they take into consideration the general guidelines on clothing in Islam.

Imitating people of a different faith is definitely prohibited as far as rituals and formal acts of worship are concerned, for example, praying like them, celebrating their religious occasions and even dressing like them, in terms of their religious clothes, such as the clothes particular to priests and ministers. But a Muslim can wear any of the other clothes they wear that are not a part of their religion, for suits, shirts and pants these days are the custom and tradition of more than 50% of people worldwide.