Source: Sharḥ Kitāb al-Jāmiʿ from Bulūgh al-Marām by Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī
عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم:
من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم.
"Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Whoever imitates a people is one of them."
Narrated by Abū Dāwūd; authenticated by Ibn Ḥibbān.
The hadith highlights a severe warning: any Muslim who imitates the distinct practices, dress, or appearances specific to disbelievers becomes associated with them, both in the eyes of the people and in spiritual alignment.
It is a sign of the love or admiration of their ways and culture, and this implies displeasure or disregard for the way of the believers.
Thus, such imitation becomes contrary to faith (īmān) and a step towards losing Islamic identity.
Islam emphasizes the importance of maintaining distinctiveness from non-Muslims. For example:
✔ Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"جزوا الشوارب وأرخوا اللحى، خالفوا المجوس"
"Trim the moustaches and let the beards grow — oppose the Magians."
→ [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 222]
✔ Zubayr ibn ʿAwwām (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"غيروا الشيب ولا تشبهوا باليهود"
"Change the grey hair and do not imitate the Jews."
→ [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī 1433]
These examples indicate that even in matters as personal as hair color and facial grooming, Muslims are required to oppose the religious and cultural features of disbelievers.
Therefore, adopting symbols, clothing, or behaviors that are exclusively representative of non-Muslim religious or national identity is not permissible.
Adopting external appearances eventually leads to internal assimilation — habits, values, and eventually beliefs. This is a natural psychological and social consequence.
External resemblance gradually softens the heart to foreign ideologies and practices, undermining loyalty to the Islamic way.
Hence, such resemblance is not a trivial issue but a pathway to spiritual degeneration.
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) wrote a profound book on this topic:
"اقتضاء الصراط المستقيم مخالفة أصحاب الجحيم"
“The Necessity of the Straight Path in Opposing the People of the Hellfire”
In it, he presents comprehensive Qurʾānic, Sunnah-based, and companion-era evidences that it is obligatory for Muslims to oppose the customs and characteristics of disbelievers.
An Urdu summary titled "راہِ حق کے تقاضے" has been published by Maktabah Salafiyyah Lahore.
✔ Imitating disbelievers in their unique, religious or cultural traits leads to being considered among them
✔ Islam commands Muslims to remain distinct from non-believers in appearance, dress, and manners
✔ Such imitation erodes Islamic identity and spiritual commitment
✔ Muslims must align their outward appearance and inner values with the path of the Prophet ﷺ and the pious predecessors
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī
❖ Ḥadīth
عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم:
من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم.
"Ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Whoever imitates a people is one of them."
Narrated by Abū Dāwūd; authenticated by Ibn Ḥibbān.
Referencing & Grading
- Abū Dāwūd 4031
- Declared ṣaḥīḥ by Ibn Ḥibbān
- Ibn Taymiyyah: "Its chain is sound" (al-Iqtiḍāʾ, p.39)
- ʿIrāqī in Takhrīj al-Iḥyāʾ 1/342: "The chain is ṣaḥīḥ"
- Ibn Ḥajar in Fatḥ al-Bārī 10/222: "Its chain is ḥasan"
- Also referenced in Ḥijāb al-Marʾah al-Muslimah by al-Albānī [104], al-Irwāʾ [1269], and Tuḥfat al-Ashrāf [6/275]
✿ Key Points
➊ Whoever Imitates a People Becomes of Them
The hadith highlights a severe warning: any Muslim who imitates the distinct practices, dress, or appearances specific to disbelievers becomes associated with them, both in the eyes of the people and in spiritual alignment.
It is a sign of the love or admiration of their ways and culture, and this implies displeasure or disregard for the way of the believers.
Thus, such imitation becomes contrary to faith (īmān) and a step towards losing Islamic identity.
➋ Command to Oppose Disbelievers in Appearance and Practice
Islam emphasizes the importance of maintaining distinctiveness from non-Muslims. For example:
✔ Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"جزوا الشوارب وأرخوا اللحى، خالفوا المجوس"
"Trim the moustaches and let the beards grow — oppose the Magians."
→ [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 222]
✔ Zubayr ibn ʿAwwām (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"غيروا الشيب ولا تشبهوا باليهود"
"Change the grey hair and do not imitate the Jews."
→ [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī 1433]
These examples indicate that even in matters as personal as hair color and facial grooming, Muslims are required to oppose the religious and cultural features of disbelievers.
Therefore, adopting symbols, clothing, or behaviors that are exclusively representative of non-Muslim religious or national identity is not permissible.➌ Imitation Leads to Internal Transformation
Adopting external appearances eventually leads to internal assimilation — habits, values, and eventually beliefs. This is a natural psychological and social consequence.
External resemblance gradually softens the heart to foreign ideologies and practices, undermining loyalty to the Islamic way.
Hence, such resemblance is not a trivial issue but a pathway to spiritual degeneration.
➍ Scholarly Commentary: Ibn Taymiyyah’s Masterpiece
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) wrote a profound book on this topic:
"اقتضاء الصراط المستقيم مخالفة أصحاب الجحيم"
“The Necessity of the Straight Path in Opposing the People of the Hellfire”
In it, he presents comprehensive Qurʾānic, Sunnah-based, and companion-era evidences that it is obligatory for Muslims to oppose the customs and characteristics of disbelievers.
An Urdu summary titled "راہِ حق کے تقاضے" has been published by Maktabah Salafiyyah Lahore.
❖ Summary
✔ Imitating disbelievers in their unique, religious or cultural traits leads to being considered among them
✔ Islam commands Muslims to remain distinct from non-believers in appearance, dress, and manners
✔ Such imitation erodes Islamic identity and spiritual commitment
✔ Muslims must align their outward appearance and inner values with the path of the Prophet ﷺ and the pious predecessors
