Written by: Fadilat al-Sheikh Abdul Salam bin Muhammad (may Allah protect him)
Narrated by Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Allah will not look at the one who lets his garment drag out of arrogance."
[Agreed upon]
[Bulugh al-Maram: 1249]
This means Allah will not look at such a person with mercy and affection on the Day of Judgment. Since nothing is hidden from Allah's sight, the meaning here is that the person will be deprived of His compassionate gaze. Humble individuals are deserving of Allah’s mercy, while the arrogant are deprived and become worthy of His wrath. Allah has said:
"Indeed, Allah does not like the one who is self-deluded and boastful."
[Surah An-Nisa: 36]
Narration of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"There are three types of people whom Allah will neither speak to, purify, nor look at on the Day of Judgment, and for them is a painful punishment: the one who drags his garment (below the ankles), the one who reminds others of his favors, and the one who sells goods by swearing falsely."
[Sahih Muslim 1/71]
This warning applies to both men and women:
Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) understood this warning from the Hadith as applicable to women. She asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about what women should do with their garments. He replied:
"They should let them down by one hand span."
She responded, "But this will expose their feet." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said:
"Then they can let them down by one arm's length but no more than that."
[Sunan Tirmidhi, Book of Clothing]
From this, it is understood that women who drag long garments, particularly during weddings, are also included in this warning. The practice of dragging garments, especially observed in Western and some Muslim cultures during weddings, where women wear long dresses that trail behind them, is rooted in vanity and pride. Such women are also deprived of Allah’s merciful gaze.
Unintentional dragging of garments:
The warning is specifically for those who intentionally drag their garments out of pride. In Sahih Bukhari, it is narrated that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned this, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
"O Messenger of Allah! My lower garment sometimes slips down unless I pay attention to it."
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) responded:
"You are not among those who do this out of arrogance."
[Sahih Bukhari: 5784]
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) explained that Abu Bakr’s garment would slip unintentionally, and when he noticed, he would fix it. Thus, if someone’s garment drags unintentionally and they correct it, they are not included in this prohibition.
Deliberate dragging of garments:
If someone deliberately drags their garment but claims it is not done out of pride, this excuse is invalid. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) established the correct length of the garment for a believer. It should reach the middle of the calf, and the maximum allowed is above the ankles. Letting the garment go below the ankles is forbidden, as evidenced by several Hadiths. For example:
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"What is below the ankles of the lower garment is in the Fire."
[Sahih Bukhari]
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also instructed Huzayfah (may Allah be pleased with him):
"The proper place for the lower garment is at the middle of the calf. If you refuse, then let it be lower, but no right does the garment have to go below the ankles."
[Tirmidhi, Book of Clothing, Hadith: 1783]
Dragging garments even without arrogance:
Even if someone claims not to drag their garment out of pride, the act itself is still prohibited, as stated by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his advice to Jabir bin Sulaim (may Allah be pleased with him):
"Raise your garment to the middle of your calf. If you do not wish to do that, then let it reach your ankles. Beware of dragging the garment, for it is part of arrogance, and Allah does not like arrogance."
[Abu Dawood, Hadith: 4084, also narrated by Nasa'i and Hakim, authenticated in Sahih Abu Dawood 3442]
Prohibition even due to body appearance:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited dragging garments even if someone is uncomfortable with their body appearance. Shuraid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man dragging his lower garment. The Prophet hurried toward him and said:
"Raise your garment and fear Allah."
The man responded: "My legs are thin, O Messenger of Allah."
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied:
"Raise your garment, for everything Allah created is beautiful."
After that, the man was never seen with his garment lower than halfway up his calf.
[Musnad Ahmad 4/390]
This Hadith is authentic, and its narrators are reliable according to both Bukhari and Muslim. The man’s reason for dragging his garment was not out of pride, yet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) still instructed him to lift it.
Excessively long garments are a form of extravagance:
Deliberately making garments longer than necessary is considered a form of extravagance, which is prohibited in Islam. Allah says:
"And do not be extravagant; indeed, He does not like the extravagant."
[Surah Al-A'raf: 31]
It also resembles the behavior of women, which is another reason why it is forbidden.
Danger of impurity:
Long garments that drag on the ground are more likely to collect dirt or impurities. Allah commands:
"And purify your garments."
[Surah Al-Muddathir: 4]
Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) once prohibited dragging garments for this very reason, as impurities could easily cling to them.
Conclusion:
Wearing garments below the ankles is prohibited in Islam, whether out of pride or otherwise. It is not only a matter of personal humility but also of obedience to the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Narrated by Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Allah will not look at the one who lets his garment drag out of arrogance."
[Agreed upon]
[Bulugh al-Maram: 1249]
References:
- Bukhari [5791, 5783]
- Muslim [43 from the Book of Clothing]
- Bulugh al-Maram [1249]
- See also: Tuhfat al-Ashraf [5/466, 5/347, 6/215]
Vocabulary:
- "Al-Khaylaa": This refers to arrogance, and it is a verbal noun. Horses are called "Khail" because their gait reflects pride.
(Cambridge Dictionary of Arabic)
Lessons:
"Allah will not look at him":This means Allah will not look at such a person with mercy and affection on the Day of Judgment. Since nothing is hidden from Allah's sight, the meaning here is that the person will be deprived of His compassionate gaze. Humble individuals are deserving of Allah’s mercy, while the arrogant are deprived and become worthy of His wrath. Allah has said:
"Indeed, Allah does not like the one who is self-deluded and boastful."
[Surah An-Nisa: 36]
Narration of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"There are three types of people whom Allah will neither speak to, purify, nor look at on the Day of Judgment, and for them is a painful punishment: the one who drags his garment (below the ankles), the one who reminds others of his favors, and the one who sells goods by swearing falsely."
[Sahih Muslim 1/71]
This warning applies to both men and women:
Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) understood this warning from the Hadith as applicable to women. She asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about what women should do with their garments. He replied:
"They should let them down by one hand span."
She responded, "But this will expose their feet." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said:
"Then they can let them down by one arm's length but no more than that."
[Sunan Tirmidhi, Book of Clothing]
From this, it is understood that women who drag long garments, particularly during weddings, are also included in this warning. The practice of dragging garments, especially observed in Western and some Muslim cultures during weddings, where women wear long dresses that trail behind them, is rooted in vanity and pride. Such women are also deprived of Allah’s merciful gaze.
Unintentional dragging of garments:
The warning is specifically for those who intentionally drag their garments out of pride. In Sahih Bukhari, it is narrated that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned this, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
"O Messenger of Allah! My lower garment sometimes slips down unless I pay attention to it."
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) responded:
"You are not among those who do this out of arrogance."
[Sahih Bukhari: 5784]
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) explained that Abu Bakr’s garment would slip unintentionally, and when he noticed, he would fix it. Thus, if someone’s garment drags unintentionally and they correct it, they are not included in this prohibition.
Deliberate dragging of garments:
If someone deliberately drags their garment but claims it is not done out of pride, this excuse is invalid. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) established the correct length of the garment for a believer. It should reach the middle of the calf, and the maximum allowed is above the ankles. Letting the garment go below the ankles is forbidden, as evidenced by several Hadiths. For example:
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"What is below the ankles of the lower garment is in the Fire."
[Sahih Bukhari]
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also instructed Huzayfah (may Allah be pleased with him):
"The proper place for the lower garment is at the middle of the calf. If you refuse, then let it be lower, but no right does the garment have to go below the ankles."
[Tirmidhi, Book of Clothing, Hadith: 1783]
Dragging garments even without arrogance:
Even if someone claims not to drag their garment out of pride, the act itself is still prohibited, as stated by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his advice to Jabir bin Sulaim (may Allah be pleased with him):
"Raise your garment to the middle of your calf. If you do not wish to do that, then let it reach your ankles. Beware of dragging the garment, for it is part of arrogance, and Allah does not like arrogance."
[Abu Dawood, Hadith: 4084, also narrated by Nasa'i and Hakim, authenticated in Sahih Abu Dawood 3442]
Prohibition even due to body appearance:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited dragging garments even if someone is uncomfortable with their body appearance. Shuraid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man dragging his lower garment. The Prophet hurried toward him and said:
"Raise your garment and fear Allah."
The man responded: "My legs are thin, O Messenger of Allah."
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied:
"Raise your garment, for everything Allah created is beautiful."
After that, the man was never seen with his garment lower than halfway up his calf.
[Musnad Ahmad 4/390]
This Hadith is authentic, and its narrators are reliable according to both Bukhari and Muslim. The man’s reason for dragging his garment was not out of pride, yet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) still instructed him to lift it.
Excessively long garments are a form of extravagance:
Deliberately making garments longer than necessary is considered a form of extravagance, which is prohibited in Islam. Allah says:
"And do not be extravagant; indeed, He does not like the extravagant."
[Surah Al-A'raf: 31]
It also resembles the behavior of women, which is another reason why it is forbidden.
Danger of impurity:
Long garments that drag on the ground are more likely to collect dirt or impurities. Allah commands:
"And purify your garments."
[Surah Al-Muddathir: 4]
Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) once prohibited dragging garments for this very reason, as impurities could easily cling to them.
Conclusion:
Wearing garments below the ankles is prohibited in Islam, whether out of pride or otherwise. It is not only a matter of personal humility but also of obedience to the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).