[Isbaal is to wear garments that extend below the ankles]
First Shubuha (Doubt): Isbaal is permitted as long as it is not done out of Makheelah. Some refer to the following hadeeth as an evidence:
[Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهم ا reported that: “I came to visit the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم and I was wearing an Izaar Yataqa’qa’ (clanking because of its trailing below the ankles) . He صلى الله عليه و سلم said: “Who is this?” I said: “Abdullah bin Umar”. He said: “If you are an Abd (i.e. a true slave) of Allaah, then pull up your Izaar”. I did. He then said: “more!”. (Ibn Umar) said: “I pulled it up until it reached the middle of shank; this was the (length) of his Izaar until he (صلى الله عليه و سلم) died”. He then looked towards Abee Bakr and said: “If anyone trails his garment arrogantly, Allaah will not look at him on the Day of Judgment”. Then Abu Bakr said: “My Izaar sometimes hangs low (in another narration he said: “one of the sides of my lower garment hangs low if I do not take care of it”)[99]. The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلمsaid: “But you are not one of them (in another narration he said: You are not one of those who do so conceitedly)[100].] [101]
Discussion: The hadeeth supports the Tahreem of Isbaal rather than the opinion which permits the Isbaal as long as it is not done out of conceit. In fact the hadeeth clearly makes it obligatory on the Muslim not to let his Izaar hang lower than his ankles, and that he must tuck it up even though his intention was like that of Abu Bakr in the hadeeth i.e. not done out of conceit. In fact Abu Bakr said: “One side of my Izaar hangs low if I do not take care of it”. In our times, however, people let their Izaars hang low, unlike Abu Bakr, and then they claim: “Well we do not do it out of arrogance!”. Don’t they realize the commands of Allaah’s Messenger to tuck up the Izaar and that his Izaar was extending to the middle of his shanks? Don’t they know that He صلى الله عليه و سلم never thinks about Makheelah? Isn’t he our example?
It is also clear that Abu Bakr did not say that: “I made my Izaar trailing”. In fact he said in one narration: “Sometimes my Izaar hangs low”. So, its his Izaar that goes down when as he said: “I do not take care of it”. Its clear that when he takes care of it it stays above his ankles, but when it gets loose it hangs low. Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajer reported that Ibn Sa’dd reported a narration from the way of Talha bin Abdullaah bin Abdur-Rahmaan bin Abee Bakr, that ‘Aaaishah رضي الله عنها وعنهم said: “Abu Bakr was Ahnaa (had an inclination in his back), his Izaar could not hold on him, it used to get loose around his loins”. Al-Hafidh also reported a narration from the way of Qayess Ibn Abee Haazim who said: “I visited Abee Bakr and he was a thin person.” [102]
Those who design garments, pants, etc. whose lower ends abide by the Sunnah, but when they wear them they get loose and sometimes trail below the ankles, resemble the case of Abu Bakr.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم considered that Abu Bakr was not “one of those who hang their garments out of conceit”, because Abu Bakr did not intend to lower his Izaar below the ankles, and it only trailed when he did not take care of it. Those who intend to trail out of conceit are threatened with a grave punishment:
The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said:
"Allaah will not look (on the Day of Resurrection)[103] at person who drags his Izaar (behind him) out of conceit." [104]
In another narration the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said:
"Allaah will not look at a person , on the Day of Judgemt, who drags his Izaar out of pride and arrogance." [105]
In addition, on the Day of Judgment, Allaah will not talk to or sanctify the Musbil. This is confirmed in the authentic hadeeth in which Abu Dharr reported the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم as saying:
“There are three (kinds) of persons to whom Allaah will neither speak on the Day of Judgment, nor will He look at them nor purify them, and they will have a painful Punishment. He (Abu Darr) said: “Allaah’s Messenger repeated it three times. Abu Dharr remarked: “They failed and they lost; who are these persons, O Messenger of Allaah? He صلى الله عليه و سلم replied: “The one who wears a trailing robe (the Musbil), the one who takes account of what he gives, and the seller of goods by false oaths.” [106]
Certainly Abu Bakr received a testimony from the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم that he did not lower his Izaar out of arrogance. Those who intentionally make Isbaal, when did they receive a purifying testimony?
In another incident, Abdullah Ibn Umar passed by the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم and his Izaar was hanging low. He said describing this incident:
“I happened to pass before Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم with my garment hanging low. He said: Abdullah, tug up your lower garment. I tugged it up, and he again said: “Tug it still further”. I tugged it still further and I went on tugging it afterward, whereupon some of the people said: “To what extent?” Thereupon he said: “To the middle of the shanks.” [107]
The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم did not keep silent when he saw Abdullah bin Umar hanging low his Izaar. This shows that the prophibition of Isbaal for men is not restricted only to the case if it is done out of Makheelah. Abdullah bin Umar is one of the great Sahabah. Imagine what would the position of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم be if he sees the clothes on many Du’aat (those who invite others to this Deen), or even “scholars” each trailing his Jubbah,[108] garment, or pants? We know that Ibn Umar hastened to comply with the Prophet’s command. Now it takes hours, talks, lectures to convey the Prophet’s command and still you find people arguing that: “Well! As long as Isbaal is not done out of conceit then its OK!” Indeed it makes the clement person preplexed! To Allaah alone, is the complaint!
References:
[99] From Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, V. 7, hadeeth # 675.
[100] Ibid. Also reported by Abee Dawood.
[101]The hadeeth was reported by Imaam Ahmad, Abdul Razzaaq, At-Tabaraanee and others. Al-Albaanee said: The hadeeth’s Isnaad is according to the conditions laid down by Ash-Shayekhan (i.e. the two Shayeks: Al- Bukhaaree and Muslim), As-Silsilah As-Saheehah, V. 4, P. 95. The part of the hadeeth starting with the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم: If anyone trails his Izaar” and ending with “you are not of those who do so conceitedly” is reported by Al-Bukhaaree, Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree V. 7, hadeeth # 675.
[102] Fathul Baaree V. 10, P. 255.
[103] See Appendix.
[104] Al-Bukhaaree, Muslim, and Ahmad. See Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, V. 7, hadeeth # 675., and Saheeh Muslim, V. 3, Ahadeeth # 5191-5195.
[105] Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, V. 7, hadeeth # 679 and Saheeh Muslim, hadeeth # 5201.
[106] Collected by Muslim (Saheeh Muslim, V.1, hadeeth # 192 and 193), Saheeh Abee Daawood, hadeeth # 3444, Saheeh At-Tirmithee # 967, Saheeh Ibn Majah, # 2208, An-Nassaa’ee, Book of Zakat, V.5, P. 81, Imaam Ahmad in his Musnad, V. 5, P. 148 and P. 162, and others. Al-Albaanee also reported it in Saheeh Al-Jaami’, V.3, hadeeth # 3062.
[107] Reported by Muslim, Saheeh Muslim V. 3, hadeeth # 5200.
[108] Jubbah, a cloak.
Author: Sheikh (Dr) Muhamad Bin Ahmad Bin Ismaa’eel
Translated by Dr. Saleh As-Saleh (rahimahullaah)
Daar Al-Bukhari Publishing & Distribution
The Three Letters – The Beard, Isbaal , Smoking – Dr Saleh as Saleh [PDF]
Source: Understand-islam.net
