Pants under the ankles

الجواب وباللہ التوفیق

After the noble sayings of Nabi Kareem S.A.W. and stern warnings there is no room for any person claiming Faith that he would dare اسبالِ ازار hanging his lower dress under his ankles without any strong excuse. And any Muslim having دینی (religious) prudency in competition with the noble saying of Nabi Kareem S.A.W. cannot make excuse of customary practice, or habit, or the absence of pride. Nabi Kareem S.A.W. himself refrained from this action throughout his life and forbid his Sahabah R.A. about it, hence if hanging lower garment under one’s ankles would have been permissible due to not having pride then it should have been permissible for Nabi Kareem S.A.W. and all صحابہٴ کرام R.A.  (companions).

عَنْ جَابِرٍ وَایَّاکَ وَاسْبَالَ الْازَارِ؛ فانَّہ مِنَ الْمَخِیْلَةِ وَانَّ اللّٰہَ لاَ یُحِبُّ الْمَخِیْلَةَ․ (ابوداوٴد، کتاب اللباس ،باب ما جاء فی اسبال الازار)  

It is narrated from Hazrat Jabir R.A. that Nabi Kareem S.A.W. said: Refrain from hanging lower garment below ankles! Because it occurs due to pride and Allaah Ta’alaa does not like pride.        

Nabi Kareem S.A.W.’s prohibiting Sahabas from hanging lower garment below ankles despite their innerself purity is a clear proof that this action of hanging lower garment below ankles itself is vile and مکروہ (abominable) though a person may claim that he does not have pride in him.

            The condition of خیلاء i.e., pride mentioned in the Ahadith does not mean that the warning is for the one who does it with pride and the one who does not have pride there is permission of hanging lower garment below ankles, rather the meaning of this is that the very base reason of hanging lower garment below ankles is pride, i.e., only those people do this action who have pride in them. Due to this Hadith the writer of Fathul Bari, Hafiz Ibne Hajr R.A. says:  

”وَحَاصِلُہ أنَّ الْاسْبَالَ یَسْتَلْزِمُ جَرَّ الثَّوْبِ، وَجَرُّ الثَّوْبِ یَسْتَلْزِمُ الْخُیَلاَءَ، وَلَوْ لَمْ یَقْصِدِ اللَّابِسُ الْخُیَلاَءَ“

(فتح الباری :کتاب اللبا س )

i.e., the inevitable result of hanging one’s lower garment below ankles is dragging it and dragging clothes is the inevitable result of pride, no matter the person wearing clothes makes intention of pride or not.

            A big Jamaa’t of Ulama have declared hanging lower garment below ankles to be Haram without differentiating between having pride or not having pride, and have not accepted the claim of not having pride, rather they have declared the hanging lower garment below ankles after the noble sayings of Nabi S.A.W. the proof of pride. (For details please see Fathul Bari: Book of Clothing). However, if there is Shara’n excused then he is exempt.

            As far as the matter of Hazrat Abu Bakr R.A., it is particular with him. He would make the utmost effort that his lower garment would be above the ankles, but it would still slip below. He mentioned it to Nabi S.A.W. He said, “You are not from amongst them, therefore, there is flexibility for you in this matter”. We come to know from this that Hazrat Abu Bakr R.A. did not keep the lower garment below ankle intentionally, rather he would keep it above, while the people of present day time do it intentionally. There Hazrat Abu Bakr R.A. neither became his own witness not did he vindicate himself, rather the Nabi of Allaah S.A.W. gave his witness, and here the people themselves vindicate selves from pride.

            Hence, the noble Ahadith of the truthful Nabi S.A.W. are fully clear and evident in this matter that hanging lower garment below ankles is sign of pride, therefore, to claim not to have pride after this is deception from inner self and Shaitan. When the chosen and sacred Jamat like the Sahabah R.A. were ordered to refrain from it then where do we stand, therefore, every Muslim should fully abstain from it.

قال أبو بكر يا رسول الله إن أحد شقي إزاري يسترخي إلا أن أتعاهد ذلك منه ؟ فقال النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم ( لست ممن يصنعه خيلاء )(صحیح بخاری:کتاب اللباس)

واللہ اعلم بالصواب