Food For Thought (EP 11): al-Tashabbuh: The act of Imitation

Omer Arif*

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said in an authentic hadith that whoever imitates any people is one of them. That is, if a Muslim imitates a sect of unbelievers, he is considered one of them. In this article, we will look at various kinds of imitation that are prohibited in Islam.

1.      Dressing like the unbelievers

According to the majority of Hanafi, Maliki and Shafi’i scholars, a person who wears clothes that distinguish them from Muslims, which is the symbol of unbelievers, is ruled to be unbelievable in worldly judgments. In other words, the person who makes it outwardly is considered a disbeliever. For example, if a person puts a magician’s cap on his head, he is considered a disbeliever. Of course, this is not the case if he is forced to do that or something. Thus, if only the members of a particular religion and faith affiliation wear something, a Muslim should never wear it knowingly.

According to Imam Abu Hanifa, a person may not become a disbeliever just by dressing. This is because he has entered Islam with attestation and proclamation (tasdik and taqrir), and only through these can he exist in Islam. Nevertheless, it is feared that the person is coming close to disbelief. The Hanbalis, however, hold a contrary opinion, stating that a person can become a disbeliever just by dressing.

As it is understood from the expressions of the fuqaha, a person becomes a disbeliever if he wears the clothes peculiar to the unbelievers under the following conditions:

·       To wear it in a Muslim country.

·        Wearing that outfit without any necessity or coercion.

·       To have clothes and jewellery unique to the infidel. Like the Christian belt and the Zoroastrian cap.

·       The fact that that outfit is still known and used as a symbol of disbelief during the period of wearing the outfit.

·       The clothes are worn as an inclination and a wannabe, envy, not to make fun of them.

May my Lord protect the Ummah from all kinds of symbols of disbelief. Recently, T-shirts written in foreign languages, especially for young people, are full of false advertisements. The teenager wearing that shirt does not even know what is written on it, but most of it is obscene phrases. In Muslim countries, falsehood agents use Muslim youth as mobile advertising billboards. Muslims must be vigilant against these situations. It is a pity for a Muslim to be a mobile advertising billboard of companies, most of which are money-laundering Zionist firms.

After mentioning the ruling that Muslims should look like unbelievers in their outer clothes, it is noteworthy that a Muslim appears outwardly as one, but his intellectual structure and worldview are full of falsehood and would be like a tree that is rotten inside.

2.     The Ruling on Resembling the Unbelievers on their Feasts:

The meaning of being like unbelievers during the holidays is to see the holidays that are unique to the unbelievers as legitimate in Islam or to celebrate them as unbelievers do. This is never permissible. It is one of the most important issues that Muslims should oppose. Imam al-Bayhaqī mentioned a report from Umar ibn Khattab, saying: Do not enter the temples of unbelievers on the days of their festivals because divine wrath descends on them.

 Abdullah ibn Umar said: “If a person visits the land of Persia and celebrates or participates in their Newroz and Mihrijan holidays, resembles them and dies in that state, he will be resurrected with them on the Day of Judgment.”

Muslims are prohibited from celebrating any non-Muslim holiday. To celebrate their holiday with nonbelievers is the ugliest thing to do in agreement with them. How he celebrates makes one insensitive to his Muslim identity and the plight of Muslims. Just like there are fuqaha who say that it is not permissible to give and receive gifts from unbelievers’ festivals, some consider this a form of apostasy. Parallel to this, if a Muslim is invited to such feast celebrations, he should never go.

May Allah protect Muslims from imitating the disbelievers in heart and form.

3.     Imitating the Unbelievers in Worship:

In general, as our Prophet had informed us, it is essential not to imitate unbelievers in worship. The Prophet forbids performing prayers during karahat time to prevent them from imitating the worship of unbelievers. He recommends not to fast the day before or the day after in order not to look like the Jews.

4.     Imitating the Fasiqs

If certain places, signs and attire have become the symbol of sinful people, they should be avoided. Styles and forms of eating, drinking, and clothing Islam disapproves of are the symbols of sinners. Like the rascals who take a few spoons and throw the rest away. Like the one who eats with their left hand. Like the one who sees it as rude to finish his food at a luxury dinner.

5.     Imitating the opposite gender

 All Islamic scholars gave fatwas stating that it is haram for women to resemble men and for men to resemble women. There were many narrations from the Prophet regarding this, and Allah cursed those who did such a thing. In addition, it was emphasized that each gender is not similar to the other in the movements and attitudes that are unique to it.

In our society, it is at the forefront that women resemble men in clothes, and men resemble women in morality and structure. Women’s competition to resemble the women of Jahiliyyah by leaving the chastity cover of Islam is undoubtedly the most painful analogy of women.

A person with a personality and a virtuous person is the one who can best represent the institution he belongs to. A Muslim who makes his Islamic personality dominate his life; A Muslim is a person whose lifestyle is Muslim. He is a person whose model is Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH). If we Muslims go out of the plan and program drawn by Islam that makes us who we are; We become the clown of the world by thinking that we are civilized and do not even know about it.

O dear brethren,

Eschew the disidentification blind following brings: Imitate not

Don’t fit in, don’t be carried away by the trends: Imitate not

Avoid the inferiority complex that makes you unclad: Imitate not

Don’t be blown away by the wind of heedlessness: Imitate not

Be not of the unconscious controlled by their lust: Imitate not

Don’t be a weed that destroys the solid plants:  Imitate not

See not yourself from the false mirror of others: Imitate not

Don’t be a quarter dressed or a half-shaved man in the name of fashion: Imitate not

Take not off yourself the clothes of dignity Allah and his Prophet assigned: Imitate not

*This article was translated from Turkish to English language by Zekiyenur Gök