Is Silk Haram: Why Is It Haram And Can Men Wear Silk

The elegance and beauty of men and women are valued in Islam. However, it has been reported that silk is allowed to be worn by women only and not men. Is silk Haram and why is it Haram in Islam, these are the few questions we will answer in this post.

Is Silk Haram?

Yes, Wearing pure silk is haram for Muslim men, but it is permissible for Muslim women. Indeed, a strong warning has been narrated concerning this matter. Imam al-Bukhari and Muslim (2069) in the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Silk is only worn in this world by the one who will have no share of the pleasure of the Hereafter.”

Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took a piece of silk in his right hand and a piece of gold in his left, held them aloft and said:

“These are haram for the males of my ummah and permitted for the females.”

Reported by Ibn Majah, 2/1189

Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Gold and silk have been permitted for the females of my ummah and forbidden for the males.”

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever wears silk in this world will not wear it in the Hereafter.” (al-Bukhari, 5832)

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• Is Cotton Halal?

Why Is Silk Haram?

Among the Muslim scholars who believe that there is reason and wisdom (behind Islamic rulings), and they are the majority, some said that Islam has forbidden it so that people will avoid it and give it up for the sake of Allaah, and they will be rewarded for it.

Others reply that because it was primarily designed for women, as is the case with gold jewellery, it was prohibited for men because it could corrupt them by making them resemble women.

Some of them said that it is haram because it may lead to in the way of pride, showing off and self-admiration.

Some said it was forbidden because it made a man effeminate and went against his masculinity and manliness, so if he wore it, his heart gained the characteristics of femininity and softness, even if he was the most masculine and chivalrous of men.

There is no doubt that wearing silk will diminish, if not eliminate, these manly characteristics. Anyone who is too dense to comprehend this should simply submit to the Wise Lawmaker.

Adopted from Zaad al-Maaad, 4/80.

And it should be known that Allaah, may He be exalted and glorified, is Wise in His commands and prohibitions. He does not command anything unless it is in the best interests of the people, and He does not forbid anything unless it is harmful.

People may or may not understand the reasons for these commands and prohibitions, but Allaah has His Wisdom in any given situation.

Having said that, it is still wrong to make following a command or prohibition dependent on knowing the wisdom behind it; rather, we should hasten to obey shareeah’s commands regardless of whether the wisdom behind them is clear to us or not.

If it is clear, praise be to Allaah; if it is not, the Muslim should not let the fact that he does not know it prevent him from acting in accordance with the shareeah ruling.

This is true submission to the command of Allaah, and Islam means submission to Allaah, may He be exalted, and obeying Him.

If a person makes his actions dependent on understanding matters which may or may not convince him, he is in effect following his own thoughts and desires, not his Lord and Master.

Read also Is Dave’s Hot Chicken Halal?

Can Men Wear Silk?

No, men cannot wear pure silk. In Islam, it is considered haram and not permissible for men.

Is Raw Silk Haram?

Yes, raw silk is haram. Natural silk taken from the silkworm is what is meant by the silk that is Haram to men. Artificial silk is not included in the prohibition because there is no proof in the Qur’aan or Sunnah that it is haraam. If a thing is not forbidden in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, it is permissible, because the basic principle concerning things is that they are permitted.

However, some of these artificial silk fabrics may be very soft and similar to the fabric worn by women. Men should avoid these because what is required of men is toughness and hardness; softness is not appropriate for men.

Is It Haram To Sleep On Silk?

Yes it is haram, just as it is haram for a man to wear natural silk, it is also haram for him to sit or sleep on it or to cover himself in it (like a blanket), because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (5837) from Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade us to wear silk and brocade and to sit on them.

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The words “and to sit on them” are strong proof for those who say that it is not allowed to sit on silk, which is the view of the majority.

Ibn Wahb narrated in his Jaami‘ from the hadeeth of Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqaas that he said: To sit on a live coal is dearer to me than sitting on a seat of silk. End quote.

Are Silk Ties Haram?

Yes it is haraam for men to wear natural silk ties, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood (4057), an-Nasaa’i and Ibn Maajah from ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took a piece of silk in his right hand and a piece of gold in his left and said, “These two are forbidden for the males of my ummah.”

Conclusion

It is permissible to wear silk for the purpose of medical treatment, because of the reports narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Anas, who said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) granted a concession to az-Zubayr and ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan allowing them to wear silk, because of a skin disease that they had.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary: The words “or sickness” mean that it is permissible to wear silk if a person has a sickness that will be alleviated or cured by wearing silk.

Reference concerning that should be made to doctors. If they say: If this man wears silk, he will recover from his sickness, or his sickness will be alleviated, then in that case he may wear it.

And Allaah knows best.