Firstly, evidence for the prohibition of men wearing silk: Al-Bukhāriy reported from Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: “The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade us from drinking from vessels of gold and silver, and eating in them, and from wearing silk and Dibaj, and sitting on it.” Dibaj is a colored silk fabric, and the word is of Persian origin.
Likewise, what Al-Bukhāriy reported from ʽUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: “The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade wearing silk except for the space of two, three, or four fingers.”
Also, what ʼAḥmad and An-Nasāʼiy reported from Abī Mūsā, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “Gold and silk are permitted for the women of my ummah and forbidden for the men.” There are other evidences which you can refer to in their possible sources.
Secondly, the reason for the prohibition of silk in general: In the scope of halal and haram, there are matters that have wisdom and reason behind the ruling, with a clear evidence, such as the prohibition of murder, theft, usurpation, and torture.
There are other matters in which the wisdom behind them is hidden, and the principle is to comply with them out of devotion and submission to the command of the Shariah. This includes matters such as performing ablution for minor impurities, performing a full bath for major impurities, the number of rakʽahs in each prayer, and performing Tayammum with clean soil when water is not available.
There is a third type that is subject to the ijtihad (personal reasoning) of the jurist and the derivation of rulings based on evidence, and its wisdom may be apparent to some and hidden from others who consider it as an act of worship to follow. This type includes the prohibition of riba (usury and interest-based transactions), men wearing gold, and the prohibition of pork.
If we apply this categorization to the prohibition of men wearing silk, we find that it belongs to the third type. Some view it as prohibited as a test for men to exercise patience and obedience to the commands of Allah.
Some have seen that the ruling has a reason and tried to find a justification for it. They say that Since silk was widely used by women, it was prohibited for men to avoid resemblance. However, the weakness of this argument is not hidden, as men and women resemble each other in many types of clothing, and wool or cotton is not prohibited even if women wear them frequently.
Some have said that the reason for the prohibition is due to its association with pride and arrogance. However, this argument is also weak because if that were the case, it would also be prohibited for women since both genders are forbidden from pride and arrogance. Allah Almighty says: “Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.” (Luqmān 31:18) The word “everyone” indicates generality.
Some have said that men wearing silk leads to effeminacy and is against manliness and courage.
The truth is, I do not know what the relationship between silk and manliness is. Nowadays, we see many clothes that are not made of silk, but they carry the meaning of effeminacy, such as tight pants for men, tight patterned shirts, clothes that are made in the shape of body parts, and so on. Do we say that the materials used to make these clothes are prohibited? Or do we say that the way of wearing them is prohibited? What if these tight pants were made of cotton or wool? Do we also prohibit them, or do we prohibit the way of wearing them? Therefore, the mentioned reason alone is not enough to make something prohibited.
Some have said that wearing silk is a way of resembling the disbelievers, but this argument is also not different from the previous ones. Disbelievers do not exclusively wear silk, and there are other things in their clothing that we share with them, and in fact, those things are most commonly worn by them. Do we prohibit Muslims from wearing everything that non-Muslims wear? Resemblance occurs in what is specific to them, such as the clothing of their religious figures or famous clothing such as that of clowns. As for what most people share, it cannot be said to be a resemblance. Therefore, my opinion is that there is no rational reason for prohibiting silk, and its prohibition is based on transmitted evidence.
Thirdly: The type of silk that is prohibited is natural silk, which is produced by the silkworm. As for what is called artificial silk, it is not considered prohibited because it is not actually silk, but rather it is made from petroleum or plant-based materials. The labeling does not change the ruling of the original substance. If the ruling of the original substance is permitted, then it remains permitted even if people call it by a different name. Likewise, if people called wine a “spiritual drink,” it would not make it halal, and if they called vinegar “wine vinegar,” it would not make it haram just because of the use of the word “wine.”
Fourthly: As for the relationship between wearing silk and some diseases that I alluded to, it is a matter for specialists in the field of medicine to answer, and I am not one of them.
Fifthly: Natural silk is permitted for some reasons, as mentioned by the jurists, including:
– Medical reasons.
– Provoking enemies and displaying prestige.
– Mixing it with other materials in a certain proportion.
After all, Allāh knows best.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr