Imitating the kuffaar

[MUSLIM WOMAN]

 

Imitating the kuffaar

 

 

Q: I am unclear of what is imitating a non-muslim. If I have the same t-shirt, clothes, car etc as a non-muslim. If I use a non-muslim website or dictionary or right click on words to get right spelling and a non-muslim also uses it or developed it. If a non-muslim has a bottle like mine which I use to drink water. If a non-muslim uses jeans, suit and tie, eats egg with bread, has a certain study method, types on a keyboard using all fingers, works at this type of store and there is many more. Could you explain to me what is imitating a non-muslim so that I have clear knowledge in this regard?

 

 

A: Imitating the ways of the kuffaar means, for one to abandon his Islamic identity and adopt the identity which is exclusive to the kuffaar. In other words, all those aspects of life (be it religious or worldly related) through which a believer is identified with and clearly distinguished from a disbeliever, for a muslim to abandon that and to adopt the ways of the kuffaar amounts to imitating the ways of the kuffaar. Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم  the one who imitates a people will be counted among them (in the court of Allah Ta’aala). Imitating the kuffaar is of different levels.

 

1. Imitating the kuffaar in their religious beliefs is haraam and amounts to kufr. E.g. for a Muslim to subscribe to the belief that Isa (Alaihi salaam) was crucified on the cross.
2. Imitating those signs or symbols that identify with kufr is haraam and amounts to kufr. E.g. wearing a cross.
3. Imitating the kuffaar in their religious ceremonies, celebrations or festivals is haraam. E.g. for a Muslim to celebrate Diwali, Christmas, New year, Easter etc.
4. Imitating the kuffaar in their religious attire is makruhe tahreemi. E.g. for a Muslim to wear an attire that is exclusive to a religious cult ( e.g. wearing a saari in our country).
5. Imitating the kuffaar in their culture and lifestyle is also impermissible. E.g. imitating them in their tight-fitting and revealing clothing, women wearing men’s clothing and vice versa, men wearing ear-rings, celebrating birthdays, tattooing, women and men freely intermingling etc.

 

Wearing clothes that are not exclusive to the kuffaar  instead it is used by all and sundry e.g. wearing jackets, socks, men wearing formal clothes and women wearing unrevealing dresses is permissible and does not amount to imitating the kuffaar.

 

Similarly carrying out those actions or using those items which are not exclusive to the kuffaar instead it is commonly used by all e.g. using a dictionary, driving a car etc. does not amount to imitating the kuffaar.

As far as the clothing a Muslim should wear it is preferable that he wear such clothing which have some type of Islamic connotation i.e. the clothing of the pious and respectable Muslims.

 

عن ابن عمر قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم.  (سنن أبي داود رقم 4033)

من تشبه بقوم أي من شبه نفسه بالكفار مثلا في اللباس وغيره أو بالفساق أو الفجار أو بأهل التصوف والصلحاء الأبرار فهو منهم أي في الإثم والخير. (مرقاة شرح مشكاة 4/431).

يكفر بوضع قلنسوة المجوس على رأسه على الصحيح إلا لضرورة دفع الحر والبرد وبشد الزنار في وسطه إلا إذا فعل ذلك خديعة في الحرب وطليعة للمسلمين وبقوله المجوس خير مما أنا فيه يعني فعله ... وبخروجه إلى نيروز المجوس لموافقته معهم فيما يفعلون في ذلك اليوم وبشرائه يوم النيروز شيئا لم يكن يشتريه قبل ذلك تعظيما للنيروز لا للأكل والشرب وبإهدائه ذلك اليوم للمشركين ولو بيضة تعظيما لذلك لا بإجابة دعوة مجوسي حلق رأس ولده وبتحسين أمر الكفار اتفاقا حتى قالوا لو قال ترك الكلام عند أكل الطعام حسن من المجوس أو ترك المضاجعة حالة الحيض منهم حسن فهو كافر كذا في البحر الرائق. (الفتاوى الهندية 2/276)

عن عمرو بن الحارث ، أن رجلا دعا عبد الله بن مسعود إلى وليمة ، فلما جاء ليدخل سمع لهوا ، فلم يدخل ، فقال : ما لك رجعت ؟ قال : إني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول : من كثر سواد قوم فهو منهم ، ومن رضي عمل قوم كان شريكا في عملهم. (إتحاف الخيرة المهرة رقم 3297)

 

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)