Dressing Little Children Un-Islamically
Question
Muslim parents are dressing their very young daughters at weddings without abaya & with makeup.
Their reasoning is that they are still young. If we start them wearing the headscarf, abaya etc. then when they get older, they will rebel thinking that they have missed out on freedom. Therefore they argue that if we allow them to dress more freely when they are young, it will be out of their system so that later on we can educate them as to the correct manner of dressing.
Does such rationale even have any basis?
Answer
Such logic has no basis whatsoever in Shariah. In fact, instead of youngsters correcting themselves at a later stage they will become accustomed to their un-Islamic way of dressing and actually think there is nothing wrong with it, as their very own parents had approved of it.
There are certain narrations which indicate that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam corrected and rectified little children on observing them not adhering to correct etiquettes.
Umar bin Abi Salma Radiallahu Anhu during childhood participated in a meal with Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. Whilst eating he kept moving his hand around in various parts of the utensil. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam rectified him by saying, “O young boy! Take the name of Allah (before eating), eat with your right hand and eat from that (portion) that is closest to you.”
References (Arabic / Urdu sources)
عمر بن أبي سلمة – رضي الله عنهما – قال : «كنتُ غُلاما في حجْرِ رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم ،وكانت يدي تطيشُ في الصحفة ، فقال لي رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم – : ياغلامُ ، سَمَّ الله ، وكل بيمينك ، وكل مما يليك ، فما زالت تلك طِعْمَتي بعد».
وفي رواية قال : «أكلتُ يوما مع رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- طعاما ، فجعلت أكل من نواحي الصحفة ، فقال لي رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم – : كُل مما يليك».
أخرجه البخاري ومسلم.
- Approved by
- Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.
Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.
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Source: Darul Ifta, Darul Uloom Azaadville — https://www.iftadua.co.za/dressing-little-children-un-islamically/22054/
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/azaadville-22054