[Q 203] Ruling on wearing red coloured clothes for men & women

Question

Is it permissible for men and women to wear red clothes?

 بسم الله الرحمٰن الرحيم

الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

For a man only the clothes dyed with the red dye of safflower ( A specific flower which gives a deep red dye) are impermissible and prohibited. Aside from this, there is a difference of opinion amongst the jurist regarding red clothing dyed with any other substances. The preferred opinion is that, although it is better to avoid wearing, especially when the red is intense, it is nevertheless permissible (i.e, permissible for men to wear clothes which are coloured with other types of red dye).

However, for a woman, it is permissible to wear clothes of any dye.

It has been narrated in the Sunan of Abu Dawood

” عن علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله ﷺ نهى عن لبس القسي وعن لبس المعصفر”

Translation:

“From Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib, the Noble Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited from wearing silk or clothes dyed with red safflower” 

(Al-Sunan Abi Dawud,  Al-Hadith: 4044, Publisher Al-Muqbah Al-Asriyah)

The Allamah Ala al-Din al-Haskafi رحمه الله (Death; 1088AH) says

“(وكره لبس المعصفر والمزعفر الأحمر والأصفر للرجال) مفاده أنه لا يكره للنساء (ولا بأس بسائر الألوان)

Translation:

“(It is disliked for men to wear clothes dyed with Safflower red and Saffron yellow), the benefit of this is that (it shows) these colours are not disliked for women ( and there is no dislike in wearing any other colour).

(Al-Dur al-Mukhtar with Rid al-Muhthar, vol 9, page 515, publisher Dar al-Kutub Al-ilamiya)

My master A’la Hadrat رحمه الله states: “There is a difference of opinion regarding pure red dye, which is not from safflower, (however) the strong and preferred opinion is of permissibility, rather Imam Hassan al-Shurunbulali states ” It is Mustahab (commendable) to wear it”. The truth is that the Ahadees of prohibition are regarding safflower. And the Ahadees of permissibility are regarding red dye of (something) other than Safflower. And the wearing of red by the most pure ﷺ was to show permissibility, though justice is that to avoid (wearing red other than Safflower) is better due to the severity of the difference.

(Fatawa Rizawiyah , Vol 22, page 197-198, Barakat al-Raza Gujrat)

Sadr al-Shariah Mufti Amjad Ali رحمه الله (Death; 1367AH) says: “To wear clothes dyed with Safflower or Saffron is prohibited for men, whether the dye is strong (that the clothes turn red) or weak (that they turn yellow) the ruling is one. Both these dyes are permissible for women. Aside from these two dyes, all other dyes/colours such as yellow, red, green, brown, orange, etc, are all permissible for men. Even though a man should not wear clothes that are red or bright colours, especially those colours which are feminine (generally for females) a man should absolutely refrain from wearing these types.

(Bahar e Shariat , Vol 3, part 16, page 415, publisher: Maktaba Tul Madinah)

Answered by: Mufti Sajid Attari

Translated by: Aqib Attari