JUG-2026-VPD9FHYWHV
Custom (urf) and imitation of the opposite gender in dress
Question
What determines imitation of the opposite gender in matters like clothing or piercings that aren't directly outlined in the Qur'an or Hadith — the manufacturer, or local cultural norms?
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Answer
In matters not explicitly defined in Qur'an and Sunnah, custom ('urf) is the determining factor, per the principle *العادة محكمة* — "custom is legally authoritative." So if something is widely recognized in a society as specific to women, then a man wearing it is imitation, and vice-versa.
Imam Ibn 'Abideen states in Radd al-Muhtar that the prohibition applies when a person adopts clothing specific to the opposite gender according to the custom of the land.
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