I asked Abu Sa'id al-Khudri about wearing lower garment. He said: You have come to the man who knows it very well. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The way for a believer to wear a lower garment is to have it halfway down his legs and he is guilty of no sin if it comes halfway between that and the ankles, but what comes lower than the ankles is in Hell. On the day of Resurrection. Allah will not look at him who trails his lower garment conceitedly.
Hadith Text & Context
"I asked Abu Sa'id al-Khudri about wearing lower garment. He said: You have come to the man who knows it very well. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The way for a believer to wear a lower garment is to have it halfway down his legs and he is guilty of no sin if it comes halfway between that and the ankles, but what comes lower than the ankles is in Hell. On the day of Resurrection. Allah will not look at him who trails his lower garment conceitedly." (Sunan Abi Dawud 4093)
Scholarly Commentary
This hadith from Sunan Abi Dawud's "Kitab Al-Libas" establishes three distinct categories for the length of a Muslim's lower garment (izar). The preferred (mustahabb) length is to the mid-calf, which represents the moderate path in attire. The permissible (mubah) extends from mid-calf to above the ankles, wherein there is no sin. The forbidden (haram) category begins when the garment touches or drags below the ankles, known as isbal.
The severe warning applies specifically to those who practice isbal out of arrogance (kibr), as explicitly mentioned in the concluding portion. Classical scholars like Imam Nawawi clarify that dragging garments below ankles without arrogance remains reprehensible (makruh) but does not carry the same severe threat. The prohibition aims to combat pride and imitate divine attributes, as only Allah possesses true majesty.
Legal Rulings & Applications
The Hanafi school considers isbal without arrogance strongly disliked but not sinful. The Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools maintain its prohibition regardless of intention, though the punishment is severest with arrogant intent. This ruling applies specifically to men's clothing, as women have different modesty requirements that may necessitate longer garments.
Modern applications include ensuring trousers, thobes, or other lower garments do not touch the ground. The wisdom behind this prohibition includes maintaining cleanliness during prayer, preventing wastefulness in clothing, and cultivating humility before Allah - the essence of Islamic attire regulations.