Buying and selling the distinctive emblems of unbelievers

Question

Question: In our country, Burma, there is a mixed population of Hindus and Muslims. Among the Hindus a custom prevails: when any of their children reaches puberty, they shave his head, dye with turmeric a piece of cloth thirteen cubits long in the manner of the long loose robe of ascetics, and put it on that boy; after dressing him they give (him) to some sadhu (ascetic) of a temple. In the Burmese language this kind of cloth is called “phongi tanga” (the garment of a sadhu)

Answer

Buying and selling cloth is permissible for a Muslim in the Shari‘a; and then, once the unbelievers have bought and dyed it, let them use it however and for whatever they wish — the Muslim bears no responsibility for that.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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