Women’s clothing and covering of the body (satr)

Question

(1) Is it permissible in the Shari‘a for women to wear a sari (a woman’s garment of a long draped cloth)? (2) Is it permissible in the Shari‘a for a woman to wear loose trousers made of white thick cotton cloth? (3) Is it permissible for a woman to wear high-heeled sandals, as is customary nowadays? (4) Are ladies’ boots with high upright heels, such as European women wear, permissible for women? (5) Is it permissible for women to put a comb in their hair or apply starch and the like?

Answer

(1–4) Clothing that is specific to kafirs, or to fasiqs, or to men is impermissible for women to wear; clothing that is shared is permissible to wear; however, wearing the clothing of the righteous (salihin) that is specific to women is commendable (mustahsan). This answers all of these points. (5)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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