Riyad Us-Saliheen (Gardens of the Righteous)
Chapter 292
Prohibition for Men and Women apeing one another
1631. Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) cursed those men who ape women. He also cursed the hermaphrodite of men.
Another narration is: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) cursed men who copy women and cursed women who copy men.
[Al-Bukhari].
Commentary: Mukhannath (hermaphrodite) is a man who dresses himself like a woman and has an effeminate gait and carriage, while Mutarajjilah is a woman who dresses herself like a man and adopts a masculine style. What we learn from this Hadith is that men and women should stick to their natural qualities and characteristics and strictly avoid the imitation of the opposite sex in appearance as well as conduct. Those who violate their nature have been strongly cursed. Women who are influenced by western philosophies and thoughts and try to adopt all those professions which are special for men, fall in this category. Allah has not entrusted them with those responsibilities which are marked for men only. It is a pity that out of sheer imprudence and blind imitation of the West, Muslim women are now adopting the western lifestyle in all walks of life. Such blind imitation has led many astray and is bound to bring Allah's Wrath upon the transgressors.
1632. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) cursed a man who puts on the dress of women, and a woman who puts on the dress of men.
[Abu Dawud].
Commentary: We learn from this Hadith that men's wearing of such clothes, in design and colour, which are special for women such as silken clothes, etc., is forbidden in Islam. Similar is the case of women. They are also prohibited to dress themselves in clothes which are special to men, i.e., shirts, trousers, coat of masculine fashion, etc. This prohibition is very stern as such a manner of dress comes in the category of major sins and has been cursed by the Prophet (PBUH).
1633. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "There are two types of people who will be punished in Hell and whom I have not seen: men having whips like the tails of cows and they will be beating people with them, and, women who will be dressed but appear to be naked, inviting to evil; and they themselves will be inclined to it. Their heads will appear like the humps of the Bactrian camel inclined to one side. They will not enter Jannah and they will not smell its fragrance which is perceptible from such and such a distance.''
[Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith has the following three important points:
1. It has a warning for those who oppress people. Flogging in Hadd and Qisas does not come in the category of oppression because oppression in the real sense is perpetrated when whipping is done as a means of tyranny and cruelty.
2. It has a stern warning for those women who go about without wearing the Islamic-type veil and take to adornment to display their charms, which is the habit of immoral women. Such women also adorn their hair in different styles and lure men with their coquetry and amorous playfulness. They are shameless and also make others likewise, shameless.
This Hadith is one of the signs of the Prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH), the last of the Prophets of Allah, because the evils which he had prophesied in this Hadith have been fulfilled. Muslim women have adopted all these evils and shameless fashions without any fear of punishment in the Hereafter. May Allah relieve us from these evils.