Question Summary:
Can I stay naked when it is hot?

Question Detail:

I really like to be naked and I stay naked when no one is home. Most of the times no one is home as I live alone and when the light goes it gets extremely hard to wear clothes as these days it stays really hot. I live in a place where there are not many homes around me and my house is the only house on the street, so no one can even see me naked. Someone had told me that there is absolutely no problem in being naked when alone and clothes are optional. Please tell me if I can start to be naked. I haven’t started it yet.

Answer :

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
As Muslims an integral part of our make-up is shame and modesty. The beauty of our Deen is that it does not keep us in the dark about any sphere of our lives. Rather there is always divine guidance for us to turn to.
We believe Allah Ta’ālā is the all-seeing and aware of our conditions at all times. Allah Ta’ālā has assigned angels who are continuously present with us to record our deeds. If one is conscious of these facts it is difficult to remain in a shameful state. Could one ever bare being in the naked in front of parents or individuals who one respects? Definitely this is unthinkable, similarly if one is conscious of the presence of Allah Ta’ālā and the angels then one will always adopt a high level of shame even if one is in seclusion.
Nabi salallāhu ῾alayhi wasallam said,
الْإِيمَانُ بِضْعٌ وَسَبْعُونَ شُعْبَةً، وَالْحَيَاءُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ
“Faith is made of seventy odd branches and shame and modesty is a branch of faith.”[1]
Sahih Muslim vol.1 pg.63 #57
In another Hadith Nabi salallāhu ῾alayhi wasallam said,
الْحَيَاءُ لَا يَأْتِي إِلَّا بِخَيْرٍ
“Shame and modesty only reap good.”[2]
Sahih Muslim vol.1 pg.64 #60
إِنَّ الْحَيَاءَ وَالْإِيمَانَ قُرَنَاءُ جَمِيعًا فإِذا رفع أَحدهمَا رفع الآخر
“Verily faith and shame are intertwined when one is raised then the other is also raised.”[3]
Mishkaatul Masabih vol.3 pg.1410 #5093
Once in the time of Nabi salallāhu ῾alayhi wasallam there was a black woman who suffered from epilepsy. This woman requested the Prophet salallāhu ῾alayhi wasallam to make dua Allah Ta’ālā cure her and also save her from her body being revealed (naked) in public which was a consequence of her disease. Nabi salallāhu ῾alayhi wasallam had given her an option to either exercise patience through which she would attain Paradise or that he make dua for her cure. This woman in her fervor for the hereafter gave preference to exercising patience over her cure but despite this she still insisted that the Prophet salallāhu ῾alayhi wasallam make dua she be saved from body being revealed. Upon this request Nabi salallāhu ῾alayhi wasallam made dua she be saved from revealing herself in public. Through incidents like these we realize the significance Sahabah attached to shame and modesty in the time of Nabi salallāhu ῾alayhi wasallam.[4]
To remain in the state of nudity even when one is alone does not conform to the sense of shame inherent in our faith. If you wish to remain cool in the extreme heat then wear a loin cloth (lungi) which would cover your private parts and also keep you cool.
Death is imminent. What if you build this immoral habit to stay naked and death comes to you in that state. How would you expect to secure the mercy of Allah?
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mawlana Ali bin Cassim,
Student Darul Iftaa
Los Angeles, U.S.A
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.