Question Summary:
Is it Harām wearing pants below the ankles?

Question Detail:

Is it Harām wearing pants below the ankles?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
 
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
 
The prohibition of wearing pants below the ankles for a male is mentioned in various Ahādith. Hereunder are few narrations:
 
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ: قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، وَعَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، وَزَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، كُلُّهُمْ يُخْبِرُهُ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: لَا يَنْظُرُ اللهُ إِلَى مَنْ جَرَّ ثَوْبَهُ خُيَلَاءَ

Rasulullah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam said Allah will not look at that person who wears (beyond his ankles) his garment in arrogance. [1]
 
حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ المَقْبُرِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: مَا أَسْفَلَ مِنَ الكَعْبَيْنِ مِنَ الإِزَارِ فَفِي النَّارِ
 
Rasulullah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam said the area of the garment (which covers) beyond the ankles is in the fire.[2]
 
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَابْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالُوا: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُدْرِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ، عَنْ خَرَشَةَ بْنِ الْحُرِّ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَلَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ قَالَ: فَقَرَأَهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثَلَاثَ مِرَارًا، قَالَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ: خَابُوا وَخَسِرُوا، مَنْ هُمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ:الْمُسْبِلُ، وَالْمَنَّانُ، وَالْمُنَفِّقُ سِلْعَتَهُ بِالْحَلِفِ الْكَاذِبِ
Rasulullah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam said, “Three groups of people Allah will not talk to on the day of Judgement, nor will he look at them, nor will he purify them and for them is severe punishment”. Hadhrat Abu Zarr Radhiallāhu Anhu says, Rasulullah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam said this three times.
Hadhrat Abu Zarr Radhiallāhu Anhu said, May they be losers. Who are they O Prophet Sallallāu Alayhi Wasallam.
Rasulullah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam said the one who wears his pants below his ankles, the one who reminds others of his favours, and the one who sells his product by means of making false oaths.[3]
After observing the aforementioned Ahādith one can realize the importance of keeping the pants above the ankles and the severe punishment.
In this Hadith Prophet Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam mentioned about those who wear their pants below the ankles. Verily it is a grave sin. What can be worse than Allah not looking at the person and dooming him to a painful punishment?
Furthermore, it is narrated that Rasulullah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam said the area of the garment (which covers) beyond the ankles is in the fire. Nowadays, when you remind a person to raise or keep his pants above the ankles. He simply replies with “the Hadith ONLY mentions regards to those people who do it out of arrogance.
This is a commonly spread misconception which is dealt with in the following Hadith:

Rasulullah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam said be careful with regards to dragging your clothes (below the ankles), for verily it is from the acts of arrogance.[4]
In this Hadith Rasulullah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam explains to us that merely the act of covering the ankles itself is an act of arrogance. [5]
There are two issues of concern:
       i.            Pride and arrogance.
     ii.            Imitating the proud and arrogant.
Just as pride and arrogance is abhorred, to imitate the proud and arrogant is equally prohibited. It does not matter whether imitating the proud one is done unintentionally or subconsciously.
Rasulullah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam says:
وَإِيَّاكَ وَإِسْبَالَ الْإِزَارِ، فَإِنَّهَا مِنَ المَخِيلَةِ
Refrain from prolonging the garments below the ankles, for verily prolonging the garment below the ankles is from PRIDE.
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Zaid Mohammed Shelia,
Student Darul Iftaa
USA
 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net