The Ruling on Wearing Yellow Clothing

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question: Is it prohibited for men to wear yellow clothing in the Hanafi school?

Answer: In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate

It is permitted for men to wear yellow clothing. [Haskafi, al-Durr al-Mukhtar; Ibn `Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar; Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Durar] Many Hanafi works mention, however, that is it improper for men to wear yellow, sulphur, or saffron red clothing.

This dislikedness mentioned in classical texts for these colors returns to religious or cultural connotations they had–of imitation of other religions’ distinctive religious dress, or of colors considered effeminate for men to wear. Shaykh Ashraf Muneeb–a Hanafi faqih based in Jordan–confirmed this understanding, mentioning that such colors had such clear connotations in previous times.

There would, thus, be dislikedness in wearing such colors for men if and when they entail imitation of distinctly feminine appearance, or when they are from the distinguishing signs of other faiths’ religious dress.

And Allah alone gives success.

wassalam, Faraz Rabbani
with research from Ustadh Tabraze Azam