WE ALSO LOVE TURBAN

By

Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

We love turban because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his companions used to wear it. Our Kings in the Northern Nigeria have adopted it to be their traditional regalia and we love it because it is more beautiful than crowns. One of the scholars said in a poem:

وجمعتَ حولك يا رسولُ صحابةً ** بعمائمٍَ أزهى من التيجان

And you gathered around you, O Messenger-ﷺ, companions with turbans more beautiful than crowns.

However, the ruling on it in the sharī'ah is like the ruling on wearing cap. Turban and cap are more of customs than Sunnah. There is no special reward for wearing them. It is just like loving to eat a particular food that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم loved to it. One will not be rewarded for it except there is an evidence from the Qur'ān or Sunnah to that effect.

The case of turban and cap is different from wearing the trousers above the ankle (or nisfu saq) or leaving the beards to grow because there are evidence on their obligation upon a male Muslim adult. A person will not be a sinner for not wearing turban or cap, even though some scholars opine that it is good to wear cap or turban while performing salat because it is part of adorning oneself in the Masjid (Q7:31) and the Prophet , صلى الله عليه وسلم used not to leave his head open during salat. But a person will be a sinner if he allows his trousers to draw beyond his ankle or fails to keep his beards without any tangible excuse.

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: ما أسفل من الكعبين من الإزار ففي النار

Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whatever is below the ankles of the lower garment will be in the Fire. [Sahih Bukhari]

Regarding the beards, in a hadith reported by Ibn 'Umar رضي الله عنه , the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

قصوا الشوارب وأعفوا اللحى خالفوا المشركين 

Cut the mustaches and grow beards, differ from the polytheists [Bukhari and Muslim]

While commenting on several hadiths on the obligation on men to keep their beards, Sheikh Bin Bāz said:

فهذه الأحاديث الصحيحة كلها تدل على وجوب إعفاء اللحى وتوفيرها وإرخائها وعدم قصها أو حلقها، ولو طالت، الواجب علينا السمع والطاعة لنبينا عليه الصلاة والسلام، يقول الله : قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ مَا حُمِّلَ وَعَلَيْكُمْ مَا حُمِّلْتُمْ وَإِنْ تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا وَمَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلاغُ الْمُبِينُ [النور:54]

All of these authentic hadiths indicate the necessity of letting the beards grow long, long, and let them grow, and not cutting them or shaving them, even if they are long. What is obligatory for us is to listen and obey our Prophet (Allāh's peace and blessings be upon him). Allāh says: Say, Obey Allah and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away - then upon him is only that [duty] with which he has been charged, and upon you is that with which you have been charged. And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided. And there is not upon the Messenger except the [responsibility for] clear notification.[Suratun Nur: 54] (Source: Binbaz.com]

The ruling on nisfu saq and beards for men are like that of the female khimār (or niqāb) too. It is wājib (mandatory) for a Muslimah to wear her full khimār whenever she is going out of the house or in the presence of strange men who are not allowed to see her awrah (nakedness) or zeenah (adornment). [See Tafseer of Q24:31 and Q33:59]

Unfortunately, I have seen some misleading comments in one quarter wanting to liken Baba Lagbeni's comment on "lawani" (turban) with Mudir's erroneous comment on hijāb. Baba Lagbeni's comment on "lawani" (turban) that it is a customary symbol is correct because there is no evidence for it being a mark of the Deen. That is why even the Kuffār are seen wearing it. There are a number of Christian Kings in northern Nigeria who still wear turbans till today. Sheikh Abdulazeez Bin Bāz رحمه الله was asked a question in relation to this and he said:

لا بأس بها، العمامة من الأمور العادية من لبسها فلا بأس ومن تركها فلا بأس؛ لأنها أمور عادية من عادة العرب. نعم.

There is nothing wrong with it. The turban is a matter of custom. Whoever wears it, then there is no issue, and whoever leaves it, there is no problem because they are matters custom well known to the Arabs. Yes. [Source: binbaz.org]

On the other hand, Mudir was wrong to have said that hijāb (niqāb) is mere custom because there are many proofs in the Qur'ān and Sunnah to show that both khimār and niqāb are part of the Deen. If a woman wears it, she is rewarded and if she fails to wear it when going out of the house or in the presence of a non mahram, she is sinning. 

It must be noted that some scholars hold that niqāb is wājib (mandatory), while some said it is not.