The Prohibition on Imitating the Opposite Sex

Everyone has an inherent nature of gender, whether male or female. In Islam, a person is not allowed to imitate the clothing or appearance of the opposite sex. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, ‘Allah curses women who resemble men, and men who resemble women.’ In another hadith, it is stated, ‘Allah curses women who wear men’s clothing and men who wear women’s clothing.’ The prohibition is not only about clothing but also about walking and speaking. Fundamentally, every human is created in a perfect form. Allah the Exalted said, meaning, ‘Verily, We have created man in the best of form’ (Qur’an, At-Tin 95:4). The meaning is that the way humans are created is the best form in Allah’s sight. If the Creator says so, it would be improper for us to claim that our existence is imperfect or worthy of alteration. Allah the Exalted also created men and women as complementary partners; they differ in physical, psychological and intellectual aspects so that they can complement one another. Remember His words in Surah al-Hujurat, verse 13: ‘O mankind, indeed We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.’ Thus the creation of male and female is a fitrah that cannot be changed. As for changing Allah’s creation, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade it firmly. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, ‘Allah curses women who tattoo themselves, seek to be tattooed, pluck their eyebrows and alter the teeth’s arrangement to beautify themselves, for they have changed Allah’s creation’ (Hadith from Bukhari and Muslim). Regarding men who appear or behave like women, and vice versa, scholars unanimously agree that the act is haram. Imam al-Dhahabi, in his book Al-Kaba’ir, classifies this matter as one of the major sins. The punishment is severe and will bring down the curses of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as explained in the hadith above.