There is no specific clothing for scholars in Islam. Rather, there are reports that state the prohibition of wearing the clothing of fame, which refers to clothing that distinguishes a person from other people without necessity or important interest; as it has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah that he said: «مَنْ لَبِسَ ثَوْبَ شُهْرَةٍ فِي الدُّنْيَا أَلْبَسَهُ اللَّهُ ثَوْبَ مَذَلَّةٍ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ»[1]; “Whoever wears a garment of fame in the world, Allah will clothe him in a garment of humiliation on the Day of Judgment,” and from the Ahl al-Bayt that they said: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى يُبْغِضُ شُهْرَةَ اللِّبَاسِ»[2]; “Indeed, Allah the Most Blessed, the Most High hates the fame of clothing.” Undoubtedly, what has become widespread among scholars is a type of clothing of fame; as one of our companions informed us, he said:

«كُنَّا مَعَ الْمَنْصُورِ فِي مَسْجِدٍ فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا وَقَالَ: لَا تَلْبِسُوا لِبَاسَ الشُّهْرَةِ فَيَأْخُذُكُمُ الْخُيَلَاءُ فَيُحْبِطُ أَعْمَالَكُمْ، فَمَا لَبِثَ أَنْ دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ عَلَيْهِ لِبَاسُ رِجَالِ الدِّينِ، فَقَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ: هَذَا مِنْ لِبَاسِ الشُّهْرَةِ»; “We were with Mansoor in a mosque. Then he turned toward us and said: ‘Do not wear the clothing of fame or arrogance will overtake you, then it will cause your deeds to come to nothing.’ Shortly after, a man entered wearing the clothing of clergymen. Then Mansoor said: ‘This is from the clothing of fame.’”

This is because it distinguishes scholars from other people without necessity or important interest. The evidence that there is no necessity or important interest in it is that the Messenger of Allah and his Ahl al-Bayt did not wear it, even though they were the best of scholars and could have worn what distinguishes them from other people, and they would not abandon any action that had a necessity or important interest. The similarity between them and other people in appearance was so indistinguishable that a stranger entered a group with the Messenger of Allah among them, but he did not recognize him until he asked: «أَيُّكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ؟»; “Which one of you is the Messenger of Allah?” Then they pointed him out[3]. Ali ibn Abi Talib entered the market and the mosque and was not known until an ignorant person mistreated him[4]. Ali ibn al-Husain would travel only with a group who would not recognize him, and he would stipulate that he be from the service staff and tend to their needs. He traveled once with a people. However, a man saw and recognized him; then he said to them: “Do you know who this is?!” They said: “No.” He said: “This is Ali ibn al-Husain !” Then they jumped up and kissed his hand and foot and said: «يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ! أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تُصْلِيَنَا نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ؟! لَوْ بَدَرَتْ مِنَّا إِلَيْكَ يَدٌ أَوْ لِسَانٌ أَمَا كُنَّا قَدْ هَلَكْنَا آخِرَ الدَّهْرِ؟! فَمَا الَّذِي يَحْمِلُكَ عَلَى هَذَا؟!»; “O son of the Messenger of Allah! Did you want us to burn in the fire of Hell?! If we had hurt you by our hands or tongues, would we not have perished forever?! What made you do this?!” He said: «إِنِّي كُنْتُ قَدْ سَافَرْتُ مَرَّةً مَعَ قَوْمٍ يَعْرِفُونَنِي، فَأَعْطَوْنِي بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا لَا أَسْتَحِقُّ بِهِ، فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ تُعْطُونِي مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، فَصَارَ كِتْمَانُ أَمْرِي أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ»; “I had once traveled with a people who knew me. Due to the respect for the Messenger of Allah they treated me the way I did not deserve to be treated. I am worried about being treated as before, so I preferred to hide my identity.”[5]

From here, it becomes clear that the adoption of a specific type of clothing by scholars is abandoning the Sunnah, and it can be even said that it is an innovation, in addition to being a form of fame that religion forbids. It is said that Judge Abu Yusuf (d. 182 AH) was the first to change the clothing of scholars to the form that they wear currently. Before that, people’s clothing was the same, and no one was distinguished from anyone else by their clothing, as mentioned by ibn Khallikan in Wafayat al-A‘yan[6]. Therefore, whoever is concerned with abandoning innovation and following the Sunnah of scholars should not wear this type of clothing, especially in countries that are ruled by those who wear it from among the people of misguidance; because it represents the clothing of oppressors in such countries, and it is not permissible to resemble them in their clothing. Also, Mansoor believes that this type of clothing is a trail for people, in addition to what has been stated; as one of our companions informed us, he said:

«كَانَ الْمَنْصُورُ يَلْبِسُ أَكْثَرَ مَا يَلْبِسُ قَمِيصًا أَبْيَضَ وَقَلَنْسُوَةً سَوْدَاءَ أَوْ بَيْضَاءَ، وَلَا يَلْبِسُ لِبَاسَ رِجَالِ الدِّينِ، فَخَرَجْتُ يَوْمًا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَمَعِيَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا، فَوَجَدْتُهُ سَاخِطًا، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: مَا لَكَ؟! فَقَالَ: هَذَا سَيِّدُ الْعُلَمَاءِ وَرَئِيسُ الْمُجْتَهِدِينَ، وَلَا يَلْبِسُ لِبَاسَهُمْ! قُلْتُ: وَيْحَكَ، إِنَّهُ لَا يُقَلِّدُهُمْ، وَمِنْ خُشُوعِهِ لَا يَلْبِسُهُ وَتَوَاضُعِهِ! قَالَ: لَا وَاللَّهِ، لَا يُحْسِنُ وَلَا يُجْمِلُ! قُلْتُ: وَجْهِي مِنْ وَجْهِكَ حَرَامٌ حَتَّى أُخْبِرَهُ بِمَا قُلْتَ! فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى الْمَنْصُورِ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِقَوْلِهِ، فَقَالَ: أَخْبِرْهُ بِأَنَّهُ فِتْنَةٌ لِلنَّاسِ، ﴿وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَى ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ ۚ ذَلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ﴾[7]»; “Mansoor would mostly wear a white shirt and a black or white skull cap and would not wear the clothing of clergymen. One day, I left his presence while accompanied by a man from our companions. Then I found him angry. I said to him: ‘What is the matter with you?!’ He said: ‘This is the master of scholars and the chief of jurists, and he does not wear their clothing!’ I said: ‘Woe to you! He does not copy them, and it is out of his submissiveness (to Allah) and his humbleness that he does not wear it!’ He said: ‘No, by Allah, he is not doing what is good and beautiful!’ I said: ‘My meeting with you is forbidden until I inform him of what you said!’ Then I returned to Mansoor and informed him of his words. So he said: Tell him that it is a trial for people, ‘and the clothing of piety, that is the best. It is one of the signs of Allah. Perhaps they will take heed.’”

It appears that his intended meaning of “a trial for people” is that they are deceived by this type of clothing since the truth is not clear, as hypocrites, the misguided, and the ignorant from among those who claim to be scholars wear it, and there are great evil consequences in this. The truth is that the prevalence of this type of clothing among Muslim scholars is a sign of the prevalence of innovation and artificiality over them, and this is indeed a greater calamity!