What is the ruling on trailing of garments, and are pants included in it? Also, is it true that the majority of scholars allow it, or dislike it, if done without arrogance? ما حكم الإسبال؟ وهل يدخل في البنطال؟

Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions.   As to what follows:   In response to your question, we say, and with Allah Almighty lies all success:   Isbal in its linguistic meaning is to send something down from above. Its meaning here [in religious context] is to lengthen the garment and let it trail. It has been mentioned in the texts in two ways:   Firstly: That which has been mentioned about the prohibition of trailing one’s garment out of arrogance and conceit. It has been mentioned in the hadith of Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “He who trailed his garment out of pride, Allah would not look toward him on the Day of Resurrection.” [Bukhari (5784) and Muslim (2085)]   Likewise, it has been narrated by Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “While a man was walking, dragging his dress with pride, he was caused to be swallowed by the earth and will go on sinking in it till the Day of Resurrection.” [Bukhari (3485) and others]   Also, in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not look at him who trails his lower garment out of pride.” [Bukhari (5788) and Muslim (2087)]   Secondly: That which has been mentioned about the general prohibition of trailing one’s garment, whether or not it is done out of  arrogance and conceit. It is in mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “What is below the ankles of a lower garment is condemned to the Hellfire.” [Bukhari (5787)]   Also, from the hadith of Abiu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “There are three to whom of Allah will not speak on the Day of Resurrection or look at them or purify them, and theirs will be a painful torment: the one who reminds people of what he has given them, the one who lets his garment hang beneath his ankles, and a vendor who tries to sell his product by means of false oaths.” [Muslim (106)]   So when the texts have come on these two different fronts, the scholars differed on the ruling of trailing one’s garment without pride. So the majority of Maliki[1], Shafi`i[2], Hanbali[3] and other scholars, are of the view that what is prohibited in the trailing of one’s garment is what is done out of arrogance and conceit.  As for what is done for other than that, then some view it as disliked, while others view it as permissible. They considered what was narrated of the prohibition of trailing one’s garment as general and conditional. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said, “Because most of the hadiths are with the condition of conceit, the general is interpreted by it. Anything other than that remains permissible. As for the hadiths of prohibition, they are based on the overriding and certainty.” [Sharh al-`Umdah (p. 366)]   These scholars used as evidence the statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), when he said, “O Messenger of Allah, one side of my izar (lower garment) slips unless I pay attention to it.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “You are not one of those who do that out of pride.” It was also related that Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to trail his loin cloth, and when he was reprimanded for that, he said, “My legs are thin and I lead the people [in prayer].” It was narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah, and Hafidh Ibn Hajar said about it, “With a good chain of narrators.” [Fath al-Bari (10/264)]   Another group of scholars are of the opinion that trailing of garments is an absolute prohibition, whether done out of pride or without pride; in accordance with the general and conditional texts.   What is apparent to me is that the opinion of the majority is closer to the truth. As for what has been mentioned in the texts, it is not confined to a loin cloth, rather it includes everything a person wears of clothing. The evidence for this is that Shu`bah asked Muharib bin Dathar, the narrator of Ibn `Umar’s hadith, “Whoever drags his clothes out of pride and arrogance, Allah will not look at him on the Day of Resurrection,” he asked him, “Did he mention his loin cloth?” Muharib replied, “He did not specify a loin cloth or a robe.” [Bukhari (5791)]   So we learn from this that speaking of garments includes a loin cloth and other than it. Many hadiths have come in connection to this. Among them is what was related by the Sunan of Abu Dawaud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah, from the hadith of Ibn `Umar, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Isbal may apply to the izar, the qamis and the turban. Whoever drags any one of these out of vanity, Allah will not look at him on the Day of Resurrection.” It is from the narration of `Abdul-`Aziz bin Abi Rawad, from Salim, from his father. And there is some discussion regarding `Abdul-Aziz, as Hafidh Ibn Hajar said, “Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah has classified him as gharib (strange).” [Fath al-Bari (10/262)] Also, Nawawi has classified the hadith as hasan (good).   Furthermore, Abu Dawud narrated from Ibn `Umar, but mawquf [not reaching the Prophet (peace be upon him)], that the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke of the loin cloth. So it also includes the robe. Also, Hafidh Ibn Hajar has recorded from Tabari that the mention of loin cloth is based upon the fact that it was their most common piece of clothing. So when people started wearing robes and shawls, the ruling regarding them was the same ruling regarding the loin cloth in prohibition. Ibn Battal said, “This derivative is correct. Although the text did not mention a robe, it is included in all of it.” In al-Furu`, there is mention of the lengthening of the tails of turbans, “Our Shaykh [i.e. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah] said, ‘Lengthening it a lot is considered isbal (trailing).’” So according to this, the trailing of pants [letting them below the ankles] is included in that.   And Allah knows best.   [1]Al-Muntaqa, by Al-Baji (7/226); Al-Fawakih Al-Dawani (2/310). [2]Asna Al-Matalib (1/278); Al-Majmu’ Sharh’ Al-Muhaththab (4/338). [3]Kashaf Al-Qana’ (1/277); Matalib Uli-Nuha (1/348).