his people in his finery.” They explained this as meaning crimson garments. Thus, it is authentically reported that ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr said:

“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw me wearing two garments dyed with safflower and said, ‘These are garments of the disbelievers, so do not wear them.’ I asked, ‘Shall I wash them?’ He replied, ‘Burn them.’”

For this reason, the scholars disapproved of deeply saturated red, just as a prohibition has been reported concerning red saddle cushions. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb said, “Leave these bright garments to women.” Reports concerning this and similar matters are numerous.

Allah, Exalted is He, said:

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity,”

through to His words:

“And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, so that you may succeed.”

In an authentic hadith, Jarīr ibn ‘Abdullāh reported:

“I asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about an accidental glance. He said, ‘Avert your gaze.’”

In the Sunan collections, it is reported that he said to ‘Alī:

“O ‘Alī, do not follow one glance with another. The first is allowed you, but the second is not.”

Allah, Exalted is He, also said:

“And do not gaze longingly at what We have given some groups of them to enjoy—the splendour of worldly life—by which We test them. Your Lord’s provision is better and more lasting.”

And He said:

“Do not gaze longingly at what We have given some groups of them to enjoy, nor grieve over them, and lower your wing to the believers.”

And He said:

“Beautified for people is the love of desired things—women,”

through to His words:

“Say, ‘Shall I inform you of something better than that? For those mindful of Allah, there are gardens with their Lord beneath which rivers flow.’”

Allah, Exalted is He, has also said—despite condemning certain aspects of