Can Muslim women wear high heels?
In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.
Answer
The Qur’an and Sunnah have provided ample guidance on the subject of clothing, which can be summarized into four parts:
- Our clothing must cover our body adequately, which means those parts, which are cover worthy. Thus for a man it is from his belly button to his knees and for a woman it is her entire body except for her hands and face. These parts must never be exposed to any other person (except in genuine circumstances like in front of a doctor for medical treatment) In addition the clothes must not be see through.
- Our clothing/ dress should establish our Muslim identity.
- For men the garment they wear should not be below their ankles.
- Finally for men silk clothing is also not permissible. (Kitabul Fatawa p.95 v.6)
Furthermore, women’s clothing should not attract men’s attention to them.
Your question can be looked at in two ways. There are some heels which do not make that much noise when walking. Such heels will be permissible for women to wear. Then there are other “high heels” which attract unwanted attention with the noise they make and the way they make the hips sway.
Allah (SWA) in the Holy Qur’an has said,
“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance…” (Surah Ahzaab v.33)
Also they give a false illusion of height and in a way is a form of deception. The Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam has said; “Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us and whoever cheats us is not one of us.” (Sahih Muslim p.70 v.1)
Only Allah Knows Best
Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
