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Is it Islamically preferable, morally more complete, and more pleasing to Allah to accept used, expensive clothes gifted to you by a friend, or to refuse them with thanks, knowing that you are not in need of them? And does your inability to imagine yourself wearing them in front of the giver count as arrogance or self-respect, and is this praiseworthy or blameworthy in Islam?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The default ruling for accepting a gift is that it is recommended (mustahabb), and it is disliked to refuse it except for a valid reason. Such reasons include: if the giver expects something in return, or is not content with the usual reward [from God], or if the gift is given after persistent asking and insistence, or to sever an obligation (minnah). The ruling on accepting a gift varies according to the circumstances of the giver and the recipient. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to accept gifts, and if he had to refuse one due to an excuse, he would reassure the giver. Refusing a gift out of disdain or shyness is not considered arrogance (kibr); arrogance is defined as rejecting the truth and despising people.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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