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What is the ruling of Islamic Sharia on working as a fashion designer, and what are the aspects of what is permissible and what is forbidden in it?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The designing, sewing, and selling of clothes takes the same ruling as wearing them. What is permissible to wear is permissible to manufacture and sell, and what is not permissible to wear is not permissible to manufacture or trade. Clothes are divided into three categories:

1. Absolutely Permissible Clothes: These are clothes that are typically used in a permissible manner, such as common men's and children's clothing, and modest women's clothing worn among women or at home. There is no objection to designing or selling these. 2. Forbidden Clothes: These include men's clothing made of silk, or immodest women's clothing used for appearing in front of people, or when it is highly probable that it will be used in a forbidden way. It is not permissible to design or sell them because they involve aiding in what is forbidden. Anything used in a forbidden way, or when it is highly probable that it will be so used, is forbidden to manufacture and sell. 3. Clothes Used for Permissible or Forbidden Purposes: These are clothes that may be worn for a permissible purpose, such as for one's husband or in front of women and mahrams (unmarriageable kin), or may be worn for a forbidden purpose, such as in front of non-mahram men. The general rule is that manufacturing them is permissible because they have permissible uses, and the burden of sin falls on whoever uses them in a forbidden way.

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

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