Children’s apparel. Is it permissible to buy shorts for boys if they are not willing to wear clothes according to sunnah and if yes, up to what age?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.

If the boy is less than ten years old, there is no harm in buying and allowing him to wear shorts because young children below the age of 7 have no ‘Awrah (i.e. body parts that should be concealed as per the Sharee'ah). The ‘Awrah of boys at the age of seven up to the age of ten is their private parts.

However, it is better to encourage your children to wear decent and modest clothes so that they would not get used to wearing revealing clothes and so it does not become difficult for them to give them up later on. This is also necessary to guard them against the evil of those who are dominated by sinful desires.

As for the ten-year-old boy, his ‘Awrah is from the navel to the knees; it is impermissible for you to buy him shorts revealing his ‘Awrah. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 84742.

Allaah Knows best.