Is it permissible to wear clothes bearing names of European football celebrities on the back, given that some of them are disbelievers? Is it permissible for a Muslim to wear clothes bearing a cross on the front, given that the cross is somewhat unnoticeable?

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.

It is impermissible for a Muslim to wear clothes bearing any images of animate beings due to the generality of evidence indicating the prohibition of producing images in Islam. Such a prohibition is further emphasized if these are images of unveiled women, disbelievers, glorified figures, or dissolute people who should not be glorified.

Wearing clothes that have such images is forbidden as it implies having one's heart emotionally attached and inclined to such figures and it undermines the belief of al-wala' wa al-bara' (i.e. alliance and enmity for the sake of Allaah). It also involves glorifying and revering what Allaah, the Exalted, has dishonored.

As for wearing clothes that have a cross on them, the prohibition of wearing them is even more emphasized and the consequent sin is graver because the cross is the symbol of disbelief and the symbol of the disbeliever's false claim that ‘Eesa (Jesus) was crucified on a cross.

How can it be permissible for a believing Muslim, who believes in the Oneness of Allaah, the Exalted, to wear clothing bearing the symbol of disbelief and approve of their claims about the killing of ‘Eesa although Allaah, the Exalted, has negated and invalidated such a claim! Allaah, the Exalted, says (what means): {And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them.} [Quran 4:157]

Moreover, scholars have stated—such as in the Fatwa of the Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fataawa—that if a Muslim wears a cross and is informed of the ruling on that act and that it is the symbol of the Christians and an indication of the person's tacit consent on their corrupt beliefs and claims and he insists on wearing it, then he is to be judged a disbeliever.

Allaah Knows best.