Assalaam Aleikum. Why is wearing silk clothes permitted for women and forbidden for men? Thank you.

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 is His slave and Messenger.

The first thing that should be said about the wisdom of legislating such rulings is that Allaah is The One Who decreed them. Allaah forbade silk for men and permitted it for women; therefore, a Muslim should be pleased with such rulings and submit himself to it. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 91109. However, it is permissible for one to try and find out the wisdom behind such rulings so that he would be more comforted and pleased.

Among the wisdoms behind prohibiting silk for men, which the scholars stated, is that it makes men resemble women, and this may cause them to become feminine and womanish, whereas they (men) should be virile and manly. In addition to this, allowing men to wear silk may lead them to become proud and arrogant, because imitating the opposite sex in appearance may lead them to imitating them inwardly as well.

As regards permitting silk for women, then it is because a woman needs to be charming and beautiful, and Allaah described women Saying (what means): {(Do they then like for Allaah) a creature who is brought up in adornments (wearing silk and gold ornaments, i.e. women), and in dispute cannot make herself clear?}[Quran 43:18].