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Fatwa CenterViolations that render the wedding dress impermissible
Question
Is wearing a wedding dress considered a religious innovation? Is it regarded a dress of fame? Please, advise me.
Answer
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.
Firstly, it is necessary to distinguish between a religious innovation and a sin. Religious innovation is defined as an invented way in the religion that is similar to the Sharee'ah-approved way, but contradicts it in reality. The purpose of such an invented way is to draw closer to Allaah Almighty. An act is labeled a religious innovation only if it is an innovated religious way invented to resemble a Sharee'ah-approved way and aims at bringing one closer to Allaah, the Exalted. As for sins and religious prohibitions, such as Zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), drinking alcohol, stealing, lying, and other major and minor sins, these are not considered religious innovations. This distinction needs to be underlined.
As for wearing a wedding dress, it is not a religious way that is invented for the purpose of bringing one closer to Allaah, the Exalted. Therefore, it cannot be considered an innovation in religion. However, the right question should be, "Is it permissible to wear a wedding dress?"
To answer your question, we say that clothes are lawful in principle, unless wearing them involves a prohibition. Wearing a wedding dress may include a few religious violations, some of which are the following:
• Imitating the enemies of Allaah for this is an alien custom to the Muslim community.
• The accompanying manifestations of impermissible wastefulness and extravagance.
• Usually wedding dresses are not modest nor do they cover the woman's body properly.
If the wedding dress is free of these religious violations, as well as other ones, and the bride will not wear it before non-Mahram (permanently unmarriageable) men, then it is permissible to wear it.
Allaah Knows best.
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