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Fatwa CenterThe ruling on wearing white socks
Question
Assalamu Alaikum, Is wearing white socks makruh or against sunnah?
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.
Wearing white socks is permissible. It is neither disliked, nor forbidden, nor against the Sunnah.
In principle, all types of clothing are permitted, and it is not ruled that a certain kind of dress is disliked or forbidden unless there is sharee'ah evidence proving this, even if the dress is valuable.
Al-Qaraafi 
said in Al-Furooq: “The basic principle concerning adornment is permissibility as Allaah says (what means): {Say, “Who has forbidden the adornment of Allaah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?...” } [Quran 7:32]
When some of his contemporaries criticized him for wearing expensive clothes, Imaam Maalik chanted:
Wear nice clothes as much as you can …….as this is the adornment of men, and it is by this that they are honored and glorified;
No need to be modest in dress so as to look austere...as Allaah knows what you hide and what you reveal;
Shabby dress does not increase you in honor in the Sight of Allaah….. while you are a wicked slave;
New clothes do not harm.......as long as you fear Allaah and refrain from committing what is forbidden.” [End of quote]
Shaykh As-Sa`di said in his book entitled Irshaad Uli Al-Basaa'ir wal-Albaab:
“In principle, all kinds of clothing and dress are permitted: Allaah says (what means): {Say, "Who has forbidden the adornment of Allaah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?"... } [Quran 7:32] So, Allaah disapproves of those who forbid such types of dress and types of food and drinks which Allaah created for His slaves as a blessing and a mercy from Him . This is evidence that clothes are permissible in principle unless there is evidence from Sharee'ah which proves otherwise. This principle also entails the permissibility of all types of dress, regardless of its kind or the material which it is made of. According to Sharee'ah, nothing thereof is forbidden except some specific things due to their harm and for the sake of preserving the faith and livelihood of people.” [End of quote]
With regard to wearing white socks, it could be desirable and included in the Hadeeth: "Wear white clothes, as they are the best of your clothes.” [Muslim] Another report reads: “…they [white clothes] are the purest and the best.” [Ahmad, Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa’i and Ibn Maajah] It means that the least dirt appears on them so it [dirt] is removed. According to linguists, the word 'clothes' refers to any item that is worn and covers part of the body, and thus socks are included in the definition of clothes and are included in the meaning of the Hadeeth as well.
Allaah Knows best.
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