Question:
What is the ruling on the woman who acts like a man in character or behavior and the man who acts like a woman?
Answer:
Islam absolutely forbids a man to imitate women in action, dress or behavior, and similarly prohibits women from imitating men in their way of talking, dress and behaviour. Ibn `Abbas (r) narrated that the Prophet (s) said, “Allah swt cursed al-mukhannatheena min al-rijal wal-mustarjilat min an-nisa'” – the men who imitate women and the women who imitate men.” And it is said that the Prophet (s) cursed the men who imitate women and women who imitate men, according to the hadith of Abu Hurairah (r), when he said, “Allah cursed the men who dressed in the clothes of women and women who dressed as men,” something which unfortunately has become commonplace today.
Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani
