Sunnah of Fringes on Garments

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا رسول الله

The famous mural on the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I depicts the four races of mankind from an Ancient Egyptian perspective. One of those races is the Levantine or Semite. He is depicted with longish black hair, a full beard, light brown skin tone and wearing a colorful lower garment that has fringes. The Mosaic Law mandated the Israelites attach fringes to the four corners of their garment, by which they may be recognized, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them” (Numbers 15:37-39), “Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself” (Deuteronomy 22:12)

The Messiah Jesus condemned the hypocritical Pharisees for their ostentation, saying, “But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments” (Matthew 23:5)

The Shari’ah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, has not continued the Mosaic ordinance of attaching fringes to one’s garment. However, the practice is certainly a Sunnah that may be followed out of love and emulation of the ancient Prophets of Israel but also the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who would wear an outer garment that was fringed:

عَنْ جَابِرٍ يَعْنِي ابْنَ سُلَيْمٍ قَالَ أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ مُحْتَبٍ بِشَمْلَةٍ وَقَدْ وَقَعَ هُدْبُهَا عَلَى قَدَمَيْهِ

Jabir said that he came to the Prophet, blessing of Allah and peace be upon him, he was sitting with his hands round his knees in a cloak with its fringe over his feet. (Sunan Abi Dawud: Kitab il-Libas, #4075)

Till the present, shawls that are commonly worn in the Muslim world tend to have fringes or tassels. This is a continuing tradition from ancient Semitic culture that was observed by the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Muslim males in particular should observe this custom as a means of distinguishing from surrounding non-Muslim populations and as an emulation of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.