Is it permissible for a man on hajj or 'umrah to wear a sutrah (an undergarment with an elastic running under its hem) under his izar (wraparound)? Since we manufacture and supply stores with them, your opinion will determine whether we continue our business.

It is impermissible for a man in ihram to wear sewn garments. The legal premise for this impermissibility is the hadith narrated by Ibn 'Umar (may God be pleased with them both) in which he narrated that a man asked the Prophet, "O Messenger of God! What kind of clothes should a man in ihram wear?" The Prophet replied, "He is not to wear shirts, trousers, hooded cloaks or khuff unless he cannot find slippers, in which case he may wear anything that leaves his heels uncovered" [Recorded by Bukhari and Muslim].

From this and other hadiths, scholars deduced the impermissibility of wearing sewn garments which encircle body parts such as those mentioned in the above hadith. There is no harm in wearing other items such as watches, eyeglasses, and the rida` (mantle) or izar that are wrapped around the body but do not accentuate the contours of the body parts they cover.

The ruling

It is permissible for a man in ihram for either hajj or 'umrah to wear a sutrah as described above. It is likewise permissible to manufacture and sell them.