Is it arrogant to want to look good or wear nice clothes?

The short answer

No. When a man asked whether loving fine clothes and shoes was pride, the Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah is Graceful and He loves Grace", and defined pride as "disdaining the truth" and "contempt for the people". Looking good is fine; looking down on others, or showing off to feel superior, is the problem.

Evidence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Explanation

The Prophet ﷺ warned that whoever has even a mustard seed's weight of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise. A man immediately asked about something many of us wonder: "a person loves that his dress should be fine, and his shoes should be fine." The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Verily, Allah is Graceful and He loves Grace. Pride is disdaining the truth (out of self-conceit) and contempt for the people" 1.

Another man, who was handsome and liked beauty so much that he did not want anyone to outdo him even in his sandal strap, asked if that was pride. The answer was again no: "pride is disdaining what is true and despising people" 2.

The Quran agrees: "Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants?" 3, and tells us to "take your adornment at every masjid", and to eat and drink without being excessive 4. The Prophet ﷺ even said that "Allah loves to see the results of his favors upon His Slaves" 5.

Where it becomes a problem. Clothing becomes sinful when it carries pride. "Allah will not look, on the Day of Resurrection, at a person who drags his Izar (behind him) out of pride and arrogance" 6. When Abu Bakr (RA) said his lower garment slipped down unless he held it, the Prophet ﷺ told him, "You are not one of those who do that out of conceit" 7. Many scholars take this to show that the intention in the heart makes the difference, though others disagree (see the note below).

A quick heart check. Do I dress well to be neat, grateful and dignified, or to make others feel small? Do I treat people differently based on what they wear? Remember, "Allah does not look at your forms or your wealth, rather He looks at your deeds and your hearts" 8.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 91
    Sahih Muslim

    Loving fine clothes is not pride; Allah is beautiful and loves beauty; pride is rejecting truth and despising people.

    It Is narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. Mas'ud that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), observed:He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise. A person (amongst his hearers) said: Verily a person loves that his dress should be fine, and his shoes should be fine. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Verily, Allah is Graceful and He loves Grace. Pride is disdaining the truth (out of self-conceit) and contempt for the people

    العربية

    وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ دِينَارٍ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ حَمَّادٍ، - قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، - أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبَانَ بْنِ تَغْلِبَ، عَنْ فُضَيْلٍ الْفُقَيْمِيِّ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ النَّخَعِيِّ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ كِبْرٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ رَجُلٌ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثَوْبُهُ حَسَنًا وَنَعْلُهُ حَسَنَةً ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَمِيلٌ يُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْطُ النَّاسِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  2. 2
    Hadith Sunan Abi Dawud 4092
    Sahih Isnaad graded by Al-Albani

    A man who loved beauty was told that this is not pride; pride is disdaining truth and despising people.

    Narrated AbuHurayrah: A man who was beautiful came to the Prophet (ﷺ). He said: Messenger of Allah, I am a man who likes beauty, and I have been given some of it, as you see. And I do not like that anyone excels me (in respect of beauty). Perhaps he said: "even to the extent of thong of my sandal (shirak na'li)", or he he said: "to the extent of strap of my sandal (shis'i na'li)". Is it pride? He replied: No, pride is disdaining what is true and despising people

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُوسَى، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم - وَكَانَ رَجُلاً جَمِيلاً - فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي رَجُلٌ حُبِّبَ إِلَىَّ الْجَمَالُ وَأُعْطِيتُ مِنْهُ مَا تَرَى حَتَّى مَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ يَفُوقَنِي أَحَدٌ - إِمَّا قَالَ بِشِرَاكِ نَعْلِي ‏.‏ وَإِمَّا قَالَ بِشِسْعِ نَعْلِي - أَفَمِنَ الْكِبْرِ ذَلِكَ قَالَ ‏ "‏ لاَ وَلَكِنَّ الْكِبْرَ مَنْ بَطَرَ الْحَقَّ وَغَمَطَ النَّاسَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  3. 3
    Quran Al-A'raaf · 7:32

    Who has forbidden the adornment Allah produced for His servants?

    قُلۡ مَنۡ حَرَّمَ زِينَةَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَخۡرَجَ لِعِبَادِهِۦ وَٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلرِّزۡقِۚ قُلۡ هِيَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا خَالِصَةࣰ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۗ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لِقَوۡمࣲ يَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٣٢

    Say, "Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?" Say, "They are for those who believe during the worldly life [but] exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection." Thus do We detail the verses for a people who know

  4. 4
    Quran Al-A'raaf · 7:31

    Take your adornment at every masjid, but do not be excessive.

    ۞يَٰبَنِيٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُواْ زِينَتَكُمۡ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسۡجِدࣲ وَكُلُواْ وَٱشۡرَبُواْ وَلَا تُسۡرِفُوٓاْۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ ۝٣١

    O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess

  5. 5
    Hadith Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2819
    Hasan Sahih graded by Al-Albani

    Allah loves to see the results of His favours on His servants.

    Narrated 'Amr bin Shu'aib:from his father, from his grandfather who said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Indeed Allah loves to see the results of his favors upon His Slaves

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الزَّعْفَرَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبَّ أَنْ يُرَى أَثَرُ نِعْمَتِهِ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَعِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ وَابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ ‏.‏

  6. 6
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 5788
    Sahih Bukhari

    Allah will not look at one who drags his lower garment out of pride and arrogance.

    Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), "Allah will not look, on the Day of Resurrection, at a person who drags his Izar (behind him) out of pride and arrogance

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لاَ يَنْظُرُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِلَى مَنْ جَرَّ إِزَارَهُ بَطَرًا ‏"‏‏.‏

  7. 7
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 5784
    Sahih Bukhari

    Abu Bakr's garment slipped without pride, so the warning did not apply to him.

    Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:The Prophet (ﷺ) said Allah will not look, on the Day of Resurrection at the person who drags his garment (behind him) out of conceit. On that Abu Bakr said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! One side of my Izar hangs low if I do not take care of it." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'You are not one of those who do that out of conceit

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ مَنْ جَرَّ ثَوْبَهُ خُيَلاَءَ لَمْ يَنْظُرِ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَحَدَ شِقَّىْ إِزَارِي يَسْتَرْخِي، إِلاَّ أَنْ أَتَعَاهَدَ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ لَسْتَ مِمَّنْ يَصْنَعُهُ خُيَلاَءَ ‏"‏‏.‏

  8. 8
    Hadith Sunan Ibn Majah 4143
    Sahih graded by Al-Albani

    Allah looks at your deeds and hearts, not your forms or wealth.

    It was narrated that Abu Hurairah, who attributed it to the Prophet (ﷺ), said:“Allah does not look at your forms or your wealth, rather He looks at your deeds and your hearts.”

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ، حَدَّثَنَا كَثِيرُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ بُرْقَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ الأَصَمِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، رَفَعَهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ إِنَّمَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى أَعْمَالِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24

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