God, in His infinite wisdom, has endowed humankind with an innate aesthetic sense and has simultaneously created means to fulfill and gratify this faculty. These means are embedded both within the human self and the world around them. Through their refined perception, eloquence, and appreciation of sound and beauty, humans make use of these means and thereby derive pleasure and joy. Bodily adornment, the beautification of one’s home, the embellishment of surroundings, the elegance of speech, the richness of expression, and the melody of voice are all manifestations of this gift. At their core, these are expressions of God’s adornments, created for the benefit of His servants. They are divine blessings—permissible and lawful in every respect.
The Quran neither places restrictions upon these adornments nor promotes any indifference toward them. On the contrary, it cautions those religious authorities who, under the guise of piety, declare such adornments unlawful and urge people to abstain from them. Alongside this warning, the Quran also outlines the fundamental principle upon which the permissibility or prohibition of aesthetic and beautifying elements rests. This warning and principle are articulated in verses 28 to 32 of Surah al-Aʿraf (7). God declares:
وَ اِذَا فَعَلُوۡا فَاحِشَۃً قَالُوۡا وَجَدۡنَا عَلَیۡہَاۤ اٰبَآءَنَا وَ اللّٰہُ اَمَرَنَا بِہَا ۚ قُلۡ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یَاۡمُرُ بِالۡفَحۡشَآءِ ۚ اَتَقُوۡلُوۡنَ عَلَی اللّٰہِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ. قُلۡ اَمَرَ رَبِّیۡ بِالۡقِسۡطِ ۟ وَ اَقِیۡمُوۡا وُجُوۡہَکُمۡ عِنۡدَ کُلِّ مَسۡجِدٍ وَّ ادۡعُوۡہُ مُخۡلِصِیۡنَ لَہُ الدِّیۡنَ ؕ کَمَا بَدَاَکُمۡ تَعُوۡدُوۡنَ. فَرِیۡقًا ہَدٰی وَ فَرِیۡقًا حَقَّ عَلَیۡہِمُ الضَّلٰلَۃُ ؕ اِنَّہُمُ اتَّخَذُوا الشَّیٰطِیۡنَ اَوۡلِیَآءَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ وَ یَحۡسَبُوۡنَ اَنَّہُمۡ مُّہۡتَدُوۡنَ.
“When they commit an indecency, they say, ‘We found our forefathers doing this, and God has commanded us to do it.’ Say: ‘God does not command indecency. Are you saying about God what you do not know?’ Say: ‘My Lord has commanded justice. Turn your faces to Him at every place of worship and call upon Him, devoting your religion entirely to Him. Just as He originated you, so will you return. He has guided some, while others have deserved to go astray. They have taken devils as allies instead of God, thinking they are rightly guided.’” (Quran, 7:28–30)
The next verses continue:
یٰبَنِیۡۤ اٰدَمَ خُذُوۡا زِیۡنَتَکُمۡ عِنۡدَ کُلِّ مَسۡجِدٍ وَّ کُلُوۡا وَ اشۡرَبُوۡا وَ لَا تُسۡرِفُوۡا ؕ اِنَّہٗ لَا یُحِبُّ الۡمُسۡرِفِیۡنَ. قُلۡ مَنۡ حَرَّمَ زِیۡنَۃَ اللّٰہِ الَّتِیۡۤ اَخۡرَجَ لِعِبَادِہٖ وَ الطَّیِّبٰتِ مِنَ الرِّزۡقِ ؕ قُلۡ ہِیَ لِلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا فِی الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا خَالِصَۃً یَّوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ ؕ کَذٰلِکَ نُفَصِّلُ الۡاٰیٰتِ لِقَوۡمٍ یَّعۡلَمُوۡنَ.
“O children of Adam, dress yourselves with your adornments at every place of worship. Eat and drink, but do not be excessive. God does not love the wasteful. Say [O Prophet], ‘Who has forbidden the adornments of God, which He has brought forth for His servants, and the good and pure things of sustenance?’ Say, ‘These are for the believers in this worldly life (though disbelievers also partake in them), and on the Day of Resurrection, they will be exclusively for them.’ Thus We explain the revelations for people who understand.” [Quran, 7:31–32]
The passage begins by condemning the reprehensible acts of the polytheists, which they performed in the name of religion. Among the most glaring of these was the naked circumambulation (ṭawaf) of the Kaʿbah—committed by both men and women under the guise of worship. They were instructed to remove their garments—seen as worldly defilements—before entering the Sacred House. This indecent practice was justified as a divine ordinance and as a tradition of their forefathers.
In his exegesis, the esteemed teacher elaborates on the word faḥishah used in the verse:
“The term faḥishah is employed here. From the subsequent verses, it becomes evident that it refers to acts of indecency committed in the name of religion. Such practices were common in the temples of polytheists and shrines of mystical sects. They often arose from the deceptions of priests and shrine-keepers. Historical reports reveal that in pre-Islamic Arabia, a similar innovation—performing ṭawaf around the Kaʿbah in a state of undress—was widespread. People considered this a religious act, believing it to be divinely ordained. The Quraysh, custodians of the Kaʿbah, had even issued rulings that non-Quraysh Arabs could not perform ṭawaf in their own clothes; they were required either to borrow garments from the Quraysh or to circumambulate unclothed. Thus, the clothes of outsiders were viewed as too impure for this extraordinary act of worship.” (Al-Bayan, 2:144)
God categorically repudiates this attribution of indecency to Him and sternly warns against making such baseless and slanderous claims in His name.
In this context, He commands that believers should come to the mosque adorned in their garments—meaning that they should be properly dressed. There is no room here for indecency in the form of nudity, nor for asceticism that falsely equates a lack of beauty with piety. The implication is clear: God has not prescribed a specific uniform or sacred dress for acts of worship, whether in the Sacred Mosque or elsewhere. The regular attire worn in daily life is entirely appropriate for prayer and worship.
The passage also clarifies that just as bodily adornment is not contrary to religious devotion, neither is the enjoyment of wholesome food and drink. There is no restriction upon the adornment of nourishment. The same pure and nourishing foods used in everyday life are permitted even within the mosque.
The only restriction in this matter is against israf—excess. Squandering divine blessings by exceeding the bounds of moderation is unethical. Just as neglecting these blessings shows ingratitude, so too does their wasteful consumption. Whether one rejects a blessing or uses it recklessly, both attitudes signify a failure to appreciate God’s grace. Such ingratitude toward divine generosity is unacceptable.
God’s religion is founded upon the balance of nature. Hence, any form of imbalance or extremism—be it excess or deficiency—is rejected as incompatible with the purification of the soul. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi elucidates this point:
“God is qaʾim bi-l-qisṭ (upholder of justice). Therefore, He loves those who uphold moderation and justice—muqsiṭin—and does not love those who exceed these bounds—musrifin. This imbalance may manifest as excess or deficiency, and both are displeasing to God. He does not wish for a person to make eating, drinking, and clothing the ultimate purpose of life, nor does He wish for them to renounce these blessings entirely like monks or ascetics. Both extravagance and undue deprivation are paths devised by Satan. God loves balance and moderation in every aspect of life.” (Tadabbur-e-Quran, 3:251–252)
Following the rejection of baseless restrictions regarding mosque attendance, verse 32 offers a fundamental ruling on all forms of adornment. This verse constitutes a decisive pronouncement on what is lawful and unlawful. God makes it abundantly clear that the authority to declare something unlawful rests solely with Him, and He affirms the legitimacy of adornments for His servants. He states:
قُلۡ مَنۡ حَرَّمَ زِیۡنَۃَ اللّٰہِ الَّتِیۡۤ اَخۡرَجَ لِعِبَادِہٖ وَ الطَّیِّبٰتِ مِنَ الرِّزۡقِ ؕ قُلۡ ہِیَ لِلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا فِی الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا خَالِصَۃً یَّوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ ؕ کَذٰلِکَ نُفَصِّلُ الۡاٰیٰتِ لِقَوۡمٍ یَّعۡلَمُوۡنَ.
“Say [O Prophet], ‘Who has forbidden the adornments of God, which He has brought forth for His servants, and the good and pure things of sustenance?’ Say, ‘These are for the believers in this worldly life (though disbelievers also partake in them), and on the Day of Resurrection, they will be exclusively for them.’ Thus We explain the revelations for people who understand.” [Quran, 7:32]