I am an employee working in a Christian hospital, and wearing a cross on the uniform is compulsory. What is the ruling on that?
Praise
be to Allah
The practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) was to remove the image of the cross if he found it on a garment,
mat or anything else. He did not approve of leaving the symbol of a
distorted religion that falsely affirmed that the Messiah ‘Eesa ibn Maryam
(Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him) had been crucified, to the extent
that this symbol became sanctified, venerated and worshipped by the
followers of that religion.
It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with
her) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would not
leave anything in his house on which there were crosses except he would
erase them. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5608).
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas
were asked:
What is the ruling on wearing clothes on which there are
crosses, and we did not know that they were there when we bought it, because
it is not in the usual form, such that we could have recognised it before
buying it; rather it is in an unusual and unclear form. What is the ruling
on wearing it?
They replied:
If you find out that there are crosses on clothes after
buying them, then it is forbidden to pray wearing them, and you must remove
the cross by whatever means will remove its image, by scratching it off or
dyeing it and the like. That is because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari
in his Saheeh from ‘Imraan ibn Hattaan, that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be
pleased with her) said: the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) would not leave anything in his house on which there were crosses
except he would erase them.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez Aal
ash-Shaykh, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Shaykh
Bakr Abu Zayd
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah
(24/19)
How can the Muslim accept to put on his garment the image of
an idol that is worshipped instead of Allah, and is symbolic of a distorted
religion and false belief, that was declared false by the Holy Qur’an:
“And they did
not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble
him to them” [an-Nisa’ 4:157]?
The shar‘i ruling on wearing it is clear; it is forbidden.
Allah has promised those who fear Him relief from their calamity and
provision from where they do not expect it. He, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever fears Allah – He
will make for him a way out
And will
provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah
– then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose.
Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent”
[at-Talaaq 65:2-3].
And Allah knows best.
