Hadith Reference
The hadith in question is from Sahih Bukhari 2581, which states:
Arabic Text:
لاَ تُؤْذِينِي فِي عَائِشَةَ، فَإِنَّ الْوَحْىَ لَمْ يَأْتِنِي، وَأَنَا فِي ثَوْبِ امْرَأَةٍ إِلاَّ عَائِشَةَ
Translation:
“Do not harm me over Aisha, for revelation has not come to me, and I am clothed in any woman’s garment except Aisha’s.”
This hadith records a statement attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), where he connects the occurrence of divine revelation to wearing Aisha’s garment, distinguishing it from the garments of other women.
Defining Cross-Dressing
Before analyzing the hadith, let’s establish a clear definition:
- Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothing typically associated with the opposite gender. This can encompass a variety of practices, from wearing a single article of clothing traditionally linked to the opposite gender to adopting a full set of attire typically worn by that gender. The focus here is on the association of the clothing with a specific gender, rather than the intent behind wearing it.
Analysis of the Hadith
Let’s break down the text of the hadith to understand the act it describes:
- The Prophet’s Statement: The hadith explicitly mentions that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) wore Aisha’s garment. The Arabic word ثَوْبِ (thawb) refers to a garment or piece of clothing, and it is specified as belonging to Aisha, one of his wives.
- Aisha’s Gender: Aisha was a woman, and her garments would naturally be designed for and worn by women in the context of her time and culture.
- Implication of the Act: By wearing Aisha’s garment, the Prophet was dressed in clothing that was distinctly associated with the female gender, as opposed to male attire typically worn by men of that era.
- Exclusivity in the Hadith: The text emphasizes that revelation did not come to him when he was clothed in any woman’s garment except Aisha’s, reinforcing that the garment in question was indeed a woman’s garment, and he wore it during significant spiritual moments.
Based on this literal reading, the act of wearing Aisha’s garment means the Prophet was wearing clothing typically associated with the opposite gender—meeting the basic definition of cross-dressing.