Is it prohibited in Islam for a man to wear women's clothes and vice versa

Question

Is it found anywhere in the Quran and Hadith that it is prohibited for a man to wear women's clothes and a woman wearing men's clothes, like for example a man wearing a dress or a women wearing pants

Answer 1

Nothing mentions in the Quran. The only hadith that's allegedly from the Prophet, clearly mentioning of wearing clothes of the opposite sex, is in Musnad Ahmed and Sunan Abu Dawud, from Abu Hurairah's words:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَعَنَ الرَّجُلَ يَلْبَسُ لُبْسَةَ الْمَرْأَةِ، وَالْمَرْأَةَ تَلْبَسُ لُبْسَةَ الرَّجُلِ

The Messenger of Allah cursed the man who dressed like a woman and the woman who dressed like a man.

It's reported with ambiguity through "An" from Abu Amr to Abu Huraiarah: أَبُو عَامِرٍ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ بِلاَلٍ، عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

Also, سُهَيْلِ بْنِ أَبِي صَالِحٍ is abandoned (ref. an-Nasai) and considered weak (ref. ad-Daraqutni).

Other than that, there's nothing else that mentions wearing clothes of the opposite sex.

Answer 2

Clothing Serves a Number of Purposes It covers the parts of the body which must be covered in public, following the standards of modesty which are innate in all human beings:

“Children of Adam, We have sent down clothing to you to conceal your private parts.” (Soorat Al-A‛raaf, 7:26)

It covers the body against heat, cold and harm in general. Heat and cold are weather phenomena which can harm people. Describing the benefits of clothing which He has provided for His servants, Allah states,

“He has made shelters for you in the mountains and He has made garments for you to protect you from the heat and garments to protect you from each other’s violence. In that way He perfects His blessing on you so that hopefully you may devote yourselves to Him.” (Soorat An-Nahl, 16:81)

Nothing mentions in Quran that you can't wear women clothes but don't be gay.

Answer 3

Sahih al-Bukhari 5885 Narrated Ibn `Abbas: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) cursed those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners) of women and those women who are in the similitude (assume the manners) of men.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمُتَشَبِّهِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ بِالنِّسَاءِ، وَالْمُتَشَبِّهَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ بِالرِّجَالِ‏.‏ تَابَعَهُ عَمْرٌو أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ‏.‏ Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5885 In-book reference : Book 77, Hadith 102 USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 72, Hadith 773 (deprecated numbering scheme

Sahih al-Bukhari 5886 Narrated Ibn Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) cursed effeminate men (those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners of women) and those women who assume the manners of men, and he said, "Turn them out of your houses ." The Prophet (ﷺ) turned out such-and-such man, and Umar turned out such-and-such woman.

حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ لَعَنَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمُخَنَّثِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ، وَالْمُتَرَجِّلاَتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَقَالَ ‏ "‏ أَخْرِجُوهُمْ مِنْ بُيُوتِكُمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ فَأَخْرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فُلاَنًا، وَأَخْرَجَ عُمَرُ فُلاَنًا‏.‏ Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5886 In-book reference : Book 77, Hadith 103 USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 72, Hadith 774 (deprecated numbering scheme

Sunan Abi Dawud 4098 Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed the man who dressed like a woman and the woman who dressed like a man.

حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ بِلاَلٍ، عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الرَّجُلَ يَلْبَسُ لِبْسَةَ الْمَرْأَةِ وَالْمَرْأَةَ تَلْبَسُ لِبْسَةَ الرَّجُلِ ‏.‏ Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani) صحيح   (الألباني) حكم   : Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 4098 In-book reference : Book 34, Hadith 79 English translation : Book 33, Hadith 4087

Sunan Abi Dawud 4099 Ibn AbuMulaykah told that when someone remarked to Aisha that a woman was wearing sandals, she replied: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed mannish women.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، لُوَيْنٌ - وَبَعْضُهُ قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ - عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، قَالَ قِيلَ لِعَائِشَةَ رضى الله عنها إِنَّ امْرَأَةً تَلْبَسُ النَّعْلَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الرَّجُلَةَ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ ‏.‏ Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani) صحيح   (الألباني) حكم   : Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 4099 In-book reference : Book 34, Hadith 80 English translation : Book 33, Hadith 4088

Al-Mannaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

As al-Nawawi said, this indicates that it is haraam for men to imitate women and vice versa, because if it is haraam with regard to clothing then imitating them in one’s movements and tone of voice is even more abhorrent. So it is haraam for men to imitate women and vice versa with regard to clothing that is unique to one sex, and the one who does that is subject to the threat of being cursed. End quote.

Fayd al-Qadeer (5/343).