The worst bid’ah with regards to clothing is that of the Rafidah (and some Sufis) who have institutionalised the hideous bid’ah of clerical attire that is literally designated for a specific class of society i.e. the clergy.
This is an ugly bid’ah taken from other polytheists (Church, etc.) and started during the Safavid take-over of Persia (when modern-day Iran was forced from a majority Sunni country into a majority Rafidi Shia one) and is ever since an essential part of their religious institutions (‘scientific seminaries/al-Hawzat al-‘Ilmiyyah’) and those who graduate from them (or are given the ‘blessing’ of wearing the Rafidi turban by one of their scholars).
Iranian Shiites are more secularised than Turks and by large irreligious. That’s known. On top of that traditional attire is rarely worn in their circles, instead, they are known to dress like most Western people (which is ironic, for the Shia sellouts in Iran claim to oppose the West and Iranian nationalists boast with their Persian heritage, yet both walk around like an average Joe in the States with a shirt and trousers).
Ancient Persians like the Achaemenids used to wear clothing typical for the Middle East. Look at this Achaemenid soldier, he ironically embodies everything Iranian Anti-Islam bigots detest (robe similar to an Arab Dishdāshah/Thoub, thick and full beards, etc.).
South Asia was directly colonised for centuries, yet people (including Hindus!) retained their attire. Shia Iran – which wasn’t colonised – willfully abandoned traditional garb with the exception of the clergy who exploit their clerical attire and have literally started a form of priesthood in Iran (a respectful form of addressing the Shia clergy, a form which they themselves prefer is rouhani/رحاني in Iranian Persian which literally can be translated as ‘priest’!).
In comparison, Iranian Sunnis, are way more religious and conservative and unsurprisingly traditional attire is very common in Sunni regions of Iran like in the south of the country (Fars/Hormozgan) and the Iranian Khorasan province(s) which are home to ethnic Persian Sunnis.
On top of the bid’ah of introducing clerical garb to the religion, the Shia clergy also propagate the nonsense of designating the colour black (and thus black turbans) to the ‘descendants’ of the Prophet (ﷺ) so-called ‘Sayeds/Syeds’ and white for people with non-royal blood (so to speak). A bid’ah unknown to Islam, the Prophet (ﷺ), his Ahlul-Bayt and Sahaba wore turbans in various colours.
Above: Iranian Sunnis (Persian Khorasanis and Baluch). Bottom: Iranian Shia. Of course, you can find Iranian Sunnis wearing shirts and trousers, however, this is not the default practice. Just look at a Shia Friday prayer in Iran, everyone other than their clerics wears trousers and suits.Most Iranian Shia prayer congregations consist of people wearing trousers and suits (or shirts) like westerners. Traditional attire is almost completely restricted to the clergy, similar to Christian priests. Clerical clothing has never been sanctified in Islam and practiced by the Prophet and his family and companions. It is deeply rooted in Twelver Shia culture (since the Safavid era they added the Bid’ah of black & white colours) and to a lesser degree among some Sunni sections (like the Azhar university).
The Rafidi argument that certain people in society wear specific attire (firemen, police, etc.) is flawed because the attire of some members (rather professionals) in society exists due to necessity (like the Police that must be visible). If the attire of the learned scholars and students of Islam was of utmost importance, then the Prophet (ﷺ) himself would have started to dress significantly different to the people of his time, yet the truth is, the did none of that (i.e. the dressed just like his people minus prohibited elements of their attire).
Al-Hamdulillah, the Sunni world by large (except some institution like Azhar that was founded by Isma’ili Rafidis), have not fallen into this bid’ah, thus you will find the Imam of a Mauretanian, Sudani, Afghan, etc. masjid dressing just like the people behind him, same in Arabia.
Shia Persians are arguably the most secularised (and non-religious) ethnic group in Iran. Even their folk costumes are almost extinct and thus Iranian websites have often no choice but to make clear that all the traditional clothing they display are actually those of non-Persian Shia ethnic groups.
The gullible Shia masses still believe that in Islam there are is a specific attire for the learned/scholars. May Allah guide them.
PS: Some Shia clerics argue that certain people in society wear specific attire (firemen, police, etc.) and thus the Rafidi Rabbi/Priest attire is justified is flawed because the attire of some members (rather professionals) in society exists due to necessity (like the Police that must be visible). If the attire of the learned scholars and students of Islam was of utmost importance, then the Prophet (ﷺ) himself would have started to dress significantly different to the people of his time, yet the truth is, he did none of that, instead he dressed just like his people minus prohibited elements of their attire just like most Muslims in the Muslim world, from Mauretania, Sudan, Arabia to Indonesia and even in the Sunni regions of Iran.
All Iranian Baloch and Persian Khorasani Sunnis (Mashad still has a Persian Sunni minority, towns outside of Mashad like Taybad, Torbat Jam, etc. are even majority Sunni) wear the Shalwar Qamis, like many other people in central Asia. The Persian Shia are the only ones in Iran void of any religious/traditional attire, even the Persian Shia of Khorasan in Iran.
ShalwarQamis is not restricted to Pakistan. • Afghans – including Sunni Tajik/Persians – wear it. Two ethnic groups in Iran still wear it to this very day: • Iranian Persian Sunnis in the Iranian Khorasan province(s). • Iranian Baluch (101% Sunni).
Persian Sunnis are by far more religious and conservative; many still wear the Shalwar Qamis (like their brothers in Afghanistan) and even turbans are still worn by the religious scholars and laypeople alike. Persian Shias dress like Westerners, even at prayers.
Sunni and Shia Persians in the province of Khorasan are ethnically the same people, however, there is a big cultural difference between them. Shia Khorasani Persians: NEVER wear traditional clothing. Sunni Khorasani Persians: Shalwar Qamis like other central Asians.
Iranian Shia (especially Persians) are more secularised than Turks and by large irreligious. Iranian Sunnis are way more religious and conservative thus traditional attire is still common in all Sunni regions of Iran, even in ethnic *Persian* Sunni regions like Khorasan and Fars/Hormozgan.
Southern Persians (also known as Achomis /Khodmoonis) are a majority Sunni Shafi’i people and have close historical ties with Gulf Arabs (many of whom are in fact Arabised southern Persians who fled the Safavid onslaught on their communities). The Thoub is very common amongst Persian Sunnis in southern Iran.
