Why are Muslim men are required to raise their garments / pants above their ankles?
Answer
The prophet, alaihissalaam, stopped people from lowering their garments below the ankles because it was a symbol of arrogance during that time. The ahadith clarify this point clearly. Take one, for example, and pay special attention to the last statement, ‘You are not one of those who would do it as a show of arrogance’. Hence, we must ask ourselves whether the trousers covering our ankles, are a sign of arrogance in our time. They most certainly aren’t.
Nasai reports on the authority of Abd Allah ibn Omar:
The Prophet (pbuh) said: Whoever lets his dress drag, as a show of arrogance and pride, shall be deprived of God’s [merciful] attention on the Day of Resurrection. Abu Bakr [who heard the Prophet say that] said: O Prophet of God, one of my problems is my dress. It keeps sliding down, unless I keep pulling it up. Is such sliding down of the dress also condemnable? The Prophet (pbuh) said: You are not one of those who would do it as a show of arrogance.