Boreal

1,001 Sayings and Deeds of the Prophet

Silk and Effeminates

Wear silk in the here-and-now and you will not be allowed to wear silk in the Hereafter.

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

The Prophet said, "Whoever wears silk in this world shall not wear it in the Hereafter."

Bukhari B 72.723

Then again, a wearer of silk in the here-and-now may be denied access to Paradise altogether. This is the type of stuff a religious scholar could probably sort out.

Narrated Umar bin Al-Khattab:

Allah's Apostle said, "None wears silk in this world, but he who will have no share in the Hereafter."

Bukhari 72.726

I am sure a religious scholar somewhere has offered a definitive opinion as to how much silk a seamstress can use as decoration on a garment and still remain within the Law.

Narrated Aba Uthman An-Nahdi:

While we were with Utba bin Farqad at Adharbijan, there came Umar's letter indicating that Allah's Apostle had forbidden the use of silk except this much, then he pointed with his index and middle fingers. To our knowledge, by that he meant embroidery.

Bukhari 72.718

Muhammad made an exception for men with skin problems, and for that small mercy, believing men with skin irritation should be thankful.

Narrated Anas:

The Prophet allowed Abdur-Rahman bin Auf and Az-Zubair to wear silken shirts because they had a skin disease causing itching.

Bukhari 52.168

The following hadith begs the question as to why Muhammad gave a silk suit to his son-in-law if he did not want him to wear it.

Narrated Ali:

The Prophet gave me a silk suit and I wore it, but when I noticed anger on his face, I cut it and distributed it among my women-folk.

Bukhari 63.279

More fodder for religious scholars. In the following hadith, it is not clear if it was silk-wearing, fornicating, boozing, music-loving followers of Muhammad whom Allah buried in a landslide, transforming the survivors into long-lived monkeys and pigs.

Narrated Abu Amir or Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari:

That he heard the Prophet saying, "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful.

And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.'

Allah will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection."

Bukhari 69.494

Muhammad’s newfound aversion to silk was very much another of those spurs of the moment things. There was not even a pause during his prayers to indicate, as often happened, that Allah was interrupting his devotion with an urgent message from Paradise.

Narrated Uqba bin Amir:

A silken Farruj was presented to Allah's Apostle and he put it on and offered the prayer in it. When he finished the prayer, he took it off violently as if he disliked it and said, "This (garment) does not befit those who fear Allah!"

Bukhari 72.693

The people hoped that Muhammad had changed his mind when a Christian sent him a silk garment as a present. Not a chance!

Narrated Anas:

A Jubba (i.e. cloak) made of thick silken cloth was presented to the Prophet. The Prophet used to forbid people to wear silk. So, the people were pleased to see it.

The Prophet said, "By Him in Whose Hands Muhammad's soul is, the handkerchiefs of Sad bin Mu'adh (the mortally wounded Sad was asked by the Prophet to decide the fate of the Jews of Medina after the Battle of the Ditch) in Paradise are better than this."

Anas added, "The present was sent to the Prophet by Ukaidir (a Christian) from Dauma."

Bukhari 47.785

Is it possible that the soft mellifluous texture of the garment made him uncomfortable, that it was the type of attire that effeminate men might wear?

Narrated Um Salama:

The Prophet came to me while there was an effeminate man sitting with me, and I heard him (i.e. the effeminate man) saying to Abdullah bin Abi Umaiya,

"O Abdullah! See if Allah should make you conquer Ta'if tomorrow, then take the daughter of Ghailan (in marriage) as (she is so beautiful and fat that) she shows four folds of flesh when facing you, and eight when she turns her back."

The Prophet then said, "These (effeminate men) should never enter upon you (O women!)."

Ibn Juraij said, "That effeminate man was called Hit."

Bukhari 59.613

Muhammad’s example, like everything he said and did, was not lost on those who would lead the believers after his passing.

Narrated Ibn Abbas:

The Prophet cursed the effeminate men and those women who assume the similitude (manners) of men. He also said, "Turn them out of your houses."

He turned such-and-such person out, and Umar also turned out such-and-such person.

Bukhari 82.820

Silk invites touching!

Narrated Al-Bara:

The Prophet was given a silk garment as a gift and we started touching it with our hands and admiring it. On that the Prophet said, "Do you wonder at this?"

We said, "Yes."

He said, "The handkerchiefs of Sad bin Mu'adh in Paradise are better than this "

Bukhari 72.727

Anyone who has slept between silk sheets or cuddled with a woman in a silk negligee will understand the senses that are often awakened. Could that be why the prudish Muhammad made silk cushions for riders halal?

Narrated Al-Bara' bin Azib:

The Prophet ordered us to do seven (things) and forbade us from seven. He ordered us to visit the patients, to follow the funeral procession, to reply to the sneezer (i.e., say to him, 'Yarhamuka-l-lah (May Allah bestow His Mercy upon you), if he says 'Al-hamdulillah' (Praise be to Allah), to help others to fulfill their oaths, to help the oppressed, to greet (whomever one should meet), and to accept the invitation (to a wedding banquet).

He forbade us to wear golden rings, to use silver utensils, to use Mayathir (cushions of silk stuffed with cotton and placed under the rider on the saddle), the Qasiyya (linen clothes containing silk brought from an Egyptian town), the Istibraq (thick silk) and the Dibaj (another kind of silk).

Bukhari 62.104

You name the garment, or the cushion: if it’s made of silk, it is forbidden; for men that is a certainty.

Narrated Al-Bara:

The Prophet ordered us to observe seven things: To visit the sick; follow funeral processions; say 'May Allah bestow His Mercy on you', to the sneezer if he says, 'Praise be to Allah!; He forbade us to wear silk, Dibaj, Qassiy and Istibarq (various kinds of silken clothes); or to use red Mayathir (silk-cushions).

Bukhari 72.740