may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had permitted menstruating women to depart without performing the farewell tawaf. Zayd and Ibn Abbas debated this matter. As for Ibn al-Zubayr, when the two of them heard the Prophet’s prohibition of wearing silk, they understood its wording as general. Thus, Ibn al-Zubayr used to instruct people to prevent their wives from wearing silk, while Ibn Umar prohibited both small and large amounts of it, even removing silk threads from garments. Others, however, had heard the concession allowing it in cases of need: permission for women to wear it, and for men to wear small amounts or whatever they needed for medical treatment and other purposes, since this is a general need.

Such is the scholarly reasoning of the learned, may Allah be pleased with them, concerning the scriptural texts: one of them hears an unqualified text and acts upon it, without learning of the qualifications and exceptions that reach another scholar like him. Allah has not forbidden people, whether in ihram or otherwise, things for which there is a general need. Nor, alongside this concession for general need, has He commanded anyone to ruin his leather socks or trousers by cutting them or unpicking their seams. This was the ruling given by Ibn Abbas and others who had heard the later Sunnah. The initial command to cut down the leather socks was only so that they would become like sandals. Thus, cutting them was commanded before the substitute was prescribed, since wearing them once cut down is permissible without qualification. He only said:

“For one who cannot find any,”

because cutting them when sandals are available ruins the leather socks, and damaging property without need is forbidden—unlike when leather socks are unavailable. This is why it was made a substitute in this situation, on account of the damage to property involved. Similarly, it is reported in the two Sahih collections that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “When one of you stands in prayer, he