whether by word or (1) deed, or his Companions would have practiced it during his lifetime (2). Since neither he nor any of his Companions practiced it during his lifetime, and he did not encourage it, this shows that there is no virtue in it. Yet “the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—wore a woolen cloak over his clothes while traveling” (3). Deliberately choosing to wear wool rather than cotton or other fabrics is not recommended in our Sharia (4), nor is it part of (5) the guidance of our Prophet [may Allah bless him and grant him peace] (6).
Muhammad ibn Sīrīn was told (7), “Some people deliberately wear wool, saying that Christ used to wear it.” He replied, “The guidance of our Prophet is dearer to us (8) than the guidance of anyone else.”
Scholars have differed (9) over whether wearing wool when not traveling, without any need, is disliked. As for wearing it while traveling, that is good, because (10) travel is a circumstance in which one is likely to need it. Even assuming that
(1) A and B read: “or whether.”
(2) A and B read: “during his lifetime.”
(3) Al-Bukhārī relates (7/144; Book of Dress, chapter “The Woolen Cloak on Military Campaign”) from Urwa ibn al-Mughīra, from his father—may Allah be pleased with him—who said: “I was with the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—one night during a journey. He asked, ‘Do you have any water?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ He dismounted and walked until he disappeared from my sight in the darkness of the night. He then returned, and I poured water for him from the waterskin. He washed his face and hands. He was wearing a woolen cloak and could not draw his forearms out through its sleeves, so he brought them out from beneath the cloak and washed them. He then wiped his head. I reached down to remove his leather socks, but he said, ‘Leave them, for I put them on while in a state of ritual purity.’ He then wiped over them.”
(4) N and M read: “under our Sharia.”
(5) The phrase “it is part of” is omitted from A and B. N and M read: “it is in.”
(6) “May Allah bless him and grant him peace” appears only in A, B, and M.
(7) A and B read: “and it was said.”
(8) “To us” is omitted from A and B.
(9) A and B read: “and they disagreed.”
(10) N and M read: “for indeed it is.”