Clothing and Outer Appearance.Part1

Wearing clean and tidy clothes is the Sunna of the Prophet. It should be kept in mind that dressing in such a way is not a display of vanity or arrogance for a person who has the means to dress well. 

• In fact, God has made it clear that a person has the right to wear clothing that is befitting to the wealth they have been blessed with.

Awf ibn Malik relates from his father,

“One day I  came  to God’s Messenger wearing a coarse, cheap garment. He said to me, ‘Have you no wealth?’ I said, ‘Yes, I have.’ He asked, ‘What kind of wealth?’ I said, ‘God has given me every kind of wealth: camels, cattle, flocks, horses, slaves.’ He said, ‘Then let the abundance of God’s blessings be apparent on your person!’” 

• From other hadith we know that the Prophet wore his best clothing. 

He also had his Companions do likewise. The following narration not only mentions this, but also teaches that those with the responsibility of acting as representatives must dress particularly well. Ibn Abbas conveyed the following hadith:

“It was when the Haruriyya (a branch of Khawarij) revolted. I went to Caliph Ali. He  told  me,  ‘Go  to those people.’ So I went and put on  the  best  Yemeni  garment. Then I came to them and they said, ‘Welcome to you, Ibn Abbas! Why are you so dressed up?’ I said, ‘How could I be otherwise? I saw God’s Messenger wearing the best clothing he has!’”

• It is also good adab to say a prayer the first time a new garment is worn, for the protection of God on the wearer. 

Abu Umama remembers,

“Ibn Umar put on a new garment and prayed thus, ‘Praise be to God, Who has given me clothing to cover my body and bring beauty to my life.’ Then he added, ‘I heard God’s Messenger say, ‘Whoever wears a new piece of clothing, and prays thus, will be under the protection and preservation of God both while he lives and after he dies.’”

• The Prophet also forbade Muslim men to wear silk clothing. 

Ali ibn Abu Talib explained,

“One day God’s Messenger took some silk in his right hand, and some gold in his left hand, and said, ‘These two things are prohibited for my male followers.’” 

According to a similar hadith from Tirmidhi and Nasai, Abu Musa quoted him as saying,

“Silk clothing and gold are forbidden for the men in my community, but allowed for the women.”