Allah Almighty says: {O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best.} [Al-A‘rāf: 26] He also says: {And He has made for you from the mountains, shelters and has made for you garments which protect you from the heat and garments which protect you in your battle.} [Al-Nahl: 81]
1) Out of His wisdom, Allah Almighty made human beings in need of clothing to cover their outward ‘Awrah (private parts) and in need of the clothing of piety to cover their inward ‘Awrah, i.e. their sins. So, our Lord mentions two types of clothing, one is outward and material and the other is inward and moral.
2) The material clothing is of two types: one is necessary, which is used to cover the ‘Awrah, and the other is complementary, which is worn for adornment.
3) The clothing of piety, which is the moral one, is better and longer lasting than the material clothing. A person, therefore, should take care of the clothing of piety and adorn and beautify it.
779/1 - Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Wear white clothes, for they are among the best of your clothes; and use them for shrouding your dead.” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd and Al-Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hasan Sahīh (sound and authentic)]
780/2 - Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Wear white clothes, for they are purer and better, and use them as shrouds for your dead.” [Narrated by Al-Nasā’i and Al-Hākim, who classified it as authentic]
1) The best clothes are the white ones. They are purer and more pleasant, and they give brightness and indicate the purity of this Ummah and its members, as well as its creed. Indeed, clothing has impact on those who wear it.
2) We should take care of how we shroud the dead, given their inviolability.
781/3 - Al-Barā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was of medium stature. I saw him wearing a red mantle. I have never seen anything more graceful than that.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
782/4 - Abu Juhayfah Wahb ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “I saw the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in Al-Abtah when he was in a red leather tent. Bilāl stepped out with ablution water (that was left over from the Prophet’s ablution). There were people who managed to get some of it (seeking its blessing), whereas others just received a sprinkle of it. Then, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) came out wearing a red garment. It is as if I am looking right now at the whiteness of his legs. He performed ablution and Bilāl called the Adhān. I kept watching the movement of his mouth (as he turned) to this side and that side and he said to the right and to the left: ‘Come to prayer, come to success’. Then, a (walking) stick was fixed for him (in the ground). He stepped forward and prayed, and dogs and donkeys would pass in front of him, and they were not prevented.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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Al-Abtah is a spacious area in Makkah, a mile away from Mina. It is modern-day Al-Ma‘abdah district.
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1) It is permissible to wear red clothing and pray while wearing it, provided it is not purely red.
2) It is permissible to use red tents, for the Prophet’s tent was made of red skin.
In Zād al-Ma‘ād fi Hady Khayr al-‘Ibād, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) wore a red mantle, which necessarily consisted of an upper garment and a lower one. So, it is wrong to think that the Prophet’s mantle was strictly red, not mixed with another color. Indeed, the red mantle was woven out of red and black threads. It is called red because of the red threads in it. In fact, pure red is strictly forbidden. It is narrated in Sahīh Al-Bukhāri that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited the use of red saddle cloths. As for the permissibility of wearing red clothing, this is debatable. But it is known to be very disliked. How would anyone imagine that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did wear clothing in blood red color!
783/5 - Abu Rimthah At-Taymi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) wearing two green garments.” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd and Al-Nasā’i, with an authentic Isnād]
784/6 - Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) entered Makkah on the day of its conquest while wearing a black turban. [Narrated by Muslim]
785/7 - Abu Sa‘īd ‘Amr ibn Hurayth (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “It is as if I am looking at the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) while he was wearing a black turban, and he let its ends hang between his shoulders.” [Narrated by Muslim]
In another version by him: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a speech while wearing a black turban.
1) It is permissible to wear green and black clothes, though white clothing is better.
2) It is permissible to wear a black turban during sermons and other activities, without making it a habit. The persistent wearing of black clothing has become a slogan for some groups opposing the Sunnah.
786/8 - ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was shrouded in three pieces of white Yemenite cotton sheets. They did not include a shirt or a turban.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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787/9 - She also reported: “One early morning, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) went out wearing a garment with a pattern of camel saddles on it, made of black hair.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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788/10 - Al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “One night, I was traveling with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). He asked me: ‘Do you have any water with you?’ I replied: ‘Yes.’ So, he got off his camel and walked away till he disappeared in the darkness of the night. Then, he came back and I poured water for him from the waterskin. He washed his face and hands while wearing a woolen cloak from which he could not take his arms out. So, he took them out from underneath the cloak. Then, he washed his forearms and wiped over his head. I got down to take off his leather socks, but he said: 'Leave them, for I have performed ablution before putting them on,’ and he wiped over them.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
In another version: “wearing a Syrian cloak with tight sleeves.”
In yet another version: This happened during the battle of Tabūk.
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1) Description of the Prophet’s shroud.
2) It is better to shroud the dead in white clothing, if possible; and neither a shirt nor a turban should be included in the shroud.
3) It is permissible to wear black clothing, but without restricting that to a particular time or occasion, as people usually do in gatherings to mourn the dead or in formal ceremonies.
4) There is an Islamic dispensation for a person who has put on leather socks or regular socks while in a state of ablution to wipe over them when he performs a new ablution. That is better than taking them off and washing his feet.
5) It is permissible to assist someone with his ablution and to seek help from others for ablution.