The Dress

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ الثَّوْبُ النَّقِيُّ يَكْبِتُ الْعَدُوَّ.

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Clean garments put down the enemy.’”

لَبِسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص الطَّاقَ وَ السَّاجَ وَ الْخَمَائِصَ‌[1].

dressed in al-Taq, (a certain garment) al-Saj (green pallium) and al-Khama’is (a black gown).”’

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ ثَوْباً فَلْيُنَظِّفْهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘One who chooses (makes use of) clothes, he must clean it.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَكُونُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ عَشَرَةُ أَقْمِصَةٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ عِشْرُونَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ ثَلَاثُونَ قَالَ نَعَمْ لَيْسَ هَذَا مِنَ السَّرَفِ إِنَّمَا السَّرَفُ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ ثَوْبَ صَوْنِكَ ثَوْبَ بِذْلَتِكَ‌[2].

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if a believing person can have ten shirts. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can do so.’ I then asked, ‘Can he have twenty.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can do so.’ I asked, ‘Can he have thirty?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can do so. This is not profligacy and lavishness. Profligacy i

سَمِعْتُ الرِّضَا ع يَقُولُ‌ كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع يَلْبَسُ ثَوْبَيْنِ فِي الصَّيْفِ يُشْتَرَيَانِ بِخَمْسِمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ.

‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, would buy two dresses for summer, each valued at five hundred dirhams.’”

بَعَثَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الْعَبَّاسِ إِلَى ابْنِ الْكَوَّاءِ وَ أَصْحَابِهِ وَ عَلَيْهِ قَمِيصٌ رَقِيقٌ وَ حُلَّةٌ فَلَمَّا نَظَرُوا إِلَيْهِ قَالُوا يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَنْتَ خَيْرُنَا فِي أَنْفُسِنَا وَ أَنْتَ تَلْبَسُ هَذَا اللِّبَاسَ فَقَالَ وَ هَذَا أَوَّلُ مَا أُخَاصِمُكُمْ فِيهِ- قُلْ‌ مَنْ حَرَّمَ زِينَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَ لِعِبادِهِ وَ الطَّيِّباتِ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ‌[1] وَ قَال

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin sent ‘Abd Allah ibn al-‘Abbas to ibn al-Kawwa’ and his people. He was wearing a shirt of fine fabric and a gown. They looked at him and said, ‘O ibn al- ‘Abbas, you are the better among us in our belief and you wear this kind of clothes.’ He replied, ‘This is the

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ عَلَيَّ جُبَّةُ خَزٍّ وَ طَيْلَسَانُ خَزٍّ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيَّ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ عَلَيَّ جُبَّةُ خَزٍّ وَ طَيْلَسَانُ خَزٍّ فَمَا تَقُولُ فِيهِ فَقَالَ وَ مَا بَأْسٌ بِالْخَزِّ قُلْتُ وَ سَدَاهُ إِبْرِيسَمٌ قَالَ وَ مَا بَأْسٌ بِإِبْرِيسَمٍ فَقَدْ أُصِيبَ الْحُسَيْنُ ع وَ عَلَيْهِ جُبَّةُ خَزٍّ ثُمَّ قَالَ‌إِنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ لَمَّا بَعَثَهُ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْ

“I once visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and I was wearing a Jubbah of silk and al-Taylisan (pallium) of silk. He (the Imam) looked at me and I asked saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I am wearing a Taylisan of silk and a Jubbah of silk, what do you say about them?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘

مَرَّ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ فَرَأَى أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ عَلَيْهِ ثِيَابٌ كَثِيرَةُ الْقِيمَةِ حِسَانٌ فَقَالَ وَ اللَّهِ لآَتِيَنَّهُ وَ لَأُوَبِّخَنَّهُ فَدَنَا مِنْهُ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ مَا لَبِسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص مِثْلَ هَذَا اللِّبَاسِ وَ لَا عَلِيٌّ ع وَ لَا أَحَدٌ مِنْ آبَائِكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فِي زَمَانِ قَتْرٍ مُقْتِ

“Once, Sufyan al-Thawriy passed by Masjid al-Haram (the sacred area) and he saw abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), dressed in fine expensive clothes. He decided to meet him (the Imam) and scold him. He went close and said, ‘O son of the Messenger of Allah, the Messenger of Allah did not dress up with this kind of dress, Ali did no

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ بَيْنَا أَنَا فِي الطَّوَافِ وَ إِذَا بِرَجُلٍ يَجْذِبُ ثَوْبِي وَ إِذَا هُوَ عَبَّادُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ الْبَصْرِيُّ فَقَالَ يَا جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ تَلْبَسُ مِثْلَ هَذِهِ الثِّيَابِ وَ أَنْتَ فِي هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ مَعَ الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي أَنْتَ فِيهِ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ ع فَقُلْتُ ثَوْبٌ فُرْقُبِيٌ‌[1] اشْتَرَيْتُهُ بِدِينَارٍ وَ كَانَ عَلِيٌّ ع فِي زَمَانٍ يَسْتَقِيمُ لَهُ مَا لَبِ

‘When I was in tawaf (walking around al- Ka‘bah) someone pulled my dress and he was ‘Abbad ibn Kathir al-Basriy saying, “O Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, you wear this kind of dress and your position to Ali (a.s.), is so close.’” I said, ‘It is a material made in Furqubiy (a place in Egypt) which I have bought for a dinar. Ali (

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ لَهُ عَشَرَةُ أَقْمِصَةٍ يُرَاوِحُ بَيْنَهَا قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if a man can have ten shirts, changing them every day. He (the Imam) said, ’It is not unlawful.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَكُونُ لِي ثَلَاثَةُ أَقْمِصَةٍ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ قَالَ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ حَتَّى بَلَغْتُ عَشَرَةً فَقَالَ أَ لَيْسَ يُوَدِّعُ‌[2] بَعْضُهَا بَعْضاً قُلْتُ بَلَى وَ لَوْ كُنْتُ إِنَّمَا أَلْبَسُ وَاحِداً لَكَانَ أَقَلَّ بَقَاءً قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if I can have three shirts. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’ I asked again until I reached ten shirts and he (the Imam) said, ‘Does exchanging give them more durability?’ I said, ‘It does, were I to wear one of them for a longer time, it would become less durable.’ He (the

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ الْمُوسِرِ يَتَّخِذُ الثِّيَابَ الْكَثِيرَةَ الْجِيَادَ وَ الطَّيَالِسَةَ وَ الْقُمُصَ الْكَثِيرَةَ يَصُونُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضاً يَتَجَمَّلُ بِهَا أَ يَكُونُ مُسْرِفاً قَالَ لَا لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- لِيُنْفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِنْ سَعَتِهِ‌[3].

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who is affluent and has a great deal of clothes and very fine ones, palliums, many shirts which are used to extend the life of each shirt and beautify himself; if it is profligacy and lavishness. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not lavishness because Allah, mo

كَانَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مُتَّكِئاً عَلَيَّ أَوْ قَالَ عَلَى أَبِي فَلَقِيَهُ عَبَّادُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ الْبَصْرِيُّ- وَ عَلَيْهِ ثِيَابٌ مَرْوِيَّةٌ[1] حِسَانٌ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّكَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِ النُّبُوَّةِ وَ كَانَ أَبُوكَ وَ كَانَ‌[2] فَمَا هَذِهِ الثِّيَابُ الْمَرْوِيَّةُ عَلَيْكَ فَلَوْ لَبِسْتَ دُونَ هَذِهِ الثِّيَابِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَيْلَكَ يَا عَبَّادُ مَنْ حَر

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was leaning against me or he said, ‘against my father’ when ‘Abbad ibn Kathir al-Basriy met him (the Imam) and he (the Imam) had a dress of fabrics made in Marw (name of place) of fine quality. He (‘Abbad) said, ‘O abu ‘Abd Allah, you are of the family of the Holy Prophet, and your father w

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ النَّظِيفُ مِنَ الثِّيَابِ يُذْهِبُ الْهَمَّ وَ الْحَزَنَ وَ هُوَ طَهُورٌ لِلصَّلَاةِ.

’Amir al-Mu’minin (as) has said, "Clean clothes remove worry and sorrow, and they are purifying for prayer."

كُنْتُ حَاضِراً عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ ذَكَرْتَ أَنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع كَانَ يَلْبَسُ الْخَشِنَ يَلْبَسُ الْقَمِيصَ بِأَرْبَعَةِ دَرَاهِمَ وَ مَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ وَ نَرَى عَلَيْكَ اللِّبَاسَ الْجَيِّدَ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ إِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع كَانَ يَلْبَسُ ذَلِكَ فِي زَمَانٍ لَا يُنْكَرُ وَ لَوْ لَبِسَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ لَشُهِرَ بِهِ فَخ

“Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when a man said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep you well, you have mentioned that Ali ibn abu Talib wore very rough-textured clothes. He wore a shirt valued at four dirham and similar items and we see you wear fine clothes.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to him, ‘Ali ibn abu Talib wore t

لَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِلرَّجُلِ عِشْرُونَ قَمِيصاً.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not unlawful if one has twenty shirts. 5 ”