13. DISCIPLINING THE SELF TO BE HUMBLE AND HAVE HUMILITY IN FRONT OF ALLAH
I contemplated what has been narrated from the Prophet when he wore a ring but then removed it and threw it away as he disliked to be adorned with it, so he explained: “I was too busy seeing you all busy [i.e. fascinated] looking at it and seeing myself how much I liked it.”
I also contemplated what he said: “While a man was walking, dragging his dress with pride; he was caused to be swallowed by the earth and will go on sinking in it till the Day of Resurrection.”
I understood then that a believer should not wear a garment or any adornment he likes too much because that will make him have pride in himself while ‘the self (nafs) should be always in humility (dalit) before its Lord.
The Jewish scholars of Bani Isra’il used to walk using sticks so they do not walk in an arrogant or proud way
And the mother of the believers, ‘A’ishah (radiy Allahu ‘anhu), wore a garment once that she liked [so much] but the Prophet said to her: “Allah shall not look at you while you are in such a state” and when the Prophet wore a colorful garment he said: “I was distracted with this garment while praying.”
All this should make us avoid such types of adornment and beautification and all that which may provoke pride (fakbr), arrogance {‘ajb) and any sense of superiority’ (zahw), which explains why it is made forbidden to wear silk [for men].
Based on this, wearing the garments that have patches that ascetics wear and flash to the public may bring forth such condemnable feelings, either due to the beauty of such a garment or due to the sign of asceticism (zuhd) it indicates.
The same is the case with wearing rings or having extra-long sleeves, or wearing different types of shoes.
I do not say that such clothes are forbidden but rather I say wearing such types of clothes may bring forth forbidden pride or arrogance. That being said, an intelligent person should heed the advice I have mentioned to ward off anything that may cause evil or lead to harm.
Ibn ‘Umar (radiy Allahu anhuma) once mounted a fast camel and he liked how fast it was so he got off and asked his servant Naff to release him and put it in the camels allocated to be slaughtered in Makkah on hajj.
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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