Dress of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam

9-9-2001 | IslamWeb

Question:

What was the dress of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam? Is it long Thobe (robe) or shorter ones than the ones Arabs wear today? And if the answer is long Thobe, then how did the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and his companions perform Jihaad? Did he wear something different during Jihaad but wore long Thobe during the normal days/activities? Please answer my question as soon as you can.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds.  I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

All the narrations from the Prophet are in agreement that he ordered Muslim men to wear a short Thobe (robe) and there is nothing proving that he did the opposite, either in normal situations or during Jihaad. Thus, there is no doubt that the Prophet used to wear a Thobe that did not reach his ankles. He used to wear the shirt, the Izaar (a lower garment), the Ridaa' (a garment put over the shoulders and the upper part of the body) and he used to cover his head with an 'Amaamah (turban; a piece of cloth put over the head and around it).

The shirt of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was short and its sleeves did not exceed the wrist. Abu Daawood reported from Umm Salamah that she said, "The sleeves (of the shirt) of the Prophet did not exceed the wrist". Ibn Maajah reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas that he said, "The Prophet used to wear a short shirt with short sleeves".

Allaah Knows best.