The Devils Deception by Imam Ibn AL-Jawzi

Chapter Eleven: The Devil's Deception of the $U.fts
people is one of them."165
Mul).ammad Ibn Tahir said: When I entered Baghdad to read l).adith
for Abii Mul).ammad al-Sukkari, he told me: You are a student of
l).adith, why do you have silk threads in the patches you have on your
clothes? So I replied: "O Shaikh! Asma' the daughter of Abii Bakr
(rat/!J.Alltihu 'anhumd) said that Allah's Messenger (;i) used to have a
cloak with a hem of brocade, and its sleeves bordered with brocade.166
This brocade was not of the material of the cloak, so it is
permissible forthe patch not to be of the same material as the original
garment."
Al-Sukkari was correct in his criticism, and lbn Tahir showed little
understanding. It was common to wear cloaks with hems made from
brocade. So there was no attempt for showing off in wearing it. As
for the patches of silk, they are an attempt of seeking fame as well
as of showing off in being ascetic.
I told you that they make patches from perfect clothes, not out of
necessity, but to seek fame. This is why many of their own Shaikhs
disliked them.
Ja'far al-I:latha' said: When people's hearts became vacant of useful
things, they busied themselves with outward appearance; he was
referring to those wearing colored rags.
Mul).ammad Ibn Mul).ammad Ibn 'AU al-Kattani told some of them:
My brothers! If your clothes are consistent with what is in your
hearts, then you are seeking for people to see what is in your hearts,
and if it were inconsistent with what is in your hearts, then - by the
165
TirmidhI #2819.
166
Muslim #2069.
307