Islam and Silk: - Dr. V. R. Shenoy and Dr. A. R. Shenoy Silk in Islamic Canons

1|P a g e
ISLAM AND SILK

-Dr. V. R. Shenoy and Dr. A. R. Shenoy
SILK IN ISLAMIC CANONS
The influence of Islam on silk and its textiles is of a profound historical importance
considering the fact that most of the regions that became part of the Islamic
dominions already had a well established silk industry as a part of their heritage.
Islam views silk as a fabric essentially for the hereafter. Women are allowed to
wear silk, while men are generally forbidden to wear it. However, fabrics other
than silk containing embroidery in silk not more than the width between the
extended index and middle fingers are allowed for men. Naturally, this
embroidery was mostly Islamic calligraphy, as depiction of animals and humans on
fabrics or elsewhere is forbidden in Islam. Men with dermatological conditions
like itch and scabies are however permitted to wear silk. The Jami At-Tirmidhi, a
collection of various Hadiths mentions that one of the minor signs that the Day of
Judgment is close is that Men will begin to wear silk. It is clear that, in Islam,
since silk is a fabric reserved for the devout and the righteous in the hereafter,
wearing it in ones lifetime (for men) is at best avoided.
The various references regarding silk in various Islamic canons is given in the
extensive table below and shows the place of this cloth in Islam. The fact that it is
a fabric meant for use in the hereafter also adds to the allure and mystique of silk
in Islamic eschatology.
Islamic Reference Statement/Narrative on Silk
1 Quran, Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave)
018.031
(translators: Yusufali, Pickthal and
Shakir)
YUSUFALI: For them will be Gardens of Eternity; beneath them rivers will flow; they will
be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of fine silk and
heavy brocade: They will recline therein on raised thrones. How good the recompense! How
beautiful a couch to recline on!
PICKTHAL: As for such, theirs will be Gardens of Eden, wherein rivers flow beneath them;
therein they will be given armlets of gold and will wear green robes of finest silk and gold
embroidery, reclining upon throne therein. Blest the reward, and fair the resting-place!
SHAKIR: These it is for whom are gardens of perpetuity beneath which rivers flow,
ornaments shall be given to them therein of bracelets of gold, and they shall wear green robes
of fine silk and thick silk brocade interwoven with gold, reclining therein on raised couches;
excellent the recompense and goodly the resting place.
2 Quran, Al-Hajj (the pilgrimage) Surah
022.023
YUSUFALI: Allah will admit those who believe and work righteous deeds, to Gardens
beneath which rivers flow: they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearls;
and their garments there will be of silk.
PICKTHAL: Lo! Allah will cause those who believe and do good works to enter Gardens
underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will be allowed armlets of gold, and pearls, and
their raiment therein will be silk.
SHAKIR: Surely Allah will make those who believe and do good deeds enter gardens
beneath which rivers flow; they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and (with)
pearls, and their garments therein shall be of silk.
2|P a g e
3 Quran, Fatir (the angels, orignator)

Surah 035.033
YUSUFALI: Gardens of Eternity will they enter: therein will they be adorned with bracelets
of gold and pearls; and their garments there will be of silk.
PICKTHAL: Gardens of Eden! They enter them wearing armlets of gold and pearl and their
raiment therein is silk.
SHAKIR: Gardens of perpetuity, they shall enter therein; they shall be made to wear therein
bracelets of gold and pearls, and their dress therein shall be silk.
4 Quran, Ad-Dukhan (smoke) Surah
044.053
YUSUFALI: Dressed in fine silk and in rich brocade, they will face each other;
PICKTHAL: Attired in silk and silk embroidery, facing one another.
SHAKIR: They shall wear of fine and thick silk, (sitting) face to face;
5 Quran, Ar-Rahman (the beneficent, the
mercy giving) Surah 055.054
YUSUFALI: They will recline on Carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the
Fruit of the Gardens will be near (and easy of reach).
PICKTHAL: Reclining upon couches lined with silk brocade, the fruit of both the gardens
near to hand.
SHAKIR: Reclining on beds, the inner coverings of which are of silk brocade; and the fruits
of the two gardens shall be within reach.
6 Quran, Al-Insan (man) Surah 076.012 YUSUFALI: And because they were patient and constant, He will reward them with a
Garden and (garments of) silk.
PICKTHAL: And hath awarded them for all that they endured, a Garden and silk attire;
SHAKIR: And reward them, because they were patient, with garden and silk,
7 Quran, Al-Insan (man) Surah 076.021 YUSUFALI: Upon them will be green Garments of fine silk and heavy brocade, and they
will be adorned with Bracelets of silver; and their Lord will give to them to drink of a Wine
Pure and Holy.
PICKTHAL: Their raiment will be fine green silk and gold embroidery. Bracelets of silver
will they wear. Their Lord will slake their thirst with a pure drink.
SHAKIR: Upon them shall be garments of fine green silk and thick silk interwoven with
gold, and they shall be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord shall make them drink
a pure drink.
8 Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 15: The
Two Festivals (Eids), Number 69:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Umar: Umar bought a silk cloak from the market, took it to Allah's
Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Take it and adorn yourself with it during the 'Id and
when the delegations visit you." Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) replied, "This dress is for those who
have no share (in the Hereafter)." After a long period Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) sent to Umar a
cloak of silk brocade. Umar came to Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) with the cloak and said, "O
Allah's Apostle! You said that this dress was for those who had no share (in the Hereafter);
yet you have sent me this cloak." Allah's Apostle said to him, "Sell it and fulfill your needs
by it."
9 Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 21:
Prayer at Night (Tahajjud), Number
255:
Narrated Nafi: Ibn 'Umar said, "In the life-time of the Prophet I dreamt that a piece of silk
cloth was in my hand and it flew with me to whichever part of Paradise I wanted. I also saw
as if two persons (i.e. angels) came to me and wanted to take me to Hell. Then an angel met
us and told me not to be afraid. He then told them to leave me. Hafsa narrated one of my
dreams to the Prophet and the Prophet said, "Abdullah is a good man. Would that he offer the
night prayer (Tahajjud)!" So after that day 'Abdullah (bin 'Umar) started offering Tahajjud.
The companions of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to tell him their dreams that (Laila-tul-Qadr)
was on the 27th of the month of Ramadan. The Prophet said, "I see that your dreams agree on
the last ten nights of Ramadan and so whoever is in search of it should seek it in the last ten
nights of Ramadan."
Funerals (Al-Janaa'iz), Number 331:
Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib: Allah's Apostle ordered us to do seven things and forbade us
to do other seven. He ordered us: to follow the funeral procession. to visit the sick, to accept
invitations, to help the oppressed, to fulfill the oaths, to return the greeting and to reply to the
sneezer: (saying, "May Allah be merciful on you," provided the sneezer says, "All the praises
are for Allah,"). He forbade us to use silver utensils and dishes and to wear golden rings, silk
(clothes), Dibaj (pure silk cloth), Qissi and Istabraq (two kinds of silk cloths).
Fasting, Number 194:
Narrated Humaid: I asked Anas about the fasting of the Prophet. He said "Whenever I liked
to see the Prophet fasting in any month, I could see that, and whenever I liked to see him not
fasting, I could see that too, and if I liked to see him praying in any night, I could see that,
and if I liked to see him sleeping, I could see that, too." Anas further said, "I never touched
silk or velvet softer than the hand of Allah's Apostle and never smelled musk or perfumed
smoke more pleasant than the smell of Allah's Apostle."
Gifts, Number 782:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Umar: Umar bin Al-Khattab saw a silken dress (cloak) being sold
at the gate of the Mosque and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Would that you buy it and wear it on
Fridays and when the delegates come to you!" Allah's Apostle said, "This is worn by the one
who will have no share in the Hereafter." Later on some silk dresses were brought and Allah's
Apostle sent one of them to 'Umar. 'Umar said, "How do you give me this to wear while you
said what you said about the dress of 'Utarid?" Allah's Apostle said, "I have not given it to
you to wear." So, 'Umar gave it to a pagan brother of his in Mecca.
13 Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book
47:Gifts, Number 785:
Narrated Anas: A Jubba (i.e. cloak) made of thick silken cloth was presented to the Prophet.
The Prophet used to forbid people to wear silk. So, the people were pleased to see it. The
Prophet said, "By Him in Whose Hands Muhammad's soul is, the handkerchiefs of Sad bin
Mu'adh in Paradise are better than this." Anas added, "The present was sent to the Prophet by
Ukaidir (a Christian) from Dauma."
3|P a g e

Fighting for the Cause of Allah
(Jihaad), Number 171- 172
Narrated Anas: The Prophet allowed 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf and Az-Zubair bin Al-
'Awwam to wear silk. (Wearing of silk) was allowed to them (i.e. 'AbdurRahman and Az-
Zubair) because of the itching they suffered from.
Beginning of Creation, Number 471:
Narrated Anas bin Malik: A silken cloak was presented to the Prophet and he used to
forbid the usage of silk (by men). When the people were fascinated by the cloak. He said,
"By Allah in Whose Hands the life of Muhammad is, the handkerchiefs of Sad bin Mu'adh in
Paradise are better than this."
16 Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 56:
Virtues and Merits of the Prophet
(pbuh) and his Companions, Number
761:
Narrated Anas: I have never touched silk or Dibaj (i.e. thick silk) softer than the palm of the
Prophet nor have I smelt a perfume nicer than the sweat of the Prophet
Merits of the Helpers in Madinah
(Ansaar), Number 204:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Umar: While 'Umar was at home in a state of fear, there came Al-
'As bin Wail As-Sahmi Abu 'Amr, wearing an embroidered cloak and a shirt having silk
hems. He was from the tribe of Bani Sahm who were our allies during the pre-Islamic period
of ignorance. Al-'As said to 'Umar "What is wrong with you?" He said, "Your people claim
that they would kill me if I become a Muslim." Al-'As said, "Nobody will harm you after I
have given protection to you." So Al-'As went out and met the people streaming in the whole
valley. He said, "Where are you going?" They said, "We want Ibn Al-Khattab who has
embraced Islam." Al-'As said, "There is no way for anybody to touch him." So the people
retreated.
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: When 'Umar embraced Islam, all The (disbelieving) people
gathered around his home and said, "'Umar has embraced Islam." At that time I was still a
boy and was on the roof of my house. There came a man wearing a cloak of Dibaj (i.e. a kind
of silk), and said, "Umar has embraced Islam. Nobody can harm him for I am his protector." I
then saw the people going away from 'Umar and asked who the man was, and they said, "Al-
'As bin Wail."
Narrated 'Aisha: That the Prophet said to her, "You have been shown to me twice in my
dream. I saw you pictured on a piece of silk and some-one said (to me). 'This is your wife.'
When I uncovered the picture, I saw that it was yours. I said, 'If this is from Allah, it will be
done."
Wedlock, Marriage (Nikaah), Number
104:
Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib: The Prophet ordered us to do seven (things) and forbade us
from seven. He ordered us to visit the patients, to follow the funeral procession, to reply to
the sneezer (i.e., say to him, 'Yarhamuka-l-lah (May Allah bestow His Mercy upon you), if he
says 'Al-hamdulillah' (Praise be to Allah), to help others to fulfill their oaths, to help the
oppressed, to greet (whomever one should meet), and to accept the invitation (to a wedding
banquet). He forbade us to wear golden rings, to use silver utensils, to use Mayathir (cushions
of silk stuffed with cotton and placed under the rider on the saddle), the Qasiyya (linen
clothes containing silk brought from an Egyptian town), the Istibraq (thick silk) and the Dibaj
(another kind of silk).
Supporting the Family, Number 279:
Narrated 'Ali: The Prophet gave me a silk suit and I wore it, but when I noticed anger on his
face, I cut it and distributed it among my women-folk.
Food, Meals, Number 337:
Narrated 'Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Laila: We were sitting in the company of Hudhaifa
who asked for water and a Magian brought him water. But when he placed the cup in his
hand, he threw it at him and said, "Had I not forbidden him to do so more than once or
twice?" He wanted to say, "I would not have done so," adding, "but I heard the Prophet
saying, "Do not wear silk or Dibaja, and do not drink in silver or golden vessels, and do not
eat in plates of such metals, for such things are for the unbelievers in this worldly life and for
us in the Hereafter."
23 Sahih Bukhari,Volume 7, Book 65:
Food, Meals, Number 343:
Narrated Abu Huraira: I used to accompany Allah's Apostle to fill my stomach; and that
was when I did not eat baked bread, nor wear silk. Neither a male nor a female slave used to
serve me, and I used to bind stones over my belly and ask somebody to recite a Quranic
Verse for me though I knew it, so that he might take me to his house and feed me. Ja'far bin
Abi Talib was very kind to the poor, and he used to take us and feed us with what ever was
available in his house, (and if nothing was available), he used to give us the empty (honey or
butter) skin which we would tear and lick whatever was in it.
24 Sahih Bukhari,Volume 7, Book 69:
Drinks, Number 494v:
Narrated Abu 'Amir or Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari: that he heard the Prophet saying, "From
among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse,
the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as
lawful. And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the
evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but
they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.' Allah will destroy them during the night and
will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and
pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection."
Drinks, Number 536:
Narrated Ibn Abi Laila: While Hudhaita was at Mada'in, he asked for water. The chief of
the village brought him a silver vessel. Hudhaifa threw it away and said, "I have thrown it
away because I told him not to use it, but he has not stopped using it. The Prophet forbade us
to wear clothes of silk or Dibaj, and to drink in gold or silver utensils, and said, 'These things
are for them (unbelievers) in this world and for you (Muslims) in the Hereafter.' "
26 Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 69: Narrated Hudhaifa: The Prophet said, "Do not drink in gold or silver utensils, and do not
4|P a g e
Drinks, Number 537: wear clothes of silk or Dibaj, for these things are for them (unbelievers) in this world and for
you in the Hereafter."
Drinks, Number 539:
Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib: Allah's Apostle ordered us to do seven things and forbade us
from seven. He ordered us to visit the sick, to follow funeral processions, (to say) to a
sneezer, (May Allah bestow His Mercy on you, if he says, Praise be to Allah), to accept
invitations, to greet (everybody), to help the oppressed and to help others to fulfill their oaths.
He forbade us to wear gold rings, to drink in silver (utensils), to use Mayathir (silken carpets
placed on saddles), to wear Al-Qissi (a kind of silken cloth), to wear silk, Dibaj or Istabraq
(two kinds of silk).
Patients, Number 553:
Narrated Al-Bara bin Azib: Allah's Apostle ordered us to do seven things and forbade us to
do seven other things. He forbade us to wear gold rings, silk, Dibaj, Istabriq, Qissy, and
Maithara; and ordered us to accompany funeral processions, visit the sick and greet
everybody.
Dress, Number 718:
Narrated Aba 'Uthman An-Nahdi: While we were with 'Utba bin Farqad at Adharbijan,
there came 'Umar's letter indicating that Allah's Apostle had forbidden the use of silk except
this much, then he pointed with his index and middle fingers. To our knowledge, by that he
meant embroidery.
Dress, Number 719:
Narrated Abu 'Uthman: While we were at Adharbijan, 'Umar wrote to us: 'Allah's Apostle
forbade wearing silk except this much. Then the Prophet approximated his two fingers (index
and middle fingers) (to illustrate that) to us.' Zuhair (the sub-narrator) raised up his middle
and index fingers.
Dress, Number 720:
Narrated Abu 'Uthman: While we were with 'Utba. 'Umar wrote to us: The Prophet said,
"There is none who wears silk in this world except that he will wear nothing of it in the
Hereafter." ' Abu 'Uthman pointed out with his middle and index fingers.
Dress, Number 722:
Narrated Ibn Abi Laila: While Hudhaifa was at Al-Madain, he asked for water whereupon
the chief of the village brought him water in a silver cup. Hudhaifa threw it at him and said,
"I have thrown it only because I have forbidden him to use it, but he does not stop using it.
Allah's Apostle said, 'Gold, silver, silk and Dibaj (a kind of silk) are for them (unbelievers) in
this world and for you (Muslims) in the hereafter.'
Dress, Number 723:
Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet said, Whoever wears silk in this world shall not
wear it in the Hereafter."
Dress, Number 725:
Narrated Thabit: I heard Ibn Az-Zubair delivering a sermon, saying, "Muhammad said,
'Whoever wears silk in this world, shall not wear it in the Hereafter."
Dress, Number 726:
Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab: Allah's Apostle said, "None wears silk in this world, but
he who will have no share in the Hereafter."
Dress, Number 727:
Narrated Al-Bara: The Prophet was given a silk garment as a gift and we started touching it
with our hands and admiring it. On that the Prophet said, "Do you wonder at this?" We said,
"Yes." He said, "The handkerchiefs of Sad bin Mu'adh in Paradise are better than this "
Dress, Number 728:
Narrated Hudhaifa: The Prophet forbade us to drink out of gold and silver vessels, or eat in
it, And also forbade the wearing of silk and Dibaj or sitting on it.
Dress, Number 729:
Narrated Ibn Azib: The Prophet forbade us to use the red Mayathir and to use Al-Qassiy
Dress, Number 730:
Narrated Anas: The Prophet allowed Az-Zubair and 'Abdur-Rahman to wear silk because
they were suffering from an itch
Dress, Number 731:
Narrated Ali bin Abi Talib: The Prophet gave me a silk suit. I went out wearing it, but
seeing the signs of anger on his face, I tore it and distributed it among my wives.
Dress, Number 732:
Narrated Abdullah bin Umar: 'Umar saw a silk suit being sold, so he said, "O Allah's
Apostle! Why don't you buy it so that you may wear it when delegates come to you, and also
on Fridays?" The Prophet said, "This is worn only by him who has no share in the Hereafter."
Afterwards the Prophet sent to 'Umar a silk suit suitable for wearing. 'Umar said to the
Prophet, "You have given it to me to wear, yet I have heard you saying about it what you
said?" The Prophet said, "I sent it to you so that you might either sell it or give it to
somebody else to wear."
Dress, Number 733:
Narrated Anas bin Malik: that he had seen Um Kulthum, the daughter of Allah's Apostle ,
wearing a red silk garment.
Dress, Number 740:
Narrated Al-Bara: The Prophet ordered us to observe seven things: To visit the sick; follow
funeral processions; say 'May Allah bestow His Mercy on you', to the sneezer if he says,
'Praise be to Allah!; He forbade us to wear silk, Dibaj, Qassiy and Istibarq (various kinds of
silken clothes); or to use red Mayathir (silk-cushions).
Dress, Number 753:
Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib: The Prophet forbade us to use seven things: He forbade using
gold rings, silk, Istabraq, Dibaj, red Mayathir, Al-Qassiy, and silver utensils. He ordered us to
do seven other things. To pay a visit to the sick; to follow funeral processions; to say, "May
Allah be merciful to you" to a sneezer if he says "Praise be to Allah"; to return greetings, to
accept invitations; to help others to fulfil their oaths and to help the oppressed ones.
Good Manners and Form (Al-Adab),
Number 104:
Narrated 'Abdullah: 'Umar saw a silken cloak over a man (for sale) so he took it to the
Prophet and said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Buy this and wear it when the delegate come to you.'
He said, 'The silk is worn by one who will have no share (in the Here-after).' Some time
passed after this event, and then the Prophet sent a (similar) cloak to him. 'Umar brought that
cloak back to the Prophet and said, 'You have sent this to me, and you said about a similar
5|P a g e
one what you said?' The Prophet said, 'I have sent it to you so that you may get money by
selling it.' Because of this, Ibn 'Umar used to hate the silken markings on the garments.
Good Manners and Form (Al-Adab),
Number 241:
Narrated Al-Bara: The Prophet ordered us to do seven (things) and forbade us from seven
(other things): He ordered us to pay a visit to the sick, to follow funeral possessions, to say:
May Allah be merciful to you to a sneezer, - if he says: Praise be to Allah, to accept invitation
(invitation to a wedding banquet), to return greetings, to help the oppressed, and to help
others to fulfill their oaths (provided it was not sinful). And he forbade us from seven
(things): to wear golden rings or golden bangles, to wear silk (cloth), Dibaj, Sundus and
Mayathir.
Asking permission, Number 253g:
Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib: Allah's Apostle ordered us to do seven (things): to visit the
sick, to follow the funeral processions, to say Tashmit to a sneezer, to help the weak, to help
the oppressed ones, to propagate As-Salam (greeting), and to help others to fulfill their oaths
(if it is not sinful). He forbade us to drink from silver utensils, to wear gold rings, to ride on
silken saddles, to wear silk clothes, Dibaj (thick silk cloth), Qassiy and Istabraq (two kinds of
silk).
49 Sahih Muslim, Book 024, Number
5129:
Mu'awiya b. Suwaid b. Muqarrin reported: I visited al-Bara' b. 'Azib and heard him say:
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) commanded us to do seven things and forbade
us to do seven (things). He commanded us to visit the sick, to follow the funeral procession,
to answer the sneezer, to fulfil the vow, to help the poor, to accept the invitation and to greet
everybody, and he forbade us to wear rings or gold rings, to drink in silver (vessels), and to
use the saddle cloth made of red silk, and to wear garments made of Qassi material, or
garments made of silk or brocade and velvet.
5134:
'Abdullah b. Ukaim reported: While we were with Hudhaifa in Mada'in he asked for water.
A villager brought a drink for him in a silver vessel. He (Hudhaifa) threw it away saying: I
inform you that I have already conveyed to him that he should not serve me drink in it (silver
vessel) for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had said: Do not drink in gold and
silver vessels, and do not wear brocade or silk, for these are meant for them (the non-
believers) in this world, but they are meant for you in the Hereafter on the Day, of
Resurrection.
5140:
'Abd al-Rahmin b. Abu Laili reported that Hudhaifa asked for water and a Magian gave
him water in a silver vessel, whereupon he said: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Do not wear silk or brocade and do not drink ifi vessels of gold and
silver, and do not eat in the dishes made of them (i. e. gold and silver), for these are for them
(the non-believers) in this world.
5141:
Ibn Umar reported that Umar b. Khattab saw (some one selling) the garments of silk at the
door of the mosque, whereupon he said: Allah's Messenger, would that you buy it and wear it
for the people on Friday and for (receiving) the delegations when they come to you? Upon
this. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: go who wears it has no share (of
reward) in the Hereafter. Then these garments were sent to Allah" s Messenger (may peace
be upon him), and he presented one of these silk garment to Umar. Thereupon Umar said:
You make me wear (this silk garment) Whereas you said about the silk garment of Utarid
(the person who had been busy selling this garment at the door of the mosque) what you had
to say, whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: I have not presented you
this for wearing it (but to make use of its price) ; so 'Umar presented it to his polytheist
brother in Mecca.
5143:
Ibn Umar reported that Umar saw Utarid al-Tamimi standing in the market (and selling)
the silk garments, and he was the person who went to (courts of) kings and got (high prices)
for these garments from them. Umar said: Allah's Messenger I saw 'Utarid standing in the
market with a silk garment; would that you buy and wear it for (receiving) the delegations of
Arabs when they visit you? I (the narrator) said: I think he ('Umar) also said: You may wear
it on Friday (also). Thereupon, Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) said: He who
wears silk in this world has no share in the Hereafter. Later on when these silk garments were
presented to Allah's Massenger (may peace be upon him) he presented one silk garment to
'Umar and presented one also to Usama b. Zaid and gave one to 'Ali b. Abu 'Talib. saying:
Tear them and make head coverings for your ladies. 'Umar came carrying his garment and
said: Allah's Messenger, you have sent it to me, whereas you had said yesterday about the
(silk) garment of Utarid what you had to say. He (the Holy Prophet) said: I have not sent it to
you that you wear it, but I have sent It to you so that you may derive benefit out of it; and
Usama (donned) the garment (presented to him) and appeared to be brisk, whereupon Allah's
Apostle (may peace be upon him) looked at him with a look by which he perceived that the
Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) did not like what he had done. He said: Allah's
Messenger. why is it that you look at me like this. whereas you yourself presented it to me?
He said: I never sent it to you to wear it, but I sent It to you so that you may tear it and make
out head covering for your ladies.
6|P a g e

5144:
Abdullah b. Umar reported: 'Umar b. at-Khattab found a silk garment being sold in the
market; he purchased it and brought it to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and
said: Allah's Messenger, get it and adorn yourself (by wearing it) on the 'Id (days) and for the
delegation. Thereupon, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: That is the dress of
one who has no share (in the Hereafter). 'Umar stayed there so long as Allah wished. Then
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) sent him a silk cloak. 'Umar came back with that
to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: Allah's Messenger. you said that it
is the dress of one who has no share in the Hereafter, but then you sent it to me. Thereupon,
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: You sell it and meet your need (with its
proceeds).
5146:
lbn 'Umar reported that 'Umar saw a person of the tribe of 'Utirid selling a garment made
of brocade or silk and said to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him): Would that you
buy it? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: He who wears it has no share for him in the
Hereafter. Then Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was presented with a striped
silk garment and he sent it to him ('Umar). He (, Umar) said: You sent it to me whereas I
heard from you about it what you had to say, whereupon he (Allah's Messenger) said: I sent it
to you so that you may benefit by it.
5149:
Abdullah. the freed slave of Asma' (the daughter of Abu Bakr). the maternal uncle of
the son of 'Ata, reported: Asma' sent me to 'Abdullah b. 'Umar saying: The news has
reached me that you prohibit the use of three things: the striped robe. saddle cloth made of
red silk. and the fasting in the holy month of Rajab. 'Abdullah said to me: So far as what you
say about fasting in the month of Rajab, how about one who observes continuous fasting? -
and so far as what you say about the striped garment, I heard Umar b. Khatab say that he had
heard from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him): He who wears silk garment has no
share for him (in the Hereafter), and I am afraid it may not be that striped garment; and so far
as the red saddle clotb is concerned that is the saddle cloth of Abdullah and it is red. I went
back to Asma' and informed her. whereupon she said: Here is the cloak of Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him). and she brought out to me that cloak made of Persian cloth with a
hem of brocade, and its sleeves bordered with brocade and said: This was Allah's
Messenger's cloak with 'A'isha until she died, and when she died. I got possession of it. The
Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to wear that, and we washed it for the sick
and sought cure thereby.
5150:
Khalifa b. Ka'b AbCi Dhubyan reported: I heard 'Abdullah b. Zubair addressing the
people and saying: Behold! do not dress yuor women with silk clothes for I heard 'Umar b.
Khattab as sayinp that he had heard Allah's messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
Do not wear silk, for one who wear it in this world will not wear it in the Hereafter.
5151:
'Asim al-Abwal reported on the authority Abu Uthman saying: 'Umar wrote to us when
we were in Adharba'ijan saying: 'Utba b. Farqad, this wealth is neither the result of your own
labour nor the result of the labour of your father, nor the result of the labour of your mother,
so feed Muslims at their own places as you feed (members of your family and yourselves at
your own residence), and beware of the life of pleasure, and the dress of the polytheists and
wearing of silk garments, for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade the
wearing of silk garments, but only this much, and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) raised his. forefinger and middle finger and he joined them (to indicate that only this
much silk can be allowed in the dress of a man). 'Asim said also: This is what is recorded in
the letter (sent to us), and Zuhair raised his two fingers (to give an idea of the extent to which
silk may be used).
5153:
Abu 'Uthman reported: While we were with 'Utba b. Farqad there came a letter of 'Umar
(containing the instructions) that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had said: None
should wear silk (with the exception of so much) but he will have nothing of it in the
Hereafter. Abu 'Uthman said: To the extent of two fingers which are close to the thumb, and I
was shown the (silk) borders of the Tayalisa mantle (which were about two fingers in breadth
and I saw them.
5154:
Qatada reported: I heard Abe 'Uthman al-Nahdi as saying: There came to us a letter of
'Umar as we were in Adharba'ijan or in Syria in the company of 'Utba b. Farqad (and the
letter ran thus): After (usual praise and glorification of Allah) it is stated that Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) has forbidden the use of silk btit to the extent of these
two fingers, and Abu Uthman said: We at once understood by these words that he meant
(silk) patterns on (the cloth).
5156:
Suwaid b. Ghafala said: 'Umar addressed us at a place known as Jabiya (Syria) and he said:
Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) forbade us the wearing of silk but to the extent of
two or three fingers or four fingers.
5159:
'Ali reported: A silk cloak was presented to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him).
and he sent it to me and I wore it. but then found some sign of disapproval upon his face,
whereupon he said: I did not send it to you that you wear it, but I sent it to you so that you
might tear it and make out head dream for your women.
7|P a g e

5161:
'Ali reported that Ukaidir of Duma presented to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) a
silk garment, and he presented it to 'Ali. and said: Tear it to make head covering for Fitimas
out of it. This tradition is transmitted on the authority of Abu Bakr, and Abu Kuraib said:
Among the women.
5162:
'Ali b. Abu Talib reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) gave me to
wear a garment in the form of silk cloak. I went out wearing it, but saw signs of anger on his
face, so I tore it and distributed it amongst my women.
5163:
Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (may Peace be upon him) sent a silk gown
to 'Umar, whereupon 'Umar said: You sent it to me whereas you said what you had to, say (i.
e. it is forbidden for men). Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: I did not send it to you so
that you might wear it, but I sent it to you so that you might derive benefit from its price.
5164:
Anas reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: He who wore silk in
this world would not wear it in the Hereafter.
5165:
Abu Umama reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) having said: He who
wore silk in this world would not wear it in the Hereafter.
5166:
Uqba b. 'Amir said: A silk gown was presented to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) and he wore it and observed prayer in it and then returned and put it off so violently as
if he despised it. He then said: It does not befit the God-fearing persons.
5168:
Anas b. Malik reported to them (his companions) that Allah's Messnger (may peace be
upon him) had granted concession to 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf and Az-Zubair bin Al-
'Awwam for the wearing of a silk shirt during the journey and because of itch which they
both had or any other disease from which both of them had been suffering.
5170:
Anas reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) granted concession, or
'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf and Az-Zubair bin Al-'Awwam were granted concession, for the
wearing of silk because of the itch that they both had.
5172:
Anas b. Malik reported that ''Abdur-Rahman bin 'Auf and Az-Zubair bin Al-'Awwam
complained to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) about lice; he granted them
concession to wear shirts of silk.
5176:
'Ali b. Abu Talib reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade
wearing of silk and yellow clothes, and the gold ring, and the reciting of the Qur'an in the
ruku' (state of kneeling in prayer).
5178:
'Ali b. Abu Talib reported: Allah's Meisenger (may peace be upon him) forbade me to use
gold rings. to wear silk clothes and to recite the Qur'an in ruku' and sajda (prostration), and to
wear yellow garments.
5226:
Ali reported: He the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him), forbade me that I should wear
my ring in this (forefinger) or in that near it. 'Asim (one of the narrators in the chain of
transmitters) said: He did not remember which of the two (fingers) he pointed out; and he
forbade to wear Qassi material (silk garments), and to sit on the silk saddle cloth, and he said:
As regards Qassi, it is a variegated garment which was brought from Egypt and Syria which
had figures upon it, and as regards Mayathir, it is something which women prepared for their
husbands as red cloths for their saddles.
5255:
A'isha reported: We had a curtain with us which had portraits of birds upon it. Whenever a
visitor came, he found them in front of him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upop him) said to me: Change them, for whenever I enter the room) I see them and it brings
to my mind (the pleasures) of worldly life. She said: We had with us a sheet which had silk
badges upon it and we used to wear it. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of
Ibn Muthanna but with this addition: 'Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) did not
command us to tear that."
5759:
Anas reported: I never smelt ambergris or musk as fragrant as the fragrance of the body of
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and I never touched brocade or silk and found it
as soft as the body of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him).
5760:
Anas reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had a very fair complexion
and (the drops) of his perspiration shone like pearls, and when he walked he walked inclining
forward, and I never touched brocade and silk (and found it) as soft as the softness of the
palm of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and I never smelt musk or ambergris
and found its fragrance as sweet as the fragrance of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him).
5977:
'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) having said: I saw you in a
dream for three nights when an angel brought you to me in a silk cloth and he said: Here is
your wife, and when I removed (the cloth) from your face, lo, it was yourself, so I said: If this
is from Allah, let Him carry it out.
8|P a g e

6036:
Al-Bara' reported that a garment of silk was presented to Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him). His Companions touched it and admired its softness; thereupon he said: Do you
admire the softness of this (cloth)? The handkerchiefs of Sa'd bin Mu'adh in Paradise are
better than this.
6038:
This hadith has been reported on the authority of Shu'ba combining the two chains of
transmitters. Anas bin Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
was presented a garment of sundus and he prohibited the use of silk. The persons admired it,
whereupon he said: By Him in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, the kerchiefs of Sa'd
bin Mu'adh in Paradise are better than this.
6039:
Anas reported the king of Dumat al-Jandal presented to Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) the garment and lie made no mention (of the fact) that he prohibited the use of
silk.
6056:
Ibn 'Umar reported: I saw in a state of sleep as if I have in my hand a piece of silk cloth
and there is no place in the Paradise where I intend to reach but that piece of cloth does not
fly towards it. I made a mention of it to Hafsa (the sister of Ibn 'Umar) and Hafsa made a
mention of it to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), whereupon Allah's Apostle (may
peace be upon him) said: I find 'Abdullah b 'Umar a pious person.
83 Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 32: Clothing
(Kitab Al-Libas), Number 4027:
Narrated Sa'd: I saw a man riding on a white mule and he had a black turban of silk and
wool. He said: The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) put it on me. This is the version
of Uthman, and there is the word akhbara in his tradition.
Narrated Abu Amir or Abu Malik:
AbdurRahman ibn Ghanam al-Ash'ari said: AbuAmir or AbuMalik told me--I swear by
Allah another oath that he did not believe me that he heard the Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him) say: There will be among my community people who will make
lawful (the use of) khazz and silk. Some of them will be transformed into apes and swine.
Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The king of Rome presented a fur of silk brocade to the
Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and he wore it. The scene that his hands were moving (while
wearing the robe) is before my eyes. He then sent it to Ja'far who wore it and came to him.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: I did not send it to you to wear. He asked: What
should I do with it? He replied: Send it to your brother Negus.
Narrated Imran ibn Husayn: The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: I do not ride on
purple, or wear a garment dyed with saffron, or wear shirt hemmed with silk. Pointing to the
collar of his shirt al-Hasan (al-Basri) said: The perfume used by men should have an odour
but no colour, and the perfume used by women should have a colour but no odour.
Sa'id said: I think he said: They interpreted his tradition about perfume used by women as
applying when she comes out. But when she is with her husband, she may use any perfume
she wishes.
Narrated AbuRayhanah: Abul Husayn, al-Haytham ibn Shafi said: I and a companion of
mine called AbuAmir, a man from al-Ma'afir went to perform prayer in Bayt al-Maqdis
(Jerusalem). Their preacher was a man of Azd called AbuRayhanah, who was a companion
of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him).
AbulHusayn said: my companion went to the mosque before me. I went there after him
and sat beside him. He asked me: Did you hear the preaching of AbuRayhanah? I said: No.
He said: I heard him say: The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) forbade ten things:
Sharpening the ends of the teeth, tattooing, plucking hair, men sleeping together without an
under garment, women sleeping together without an under-garment, men putting silk at the
hem of their garments like the Persians, or putting silk on their shoulders like the Persians,
plundering, riding on panther skins, wearing signet rings, except in the case of one in
authority.
Narrated Ali ibn Abu Talib: The Prophet of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) took silk and
held it in his right hand, and took gold and held it in his left hand and said: both of these are
prohibited to the males of my community.
Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah: We used to take it away (i.e. silk) from boys, and leave it
for girls. Mis'ar said: I asked Amr ibn Dinar about it, but he did not know it.
Narrated Mu'awiyah: The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Do not ride on silk stuff
and panther skins.
91 Malik's Muwatta, Book 48, Number
48.3.5:
Malik related to me from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that A'isha the wife of the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, dressed Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr in a
shawl of silk which A'isha used to wear.
9|P a g e
92 Malik's Muwatta, Book 48, Number

48.8.18:
Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that Umar ibn al-
Khattab saw a silk robe at the door of the mosque. He said, "Messenger of Allah, would you
buy this robe and wear it on jumua and when envoys come to you?" The Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Only a person who has no portion in the
next world wears this." Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, was brought some robes of the same material and gave Umar ibn al-Khattab one of the
robes. Umar said, "Messenger of Allah, do you clothe me in it when you said what you said
about the robe of Utarid?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, "I did not give it to you to wear." Umar gave it to a brother of his in Makka who
was still an idolater.
Sourced from the Online Resources on Islamic Studies of University of Southern California.
ESTABLISHMENT OF SILK AS A COMMODITY IN ISLAMIC
SOCIETIES
The pre-Islamic Arabs were familiar with silk, situated as they were on the ancient
silk routes. Islamic power came to encompass many highly civilized countries
sedentary, urban areas of the Byzantine Middle East and Sassanian Iranwhere
many people with a more sophisticated cultural tradition than the Arabs became
subject to the Islamic state. The Arabs also needed to learn how to rule and benefit
from the highly developed civilizations now under their rule.
Following the models of Byzantine and Sassanian administrative institutions,
Arabs employed Persian or Greek-speaking clients (mawalis, meaning non-Arab
Muslim) to run the state machinery for practical purposes. The clients who enjoyed
a high status in their own society were willing to join the new elite by serving the
Islamic state. As the clients became Muslims and vowed loyalty to the Caliph, a
new generation of clients who spoke Arabic emerged around 700 AD (Lapidus Ira
M, 1988, A History of lslamic Societies, Cambridge University Press). In fact,
some of the mawalis rose to great positions in the society of their times, the most
famous example of such a mawali is that of Numn ibn Thbit ibn Zu ibn
Marzubn better known as Abu Hanifa, the founder of Sunni Hanafi school of fiqh
(Islamic jurisprudence). Abu Hanifa was of a mawali of Persian origin. His father
was a silk merchant and Abu Hanifa set up a silk weaving business where he
showed scrupulous honesty and fairness. Once his agent in another country sold
some silk cloth on his behalf but forgot to point out a slight defect to the
purchasers. When Abu Hanifa learned this, he was greatly distressed as he had no
means of refunding their money. He immediately ordered the entire proceeds of the
sale of the consignment of silk to be distributed to the poor (Nu'mani, Shibli
(1998), Imam Abu Hanifah Life and Works, Translated by M. Hadi Hussain.
Islamic Book Service, New Delhi). Theological deliberations on the amount of
10|P a g e
silk yarn to be allowed in garments worn by Muslims were not just the conjectures
of ulemas, but genuine problems related to silk industry and commerce. Actually
several medieval Muslim scholars bore family names related to silk, such as silk-
worker, silk-weaver or silk-merchant, while others engaged in silk production and
trade themselves (Goitein, S.D., 1967, 1971, 1978, A Mediterranean Society, the
Jewish Communities of the Arab World as Portrayed in the Documents of the
Cairo Geniza, I, II, III, University of California Press).
Also, the Arab ruling class could not afford to be seen as that distant from the
subjugated in the interests of stability and governance. The affinity for silk among
the ruled peoples passed on to the Islamic rulers as well. An interesting
conversation between the son of the last Umayyad Caliph Marwan (744-750 AD)
and the Nubian King, to whose country, Marwans son fled after the fall of the
Caliphate in Damascus is given in Al-Masudis historical work Meadows of
Gold(Al Masudi, The Meadows of Gold, the Abbasids, trans, into English by
Paul Lunde & Caroline Stone (London & New York: Kegan Paul International.
1989)) and shows how despite Quranic injunctions the Caliphs and their courtiers
took to silk. The anecdote is that of the son of the last Umayyad Caliph Marwan
containing conversation between him and the Nubian King: I had been in Nubia
three days when the king came to see me. Although I had had a valuable carpet
spread out for him, he sat on the ground. I asked him why he refused to sit on
our carpet and he replied: Because I am a king and the duty of a king is to
humble himself before the power of God, who has made him great.' Then he said
to me: 'Why do you drink wine when your Book forbids it?' I answered: 'Our
slaves and our followers have the audacity to do so ... ' 'Why.' he went on, 'do
you allow your cavalry to trample the fields when your Book has forbidden you
destruction?' These arc again our slaves and our followers, who have behaved
thus in their ignorance.' 'Why,' proceeded the king, 'do you wear brocade and
silk and gold, in spite of the prohibitions of your Book and your religion?' I
retorted: 'As power fled from us, we called upon the support of alien races that
have entered our faith and we have adopted these clothes from them.'
As for silk decorations, there was unanimity in the Islamic cannons on one
principle, that silk could be used for covering the Kaaba. The hadiths compiled
during the 8
th
and 9
th
centuries reflect a balance between pragmatism and
theological obligations in Islam, thus a robe decorated with a silk stripe that was
11|P a g e
less than two or three fingers in width or a cloth woven with silk warp but with the
weft of other fabrics would not harm the wearer's future life (Xinru Liu, Silk and
Religion, Oxford University Press, 1996).
It was inevitable that the Caliphs and Sultans, living in a world where the display
of pomp and splendor as a reflection of superiority, greatness and valour was an
established norm, could not resist the impulse to do the same through their attire
and indulge in a luxury that reflected their status befitting their glory. For
example, the list of treasuries left by the great Caliph, Harun al-Rashid, in 809 AD
contains the following silk/silken items (Ibn al-Zubayr. Kitab al-Dhakha'ir wa'l-
Tuhaf. 214-18, quoted in Lewis Bernard, 1987, Islam, from the Prophet
Muhammad to the Capture of Constantinople, vol. II, Religion & Society (New
York: Oxford University Press):-
4000 embroidered robes
4000 silk cloaks, lined with sable, mink and other furs
10.000 shirts and shifts
10.000 caftans
2000 drawers of various kinds
4000 tutbans 1000 hoods
1000 capes of various kinds
5000 kerchiefs of different kinds
500 (pieces of) velvet
1000 Armenian carpets
4000 curtains
1500 silk carpets
100 silk nigs
1000 silk cushions and pillows
1000 cushions with silk brocade
1000 inscribed silk cushions
1000 silk curtains
300 silk brocade curtains
Despite religious rules, it seemed impossible to prohibit Muslims from wearing or
using silks when they became the rulers of people who viewed silk as a desirable
luxury (Xinru Liu). Eventually, a general guideline for regulating the textile
industry and trade as reflected by the Tiraz textiles emerged.
Islamic regulations forbade using human and animal figures as a form of
decoration, thus, calligraphy and inscriptions became the most important form of
artistic expression in Islamic arts, including textile designs. However, as the
inscriptions had to be embroidered or woven with silk thread on the border of the
textile, the width of silk allowed, i.e. how wide the band of inscriptions should be
in accordance with the moral standard of the Islamic religion, was a serious issue
to be discussed. Therefore, the debate on whether the silk band on linen or cotton
textiles should be of two fingers' width or of four entered the arena of specific
12|P a g e
religious and technological instructions, and determined the production of fabric in

tiraz factories (Kuhnel, Earnst, 1952, Catalogue of Dated Tiraz Fabrics
(Washington D.C.: Textile Museum)).
Tiraz textiles document increasing government control over the textile industry,
names of officials and rulers associated with these prestige items, the spread of
Arabic language, the phenomenal popularity of the written word, as well as the
special economic force of gift giving (Tiraz and Other Inscribed Textiles, On-line
Document, the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan).
The word "tiraz" is of Persian origin and meant embroidery, especially a robe with
embroidered bands with writing on them. It came to mean an inscription-
embroidered, woven, or painted. "Tiraz" was also used to designate the royal
factories that manufactured such work and the operations of these factories. The
technological and artistic development of Islamic textiles which transcended that
of many contemporary civilizations was achieved through the Tiraz system, an
institution to implement the Islamic sumptuary laws on silks (Marzouk,
Mohammad Abdil Aziz, 1955, History of Textile Industry in Alexanderia, 331
BC-1517 AD, Alexanderia University Press).
The Tiraz system flourished and persisted into the thirteenth century, but reached
its height during the Umayyad and Abbasidian caliphates, when the power of the
Caliphs was at its apex (Serjeant, Robert Bertram, 1972, Islamic Textiles (Berut:
Librairie du Liban)).
The Tiraz institution represented the Islamic religious and political authority of the
time, naturally, the name of the authority was inscribed on most textiles produced
under the Islamic regime. Early tiraz inscriptions were executed in square, angular
kufic letters with silk thread, on linen textiles in Egypt, and cotton and mulham
textiles in Mesopotamia (Britton, Nancy Pearce., 1983, A Study of Some Early
Islamic Textiles in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). The emphasis was on the
content of the inscription. From the twelfth century, the Fatimids began to use
more decorative, round naskhi letters (Kuhnel).
There were two types of tiraz factories in the Islamic world those of the Caliph,
which produced garments for the Caliph and his family and the honorary robes for
the inmates of the warehouse of the caliphate and the public tiraz which produced
13|P a g e
garments for the public with the inscribed bands. The inscriptions began with the
religious statement which appears at the beginning of most chapters of the Koran:
"In the name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful', followed by the name and
title of the ruling Caliph, with a phrase in blessing, such as 'May God prosper him',
or 'May God strengthen him'. On garments made in the tiraz shops of the Caliph,
there would also be the name of the wazir, i.e. the prime minister who was in
charge of the Caliph's tiraz workshops. The next phrase usually indicated that the
piece was made in the Caliph's or in the public tiraz shop in a certain city, followed
by the date according to the Islamic calendar (Britton). When the central power of
the caliphate weakened, after the eleventh century, the format for the inscriptions
became simple with one short pious phrase, such as 'victory from God' or 'the
Kingdom of God' (Britton).

Three pieces of silk with the tiraz inscription in the name of Marwan, one of the Umayyad caliphs, exists in three pieces, all found in Egypt. The
first piece is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, which contains the caliph's name. The second piece is in the Whitworth Art Gallery,
Manchester, and has the words "in the tiraz factory of Ifriqiyah". Finally, the third piece was acquired by the Brooklyn Museum. Florence Day,
Assistant Curator of Near Eastern Art at the Metropolitan Museum in New York dates this tiraz inscription in Kufic script to the time of the
Umayyad caliph Marwan I, i.e., Marwan ibn al-Hakam (64-65 AH / 684-85 AD). Her comparative study of the cloth motives with those in the
mosaics of the Dome of the Rock and the wall-painting of Qusair Amra corroborates this dating. This dating makes it the earliest known Islamic
textile. (from http://www.islamic-awareness.org/History/Islam/Inscriptions/tiraz.)
14|P a g e

Brooklyn Museum, Collections: Arts of the Islamic World:
Tiraz Fragment of Caliph Marwan II

Tiraz Fragment of Caliph Marwan II
This extraordinary silk tiraz fragment belongs to a group of fragments
that together make up the earliest dateable Islamic textile. When placed
together, the fragments' inscription, seen along the upper register of the
Brooklyn fragment in yellow silk, reads: "The servant of God,
Marwan, Commander of the Faithful. Of what was ordered [to be made
by] al-R. [or al-Z.] in the tiraz of Ifriqiya [Tunisia]." Although there
were two rulers named Marwan during the reign of the Umayyads
(661750 AD), the earliest Islamic dynasty, the textile is ascribed to
Marwan II (reigned 744750 AD),
The most extant tiraz fabrics are not luxury silks, but silken embroidered
inscriptions on linen and cotton (mostly linen), even though historical sources of
literature mention luxurious silken tiraz produced all over the Islamic world. This
is most likely due to the fact that literary sources tended to record outstanding
achievements, while most tiraz fabrics were made of common materials (Xinru
Liu). Furthermore, most of the tiraz that have survived are from Egyptian tombs
due to the climate of that country, where linen fabric was famous and silk weaving
was limited before its subjugation to Islamic regimes. Egyptians had long been
accustomed to burying their dead in cheap clothes, and the linen clothes found in
tombs often show signs of mending (Gervers, Veronika. 1983, 'Medieval
Garments in the Mediterranean World, in Cloth and Clothing in Medieval
Europe, eds N.B. Harte & K.G. Ponting (London: Heinemann Educational
Books Ltd)). Of the eleven hundred pieces of dated or datable tiraz known of in
1935, over a thousand were made in Egypt and 45 in other countries (Day,
Florence, 1937, 'Dated Tiraz in the Collection of the University of Michigan',
Ars Islamica, vol. iv, pp. 420-47). In the many years that have passed since then,
more tiraz textiles have been found, but the whole picture has not changed.

15|P a g e

Source: Contadini, Anna, Fatimid Art at the Victoria &
Albert Museum. London: V&A Publications, 1998. p.60,
plate.13

This is a piece of glazed linen with an inscription
embroidered in crimson silk.

Place of Origin: Egypt (made)
Date: 9th century AD (made)
Materials and Techniques: embroidered in silks on linen
canvas
Style: Fatimid
Marks and inscriptions:
Allah aba al-Abbas al-Mutadid bi-llah amir al-mu
minin anjazah Allah ma amara bi-fasl sanat ithnayn
thamanin miatayn 'Allah, Abu al'Abbas al-Mu'tadid
bi-lla,Commander of the faithful. May God fulfil for him
that which he commands. In the season of the year 282' 1)
Decoration 2) Makers's mark; Arabic; Centre;
embroidered; silk thread
Object history note: From a cemetery in Akhmim.

Albert Museum. London: V&A Publications, 1998. p.61,
plate14.

The textile is a place piece of undyed, glazed linen with a
large red inscription woven across.

Date:10th century AD (made)
Materials and Techniques: woven linen and silk
Style: Fatimid
'[bis] mi-llah al-rahman al-rahim al-mut[I] br (?) sanat
sab' wa khamsin wa thalathi-mi'a' 'In the name of God the
Merciful the Compassionate. Al-Mut[I] br (?) in the
year 357' 1) Decoration 2) Makers's mark; Arabic; centre;
woven

16|P a g e
Source: Contadini, Anna, Fatimid Art in the Victoria &

Albert Museum, London: V&A Publications, 1998. p. 64-
5, plate 19

Linen and silk tiraz with a narrow decorative band, and
two rows of inscriptions. The narrow decorative band is
of silk woven with a pattern of two conventionalized birds
seated facing one another, with a small tree between, and
another tree between each pair. The pairs are alternately
green and blue, and the background is in two tones of
yellow.

Date: 996-1021 AD (made)
Style: Fatimid
[bism] Allah al-rahman al-rahim nasr min Allah li-'abd
[al] .../ ['ab]d Allah wa walih ...al-Mansur / al-tahirin
mimma umira bisti'milah fi tiraz al-'a[mma?]... "[In the
name of] God the Merciful the Compassionate, the victory
is from God to the servant ... and agent of God ... al-
Mansur / the pure ones. This is what has been ordered to
be made in the tiraz al-'a[mma?] ..." Arabic
Albert Museum. London: V&A Publications, 1998. p. 66,
plate 22

This is a fragment of fine linen, with bands of tapestry,
woven in coloured silks and linen thread on the warp
threads of linen.

Date: 1035-94 AD (made)
Style: Fatimid
Bismallah al-rahman al-rahim la ilaha illa Allah salla
[Allah] 'a[layhima] / . . . al-Munstansir bi-llah amir al-
muminim salawat Allah 'alayh wa 'ala aba'ih [al-akari]m
al-tahirin wa abna'ih al-muntasirin "In the name of God
the compassionate the Merciful. There is no God but God,
Muhammad is the Prophet of God, 'Ali is the vicar of God,
prayer .../al-Munstansir billah, Commander of the Faithful,
blessing of God be on him and on his [noble] and pure
ancestors and his victorious descendants." What follows
al-Mustansir's name is a well-known Fatimid formula,
which is found on several monuments also.

Object history note:
From a cemetery at Erment (Upper Egypt).
The climate of Egypt has helped preserve the rich collection of Fatimid tiraz, so an
examination of these materials to study the changes brought about by Islamic rule
in the Egyptian textile industry was possible. Islamic power did not destroy the
Byzantine government textile shops but took over the system and employed
original Christian inhabitants, the Copts, as weavers. The continuity in technology
and artistic style may suggest that the tiraz system was correspondent to the
17|P a g e
Byzantine state workshop, the gynaeceum (Xinru Liu). While the Caliph strictly
controlled textile production in the Nile delta region through the tiraz system, the
Upper Egyptian textile centres, such as Faiyum, had more freedom to maintain
Coptic traditions, notably more freedom to decorate textiles with figural patterns.
The weavers there perhaps did not understand Arabic inscriptions and so their
inscriptions were more decorative and less readable (Kuhnel). Coptic traditions
survived and even revived in the south, and influenced the north. Thus animal
motifs appear in the textiles found in the Delta region under the Fatimids (969-
1171 AD). The Fatimids not only imported textiles from Persia, Iraq, Spain and
Byzantium, but also workmen from these places (Serjeant). The imported samples
and foreign workmen enriched the repertoire of textile designs and a new Islamic
textile style evolved in the Fatimid period. Silk fabric became common in the
opulent court. The tiraz institution was even more powerful now. The head of tiraz
was a man of worth and enjoyed many privileges. His monthly cloth allowance
included various silk textiles and clothes. He was also allowed to ride a horse given
by the Caliph during his visits to Cairo, the Fatimid capital (Serjeant; Marzouk).
Albert Museum. London: V&A Publications, 1998, p.67,
plate 23

This fragment consists of a band tapesty-woven in
coluored silks of fine linen warps. In the middle is a
winged animal in yellow, red and white on a blue oval
medallion; above and below are fragments of an Arabic
inscription in green on a red ground.

Date: unknown
Style: Fatimid
al-mu'(minin) (?); sl . . . (?). no translation given A larger
piece belonging to the same textile is in the Musee du
Cluny in Paris (cl.21.871). It shows the winged animal
three times between two lines of inscriptions. The
inscriptions read as: (top) bismallah al-rahman "in the
name of God the Merciful"; (bottom) thaman wa aarba'in
wa arba'mi'a "four hundred and forty-eight2 (al-
Munstansir, 1056/448).

Object history note:
From al-Kharjah (Egypt)

As enemies of the Sunni Abbasid Caliphs, the robes of the Shi'a Fatimids were
markedly different and purposely not black. This large-scale granting of robes was
18|P a g e
necessary because these robes became rank-markers in the court (semiotic

virtuosity). Soon after they came to Egypt, in the mid-tenth century, the Fatimids
established a hierarchy of administration as well as that of clothes. The robes of the
prime minister (wazir), the chief judge (qadi) and the head chamberlain were of
silk with a golden tiraz. The lesser officials received linen robes with a golden or
silk tiraz (Xinru Liu cites Bierman, Irene A., 1980, From Politics to Art: the
Fatimid Uses of Tiraz Fabrics, Ph.D. Dissertation for University of Chicago,
micro-film). This practice reminds us that Egypt was under Byzantium before it
came under Islamic rule, and the Fatimids maintained close contact with the
Byzantines (Xinru Liu).
Among the Fatimids, the luxury robes of honour were not only for the ruling dass.
At his will, the ruler would grant robes to an artist or to others who pleased him.
The Fatimid Caliph, al'Aziz, had been granting robes of honour to jurists residing
in the mosque of al-Azhar on the day of breaking their fast since the year 988 AD
(Lewis Bernard). High officials followed the example of the Caliph to show their
patronage of the arts and learning. Yazuri, a minister in the court of the Fatimid
Caliph, Mustansir (1035-1094 AD), once bestowed robes of honour on two artists
who executed beautiful paintings (Arnold Thomas, 1928, Painting in Islam
(Oxford: 1928)).

SILK TRADE INVOLVING ISLAMIC AND NON ISLAMIC
CIVILIZATIONS
Merchants enjoyed a high status in Islamic society, and among them the most
prestigious were the textile merchants. There are many quotations ascribed to the
Prophet in praise of trade as the best livelihood, and traders as the best Muslims:
The honest, truthful Muslim merchant will stand with the martyrs on the Day of
Judgment (Ala'Uddin Ali al-Muttaqi ibn Hisam-Uddin al-Hindi's 'Kanz al-
Ummal fi sunan al-aqwal wa'l af`al' (Treasure of the Doers of Good Deeds)).
The spread of the tiraz system in Islamic countries and the fashion among the
common Muslims of wearing silk or partially silk clothes shows that silk
production and trade increased substantially in a large area during the first five or
six centuries of Islamic rule. When sericulture and silk weaving reached lands as
19|P a g e
far as North Africa and Spain, silk weavers from all the Islamic countries
legitimately produced silk textiles for the people who could afford them. Silk was
more valuable than other materials, and so traders invested in silk and carried it
across continents. In the complex picture of transactions in various silk fibers and
textiles, a market network based on the supply and demand emerged, which linked
the many Islamic and non-Islamic ethnic groups and civilizations and helped to
transfer ideas and fashions beyond the borders of the major religions and languages
of the early medieval world (verbatim from Xinru Liu).
The following terms for different types of silks are gleaned from Islamic Textiles:
Material for a History up to the Mongol Conquest (Serjeant):-
Harir Silk in general
Buzyun or rumi Byzantine brocade or silk brocade in Byzantine style
Washi Variegated silk
Ibrism Silk yarn or textile made of unbroken cocoon
Khazz Floss silk
Mukhmal Velvet, pile
Mulham Half silk textile, with silk warp and other materials as weft
Dibaj Silk brocade
Qabati , Kubati Silk tapestry border on a linen ground made in
Egypt or in the Coptic style
Harir Sini Chinese silk in general
Kamkha A kind of figured Chinese silk and many kinds
of Chinese silks
Silk transactions in the Islamic empire also took the form of gift-exchanging, robe-
granting and trade, as elsewhere in the contemporary world, but covered a much
larger geographical area. Unlike the rulers of other big empires, the governments in
Islamic countries did not monopolize or restrict trade in silk. In fact, they
themselves indulged in the lavish consumption of silk and other luxuries.
Sometimes the Caliphs and Sultans demanded the best silks for themselves from
traders. The demand from the rulers was so great that whenever traders had
difficulty in selling their stock they could always sell it to the government
(verbatim, from Xinru Liu - quoted from Goitein).
As silk was more valuable than other textiles, traders and pilgrims preferred
carrying silk over long distances which fetched them higher profits. The elegant
ladies and gentlemen of Baghdad also wore silks from China and other distant
countries. There were many important ports and routes that linked Baghdad and the
core Islamic land to the world. Zabid on the Red Sea was the gateway to China
and the seaport of Yemen (Serjeant quoted by Xinru Liu). Aden was a port that
received goods from 'Sind, Hind, China, Zandj, Fars, Basra, Jidda, and Kidzum'.
20|P a g e
Baghdad was linked to Raisut by road and caravans transported textiles from
Baghdad to other countries and brought back Indian products (Serjeant quoted by
Xinru Liu). Egypt was another international trading centre in the Islamic world.
Jewish merchants were the main agents of trade, and silk was the principle form of
investment. Even before the reign of the Fatimids, the tiraz cloth of Alexandria was
so famous that it was traded in remote countries, from Scotland to India (Serjeant
quoted by Xinru Liu). Even Delhi imported robes made in Alexandria for honorary
gifts (Marzouk). Egypt also imported silk textiles. The saddle cloth of the Fatimids
was made of rumi (Byzantine) brocade and of bukalamun, the name indicating that
it was from Bukhara. The Egyptians merely added an inscription bearing the name
of the Sultan on the borders of the saddle cloth (Serjeant quoted by Xinu Liu).
Silks from China went to Islamic countries by sea and land, lb Khordadzbeh wrote
in the mid-ninth century that China exported silk textiles such as white silk (harir),
varicoloured silk (firanb) and golden brocade (kimkhaw) (quoted from
Khordadzbeh BY Ferrand Gabriel in his book, Relations de Voyages et Texts
Geographiques Arabes, Persans et Turcs Relatifs a L 'Extreme-Orient, Du VIIIe
au XVIlIe siecles, 1914, (Paris: Ernest Leroux)).
The development of a silk industry in Islamic lands and the aesthetical values and
variety of Islamic silks enabled Persian-Arabian merchants to export silks to
China. The famous zandaniji woven in the Bukhara region, found its way to
Tunhuang as wrappings of Buddhist texts (Shepherd, D.C. & W.B. Henning,
1959, 'Zandaniji Identified?', Aus der Welt de Islamischen Kuntt, Festschrift
Ernst Kuhnel. Berlin). The Norman occupation of Antioch (1098-1268 AD) and
the kingdoms of Acre and Jerusalem (1098-1187 AD), enabled Italian merchants to
import Syrian textiles in quantity (Starensier. Adele La Barre, 1982, An Art
Historical Study of the Byzantine Silk Industry, Ph.D. dissertation, Columbia
University). Similarly, the Norman occupation of Sicily, the base of sericulture for
the Fatimids, made Fatimid silks more readily available in European countries
(Bierman).
Spain was another point of contact between the Muslims and Christians. In
addition to regular trade, regional politics encouraged the exchange of gifts among
Islamic rulers and Christian princes. In 997 AD, after a military victory, the
Muslim minister, Mansur, rewarded Christian princes and the Muslims who
21|P a g e
supported him with 2285 pieces of various kinds of tiraz silk, 21 pieces of sea wool
(suf al-bahr), 2 robes perfumed with ambergris, 11 pieces of scarlet cloth
(siklaturi), 15 of striped stuff, 7 carpets of brocade, 2 garments of Roman (Rumi)
brocade and 2 marten furs (Serjeant). These items remind us of the Islamic silks
found in Christian Spain, like the figured silk with Arabic inscriptions found in the
tomb of Bishop Gurb of Barcelona and the Islamic silks used for Christian liturgy
(quoted by Xinru from Shepherd, DC, 1978, 'A Treasure from a Thirteenth
Century Tomb', Bulletin, Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 65, no. 4. pp. 111-29).
The disintegration of the tiraz system began in the peripheral regions of the
Abbasid Empire where Sultans developed their own tiraz system. From the mid-
tenth century even the tiraz in Baghdad was under the control of the Persian Shiite
Buwayhid princes. The caliphate obviously could not stop the Buyid Sultan of the
Fars in Iran from replacing the name of the Caliph with that of the Sultan on the
tiraz (quoted by Xinru from Serjeant).

CONCLUSION
The divergence between creed and practice despite the finality of Quranic
instructions led in no small measure to the development of the institution of Tiraz
textiles. This goes to show that even though the Quran set a fixed code, the
theologists in Islam found ways of interpreting it in a manner to suit needs of the
society at large. This was fortuitous for the silk industry, considering the fact that
most of regions conquered by Islamic Arabs like Persia, Central Asia, Byzantine
Egypt, etc already had a flourishing silk industry. The technological and artistic
development of Islamic textiles which surpassed that of many contemporary
civilizations was achieved through the Tiraz system.
In Fatimid Egypt there was to a great extent the continuation of Byzantine
influence in Tiraz textiles, since most of the weavers were Coptic Christians; thus,
we have examples of Tiraz from Fatimid Egypt with figural patterns and animal
motifs normally forbidden in Islam.

Islam and Silk: - Dr. V. R. Shenoy and Dr. A. R. Shenoy Silk in Islamic Canons

Diunggah oleh

Informasi Dokumen

Judul Asli

Hak Cipta

Format Tersedia

Bagikan dokumen Ini

Bagikan atau Tanam Dokumen

Opsi Berbagi

Apakah menurut Anda dokumen ini bermanfaat?

Apakah konten ini tidak pantas?

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

Islam and Silk: - Dr. V. R. Shenoy and Dr. A. R. Shenoy Silk in Islamic Canons

Diunggah oleh

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

1|P a g e

ISLAM AND SILK

3 Quran, Fatir (the angels, orignator)

14 Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52:

54 Sahih Muslim, Book 024, Number

63 Sahih Muslim, Book 024, Number

79 Sahih Muslim, Book 031, Number

92 Malik's Muwatta, Book 48, Number

religious and technological instructions, and determined the production of fabric in

Source: Contadini, Anna, Fatimid Art in the Victoria &

necessary because these robes became rank-markers in the court (semiotic

Anda mungkin juga menyukai