Cotton clothing was preferred by the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), while wearing wool was permissible under certain conditions. In other words, there are no restrictions on wearing cotton, but wearing wool is conditional. These conditions include the following:
1. For night vigil and supplication at particular times of worship and prayer
2. To share in the pain and hardship of the needy and the poor
3. To bring one’s standard of living into line with the economic circumstances of most believers
4. Illness and cold
5. Wearing it temporarily on particular occasions to cultivate humility
...
We should also bear in mind that woolen clothing is the emblem of some hypocrites and innovators. In this respect, too, the revered figures did not look favorably on it.
The following hadiths support what has been said:
عنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: لَا يُلْبَسُ الصُّوفُ وَ الشَّعْرُ إِلَّا مِنْ عِلَّةٍ.
Imam al-Sadiq (AS): “Wool and hair should not be worn except for a particular reason.”
بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص لَمْ يَكُنْ يَلْبَسُ الصُّوفَ وَ الشَّعْرَ إِلَّا مِنْ عِلَّةٍ.
Imam al-Sadiq (AS): “The Messenger of God (PBUH) wore wool and hair only for a particular reason.”
عنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فِي وَصِيَّتِهِ لَهُ قَالَ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ يَكُونُ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ قَوْمٌ يَلْبَسُونَ الصُّوفَ فِي صَيْفِهِمْ وَ شِتَائِهِمْ يَرَوْنَ أَنَّ لَهُمُ الْفَضْلَ بِذَلِكَ عَلَى غَيْرِهِمْ أُولَئِكَ يَلْعَنُهُمْ أَهْلُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ.
The Messenger of God (PBUH): “O Abu Dharr! At the end of time, a people will appear who wear woolen garments in summer and winter, considering this a virtue and a sign of asceticism and piety. The angels of the heavens and the earth will curse them.”
Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 5, p. 34. Shaykh Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan, Muʾassasat Āl al-Bayt (AS), Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
عنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ الْخَزَّازِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ عَلَيْهِ قَمِيصٌ غَلِيظٌ خَشِنٌ تَحْتَ ثِيَابِهِ وَ فَوْقَهَا جُبَّةُ صُوفٍ وَ فَوْقَهَا قَمِيصٌ غَلِيظٌ فَمَسِسْتُهَا فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّ النَّاسَ يَكْرَهُونَ لِبَاسَ الصُّوفِ فَقَالَ كَلَّا كَانَ أَبِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ ع يَلْبَسُهَا وَ كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع يَلْبَسُهَا وَ كَانُوا ع يَلْبَسُونَ أَغْلَظَ ثِيَابِهِمْ إِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ وَ نَحْنُ نَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ.
Al-Kāfī (Islamic edition), vol. 6, p. 450. Kulaynī, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, Tehran, fourth edition, 1407 AH.
Ibn Kathīr says: “I saw Imam al-Sadiq (AS) wearing a thick, coarse shirt beneath his clothes, with a woolen cloak over it and another coarse shirt on top. I touched it and said, ‘May I be your ransom, people dislike wearing wool.’ He replied, ‘Never. When my father, Imam al-Baqir (AS), Imam al-Sajjad (AS), and the other Imams (AS) intended to pray, they would put on their thickest and coarsest clothes. We do the same.’”
عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حُسَيْنِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع جُبَّةَ صُوفٍ بَيْنَ ثَوْبَيْنِ غَلِيظَيْنِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ رَأَيْتُ أَبِي يَلْبَسُهَا إِنَّا إِذَا أَرَدْنَا أَنْ نُصَلِّيَ لَبِسْنَا أَخْشَنَ ثِيَابِنَا.
Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 4, p. 454. Shaykh Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan, Muʾassasat Āl al-Bayt (AS), Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
Kathīr says: “I saw Imam al-Sadiq (AS) wearing a woolen garment between two thick garments. I asked, ‘What is this garment?’ He replied, ‘My father used to wear it, and whenever we, the Ahl al-Bayt, wish to pray, we put on our coarsest clothes.’”
عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: كَانَ لِأَبِي ثَوْبَانِ خَشِنَانِ يُصَلِّي فِيهِمَا صَلَاتَهُ وَ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ الْحَاجَةَ لَبِسَهُمَا وَ سَأَلَ اللَّهَ حَاجَتَهُ.
Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 4, p. 455. Shaykh Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan, Muʾassasat Āl al-Bayt (AS), Qom, first edition, 1409 AH.
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: “My father had two coarse garments in which he performed his prayers. Whenever he wished to ask God for something, he would put them on and ask God to grant his request.”
عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ: مَرَّ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ فَرَأَى أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ عَلَيْهِ ثِيَابٌ كَثِيرَةُ الْقِيمَةِ حِسَانٌ فَقَالَ وَ اللَّهِ لَآتِيَنَّهُ وَ لَأُوَبِّخَنَّهُ فَدَنَا مِنْهُ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهِ مَا لَبِسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص مِثْلَ هَذَا اللِّبَاسِ وَ لَا عَلِيٌّ وَ لَا أَحَدٌ مِنْ آبَائِكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فِي زَمَنٍ قَتْرٍ مُقْتِرٍ وَ كَانَ يَأْخُذُ لِقَتْرِهِ وَ إِقْتَارِهِ وَ إِنَّ الدُّنْيَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَرْخَتْ عَزَالِيَهَا فَأَحَقُّ أَهْلِهَا بِهَا أَبْرَارُهَا ثُمَّ تَلَا- قُلْ مَنْ حَرَّمَ زِينَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَ لِعِبادِهِ وَ الطَّيِّباتِ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ “3” فَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ مَنْ أَخَذَ مِنْهَا مَا أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ غَيْرَ أَنِّي يَا ثَوْرِيُّ مَا تَرَى عَلَيَّ مِنْ ثَوْبٍ إِنَّمَا لَبِسْتُهُ لِلنَّاسِ ثُمَّ اجْتَذَبَ بِيَدِ سُفْيَانَ فَجَرَّهَا إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ الثَّوْبَ الْأَعْلَى وَ أَخْرَجَ ثَوْباً تَحْتَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى جِلْدِهِ غَلِيظاً فَقَالَ هَذَا لَبِسْتُهُ لِنَفْسِي غَلِيظاً وَ مَا رَأَيْتَهُ لِلنَّاسِ ثُمَّ جَذَبَ ثَوْباً عَلَى سُفْيَانَ أَعْلَاهُ غَلِيظٌ خَشِنٌ وَ دَاخِلُ ذَلِكَ ثَوْبٌ لَيِّنٌ فَقَالَ لَبِسْتَ هَذَا الْأَعْلَى لِلنَّاسِ وَ لَبِسْتَ هَذَا لِنَفْسِكَ تَسُرُّهَا
*Biḥār al-anwār* (Beirut edition), vol. 47, p. 360
Sufyan al-Thawri encountered Imam al-Sadiq (AS) in the Sacred Mosque and saw that he was wearing fine, costly clothes. “By God,” he said, “I’m going to rebuke him.” He approached the Imam and said, “O son of the Messenger of God! By God, neither the Noble Prophet nor Ali al-Murtada, nor any of your honoured forefathers, ever wore clothes like these.”
Imam al-Sadiq (AS) replied, “The Noble Prophet lived at a time when people were poor and destitute, and he lived in keeping with their hardship. But after him, prosperity became widespread. The most deserving of worldly blessings are the righteous and the virtuous.” He then recited this verse: “ قُلْ مَنْ حَرَّمَ زِينَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَ لِعِبادِهِ وَ الطَّيِّباتِ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ ” and said, “We are more deserving than anyone of God’s blessings.”
Then he took Sufyan’s hand and drew him closer, moved aside his outer garments, and showed him the coarse, rough garment he wore underneath. “I wear this for myself,” he said. “It is coarse and rough; what you saw was for people.” Then he lifted the hem of Sufyan’s robe. Sufyan wore a coarse, rough garment on the outside, but beneath it was a soft garment. The Imam said, “You wear this rough, coarse garment on the outside to show people that you are ascetic and devout, while underneath you wear this soft garment for your own comfort and enjoyment.”