Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
The izār refers to the voluminous garment that is wrapped around the lower part of the body.
Al-Bajūrī said,
The title also refers to the ridā’, which is the garment that covers the upper part of the body. This is similar to the use of the ayah: {And has made for you garments which protect you from the heat}[137] which actually refers to the cold too.
119. Abū Mūsa al-Ash’arī narrated: “Aisha showed us a patched garment that is worn to cover the upper part, and a coarse izār. She then said, ‘The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) passed away whilst wearing these two garments.’” [138]
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
The meaning of this hadīth is that he (peace be upon him) passed away while he had these garments to wear.
Al-Bajūrī said,
The reason Aisha kept the two garments of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was to seek blessing from his clothes. She also kept his jubbah (loose outer robe) and after she passed away, her sister Asmā’ took it and kept it.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī said,
The Prophet (peace be upon him) wore these rough clothes despite the fact he conquered many lands, subdued his enemies and had all the treasures before his hand. This is because he never cared about worldly pleasures and favoured the pleasures found in the Hereafter, and because he (peace be upon him) wanted his nation to follow the example of his lifestyle, especially when they are old.
120. Ubayd bin Khālid narrated: “I was once walking in Madīnah and I then heard a person from behind me say, ‘Lift your izār higher for that shows more piety and makes it last longer.’ When I turned to see who this was, I saw that it was the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him). I said, ‘O Messenger of Allāh! This is a black garment with white patterns!’ He replied, ‘Are you not taking me as your example?’ I looked at him and I saw that his izār reached until the halfway point of his shins.” [139]
Alī al-Qārī said,
Lifting the garment up [above the ankles] negates the arrogance and showing off that a long garment [hanging below the ankles] entails, and so one follows the order of Allāh (peace be upon him). This is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) said it shows more piety.
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
The reason why the companion stated the description of the wrap was to say that this kind of clothing cannot be used to show off or make one arrogant even if it reached below the ankle due to its simplicity.
Al-Bajūrī said,
The guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in respect to lifting the garment above the ankle applies to all types of clothes. This ruling is only applicable to men because it is recommended for women to let one inch of her clothes drag on the floor.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī said,
This hadīth shows us that a person should look after their clothes so that they do not become worn out as that will make one waste his money.
121. Salamah ibn al-Akwa’ narrated: “The izār of ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān would fall to the middle of his shins. ‘Uthmān said, ‘This is how my companion, the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) wore his izār.’” [140]
122. Hudhaifah ibn al-Yamān reported: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) caught the shin of my leg (the narrator doubted whether he heard it was his leg or the companion’s leg) and said, ‘This is where the izār should reach, and if not, then slightly lower, and if not, then it has no right to reach the ankles.’” [141]
Al-Bajūrī said,
The last part of the hadīth illustrates that one should be very cautious in ensuring that the izār does not even reach the ankle.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī said,
The ruling on the length of clothes after considering all the hadīths is that the Sunnah is to keep it to the halfway-point of the shin, and that it is lawful to let it reach to the ankle, and that it is disliked to let it reach below the ankle if no showing off is intended, otherwise it would be forbidden.