Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Karim Yahya, SunniPath Academy Teacher
Is it sunnah to put something over the right shoulder over on top of clothing because I have seen scholars such as Habib ‘Umar and Habib ‘Ali, and also normal people with a large cloths over their right shoulders on top of their thobe?,
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In The name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
This garment is called a rida’ in Arabic and was worn by the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). Shaykh Ibn Hajar (Allah have mercy on him) said in his book Darr al-Ghumama: “al-Rida’ is the garment that is cast over the shoulders; it is put over the clothing.
It is similar to al-Taylasan, except the Taylasan is put over the head and shoulders and the rida’ is put on the shoulders [alone] and perhaps sometimes it is on the head.”[1] It is praiseworthy to wear a rida’ during prayer or other times with the intention of emulating the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace).
The style of wearing it mentioned in this question is customary in Yemen amongst the scholars and common people and in other areas of the Muslim world. However one might find some of the jurists in the Shafi’i School take the position that wearing a rida’ on one shoulder is offensive (makruh). Out of deference to the acknowledged practice (‘urf) of the scholars of Hadramaut (May Allah preserve them) of whom this needy slave is a student, I refrained from citing these positions. And Allah knows best and He alone gives success (tawfiq).
[1] Due to a lack of the original source we took this quote of Ibn Hajar from: Sa’id Bin Muhammad Ba ‘Ashin, Bushra al-Karim Bi Sharh Masa’il al-Ta’lim (Beirut, Dar al-Fikr, 1412 A.H. [1992 A.D.]), p. 357.
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