ذِكْرُ مَا يَعْمَلُ الْمَرْءُ عِنْدَ صَلَاتِهِ إِذَا كَانَ مَعَهُ ثَوْبٌ وَاحِدٌ غَيْرُ وَاسِعٍ

I asked Jabir bin ʿAbdullah about praying in a single garment. He said, "I traveled with the Prophet ﷺ during some of his journeys, and I came to him at night for some purpose and I found him praying. At that time, I was wearing a single garment with which I covered my shoulders and prayed by his side. When he finished the prayer, he asked, 'O Jabir! What has brought you here?' I told him what I wanted. When I finished, he asked, 'O Jabir! What is this garment which I have seen and with which you covered your shoulders?' I replied, 'It is a (tight) garment.' He said, 'If the garment is large enough, wrap it round the body (covering the shoulders) and if it is tight (too short) then use it as an Izar (tie it around your waist only.)' "  

خَرَجْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي بَعْضِ أَسْفَارِهِ فَجِئْتُ لَيْلَةً لِبَعْضِ أَمْرِي فَوَجَدْتُهُ يُصَلِّي وَعَلَىَّ ثَوْبٌ وَاحِدٌ فَاشْتَمَلْتُ بِهِ وَصَلَّيْتُ إِلَى جَانِبِهِ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ مَا السُّرَى يَا جَابِرُ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِحَاجَتِي فَلَمَّا فَرَغْتُ قَالَ مَا هَذَا الاِشْتِمَالُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ قُلْتُ كَانَ ثَوْبٌ يَعْنِي ضَاقَ قَالَ فَإِنْ كَانَ وَاسِعًا فَالْتَحِفْ بِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ ضَيِّقًا فَاتَّزِرْ بِهِ  

[Machine] "I only do this so that fools like you can see me. They will spread rumors about Jabir being given permission by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Jabir said, 'I went out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on one of his journeys. I came to him one night while he was praying in one garment, and I had one garment on as well. I sat beside him.' He said, 'O Jabir, what is this sitting?' He said, 'When you pray and you have one garment, if it is spacious, wrap yourself in it, but if it is tight, cover yourself with it.'"  

إِنَّمَا أَفْعَلُ هَذَا لِيَرَانِي الْحَمْقَى أَمْثَالُكُمْ فَيُفْشُوا عَلَى جَابِرٍ رُخْصَةً رَخَّصَهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ ثُمَّ قَالَ جَابِرٌ خَرَجْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي بَعْضِ أَسْفَارِهِ فَجِئْتُهُ لَيْلَةً وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فِي ثَوْبٍ وَاحِدٍ وَعَلَيَّ ثَوْبٌ وَاحِدٌ فَاشْتَمَلْتُ بِهِ ثُمَّ قُمْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ قَالَ يَا جَابِرُ مَا هَذَا الِاشْتِمَالُ؟ إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ وَعَلَيْكَ ثَوْبٌ وَاحِدٌ فَإِنْ كَانَ وَاسِعًا فَالْتَحِفْ بِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ ضَيِّقًا فَاتَّزِرْ بِهِ  

[Machine] "When we entered upon him, we found him praying in a garment wrapped around him, and his cloak was close to him. If he wanted to take it, it would have reached him. So when he finished praying, we asked him about his prayer in one garment. He said, 'I do this so that the fools like you may see me, and then they may spread the news that Jabir has been granted a permission by the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ .' He told me that while I was out with the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , on one of his journeys, I came to him one night for a matter of mine and found him praying, and I had only one garment. So, I spread it out and prayed beside him. When he finished, he said, 'What is this, O Jabir?' So, I informed him of my need. He said, 'O Jabir, what is this garment you spread out?' I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, it was a tight garment.' He said, 'When you pray and you have one garment, then wrap yourself in it. And if it is spacious, then spread it out and pray on it. And if it is tight, then cover yourself with it.'" The Sheikh mentioned in my book is Sa'id bin Sulaiman bin Al-Harith, in the handwriting of Al-Shirazi. The correct narration is Sa'id bin Al-Harith."  

فَلَمَّا دَخَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَدْنَاهُ يُصَلِّي فِي ثَوْبٍ مُلْتَحِفًا بِهِ وَرِدَاؤُهُ قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ لَوْ تَنَاوَلَهُ بَلَغَهُ قَالَ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ سَأَلْنَاهُ عَنْ صَلَاتِهِ فِي ثَوْبٍ وَاحِدٍ فَقَالَ أَفْعَلُ هَذَا لِيَرَانِيَ الْحَمْقَى أَمْثَالُكُمْ فَيُفْشُونَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ رُخْصَةً رَخَّصَهَا لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنِّي خَرَجْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي بَعْضِ أَسْفَارِهِ فَجِئْتُهُ لَيْلَةً لِبَعْضِ أَمْرِي فَوَجَدْتُهُ يُصَلِّي وَعَلَيَّ ثَوْبٌ وَاحِدٌ فَاشْتَمَلْتُ بِهِ وَصَلَّيْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ مَا السُّرَى يَا جَابِرُ؟ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِحَاجَتِي قَالَ يَا جَابِرُ مَا هَذَا الِاشْتِمَالُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ؟ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ كَانَ ثَوْبًا وَاحِدًا ضَيِّقًا فَقَالَ إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ وَعَلَيْكَ ثَوْبٌ وَاحِدٌ فَإِنْ كَانَ وَاسِعًا فَالْتَحِفْ بِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ ضَيِّقًا فَاتَّزِرْ بِهِ قَالَ الشَّيْخُ فِي كِتَابِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بِخَطِّ الشِّيرَازِيِّ وَالصَّوَابُ سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ