Street of Hyderabad – Topi

As per Islam Gold is barred for men. We all know that. But do you know that even Silk is Haraam (barred) for men?

Well, I didn’t know.

The other day I was taking a stroll near Charminar and what caught my attention were various vendors displaying different kind of topis (caps used while offering Namaz)

I stopped by one and started admiring.

As a child I remember my Mom making topis for all of us. Using the remaining cloth piece from a shirt or a kurta, she used to neatly make a cap. And sometimes she used the crochet to make enchanting designs for us. Oh! How much efforts used to go in?

But today, the art of making topis at home has died down. Why just caps, everything that used to be prepared at home once upon a time; be it snacks or clothes or anything else, today is an industry in itself and abundance of that is available in the market.

Topis are no different.
Sayeed had variety of topis in his kart. From adults to children, various shapes and sizes were available and that too in attractive designs. Even the simpler ones were very attractive because of their simplicity.

He had varieties of topis, Saudi, Bangladeshi, Ajmeri, Indonesian, Sartaj and so many more.

There was a black one which was very attractive with motifs made of sequins on it. I asked about that and he said, “saab, don’t take that. You should not offer namaz in that”.

I asked him the reason but he couldn’t explain and that’s when I spoke to the Imam of our Masjid and he explained that Gold & Silk are haraam for men in any form.

He added that these two are meant for zeb-o-zeenat (to look attractive) allocated for women so that they can beautify themselves but men are not supposed to look beautiful (read feminine) hence these two are barred for men and allowed for women.

This was an eye opener for me.
The only exception given is if a person has a skin infection and he is medically advised to wear Silk, that a man can wear silk.

I never knew our simple looking topis and the busy streets of Hyderabad can teach me a lesson for life.

So I will carry on and try to seek few more unknown gems that will bejewel me, on the streets

By Capt Ahmed
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