Is it true that Ibn Abd al-Hadi, Ibn Qudamah, and Ibn Muflih al-Hanabilah became Sufis and wore the Sufi khirqah?

Summary of the Answer:

First: Wearing the woolen cloak (khirqa) is not exclusive to Sufis. Some Sunnis, such as Ibn Qudamah, Al-Dhahabi, and Ibn al-Mubarrad, wore it. It is even said that Ibn Taymiyyah himself wore it.

Second: The Sufi khirqa is a specific garment worn over clothes. It may be called "al-Muraqqa'ah" (the patched garment) or "al-Dalq." Early scholars disliked acts of worship that involved wearing wool. Some consider the Sufi khirqa to represent a spiritual, not material, chain of transmission.

Third: The chain of transmission (sanad) of the khirqa, which supposedly traces back to Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), or to Al-Hasan al-Basri, or to Omar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), is invalid and without basis according to verified scholars. This has been explicitly stated by Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Jawzi, Al-Dhahabi, and others.

Fourth: The khirqa is worn for various purposes, including abstaining from sins, curing hearts, following a spiritual path, seeking blessings from the righteous, and maintaining a connection to the chain of transmission.

Fifth: The ruling on wearing the khirqa: If one believes it to be a Sunnah, then they have introduced an innovation. It is originally from permissible acts, but making it a Sunnah or a path to Allah is an innovation. As for what is associated with it, such as a righteous intention or a covenant, it is weighed against the Qur'an and Sunnah. In some cases, wearing the khirqa has transformed into reprehensible practices.

Sixth: The term "Sufism" is an inclusive term that encompasses devotees and ascetics, but it has also been infiltrated by those who believe in superstitions and atheists. One must differentiate between praising a specific ascetic Sufi and praising the Sufi group in general.

Seventh: Our stance on scholars who wore the Sufi khirqa: There is no necessary connection between wearing the khirqa and superstitions or innovations. Some scholars saw its permissibility and were not known for Sufi superstitions, while others did not see its permissibility even if they wore it at the beginning of their journey. A scholar does not exit the fold of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah by this action, as long as their creed is sound and they follow the predecessors of the Ummah, especially since the issue may be obscure due to varying investigative approaches. A person does not leave the fold of Ahl al-Sunnah except under specific conditions, such as the innovation being in a fundamental principle, or the issue being a matter of consensus, or not stemming from an interpretation.