Abu Dawud mentioned in his Sunan that the Prophet (S) is related to have said, “The difference between us and the pagans is that we wear the ‘imama on top of the qalansuwa.”
What is a Qalansuwa?
qalansuwa thawiila
A taller cap. It was tapered.Probably was cone shaped, or may have been a truncated cone. Its height was supported by an internal frame work of reeds or wood. Eventually the tall form of qalansuwa was reserved for judges (30,31).
(ref: Ahsan, M.M. (1979), Social Life under the Abbasids. Longman Group United Kingdom)
-note: (to get a perspective of time period, Sahih Bukhari was compiled under Abbasid Rule)
Elsewhere:
Usually the qalansuwa was a simple cone, but it could also be cut to curve around the side of the face and to extend down the back of the neck. Sometimes the qalansuwa is worn alone, sometimes with a simple criss-crossed winding clith (takhfifa), and sometimes with a full turban cloth wrapped around it.
(ref: Stillman, Y (2003). Arab Dress: A Short History : from the Dawn of Islam to Modern Times (pg 72) Amsterdam: BRILL.)
Basically every piece of artwork representing people in the past 1400 years shows this style with small adjustments here and there from Ottoman times to the times immediately around the Prophet (S), to the Prophet’s (S) own turban as demonstrated here.
Sultan Mehmed I with his dignitaries -(Artwork Dated: 1413-1421) - Source: Badisches Landesmuseum
August 20th, 2008 - 5:56 pm
BismillahirRahmanirRahim
As-salamu alaykum brother Yursil. Excellent post!
This is a slap in the face of those people who ridicule the Naksibendi taj and it is so nice to have this (for me) new information about the Sunnah of the qalansuwah and turban.
August 21st, 2008 - 6:01 am
Salaams,
Yet another excellent post from Sidi Yursil, masha’allah!! This shows the sunnah of the Naqshbandi turban and how it most closely resembles Prophet (saw) turban. For me the naqshbandi turban is the most beautiful of all the turbans.