The Lawfulness of Wearing Silk if One is Suffering from an Itch

Earlier chapters establish that silk is normally not worn by men. Here Imam an-Nawawi shows the other side of that balance: where there is a genuine need, the general restriction gives way. The Arabic word in the title is hikkah, a persistent skin itch or irritation, and the point is that the Sharia is not rigid for its own sake.

Notice how the permission comes from the Prophet himself and is tied to a real ailment, not preference. The broad spiritual lesson is mercy: Allah's commands carry room for human weakness and hardship. The precise boundaries of when need lifts a restriction are a matter for scholars to detail.