He (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible for a soldier to wear some silk, gold, or silver to fight, or at the time the enemy’s messengers reach the Muslims? He answered: Praise be to Allah. Muslims agree that wearing silk when fighting, if necessary, is permitted; this is so nothing else substitutes for it in fending off weapons and assuring protection. As far as wearing it to terrorize the enemy, the scholars have two points of view; the most substantiated of which is that this is permissible. Indeed the army in Sham wrote to ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab: Whenever we have faced the enemy, and have seen that they cover – that is, wrap their weapons with silk – we met with terror in our hearts. ‘Umar wrote back to them: So you all cover your weapons like they cover theirs. Even more so since wearing silk is flaunting, and Allah likes flaunting during fighting, as it is in the sunnah that the Prophet (SAW) said: Indeed there is flaunting that Allah likes, and there is flaunting that Allah hates; the flaunting that Allah likes is when a man shows off for war and in giving alms, and the kind of flaunting that Allah hates is flaunting to oppress or out of pride. On the day of Uhud, Abu Dujana Al-Ansari was going around arrogantly among the ranks, and the Prophet (SAW) said: Indeed Allah hates walking like this except in this situation. However a small amount of silk, like what is shown by four fingers or approximately that, is generally permitted; but there is disagreement among scholars regarding the gold that can be shown, although the most substantiated view is that it is permitted as well, since it is in the sunnah that the Prophet (SAW) prohibited gold except in small pieces.