Is this hadith about the prohibiton of Khazz authentic?

Question

I've seen this hadith in sunan Abi Dawud

"Abu Amir or Abu Malik told me--I swear by Allah another oath that he did not believe me that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: There will be among my community people who will make lawful (the use of) khazz and silk. Some of them will be transformed into apes and swine.

Abu Dawud said: Twenty Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) or more put on khazz. Anas and al-Bara' b. 'Azib were among them. https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4039

Abu Dawud says that 20 of the sahaba were known to wear khazz implying this hadith is not definitive as a source of law, however Albani says it is sahih, so can anyone fill me in on the authenticity of the hadith and its isnad.

Answer 1

The hadith chain has been classed as sahih by a number of scholars including al-Albani, al-Arnaa’oot, Zubair Ali Zai etc.

Bukhari has recorded a version of the hadith through a slightly different chain, although whether his citation is Mu'allaq has been discussed. The other version of the hadith substitutes الخز with الحر and is usually understood to mean the private part i.e. fornication and adultery.

Other than that, Khazz (الخز) has multiple meanings (Taaj al-‘Aroos, Misbaah al-Muneer, Lisaan al-'Arab):

1. A garment made from a mixture of silk and wool or hair (or some other fiber). For example by using separate materials for the threads of the warp and weft in weaving.

2. A garment made from soft hair of hare\rabbit.

3. A garment made from a type of pure silk.

The prohibition and condemnation in the hadith of Sunan Abu Dawud is interpreted to be regarding that Khazz which is made from pure silk.

As for the type that is made from wool or animal hair, or that which contains a mixture of silk with other fibers, then this is considered permissible according to the majority of the madhabs, especially when the percentage of silk is less than the other material. And the Khazz used by the Sahaba was one of the permissible types.