Is it permissible for a person to wear worn-out, patched clothes with the intention of having his supplication answered, and then take them off?

The questioner : Is it permissible for a person to wear worn-out, patched clothes with the intention of having his supplication answered, and then take them off, as Muthrif ibn 'Abd Allah did when his nephew was imprisoned? He wore some of his old clothes, and when he was asked, "What is this?" he said, "I am complaining to my Lord, perhaps He will intercede for me regarding my nephew."

The Shaykh : I am asking you now: Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) do this?

The questioner : The Messenger did it.

The Shaykh : Yes, that is what you mean: "A disheveled, dusty man buried among the doors. I do not swear by Allah, nor do I break my oath." That is what you mean. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was afflicted with what he supplicated against at Badr and in other battles, but it is not reported that he adopted the practice of wearing worn-out clothes. However, this was an ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) of Muthrif (may Allah have mercy on him).