Is the use of a stick by a Muslim part of the Sunnah, or is it only in the sermon? Or is it a specific attribute of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?

The questioner : Is the use of a stick by a Muslim part of the Sunnah, or is it a Sunnah only in the sermon? Or is it one of the specific attributes of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)?

The Shaykh : It is none of that. Carrying a stick is not a Sunnah, neither in a general sense, nor... The hadith: , is actually a fabricated hadith, as I detailed my statement on it in my book "Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Da'ifah wa al-Mawdu'ah" (The Chain of Weak and Fabricated Hadiths). The Messenger (peace be upon him) had a stick known as al-Mahjan, which was carried by some of the Companions, and he would use it as a barrier (sutrah) while traveling or during the Eid prayer in the open prayer area where there was nothing else to use as a barrier. If a Muslim needs a stick, as mentioned in the Noble Qur'an addressing Musa from the Lord of the Worlds: , then if a man has reached an age of extreme old age and has become in need of something to support his walking and movement, and he takes a stick for his need, there is no doubt in its permissibility. Likewise, if he is a shepherd. As for an ordinary person, it is never part of the Sunnah to take a stick, especially in an era where people have dispensed with walking, let alone leaning on a stick, due to their riding in cars and airplanes, and other means by which Allah has blessed them.