The history of the scarf dates back at least as far as ancient Rome. A linen kerchief known as a sudarium (Latin term for ?sweat cloth?) was used by the Romans to wipe their necks and faces. The ancient Romans developed the scarf into a diverse men's fashion accessory, whether knotted to a belt or worn around the neck. Of course this style was quickly adopted by women also, and the scarf has since become synonymous with women's fashion.
Experts say that the scarf was historically made of cloth rather than wool and a mark of rank for the warriors of the Chinese Emperor Cheng (Shih Huang Ti). Around the 17th Century however scarves were worn on a wider scale by Croatian Mercenaries ? again these were not wool scarves, but ordinary cotton if you were a soldier and the officers wore silk.
It was the French who were so enamoured with these unusual and colourful scarves, that they began to wear them too, calling them cravats, from the Croatian word kravata. It became popular to demonstrate political inclination by the colour of a man's scarf.
In the 19th Century the scarf once again became a fashion accessory for men and the cravat became a staple of every man's wardrobe. From the cravat we have progressed to today's wooley scarves, available in a multitude of colours and designs to compliment the outfits of men, women and children around the world. Scarves made of wool are by far the warmest and most comfortable choice as wool is a natural fibre and allows the skin to breathe at the same time as keeping the cold out.
Recently the scarf has experienced something of a revival, once again becoming a must-have item by women around the world. Head scarves and wraps grow ever popular with society's celebrities and convey elegance and sophistication. Scarves have the advantage of flexibility in how they're worn ? around the neck, tied at the wrist, or around the strap of a handbag for example.
The future of scarves looks secure and these fashion items now represent a huge opportunity for exciting use of colours and patterns. Knitting and weaving techniques are developing all the time to cope with the increasing demands of the world's fashion designers.
"The Shi'ites believe in the infallibility of their Imams, for their Imams were the highest example of man's perfection. They explain it as protection from sin and is specific quality of the Imams, who are infallible or immune (immunity from error and sin). Once Ali bin Abu Talib said, "By God, if I was given the seven regions and what is under their orbits to disobey God through taking a grain of barley from the mouth of a locust, I would not do that."
Ibn Babuya (d. 381/991) considered the Imam to be immune (masum) only from sinful offences and not from mistake (sahw) which anyone can make. His pupil Shaikh al-Mufid (d. 413/1022), however, considered the Imam to be absolutely infallible.
The Imam is an infallible in his decisions because he is immune (masum) from sinful wrong (khata). Of course, isma is not to be identified exclusively with prophethood, for a person may be ma'sum, while not having the rank of a prophet. A shining example of this is the Mary: "O May, verily God has chosen you and made you pure, and has preferred you above the women of creation" (3:42). Regarding the isma of the Imams, the explicit divine domed to purify the Ahl al-Bayt of all defilement, the Koran says: "... God only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! And to purify you a thorough purifying (33:33)." Thus, the Koran has denoted their infallibility and their purity from deviation and sins.
The meaning of impurity (rijis) in this verse might be understood as pertaining to all forms of impurity, for sins flow forth as a result of these impurities. In the commentary of the verse "he who cleaves to God is guided to the straight path" (3:101), Imam Jafar Sadik said, "The one who is sinless (ma'sum) is the one who is prevented by God from doing anything that God has forbidden." (Bihar al-Anwar, 1:265)
In a letter sent to one of the Qarmatians, Imam al-Muizz said, "We pass in the pure back-bones and the sanctified and chaste wombs. Whenever we are confined in a back-bone and a womb, God shows in us power and knowledge and so forth" (vide Itti'az by Makrizi, p. 133).
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