Adherents of Islam are concerned with clothing in two
contexts: clothing for everyday, inside and outside the house, and clothing
required in specifically religious contexts. |
|
“ Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze
and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And
Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. ” — Qur'an
[24:30]
“ And say to the believing women that they should
lower their gaze and guard their modesty that they should not display their
beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that
they should draw their veils over their bosoms ... ” — Qur'an
[24:31]
“ O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and
the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them. That will
be better, so that they may be recognized and not harassed. Allah (SWT)
is ever Forgiving, Merciful. ” — Qur'an [33:59] |
| |
However, there are many different interpretations of what
"modesty" requires. Most agree[1] that it is covering the "awrah",
from the belly button to the knees for men and from the head to the toes
for women except the face and hands. |
| |
| Seven Conditions For Women's Dress in
Islam |
| Hijab is a word that indicates not just the headscarf but
clothing in its entirety which meets the following conditions : |
- Clothing must cover the entire body, only the hands and face may
remain visible (According to some Fiqh Schools) .
- The material must not be so thin that one can see through it.
- The clothing must hang loose so that the shape / form of the body
is not apparent.
- The female clothing must not resemble the man's clothing.
- The design of the clothing must not resemble the clothing of the
non believing women.
- The design must not consist of bold designs which attract attention.
- Clothing should not be worn for the sole purpose of gaining reputation
or increasing one's status in society.
|
| |
The reason for this strictness is so that the woman is
protected from the lustful gaze of men. She should not attract attention
to herself in any way. It is permissible for a man to catch the eye of
a woman , however it is haram (unlawful) for a man to look twice as this
encourages lustful thoughts.
Islam protects the woman. It is for this reason that Allah gave these
laws. In today's society womankind is being exploited, female sexuality
is being openly used in advertising, mainly to attract the desires of
men and therefore sell the product. Is the woman really free in today's
society ? The answer is obviously no, the constant bombardment by the
media as to how the ideal woman should look and dress testifies to this.
Islam liberated woman over 1400 years ago. Is it better to dress according
to man or God ?
Allah has stated in the Quran that women must guard their modesty.
" Say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and
guard their modesty ; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments
except what must ordinarily appear thereof. " [Quran : 24.31]
" Say to the believing man that they should lower their gaze and
guard their modesty ; that will make for greater purity for them, and
God is well acquainted with all they do. " [Quran : 24.30]
" And O ye believers turn ye all together toward God, so that ye
may attain bliss. " [Quran : 24.31]
With this I should conclude that Allah has given us guidance through
the Quran and Sunnah, He also given us the logic and commonsense to apply
these in our everyday life. However, Allah is not unreasonable and understands
the mankind’s weakness and to this I will refer you to the hadith
in Sahih Al-Bukhari.
Narrated (Abu Huraira):
The Prophet said, "Religion (Islam) is very easy and whoever overburdens
himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you
should not be extremists, but try to be near perfection and receive the
good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by offering
the prayers in the mornings, afternoons and during the last hour of the
night." [1:38-O.B.]
In the link below you will find a book written on this issue: The debate
on Muslim women's dress is endless. The sisters who opt for niqab (face
veil) may appear to be brave, but we need to dispel the notion that niqab
is what is originally required by the Qur'an, and the hijab is a later
modified version of the original. In fact the other way round is true.
The sisters who don the ordinary hijab can rest assured that they are
following the injunctions of the Qur'an and Sunnah to the letter, and
in their true spirit. In these essays, Dr. Syed Mutawalli ad-Darsh examines
the subject from the point of view of the Qur'an, Sunnah, and Ijma. Dr.
ad-Darsh, who recently passed away, was an eminent 'alim living in UK.
His deep Islamic knowledge combined with years of experience in the west,
make him particularly qualified to relate the teachings of Islam to modern
societies. |
| |
| Islamic Clothing Requirements |
Islam gives guidance about all aspects of life, including
matters of public decency. Islam has no fixed standard as to the style
of dress or type of clothing that Muslims must wear. However, some minimum
requirements must be met.
Islam has two sources for guidance and rulings: the Qur'an which is
considered to be the revealed word of Allah, and the Hadith or traditions
of the Prophet Muhammad, who serves as a human role model and guide. |
| |
| 1st Requirement: What parts of the body are to be
covered: |
The first bit of guidance given in Islam describes the parts
of the body which must be covered in public.
For women: In general, standards of modesty call for a woman to cover her
body, particularly her chest. The Qur'an calls for women to "draw their
coverings over their chests," and the Prophet Muhammad instructed believing
women to cover their bodies except for their face and hands. Most Muslims
interpret this to require headcoverings for women. Some Muslim women cover
the entire body, including the face and/or hands. For men: The minimum
amount to be covered is between the navel and the knee. |
| |
| 2nd Requirement: Looseness: |
| Islam also guides that clothing must be loose enough so as
not to outline or distinguish the shape of the body. Skin-tight, body-hugging
clothes are out, for both men and women. When in public, some women wear
a cloak over their personal clothing as a convenient way to "hide their
curves." In many predominantly Muslim countries, men's traditional
dress is somewhat like a loose robe, covering from the neck to the ankles. |
| |
| 3rd Requirement: Thickness: |
| The Prophet Muhammad once warned that in later generations,
there would be people "who are dressed yet naked." See-through
clothing is not modest, for either men or women. The clothing must be thick
enough so that the color of the skin it covers is not visible, nor the shape
of the body underneath. |
| |
| 4th Requirement: Overall appearance: |
| The overall appearance of a person should be dignified and
modest. Shiny, flashy clothing may technically meet the above requirements,
but defeat the purpose of overall modesty. |
| |
| 5th Requirement: Not imitating others: |
| Islam encourages people to be proud of who they are. Muslims
should look like Muslims, and not like mere imitations of people of other
faiths around them. Women should be proud of their femininity and not dress
like men. And men should be proud of their masculinity and not try to imitate
women in their dress. For this reason, Muslim men are forbidden from wearing
gold or silk, as these are considered feminine accessories. |
| |
| 6th Requirement: Decent but not flashy: |
| The Qur'an describes that clothing is meant to cover our
private areas, and be an adornment (Qur'an 7:26). Clothing worn by Muslims
should be clean and decent, neither excessively fancy nor ragged. One should
not dress in order to gain the admiration or sympathy of others. |
| |
Beyond the Clothing: Behaviors and Manners:
Islamic clothing is but one aspect of modesty. More importantly, one must
be modest in behavior, manners, speech and appearance in public. Dress is
only one aspect of the total being, and merely reflects what is present
on the inside of a person's heart.
Is Islamic clothing restrictive?:
Dress requirements are not meant to be restrictive for either men or women,
and most Muslims who wear modest dress do not find it impractical. Many
people continue with their activities in all levels and walks of life. |
