Dress code is very important in Islam to be recognised as a Muslim, and to be modest and not draw a lot of attention from the opposite sex. There is very much focus on the dress code of women, and I seldom hear how men should dress. Both are important. Perhaps the rules for women are a bit stricter to protect them from harassment, but the men can't ignore their duty either, and the clothes one choose to wear should be worn with dignity.
DRESS CODE FOR MEN
Men are not allowed to wear silk and gold, based on the hadith stating that Prophet Muhammed (sallalahu 'alayhe wa salam) said: "Gold and silk are forbidden for the males of my ummah and permissible for the females." [Saheeh Ibn Maajah 3640]
Another thing that is forbidden is the wearing of skin of dead animals, unless it has been tanned. The clothes of men cannot be thin or see-through clothing, that doesn't conceal the 'awrah and it's haraam to imitate the kuffar in the way of dressing. These are the most important points of a male dress.
Another point of men's appearance is based on this hadith: "Trim the moustache and save the beard." [Bukhari & Muslim]
A man shouldn't wear garments hanging beneath his ankles. In the hadith we find: "Whatever of the lower garment is beneath the ankles is in the Fire." [Al-Bukhari, 5450, narrated by Abu Hurayrah]
And: ""There are three to whom Allah will not speak to on the Day of Resurrection and will not look at them or praise them, and theirs will be a painful torment." The Messenger of Allah (sallalhu 'alayhe wa sallam) repeated it three times. Abu Dharr said: "May they be doomed and lost; who are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "The one who let his garment hang beneath his ankles, the one who reminds others of a favour he has done, and the one who sells his product by means of false oaths."" [Muslim, 106, narrated by Abu Dharr]
The Prophet (sallalhu 'alayhe wa sallam) also forbade men to wear saffron.
The 'awrah of a man is generally accepted to be the area between the navel and the knees. Most scholars classifies this hadith as saheeh: 'Ali narrated that the Messenger of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) said "Do not show your thigh, and do not look at the thigh of anyone, living or dead." [Narrated by Abu Dawood and Ibn Majaah]
How many men actually follows this today? Most men don't think about their own clothing, and they are too focused in how their Muslims sisters dress. Dressing is an individual responsibility, and a person should look at himself first, and dress properly according to Islam, before he looks at how other people dress. We will all be judged for our actions, a man can't simply ignore the requirements for his own dress. He should at least cover the area between the navel and the knees, but in the presence of non-mahrams it's encouraged that he wears longer trousers and a long-sleeved shirt. He should guard his modesty and lower his gaze. If he sees a woman not dressed properly, he shouldn't stare and he should lower his gaze. This is explicitly mentioned in the Quran. How many men actually do that today? If a woman from the west appears in a short skirt and a blouse, they all stand and stare at her and might even throw comments! This is not allowed in Islam. You are obliged to not look at her, and Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) knows very well what you do. Out of respect of yourself and your wife, you mind your own business. This will help you to be pure inside as well.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MEN AND WOMEN
There are some points of islamic clothing that is in common for men and women. All people should cover their 'awrah and guard their modesty. It is also sunnah to pay attention to keeping one's clothes clean, without feeling arrogant or exaggerating about that.
"O children of Adam! We have indeed sent down to you clothing to cover your shame, and (clothing) for beauty and clothing that guards (against evil), that is the best. This is of the communications of Allah that they may be mindful." - Quran 7:27
It was stated in a hadith that Prophet Muhammed (sallalhu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: ""No one will ente Paradise in whose heart is a mustard-seed of arrogance." A man said: "What if a man likes his clothes to look nice and his shoes to look nice?" He said: "Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty; arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people." [Muslim, 91]
Another hadith states: "It is haram for women to imitate men and men to imitate women in the way they dress, because the Prophet (sallalhu 'alayhe wa sallam) cursed the men who imitate women and the women who imitate men." [Al-Bukhari, 5546]
It's sunnah for a Muslim to start with the right when dressing, and to say, bismillah, and to start with the left when taking clothes off.
It's mustahabb to wear white clothes. Ibn 'Abbas said that Prophet Muhammed (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: "Wear white clothes, for they are the best of your clothes, and shroud you dead in them." [Al-Tirmidhi, 994 & Abu Dawood, 4061 & Ibn Maajah, 1472]
It is also haram to wear clothes out of fame and vanity, garments that the wearer will become known of. Ibn 'Umar said: The Prophet (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: "Whoever wears a garment of fame and vanity, Allah will dress him in a garment like it on the Day of Resurrection." [Abu Dawood, 4029 & Ibn Majaah, 3606/3607]
DRESS CODE FOR WOMEN
Many of the Muslim women don't dress properly either, although by what I've experienced, they are more aware of their dressing.
Women should also not wear tight or transparent clothes, and they should cover all their body except the face and the hands.
"And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to ..." - Quran 24:31
"O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon them their over-garments; this will be more proper, that they may be known, and thus they will not be given trouble; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." - Quran 33:59
We should all try to abide as much as we can by the islamic dress code, and do our best to improve our iman.
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Showing posts with label hijab. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hijab. Show all posts
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Monday, 3 January 2011
Hijab Dignifies You
Today I want to write about hijab. The hijab is an important part of many girls' life, and many people don't understand the meaning of this piece of cloth. I'm fully aware that the word hijab can be used as the name of the dress code in Islam i.e. loose clothes, covering all the body except the hands and the face for women, and covering (at least) the area between the navel and the knees for men, though covering more is preferable.
However, the way I use the term hijab here, is only in the meaning of the veil, the cover of the hair, as this is the most disputed issue. Some people say that the hijab is only political, others says that the hijab is solely from tradition, whereas others again mean it is related to religion.
In the Quran kareem it says about women's clothing:
"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 khimar over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to ..." - Quran 24:31
The majority of Muslims believes the word "khimar" was earlier used to refer to a piece of cloth that covers the head, which today is called "hijab." Though the khimar is an extended version that covers the breasts as well. There are many hadiths that mention how the wives of the Prophet (SAW) covered themselves, and some people mean that their veils were only for them, because they are the "Mothers of the Believers." Whilst others again believe we should follow their example.
My post today wasn't going to be an article discussing whether hijab is obligatory or not, and whether it's religious or political. I might take that discussion later. My post will be about me and my relationship to this piece of cloth. Yea, my story.
In the beginning, after my conversion, I didn't think much about hijab, and I didn't read much about it. I knew a lot of women covered their head, but I didn't go in depth in this topic. Eventually I talked about this a little with my boyfriend and I became more curious. However, in the beginning I was not very found of this hijab, and I couldn't see myself wearing it.
The year after I made an interview with VG (the biggest newspaper in Norway) about this topic, as a debate was going on in Norway whether this cloth should be banished from elementary schools or not. The interview, however, was mainly about my conversion and my general view on hijab, and why I didn't wear it. My boyfriend occasionally tried to explain to me the importance of it, but I was not interested. He never tried to push me or force me, though! He always said that it's my decision and if I one day decide to wear it, it must be fully my choice and I must feel inside myself that it's the right.
When I went to Egypt my opinion changed. I saw people wearing hijab everywhere, and in the street a lot of people stared at me and said comments to me when I was walking with my friend. In the beginning I didn't care, I just ignored it. But eventually I became bored from it, and my boyfriend too. It's not good to draw attention like that, and people also saw I'm foreign. In Norway the people in the street don't care about you at all, but in Egypt it's different.
By time I learnt more about hijab, and I read a lot of pages why I should wear it and the benefits with hijab. I started to like it more, and I was thinking of wearing it. When my boyfriend's family was going to pray salat el-eid, I went with them, and this was the first time I tried hijab outside, just because I needed it in the mosque, and I felt good with it. I continued to read about it a lot, and one day my boyfriend asked me if I was ever thinking about wearing hijab. I said to him yes, I want, but not tomorrow.
However, the day after I was going out and he said to me, if you want to wear it, there is not reason to delay it further. He was right. But what I was worried about was what I would do when I was going back to Norway, as my family would not be happy for this step I made. Anyway, we decided that in Egypt I will wear it.
I felt comfortable with it. I felt good, and nobody saw that I was foreign. Many thought I was Egyptian, and people stopped staring too much when I was in the street. I felt I had made the right decision, and my boyfriend's family encouraged me. I felt the hijab had become a part of me and my identity.
The bad thing happened the day I was going home to Norway. I went without the hijab to the airport, because I didn't wear it in my passport picture, so we thought maybe they will not accept the ID and won't give me the flight tickets, because I don't look like the picture. But after I took the tickets, I went to the bathroom and I put it on again. I felt naked without it. I didn't care if they said anything when I was going to border the plane or when I landed in Istanbul, Turkey (my transfer was there.) And I also had to stay one night at a hotel in Istanbul, because my plane was delayed.
After I arrived to the hotel I slept 2 hours, as I hadn't slept from two days. When I went outside I put the hijab on again, and nobody saw I was foreign, so nobody talked to me in the street. I know from my friend that Turks like to interact with foreigners.
The day after, when I was going to take the plane to Oslo, Norway, I went to the airport with the hijab, not afraid of being stopped because of the photo. I think actually I was the only one in the plane who wore the hijab, but I just felt special and good inside. Not least proud. When I landed in Oslo, I went to the bathroom to remove my hijab before I was going to meet my dad. It was very hard for me to do that, and I felt sadness and emptiness inside. I felt naked again, but that was all I could do at this time. I didn't want to make more problems with my family, like I made when I told them I had converted. With time I will tell them about hijab, but I don't know how I will make them understand. My tears come when I write this, because I miss to wear it. When I return to Egypt, inshaAllah, I will wear it again and I will not take it off.
However, the way I use the term hijab here, is only in the meaning of the veil, the cover of the hair, as this is the most disputed issue. Some people say that the hijab is only political, others says that the hijab is solely from tradition, whereas others again mean it is related to religion.
In the Quran kareem it says about women's clothing:
"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 khimar over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to ..." - Quran 24:31
The majority of Muslims believes the word "khimar" was earlier used to refer to a piece of cloth that covers the head, which today is called "hijab." Though the khimar is an extended version that covers the breasts as well. There are many hadiths that mention how the wives of the Prophet (SAW) covered themselves, and some people mean that their veils were only for them, because they are the "Mothers of the Believers." Whilst others again believe we should follow their example.
My post today wasn't going to be an article discussing whether hijab is obligatory or not, and whether it's religious or political. I might take that discussion later. My post will be about me and my relationship to this piece of cloth. Yea, my story.
In the beginning, after my conversion, I didn't think much about hijab, and I didn't read much about it. I knew a lot of women covered their head, but I didn't go in depth in this topic. Eventually I talked about this a little with my boyfriend and I became more curious. However, in the beginning I was not very found of this hijab, and I couldn't see myself wearing it.
The year after I made an interview with VG (the biggest newspaper in Norway) about this topic, as a debate was going on in Norway whether this cloth should be banished from elementary schools or not. The interview, however, was mainly about my conversion and my general view on hijab, and why I didn't wear it. My boyfriend occasionally tried to explain to me the importance of it, but I was not interested. He never tried to push me or force me, though! He always said that it's my decision and if I one day decide to wear it, it must be fully my choice and I must feel inside myself that it's the right.
When I went to Egypt my opinion changed. I saw people wearing hijab everywhere, and in the street a lot of people stared at me and said comments to me when I was walking with my friend. In the beginning I didn't care, I just ignored it. But eventually I became bored from it, and my boyfriend too. It's not good to draw attention like that, and people also saw I'm foreign. In Norway the people in the street don't care about you at all, but in Egypt it's different.
By time I learnt more about hijab, and I read a lot of pages why I should wear it and the benefits with hijab. I started to like it more, and I was thinking of wearing it. When my boyfriend's family was going to pray salat el-eid, I went with them, and this was the first time I tried hijab outside, just because I needed it in the mosque, and I felt good with it. I continued to read about it a lot, and one day my boyfriend asked me if I was ever thinking about wearing hijab. I said to him yes, I want, but not tomorrow.
However, the day after I was going out and he said to me, if you want to wear it, there is not reason to delay it further. He was right. But what I was worried about was what I would do when I was going back to Norway, as my family would not be happy for this step I made. Anyway, we decided that in Egypt I will wear it.
I felt comfortable with it. I felt good, and nobody saw that I was foreign. Many thought I was Egyptian, and people stopped staring too much when I was in the street. I felt I had made the right decision, and my boyfriend's family encouraged me. I felt the hijab had become a part of me and my identity.
The bad thing happened the day I was going home to Norway. I went without the hijab to the airport, because I didn't wear it in my passport picture, so we thought maybe they will not accept the ID and won't give me the flight tickets, because I don't look like the picture. But after I took the tickets, I went to the bathroom and I put it on again. I felt naked without it. I didn't care if they said anything when I was going to border the plane or when I landed in Istanbul, Turkey (my transfer was there.) And I also had to stay one night at a hotel in Istanbul, because my plane was delayed.
After I arrived to the hotel I slept 2 hours, as I hadn't slept from two days. When I went outside I put the hijab on again, and nobody saw I was foreign, so nobody talked to me in the street. I know from my friend that Turks like to interact with foreigners.
The day after, when I was going to take the plane to Oslo, Norway, I went to the airport with the hijab, not afraid of being stopped because of the photo. I think actually I was the only one in the plane who wore the hijab, but I just felt special and good inside. Not least proud. When I landed in Oslo, I went to the bathroom to remove my hijab before I was going to meet my dad. It was very hard for me to do that, and I felt sadness and emptiness inside. I felt naked again, but that was all I could do at this time. I didn't want to make more problems with my family, like I made when I told them I had converted. With time I will tell them about hijab, but I don't know how I will make them understand. My tears come when I write this, because I miss to wear it. When I return to Egypt, inshaAllah, I will wear it again and I will not take it off.
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