I have never seen ‘hijab” in fashion and “hijab fashion” to this extent in my life. When I started wearing the hijab, I remember being looked at with curiosity by many people who just couldn’t figure out what was that thing on my head in a sweltering 55-degree Celsius heat!
The only people who understood who I was (i.e a foreigner Muslim) were the shop owners in Janpath, New Delhi, India as that area is frequented by foreign nationals and many of them are from Iran and other Arab countries.
It was hilarious when they would talk amongst themselves in Hindi (our national language) to determine how much to raise the price of what I was looking to buy. And the look on their faces when I replied in perfect Hindi? Priceless, I tell you.
Well, 9/11 changed it all for me. I remember somebody referring to me and my friends as “Taliban” in Goa when I went there with my class on a college trip. It was pretty embarrassing, but well, the youth doesn’t care. Does it? But, Alhamdulillah, All praise is to God, the “hijab” has come a long way since that time.
Now, where ever I go, from the most crowded places in India and overseas to the tiny remote island off the shore of Canada, I see heads covered with hijab moving alongside blondes and brunettes and purple streaked heads and every other color in between.
Another dramatic change that I see around me is a mushrooming of a “hijab fashion industry” that was non-existent till some 10 years back. Now, hijab fashion experts are burning the midnight oil in trying to blend the latest trends in fashion with “modest Islamic attire”. They are trying their very best to prove to non-Muslims and Muslims alike that well, hijabis are as trendy, cool, hip, smart and fashionable as those who don’t wear hijab.
All you have to do is type hijab fashion in the Google search bar and well, you will be bombarded with blogs, websites, articles, photos and pages dedicated to making you look hip and happening with a Hijab! And, of course, let me not forget to mention the endless list of tutorials on YouTube on how to wear the hijab. They even have tutorials on the type of makeup that goes with hijab!
Phew! All that hard work man!
But the question is “Is it all really necessary”? Do we really need a “hijab fashion industry”? Isn’t it actually pulling us away from the basic message of hijab, which is covering ourselves in a way that is not attracting attention?
When a woman wears a beautiful scarf that compliments her face and wears layers of makeup, is she actually fulfilling the requirements of hijab that were set for us by Allah 
and His Messenger
?
“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful ” (Al-Ahzab, 33:59)
According to the hadith in Bukhari, “May Allah have mercy on the Muhaajir women. When Allah revealed the words “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)”, they tore the thickest of their aprons (a kind of garment) and covered their faces with them. “
Please, hear me out here. I am not against fashion, dressing up or makeup. A woman needs to dress up, look pretty, wear nice clothes and jewelry but not for public display.
“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), …..and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, head cover, apron), and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigor, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” (An Nur 24:31)
I know that sometimes, it is hard not to feel pain or hurt because of the looks or comments that come our way when we try to dress up as per the rules set by Allah . After all we are human, aren’t we? At such times, these “hijab fashion” posts seem like a gift from Allah so that we can copy their ideas and look “cool” and shut these people up.
Right? No, wrong!
This is not right. As Muslims, our sole purpose in life is to worship Allah as Allah says,
“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me”. (Adh-Dhariyat 51:57)
When we seek help in these fashion blogs for advice on how to wear hijab that actually makes us look more attractive just to quieten these people, we are moving away from His mercy. Allah has asked us to seek help through patience and prayer. We don’t need to resort to hijab fashion posts to help us look beautiful. We need to move closer to our religion and look for His approval about the way we do our hijab. At at the end of the day, it is only Him we seek to please and expect our reward from.
Of course, we will follow the fashion trends and fads and go shopping and have fun while doing it (please don’t forget the dua for entering the market 🙂 ) but not for public display. There is nothing wrong is looking neat, clean, tidy and smart. But there is definitely wrong is wearing things which attract attention while in public.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Do let me know in the comments section 🙂
217 replies on “The Hijab Fashion Industry– Its place in Islam”
MashAllah Sis. Sana this is such an engaging, excellently written article. I was entranced and delighted by this fascinating post. My only question is, what are your thoughts about the Quranic translation that says hijab involves covering the face, except for the eyes? In my humble opinion, this seems like a minority opinion among the scholars, the majority of whom say that that the entire face may be shown. JazakAllah khair!
Assalam alai kum Sis Sheima,
haha. jzk for your encouraging comments on my “rant”. the words sprang up from mu utter frustration but may Allah swt bless my amazing editor who let me “rant” with in reason.
Dear sister, my thoughts don’t matter at all , when it comes to the ruling from Allah swt and His Messenger (s). There is you know a difference of opinion on this matter and when you hear their point of views, well, they both make sense. So in my absolutely humble opinion , covering the face, solely with the intention to please Allah swt and follow the ways of the mothers of believers and the female companions of the Prophet (s), is a manifestation of love and taqwa and also a display of great determination in the face of criticism both from non muslims and muslims. Those who do it, have my deepest respect. 🙂
Sana
Well said, my dear sister. Mash’Allah.
I definitely agree with your statement about covering the face and beautiful article, Masha Allah! May Allah help us all to wear hijab in the way that is most pleasing to Him. <3
jazzak Allahu khairan Sis Aziza, and ameen to your beautiful dua
Brilliant piece of advice.
Well written and to the point.
Looking forward to reading more posts
Alhamdullilah you found it to the point sis!
I was worried that in my “venting” i might lose myself.
IOU has great material published on it’s blog. I pray that your association with us is beneficial to you , amen
as salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu sister. I actually didn’t read all the comments here, because it’s alot to read. But Just a small question. I wear shawls but i do cover my body, neck, head and bosoms as well. and it’s not like a camel bump or something. is it necessary to cover our faces as well, except for our eyes? please reply.
JazakAllah khair
(y)
As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu Sis Sana, Thank you for sharing your “rant”. There is much barakah in your intentions. I am a convert and when I first started wearing the hijab, I admit that I was “high fashion”. It has since been four years and I have toned it all the way down. I am embarrassed to think about some of the ways I did my hijab in the beginning, because it was everything but Muslim. I was a color coordinated lady with a scarf on. Alhamdulilah, I asked Allah s.w.t for guidance. I found my true haya when I realized the modest dress of a Muslimah is more than just covering my hair. Insha’Allah you article will help many Muslim women. -Ummah Rahal
Wlai kum salam wa rahamatullahi Wa Barakatahu Sis Ummah Rahal,
Jzk for liking my “rant” xoxo.
I understand your feelings and can also relate to your journey in finding your haya.
Though not “fashion-forward” for my age ( you see that is why i rely on blogs to help figure out what to do!), i too did not also know the true meaning of hijab.
I am still struggling to find that perfect balance in pleasing Allah swt and not being drab,as being drab, dowdy is not encouraged in Islam. Too often we use our scarves and abayas and loose clothes to hide unkempt hair, night dresses, or simple laziness.
I pray that my article helps muslim women, not fall for the trap of shaitan in trying to blend in today’s world. amen
May Allah swt increase you in guidance and accept your sacrifices and replace with faith and blessings in both the worlds, amen
Sister Sheima, I was thinking the same thing. After all, dont women uncover their faces in Hajj? There is no fardh that becomes nulled during hajj, which makes me think it’s not fardh to cover your face.
Very well written article MashaAllah. I was wondering, when i saw a adv Muslim urban women fashion parade, i was telling to myself, these people should remove the word muslim from it, because it is everything except muslim. May Allah guide us all to right path. Ameen
jzk Sis Shada,
I feel for the “muslimahs ” in the muslim women parade.
Doing the hijab is not easy.Specially in today’s time. They are striving to fulfill the commands of Allah swt and please Him.
The only problem is that they are missing out a big part of the whole picture.
that is the objective of this article– there is nothing wrong is being fashion forward.
just not when it clashes with modesty.
ameen to your dua sis
xoxo
I have always admired women who wear their hijab correctly. They’ve earned my respect for the sacrifice they have to go through everyday to please Allah inshaallah, especially during hot weather. May Allah bless you and your family for your efforts to enlighten more about hijab, and those who follow what is right. Ameen
Jzk Br Khalil and i share your feelings for respect for all those women who firstly have the courage to don the hijab and more so for those who strive to excel in it.
jzk for your beautiful dua
Very well done! I too feel the same way and I’m glad that you’re writing about this. One thing I noticed is that along with the “fashion” of hijab, that it began pulling women into a “fashion” world and now I see in almost any community here in the U.S.A. women wearing tight jeans, tops and hijabs. Following this “fashion” has really led women in the opposite direction of the correct Islamic hijab because what they wear is for pleasing others, not really Allah (SWT). I hope that any sister who reads this and doesn’t cover properly to please consider the fact that this life is short, you were created to worship Allah (SWT) and that the non-Muslims “agreeable” attitude towards your clothing will NOT help you on the Day of Judgement! Please sisters return to the correct hijab. It will please Allah (SWT) and if done for Allah (SWT) only, will increase your Iman and that feeling is so superior than the temporarily and weak feeling that pleasing the non-muslims will give you.
Aww sis Hayat, such beautiful words Ma sha Allah and such a heartfelt advice xoxo
Yes sis, you are absolutely right. The lure of the temporary ease in this world is going to cost us a lot on the day of judgement.
I think its a daily struggle and process to question your choice of clothes, if you live in a place or community which frowns upon islamic clothing.
For such sisters the task is harder. And so i appreciate all those sisters who atleast do hijab.
They have come so far, in sha Allah Allah swt will guide and make it easy for all of us to fulfill His commands and please Him .
I pray that all sisters read your heartfelt comment and be encouraged to rethink their hijab and make it better. amen
xoxo
Alhumdulillah a balanced article and a good.reminder on drawing the line for fashionable hijab.
As brother Khalil said I also highly respect and admire the sisters who dress as required by the shariah. In fact I find it to be the most feminine dress which enhances a woman in the right way.
May Allah help the ummah revive the correct hijab.
Jzk Br Ahsan agreeing with us. I pray brothers and sisters who read your comments are encouraged to analyze their hijab and work to make it better (reminder to myself first)
amen to your dua
jazak Allahu khair, sister for making these very unpopular comments. It sounds good to hear these coming from a young person. May Allah cover those of us who are mindful of the limits, as well as our sisters who are not yet so mindful with His infinite mercy, ameen.
Hahaha Sis Aishah, you said ” unpopular comments” , spot on. They are indeed prickly. but i pray that my intentions and good wishes are able to soften the prick of these words.
They come from my heart, as i am not perfect too. We fall and rise with Allah swt’s help.
Ameen, Summa Ameen to your dua
xoxo
Masha Allah u r absolutely right. Jajak Allah for this very helpful article.
xoxo
jzk sis 🙂
JazakAllah khayr for the post it is really good to know what is Hijab and it’s rule. What I d like to mention here is that now days even in shaykh’s ad and Islamic post we see putting woman as advertisement with her Nikab which I disagree with. In my opinion woman should not be exposed to public even covered and this is like imitating non believers that they put woman in any ad as Muslim we should stay away from this pictures
Muslimah In Islam’s photo.
Muslimah In Islam
☛ Please Read
● The Ten ACCURSED Women ●
The following are the ten sinful women or those women who are accursed and who will be removed from the mercy of Allah تعالى:
1. Tattooing: the one who does it and the one who gets it done.
2. Plucking the eyebrows: the doers and the one who gets it done.
3. Artificially creating space between the teeth to look beautiful: the doers and the one who gets it done.
Source (Hadith): ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: I heard the
Messenger of Allah saying,
❝ Allah has cursed the woman who does tattoos and the one who has them done, the woman who plucks eyebrows (al-naamisah) and the one who has it done (al-mutanammisah), and the one who files her teeth for the purpose of beauty, altering the creation of Allah. ❞
[Narrated by Al-Bukhaari, 5931; Muslim, 2125]
4. Adding false hair: the provider of false hair and the one who gets it done.
Source (Hadith): Narrated Ibn `Umar and Abu Hurairah : The Prophet ﷺ has cursed the lady who lengthens her hair artificially and the one who gets her hair lengthened, and also the lady who tattoos (others) and the one who gets herself tattooed.
[Sahih Al-Bukhari (5933, 5934, 5937, 5940, 5942, 5947, ) and Sahih Muslim (5298, 5300) and also reported on the authority of `Aaishah]
5. The woman whose husband is angry at her:
Source (Hadith): Narrated Abu Hurairah:
The Prophet said,
❝ If a woman spends the night deserting her husband’s bed (does not sleep with him), then the angels send their curses on her till she comes back (to her husband). ❞
[Sahih Bukhari (3237, 5193, 5194) and Sahih Muslim (3366, 3368)]
6. Those who imitate men:
Source (Hadith): Narrated Ibn `Abbaas: Allah’s Messenger ﷺ cursed those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners) of women and those women who are in the similitude (assume the manners) of men.
[Sahih Al-Bukhari (5885]
7. Those Women who are Ungrateful to their Husband:
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: The Prophet said,
❝ I was shown the Hell-fire
and that the majority of its dwellers were women who were ungrateful. ❞ It was asked, ❝ Do they disbelieve in Allah? ❞ (or are they ungrateful to Allah? The prophet replied, ❝ They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and the good (charitable deeds) done to them. If you have always been good to one of them and then she sees something in you (not of her liking), she will say, ‘I have never received any good from you.’ ❞
[Sahih Al- Bukhari Vol. 7 Hadith no.5197]
8. Those Women who wears Perfume and goes out (to the market or mosque):
It was narrated from Abu Moosa (Radiyyallahu Anhu) that the Prophet said, ❝ If a woman puts on perfume and passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, then she is such and such, ❞ and he (Salalahu Alayhi Wasalam) spoke sternly – meaning an adulteress (Zaaniyah).
[Narrated by Abu Dawood (4173) and Al-Tirmidhi (2786); classed as Sahih by Ibn Daqeeq Al-Eid in Al-Iqtiraah (126) and by Shaykh Al-Albaani in Sahih Al-Tirmidhi]
N.B: It is not permissible for women to put on perfume, whether she is going to the mosque or anywhere else; rather it is narrated that women are specifically forbidden to use perfume when going to the mosque.
Source (Hadith): It was narrated that Zaynab, the wife of ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with her and her husband) said: The Messenger of Allah said to us,
❝If one of you (women) wants to go to the mosque, let her not put on perfume.❞
[Sahih Muslim (443)]
9. Women making a wanton display of themselves (Tabarruj) and showing their charms and not adhering to correct Islamic hijab and noble Islamic manners.
10. Those Women who pile their hair on top of their heads(camel hump hijab), they will not see Paradise or smell its fragrance:
Narrated Abu Hurayrah (Radiyyallahu Anhu) that
❝ There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen: men with whips like the tails of cattle with which they strike the people, and women who are clothed but naked, walking with an enticing gait, with something like the humps of camels on their heads. They will not enter Paradise nor even smell its fragrance, and its fragrance can be smelled from such and such a distance. ❞.
[Sahih Muslim]
Al-Nawawi said concerning the meaning of this passage: “clothed yet naked” means that they will uncover part of their bodies to show their beauty, so they will be clothed yet naked. And it was said that they will wear thin clothes which shows what is beneath them, so they will be clothed yet virtually naked.
May Allah protect all the Sisters from falling into any of the above mentioned categories.
Sent from my iPad
jzk for sharing this beneficial information with us sis:)
xoxo
As Sallam Alaikum Wrwb sis Mariyum,
Alhumdolillah very good Ten information u have shared. I am trying to copy same but unable to do it from my hand phone. I request if you can email me these Ten points it will be very helpful n appreciated.
please email at – rsayed76@yahoo.com
Jazak Allah Khair
Asalamu alaykum wa rahma tulaahi wa barakaatu, Jazakallahu khairan for this amazing message, this is so important to discuss because I think this fashion trend based on hijabs won many young girl’s heart. It’s heartbreaking to see so many young girls with such great beauty underestimating what Allah swt clearly revealed in the Holy Quran. Hijab is not something something to play around with, we as Muslim women are obligated to cover from non muhrams from head to toe. Please my.sisters in Islam , let’s not please anyone but the Creator of the universe! It is Allah that we want to please in applying the message given to us
Assalam alai kum Sis Laila,
you are so right that the Hijab fashion has won many hearts and made it easy for many people.
May Allah swt enable us to please Allah swt amen
Jazakillahu khayran sister. This issue of using hijab for fashion has always given me some concern. They have invented several other names for hijab such as cape hijab, scarf hijab, mini hijab etc. These peope seem to forget that hijab is about covering oneself and not wrapping oneself because when you wrap yourself, you reveal the shape and contours of the body. May Allah help our muslimahs to uphold this.
wiyyaki Sis, and ameen to your dua
We are living in very difficult times where every choice we make seems to be the lesser of the two evils.i live in America the women of today have multiple roles in life ,we are mothers ,wives, who are not completely muhsinat who can observe full cover because we perform the duty of slave /servant women as well who were allowed to keep their head and forearms open due to the nature of their work. I completely agree with the author but there are no easy answers anymore. It is a choice of between the two evils mostly.
Assalam alai kum Dear Sis Sania,
it pained me deeply to hear you say that “its a choice between 2 evils mostly”.
No dearest sis it isn’t. There is ALWAYS a choice for us to chose between evil and good.
Always.
What is difficult is making the correct choice, as we are living in a era with temptations and trials.
I absolutely agree with you that women play different and active roles in the society including the North America and it can be tough, but once the correct choice is made, Allah swt makes it easy to walk the path.
Why and How?
Because it is Allah swt who makes things easy as Allah swt is the Planner and the Controller of All things.
May Allah swt make it easy for all us to walk the straight path and join us all in Jannah. amen
ASA, this was such a nice article. I was very confused about this topic. I am just getting into Islam, & learning how to dress modest. I have been watching the blogs & asking my self if all the make up & the hijab fashions were right. You have answered my burning questions! May Allah shower you with more gifts of knowledge.
Assalam alai kum Sis Aida,
Ahlan wa Sahlan Dear sis, Welcome to the sisterhood in Islam.
may Allah sw protect you and guide you and increase you in faith and make it easy for you. amen.
Aww.. sis, i am so happy that my humble opinion was able to answer your questions. Its all a mercy from Allah swt that we are able to help each other out. That is why its a sisterhood 🙂
xoxo
Sana
MashAllah, great work! May Allah Subhanahu wa Tala make it beneficial for all sisters. Absolutely critical to ponder on the objective behind hijaab. May Allah give both men and women Muslims the ability to equally observe Islamic hijaab. I just want to reiterate the fact that Islamic hijaab has instructions for both men and women of Islam, more than putting on clothing by women only! JazakAllah khair.
Assalam alai kum Br Najib,
ameen to your dua and jzk for pointing out the important fact that hijab is both for the men and women.
Sana
Aslmalykum sister
beautiful articles may Allah helps us to wear correct hijab
wlai kum Salam,
jzk
xoxo
Subhanallah..very useful article sister..
It’s really helpful to all the Muslim sisters who really wants to understand their Deen..!
Alhamdulilah..U have well explained the ruling Reg hijab..
Jazakillahu khair
Assalam alai kum sis Faiza,
jzk 🙂
xoxo
Sana
Jazakee Allah khairan Sana, I really enjoyed your article and look forward to reading more of your work inshallah.
May Allah grants us all the baseera and blesses us with the best ending of our lives inshallah حسن الخاتمة
Assalam alai kum sis Aiah,
waiyyaki sis, and in sha Allah i will submit more often to IOU. that will make my editor happy.
ameen to your heartfelt dua sis, indeed we all need it
xoxo
sana
Alhamdulillah…a very important topic…ur thoughts were very inspiring as we tend to drift away from the deen without realizing.. I d like to share how i started with wearing hijab…as a beginner it was difficult to take the first step,at that time i started with a little fancy looking Abaya and then gradually within a year i came to the standard black plain hijabs Alhamdulillah…so i think for the beginner it is a master help but ofcourse we must remember its to please Allah swt only
Jazakallah
assalam alai kum sis Shazia,
ma sha Alllah your progress has been so quick. May Allah swt bless you and increase you in good deeds and rewards and make you an inspiration for others.ameen.
I share your feelings about the topic.
It is indeed a good startup for many of us sisters who are struggling to either wear hijab or accept it, but we just need to know when to stop and not over do.
Sana
Aselamualeykum, mashallah the article is great . But i think how to execute the solution is the difficult part. Because I believe adapting the islamic way of life is entirely governed by free will. Any less understanding of our deen will lead us to fail to willing act in the way of Allah. So I say if we teach our umma to love and understand the deen it will be easy for us to distinguish between what is right or wrong rather than pointing fingers. Jez Akuma Allah.
Assalam alai kum Br Semir,
Yes i agree with you that to execute the solution is the difficult part.
to find the balance is the key. And Allah swt says in the Quran that there is no compulsion in the deen .
Pointing Fingers is a way to repel instead of pull a person towards the deen.
And we have been asked to pull not repel, as Allah swt says in Surah Al Asr..” tawassuw bill haqqi wa tawassaw bis sabr”.
jzk for your kind comments
Sana
Mashallah… Lets stop copy what non muslims do!!
We should take our time to learn this beautiful religion and practise it so as we can al reach our destination( Jannah) Bi idhn lillah.
Well said Sister !
Asalam alykum waramotulahi wabarakatuh.its of great pleasant to me to read an article concerning Hijab written by an eligthen muslimah.Alihamudulilahi you exposed the false use of Hijab and brougth out true use of it as prescribed in the holy quran by Allah (swt).its my advise to those muslim sisters who are still in the use of various types of Hijab that are not in line with prescribed one should strictly adhere to the words of Allah(swt).jazakalahu khairan for your posts.
Jzk Brother, my humble attempt was to throw light on the excessiveness in the hijab. As i said before, its a difficult balance to make.
Assalam alikum,
JazakAllah khair sister for highlighting this issue that has now become all too common and will continue to stay common… Yes, we ladies want to look and feel beautiful and be complimented on our outfits and especially our hijabs, but that compliment will only make us happy for a few seconds or minutes and then what? It ends. Getting the approval from Allah and not the people is what gives us that true lasting feeling of happiness and not random compliments… May Allah continue to make our intentions sincere every single time we don the hijab…
ameen sis Aisha to your dua. You are so right. No matter how many compliments we get for our fashionista hijab, there is still a feeling of emptiness within, simply because the hijab is not for Allah swt.
Yet, i understand the need behind the hijab fashion industry– the desire to fit in.May Allah swt help see the warning lights as soon as we wander close to excessiveness in our Hijab. Amen
Indeed “Hijab is not just a piece of cloth it is a way of life. The way which leads to be a respectable woman who is seen with honorable eyes in society. Hijab depicts how good a women can carry herself in society. It shows obedience to her religion Islam and its obligations” ‘coz Allah knows what is best for us:
“O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be chaste women) and not abused…” {Qur’an 33:59} Alhamdulillah 🙂
Asalamualaikum
Mashallah an inspiring article. JazakAllah for the reminder. It does worry me at times seeing young girls wearing stylish hijabs, the turban style and what not, some showing their hair puffs as well, all in the name of hijab.May Allah guide us all. May Allah help us all to observe the hijab as it is meant to be in all modesty and humility.
ameen Sis Sarah, ameen
Wonderful piece ! However When I read the article I remembered the birth of the social media when only none Muslims took advantage of it to do a whole gamut of things. Until we realize we are short changing our selves, and in we went pouring out our views in line with the quran and sunnah in various texts audio and video. Alhamdulillah. Much as I align with your submission I still believe that female Islamic fashion would always find a place in the heart of most muslimah transiting from having no hijab on to idealistic level. I believe showing them how it’s done would go far in ” screwing our heads back on” to what I call “pseudo Islamic western fashion”. A lot of criticism might be levied by Muslims against western psychology, economics and perhaps methods of experimentations
I totally understand what you are saying Sis humuanni and I also agree with you, that it helps many muslimahs in their transition from no hijab to hijab, which is a huge step in its own. And I personally don’t have any problem with “islamic fashion”, as long as it is within the boundaries of “purdah” set by Allah swt and His messenger (s).
May Allah swt guide us and accept our efforts to please Him amen
very well said . Hijab has become fashionable now a days & there r certain burqas in india which r very tight fitting that it reveals the body shape more than a normal traditional dress of shalwar kameez of india. we need to a draw a line between whats fashionable & whats the islamically allowed. but the most important part is u r intention.
Rightly said Brother!
I have been muslim for almost 18 years now and I still do not like all the restraints placed on women. Surely I can not be the only one who sees it that way so why are all your comments only supporting hijab as the ultimate requirement to be closest to Allah posted? I have been told I cannot be pious if I do not where a cover over my entire body, the more I cover the more righteous, I cannot be loud or speak publicly , I cannot where perfume , or makeup or fingernail polish or pluck my eyebrows and listen to music. You all may judge me in this life but in Allah’s care is my life & soul.
My dearest sis Diana,
lolz, all comments have been posted here, i nor my editor purposely delete any comments that disagreed with me:)
Its a matter of perspective dear sister. Hijab is not at all the ultimate requirement to get close to Allah swt.
Salah and God Consciousness (Taqwa) and Faith (imaan ) are needed to accomplish that.
Having said that, Hijab is a physical, visible manifestation of Taqwa and Imaan, as its a command of Allah swt that has to be fulfilled.
Dear Sister, of course you can speak publicly, wear perfume, makeup , finger nail polish, as long they are done within the boundaries that are allowed for women.
So its not a matter of restraint , its only a matter of following the rules to live a fulfilling life 🙂
please accept my apologies for if i said anything that was disagreeable to you. We are Sisters in Islam, loving each other for the sake of Allah swt even if we agree to disagree 🙂
Alhamdulillah. I’m actually not fun of that what they called ‘hijab fashion’ ever since it started. But curiousity strikes on my mind, I just want to ask, is it an obligatory for us (muslim women) to cover our whole faces except the eyes? Syukran:)
Dear Sis, you will have to check with a sheikh to get an answer to your question .
may Allah swt grant you beneficial knowledge
ameen
Asalam aluikam I thank you for this article I also saw all those tutorials and stuff and as a born Christian and a new convert I learnt wearing the hijab the same way of putting scarf in awrapping manner around my face as no one conveyed Islam to me I embraces Islam through online course,Understanding Islam(free online course.org)I received my certificates there took my Shahada online and embraced Islam in may 2014 am black South African no one wearing hijab in my society only me thats why I want to learn more so that I can spread the Deen because people are very curious and Alhamdulillah am still holding on my hijab am not ashamed Jazakalah khairun for your article
Way to go Sister! may Allah swt grant you the very best in reward for your immense efforts.
yes dear sis, these tutorials come in very handy when we are lost and don’t really know how to do it.
MashaAllah sister 🙂 a beautiful reminder. may Allah put all of us on Siraat-e-Mustaqeem.
amen dear sis
xoxo
Ma Sha Allah, beautiful written. Barakallahu fiiykum.
wiyyaki sis 🙂
xoxo
Alhamdulillah, Barakallahu fiki Sister Sana, well spoken, May Allah in His infinite mercy continue to guard and guide us to the right path ameen. Jazakillahu bi khayr.
jzk sis 🙂
xoxo
Our major problem is that we muslimah of this generation lack confident in ourselves and we are in a state of dilema where by we want to please Allah and the world at the same time.may Allah strength our faith
ameen sis
ASAK. Jazak Allah Khair for this article. I sincerely feel it was about time someone raised this question. I feel bombarded from every direction with sudden hijabi stylists coming up with the latest trend. It’s hard enough for those of us who started wearing hijab and live in western countries. We don’t just face discrimination from non-Muslims but also from our own.
Unfortunately there are sisters for whom someone is not hijabi enough or perhaps too hijabi. Go to the mosque or Islamic schools and you’ll find niqabis, simple triangular – hijab wearers, dupatta wearers, staunch wrapped hijabis, fashion forward stylists and everything in between.
I agree the point of hijab is to convey modesty and it boggles my.mind how YouTubers have perpetuated a culture of hijab fashion that stands as yet another test for our daughter’s to navigate as they grow up here. On the other hand I see it usefulness in that it could provide a sister with options to beautify herself for her family. It gives her confidence to be able to feel proud as a Muslimah. I’ve seen conversations get started with non-Muslims who inquire about hijab and Islam when they see a confident Muslimah.
I think it behooves us as Muslimas to measure our intentions and hold ourselves accountable after all we will all be questioned individually about this.
wlai kum salam sis,
very very very well said. you captured my feelings truly.
ultimately it all boils down to holding oneself accountable and checking one’s intentions
as salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu sister. alhamdulillah wonderfully written. an additional some thing. of the practitioners of this modern day hijab most are those who don pants. this according to my belief is all wrong for the following reasons:
1. it resembles the attire of the opposite gender.
2. we are supposed to guard our private parts not only from the touch but also the sight of others and pants especially those that are tight make it seem like the person has not worn anything and has just painted their hips the colour of the jeans. when walking from the front it looks like the female organ has been painted the colour of the jeans and stuck on the outside especially for display, looking much like the triangle which was a symbol leading to the brothels in ancient times. i’v heard boys comment on this saying “so you girls are saying ‘this is where all the fun lies’ – is it?”(sorry for the explicit use of the language but it is saying it like it is,even our quran is open in its statement on such topics)
for this people come up with a sop saying that they wear ‘loose ladies pants with long tops’. – sorry sisters your long tops barely cover your bottoms and not all the men in the outside world are not muslim brothers who lower their gaze. all i can say is you are offering only tantalising glimpses to the men out there. its like this urdu couplet:
saaf chuptey bhi nahi saamney aatey bhi nahi
kya khoob purdah hai ke chilman sey lagey baithey hain.
(neitheryou hide yourself completely nor come out in the open
some hijab it is that you sit stuck to the chilman – a screen of of bamboo slats with open spaces to let the fresh air in)
the ‘long’ tops also leave enough of the leg-line visible as to lead the discerning eye up to a point of interest i.e. your crotch that is oh! so delicately(barely) hidden by your ‘long’ top. i’m not saying this but please pick up any text on fashion designing it will mention that ‘long lines lead to points of interest. some texts are more explicit and say that the external seam-line of the jeans leads the discerning eye to a gently curving hip-line and the inner seams are designed to lead the eye towards the crotch.
let me say this if i were to do this i.e. wear ‘loose ladies pants with long tops’ then i would’ve lost my haya a long time ago for i would’ve become immune to the stares of men and lets not forget that haya is a part of iman.
Aslm alkm sister jazakillah bi khair thank you very much for a work well done.
wiyyaki sis
Alsalamu aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Dear sister,with all due respect, where in the arabic version of the hadith you mentioned does it say “covered their faces with them”? Likewise, the Quran verse does not say that the face is part of juyoobihinna. This is all someones translation. The arabic word khimar which is what is used in both the hadith and quran is a headcover, not a face cover. Had it been a face cover the we that means we also have to cover our faces when praying salat since its the same word used. I completly support speaking against fashion tabarruj but there is no need to use wrong translations of the Quran and Hadith in order to make a point and include the face as awrah when the Prophet sallalahu aleyhi wassalam even told women not to wear niqab during hajj. How can awrah be allowed during hajj? Surely, there are ahadith which show that the mothers of the believers would cover their faces but those ahadith are in no way a command for the women in general to do it. Shaykh al-albaani wrote a book providing proof regarding niqab not being obligatory for those who want to look into it. However whatever opinion one follows, the quran and ahadith is too sacred for being translated wrong. A wrong transation should not be used. May Allah reward you and bless you. Ameen
Assalamu’alaikum sister
I’m so glad to read your article, it’s very well written. In Indonesia, Hijab Fashion is really trending. So, it makes women busy to make their look prettier and forget the real meaning of hijab.
Thank you for sharing 🙂
wlai kum salam Sis,
jzk
xoxo
Asalamu alykum sister u ve written very well i really appreciate it n most importantly i was but confused about mandate about covering the face or no as other sis mention n asnwered very well m satisfied by ur post keeo it up wil look forward fr more valuable words JAZAKALLAH
Assalamualaikum! Would you please tell me what will happen to the ladies who dont wear hijabs but maintain decent attire and seek help from God as well as pray to Him?
dear sis,
Allah swt will fill their hearts in sha Allah with His mercy and they will find the strength and the want to fulfill “all” His commands in sha Allah 🙂
xoxo
MashaAllah! May Allah grant us clear understanding.
Asalamualaikom sister , I really NEED YOUR ADVICE!
I am 16 years old in 11th grade, I got my period when I was like in year 6, I still didn’t wear the hijab yet. I know that I take zunub because I still don’t wear it but I find it really hard to dress the perfect hijab the right one, I live in Egypt and almost everyone here wears that fashionable hijab, even my mum does so! I’ve been wanting to wear the hijab for a while now but I want to wear the correct hijab, all of my hijabi friends wear thag fashionable hijab too, they tell me to start wearing a head cover and long sleeve shirts on my normal skinny jeans for a while until I can handle wearing the real hijab, and my mum wants me to lose weight first so that I don’t look bad in it then want to take it off. I’m currently working hard to lose weight but I still don’t know how can I wear the correct hijab and not look like I’m a maid because here in Egypt only maids and lower people in the society wear the abayas and are considered vulgar because of their educational and attitudal ignorance.
dear sis, i pray that Allah swt guides you to the best and strengthens you with Imaan.
i like your friends advice. Start with the head cover and the long sleeves.
And it will all fall in place.
Don’t bother yourself with the abayas and etc.
focus on the command– Cover your hair, the curves of your body, your skin.
the rest will all fall in place in sha Allah
xoxo
Assaalamu alaykum wa rahma tulaahi wa barakaatu. Jazaakallah for the article..
A lot of what you say rings true in that women tend to dress to impress others. But i think the main reason for hijab fashion lately is to encourage sisters to actually cover up. I also think back to what my grandmother once said. She said the nasaarah wear black when they mourn therefore us wearing black is like a copy cat of the nasaarah. So to avoid being like them in Cape Town we tend to wear more colour. I dont wear make up but i find some women who do, do it to hide their ‘ flaws’ and others do it to flaunt their features. So there are many reasons why people do things. Just a pity in doing so we tend to drift off the point of why we should be wearing hijab.
sadly , yes sister, you are right. May Allah swt give us the strength. amen
As salaam alaikum wrwb MashaAllah a very important topic discussed in Well written and to the point. Really commendable :)))) I totally agree with u ,hijab these days have evolved to please people rather than Allah swt (which is the basic purpose) I hope people do take note of this and repent and follow the right way Siraat al mustakeem and as for the matter covering the face it is very simple if you seek the company of mothers of the believers then do as they did. May Allahbless u and guide us all to Siraat al mustakeem. Ameeen
This was an excellent article and definitely a reminder to me. By Allah I have been sooo attracted by these hijab fashion lately that I spent so much time researching how to look hip and cool in my hijab. This article has awakened me. I will put a stop to it by Allah help. May Allah bless you for the beautiful reminder you have given the ummah
aww sis Lina,
may Allah swt your sacrifice for His sake.
We all want to look beautiful and pretty. All of us.
may Allah swt increase you in imaan and taqwa
xoxo
The simple the better I think fashion has a limit as long as we are covered but of course not having clothes that shows ur each n every curve that’s not in Islam for sure
Such a beautiful message, we all need to learn.
I used to watch tutorials and try different Hijaab styles before. But when Alhamdulillah Allah swt changed my heart, I have to please my Rab not His creation. Lately, I started doing Niqaab and covered myself completely and try wearing it the simple way. 🙂
ma sha Allah la hawla wala quwatta illa billah sis’
Way to go!
may allah swt accept it from you and grant us all the knowledge and strength to do the right thing
xoxo
MaShaAllah Sister, a beautiful reminder. May Allah rewards you.
Hijab is not a fashion and it can’t be.
Some ignorant lady [Muslim also] who just wore just like a fashion and showed of they are innocent.
These ladies just disgrace Islam, nothing else.
Grow up sisters grow up.
As salamu alaykum sister,
I completely agree with you!
We should be more concerned with pleasing Allah swt and woman can go overboard when it comes to fashion and make up and it does negate the whole purpose of hijab.
Having said that, I have two points to also consider. One is that when I go to “Islamic” stores to buy clothes, they’re always very tacky with sequence and flouro stitching or something equally tasteless and inappropriate.. It would be nice to see something more modern in the way of just being plain, but right, and in appropriate mild tones in colour. Secondly I think there is the opportunity in this present climate
Of hijab fashionistas to not only make it less daunting for some woman to decide to wear hijab, but it also may be a stepping stone for them until Allah swt makes it easier for them to modify their dress in the future to being more modest and so be a good thing. Allah swt knows best. JazakAllah khair
wlai kum salam sis,
yes u are so right!
xoxo
Assalamo alaykum wrwb. Dear sister Sara your article is very well written and all encompassing. I do have some questions though. How do we workung women strike balance when we want to be modest yet come accross as professionally groomed-and by that I don’t mean lauers of makeup or tightfitting clothes. As a physician, I find scrubs are better suited to the work in a hospital setting than a other loose fitting clothes or abayas. Of course I wear a long sleeved shirt under and a hijab over that should meet criteria as outlined by you. And then comes the issue of makeup. I have gone withoit thay but with pimples and blemishes on my face, I’m tempted and do gie in and put some on to hide them. I feel that as long as I am not doing makeup that would catch attention like a bold lipstick or eye makeup it might be ok. But Im not sure of that. What are your thoughts on that?
Jazak Allah Khair
aww sis, aren’t we all in the same boat? what ever you said, strikes a deep chord with me. it resonates with my struggles too. blemishes and all!
See, the fatwas on make up- minimal or bold are out there for us to check.
What matters the most is what gives you peace of heart.
I totally stand in agreement with you in not using bold make up and lipstick.
For the rest dear sis, perform istikhara and in sha Allah Allah swt will guide you to what is most acceptable to Him in sha Allah.
If you want a further discourse on this, then in sha Allah, i would love to continue the discussion with you here.
Your sister in islam,
xoxo
Asslamu alaikom
I appreciate this well written article…the simple the hijab the better. May Allah guide us all to the right path. Amen ♡
amen
Assalam alai kum Sana ji,
MashahALLAH ! well said ..but this new trend gradually attracting our youth to wear Hijab which is a good sign ..now its our turn to teach in way that they should understand the difference b/w Hijab n fashion,also proper way of wearing hijab 🙂
May Almighty give us Hidayat to follow the right path..ameen
ameen to your dua sis.
And yes you are right, that where on the one hand this new trend helps our girls in coming closer to the Hijab , it is indeed our job to coax them towards the correct manner of wearing it
Yess,true piece of advice we must obey our religious values nd islamic culture b’coz we born muslims.so our first duty is to please ALLAH PAK not people ov dis world.MAY ALLAH PAK GUIDE US IN EVERY PATH OV OUR LIVES!!especialy pakistani women do obey islamic values plzzzzzzz b’coz only in dis way v can transfer dese precious values to our younger generation..!! !!
Masha Allah…
Honestly you open my eyes. Thank for remind me
Dear Sana,
my name is Sahar, I am a Muslim girl from Sudan.
I have carefully read your article, I completely disagree with what you said, in fact I disagree with the way you wrote Verses from Quraan, as if you are completing Allah’s words. The meaning of geyobehinna in Arabic is the opening of the shirt not what you wrote. I would like to have a discussion with you about an important matter, is hijab really an Islamic necessity?
I know this may seem very shocking, I was shocked as well because this is not what I knew about Islam, but I eventually found it to make more sense than anything else I heard about the subject. I have spent 3 years of my life reading and learning about this, plus the fact that I received my primary and secondary education in Saudi Arabia, so I am very exposed to Islam and have learnt about it almost all my life.
I do hope you consider my request, if you do, please email me on saharraheem99@gmail.com and maybe I am wrong, maybe you will show me the better way!
Thank you
dearest sis Sahar,
i would love to have a discourse with you on this topic and would also like to invite all sisters to join in!
Let’s have it here , so that other sisters (including me and you) can benefit from the wisdom of others in sha Allah.
On a side note, may Allah swt forgive me for any mistakes or unintentional meanings.
I can never dream to complete my Lord’s words. They are supreme and pure. and I am a mere mortal.
in sha Allah looking forward to our healthy debate.
I will start a new thread below 🙂
xoxo
Dear sis Sahar, Hijab is a necessity in islam.
a beautifully compiled fatwa and answer to your question can be found on the link that i am posting below.
in sha Allah after you have gone through it, we could discuss this further
http://islamqa.info/en/69804
xoxo
Assalamu Alaikum sister
I live in New York, USA .I Convert To Islam 3 years ago at the same time married my lovely husband ,perhaps burn Muslim, here in NY the fashion is not that much meaningful between many sisters, the problem to me is that many comes from there native country with extreme well dressed, and lately open up here in the way that uncovering ,hair shoulder etc my understanding is that the faith and believe supose to be first, I personally fashioned my hijab stile,,I learn something different about my religion every day,but I will also one to know more about my religion to better be,the look out and inside about myself as a Muslim woman, my husband is from Senegal he encourage me a lot,I do not have friends (Muslim Sisters )who can help or give me a second opinion or advice for anything, I learn how to tied my hijab on you tube, I also Google questions for answers etc it’s lot of information that I pick little of everything, and honestly I follow those fashions, I reading the Quran transaction in English to know more about my religion, to be informed and prepare for any question perhaps at work the reason why I convert to Islam, coming from Christian family, I wear uniform mostly my daily dress up of course with my hijab I glad that I can wear my hijab to work, perhaps depending the color of the scrap is how I mix the color of my hijab, and mashaallah I learn every day.
MashAllah 🙂 well done
Ma sha Allah Sis Arawaka, may Allah swt accept all your efforts and reward you and your husband immensely.
Dear sis , i myself watch those tutorials some times , as they are explain how to tie Hijab really well.
which ones do you follow?
I see todays hijab fashion portraits wrong image of a Muslim women. It looks bad for a sister who wears her hijab following the sunna.
Well Sis Zubaeida, the hijab fashion is there with good intentions. The only problem is that we have forgotten to draw the line at fashion when it contradicts with the commands of Allah swt in regards to it.
MashaAllah..it is absolutely true. Fashion is actually a form of ria (show off) which is totally prohibited in Islam. Ria in any form is disobedience whereas doing hijab is obeying Allah. So hijab should be done to please Allah rather than pleasing people, hence there should be no term like hijab n fashion as both are contradictory to each other.
Dear sis, i am not against fashion.
Women have a general tendency to want to look pretty, wear bangles,be girly, feminine.
There is nothing wrong with that, i am sure you will agree with me on that.
and fashion is created by people, who are artistically blessed and so they know what looks good with what and so on.
There is no problem in following fashion with the intention to have fun looking good and constantly checking intentions for riya and show off.
and of course draw the line where it contradicts with Islam
xoxo
As salaamwalikum I have been told a lit of time by other Muslim that I wear too Much cloth on my head I love to wear a lot of cloth to cover my self I like to use the very big scarfs and rap the petty well
me too sis. i like big scarves too.. either one bog scarf or 2– one small and the another bog one!
xoxo
Salam, no dought it’s a great article. I always pray to ALLAH to put me on straight path.I also want to do hijab that please AĹLAH not people ameen. Two three sisters ask something in their comments but u didn’t reply.And I also have the same questions. Like what about hajj.if our faces r awra then why r we r not allowed to cover it during hajj.And one sister ask that she has acnies and blemishes and if she doesn’t cover them people notice her more. So really we r in very difficult situation. Unless you r in Islamic state we do look a little bit oppressed. I know i am a very weak person and i pray to ALLAH to make me strong practical muslimah ameen.
Dear Sister Saima,
regarding the ruling of showing covering face during Hajj– we are all on the same page– No covering.
Regarding face being part of our awra– please check with a sheikh for the ruling , i am unfortunately not equipped to answer that question.
I understand the dilemma that Sis Sumbal mentioned. We all are in the same boat regarding make up–to do or not to do.And then how much to do.
Well, firstly– if we decide to do– then very little,just enough to hide the blemishes.but not to beautify ourselves.
i pray that Allah swt guides us all to the correct path and gives us the courage to walk upon it, amen
So great my sister.
May Allah bless u so much.
It’s opinion of majority to cover face not less.
When it says cover ur body so u may be recognize and muslim women and free as well that means u must hide ur own identity and show as muslim women. If u go in back ground of this verse u will know why this verse was revealed. U can see in hadith. Yet showing face there is another verse says don’t show zina means a beautiful women must not show face a old or less attractive maybe. She must see if it can cause pro then hide. It’s so long topics many debates done between scholars too. One daif hadith completely in favor of showing face so if someone show face I can’t say wrong to her.
But my personal opinion is hiding face is obligatory esp for beautiful woman.
I wish I could share my full argument but sisters strive hard for getting takwa. And Try As Much As U Can To Be Doing best. It’s hard to do even head cover in western countries to do that at least. May Allah guide and bless all sisters in islam. Ameen
Asalamu aleikum
Question: what if girls wear fashionable and stylish clothing but at the same time are dressed modestly? Still wearing the headscarf properly, loose fitting clothing etc… I mean a full length loosely fitting jacket can be the newest of styles and still be deemed as appropriate in regards to hijab right?
Wlai kum Salam Brother Abdullah,
the basic commands of hijab, purdah, covering for a woman are very clear.
Once that are fulfilled then we can talk about newest styles in following the basic commands properly.
My intention in this article was show that we need to draw a line WHEN and IF the commands of Allah swt are being transgressed. So of the full length, loosely fitting jacket is of the newest style BUT fulfills the commands, then why not? by all means go ahead 🙂
all i know about surah al ahzab, is except face and hand, not eye or one eye..
but i think its optional,( i m not against who covering face) to covering face or not, as long as u wear hijab that covering ur hair n body and use polite style and not too crazy about fashion..
fashion isnot religion..u dont have to follow everynewstyle..
fyi i am in indonesia, sorry for bad english 🙂
well said sis rizkina, “we don’t have to follow every new style”
you said it all
jzk
xoxo
MashAllah.. i also agree with u sis.. hijab never be a trend or fashion.. we wear hijab jst to make Allah happy and Allahs wish… Allah forbid to us looking more attractive to all except family..if wearing hijab is more attractive thn whts the need to wear..we will not benifited.. Allah will never happy…so if our goal is one nd only making Allah happy we have to obey what Allah actually wanr from us.. Allah forgive us ,ofcrse Allah is most marcyful..
amen
Yes I agree with what is said in the article – what is wrong is wearing things which attract attention while in public.
Personally I think how we dress must befit the place or function we are attending albeit modestly of course. There is an unwritten code in all societies in how we should be attired and behave. If we dress too differently than other people that would attract attention too! ie. if we were to attend a wedding ceremony where everybody dresses up, wearing drab clothing would make us stand out. If we go the office wearing blings, that too would attract attention.
Basically one should use common sense (besides Islamic teachings) in deciding what is modest and appropriate. May Allah guide us
Well said !
As Salamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarkatuh sis….. Beautifully written article.. I totally agree with you sis… I believe Hijab is not a fashion statement… I wear it cus our Lord commanded it… I feel protected by wearing hijab nd this is my identity Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin…. We need to educate ourselves on ayaat and hadith concerning the hijab and modesty …We Muslims know that before we wear the Hijab, we have to make the correct intention. we are not wearing the Hijab for anyone, except Allah. JazakiAllahu khairan sister.. May Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala bless you.
Yes sis, i also agree with you. Hijab is my identity , i feel safe and protected in it.
xoxo
Asalam alaykum!
This is a very interesting topic. I have mixed feelings about this topic in general. I feel that as long as we are dressed appropriately there shouldn’t be a problem. People are creating these gray areas. There is nothing wrong with coordinating your clothes and wearing make up. Of course it becomes a problem if your a wearing hijab with clothes that aren’t appropriate. Allah (swt) knows our intentions. Most of us who wear nice clothes with our hijab simply enjoy wearing nice clothes not with the intention of being some kind of ornament. Also in regards to non-muslims who wear hijab… why is that a problem. That should be for Allah (swt) to decide. Who knows?! That might be there way towards the deen. We can’t judge them for that. That’s not right. That’s also not a part of our deen nor is that part of Islam. Islam is about peace. It welcoming everyone. So if a non-Muslim wants to wear a headscarf, so what…
yes sis. I agree with you and that is why i kept repeating in the write up and in comments also, that what is wrong is simply crossing the line and not wearing coordinated clothes or trying to hide some flaws.
and non muslims are welcome to wear scarves. may Allah swt guide them and us to the straight path
ameen
Enlightening article, sister…may almighty allah bless us with his bountless mercy & keep us steadfast on islam & make it easy for us to observe haya/hijaab…ameen
amen
As salaamwalikum..
I need help!
I’m Aisha and I’m an Indian Muslim! My age is 16 and I’m studying in class 12!
From a week and so I hav started to wear hijab during class hours too.. As soon as I enter the classroom everyone stare at me as if they have never seen me before in scarf! When I’m asked about why I’m wearing hijab during class I just keep quite saying its a Religious thing! I can’t explain them exactly my purpose of wearing hijab and abt Islam bcz I’m very shy and not so good at explaining such things! They find it funny and I feel offended! What do i say ’em if I’m asked about the same again?
assalam alai kum Sis Aisha ,
ma sha Allah sis! way to go. I am so proud of you.
yeah i know how it feels explaining the hijab to others.
my niece who is in Class 8, started her hijab last year too.
Like you she too faced many questions and had to make life changing decisions like quitting swimming at Life Guard Level.
ma sha Allah i am so proud of you girls.
You make us Proud.
Having said that, when they ask you why you do it, just tell them its a requirement in our religion, and as you love Allah swt so much, you want to do everything to please him. Tell them it’s your identity. Its who you are. It makes you a better person while still being that same fun loving, happy girl. 🙂
Dear sis, Allah swt has blessed immensely by giving you the taufiq to do such a thing. And in a way He has chosen you to represent and make people aware about Him.
Don’t be shy 🙂 Speak clearly and show them how how everything is by your pleasing and good manners.
my dues are with you
xoxo
As a young female professional that travels a lot, is raised in the west and a relative newbie to wearing a hijab; this is one of the most refreshing articles I have read in a long time and such an imam booster.
People tend to either dismiss hijab altogether or they shun women observing the hijab for their mistakes. Few realise that underneath the hijab lie living breathing females. At some fronts we receive critique and animosity because our hijab aren’t modest enough, to our non Muslim friend we have to constantly remind them that hijab was a choice not torture and to newly western wannabes we receive ridicule for being ‘regressive’ as though all progression stems from dressing provocatively.
Your article reminds us to turn to the Lord of the Worlds yet gives voice to a struggle rarely voiced. GazakAllah.
jzk for your kind words sis.
you have beautifully summed up the dilemma that we muslimahs face– both from within and outside.
And yet we continue .
May Allah swt bless you and all those like with more wisdom and clarity and strength to carry on. And may He always protect and guide u,
ameen
Ma shaa Allah sister ..excellent write up. I have a question. Please enlighten me according to Quran and hadith. Is it ok if your head covering is part of your dress? Like if you use a dupatta from salwar kamiz it will be colourful. So are we allowed to wear colourful hijab? Also can the under cap be of different colours?Thanks in advance for your kind thoughts on this issue.
Dear Sis, the requirements of hijab are very clear– cover and don’t show.
the rest is up for debate.
What you are already doing is very commendable.
As far as i know there is no obligation to wear black only or a compulsory staying away from color. many people who actually wear the black abaya, opt for some things simpler and more colourful at airports and such like to make it easy for themselves and others.
may Allah swt guide us all
Good article. And today, hijabs have become the fahion symbol among Muslim women. We love accessorizing all of our dresses with hijabs. There’s a separate hijab for every dress we purchase.
I Start wearing hijab in 2009 when I was 29. I wore in a simple way by covering my hair with long scarf.many of my relatives told me wear it in a stylish way.i m a single lady till now.many people told me I m not getting a life partner as I m wearing hijab as many man don’t like hijab. But inspire of it I was wearing it. Since last few months I have stopped wearing it due to have severe migraine pain and it’s really effecting my professional life as I can’t do work properly.also I m thinking now is it hijab for which I m not getting life partner to get married. So now considering all these I have stopped wearing hijab. I feel bad as I was wearing it since last six years.i don’t know Allah will forgive me or not. Is there any circumstances due to which women can stop wearing hijab.
dear sis, there is no circumstance in which women can stop wearing hijab.
All good and bad is from Allah swt.
your wearing a hijab is actually a manifestation of your obedience to Him.
How can He punish for obeying Him by not getting you married?
All things have been decreed by Allah swt and will happen at their appointed time.
may Allah swt make it easy for you and grant you a righteous spouse.And cure you from your migraine and enable to obey Him in a manner most pleasing to Him amen
Such a timely article! JazakAllah Khair for writing this… it saddens to see how fashionised Hijab is becoming when all you need to do is wrap a huge cloth to cover your front and back! May Allah guide us and keep us on the Siratul Mustaqeem… Aameen…
ameen
thanks for the article, but for me i think this is all about the western world trying to confuse our muslim sisters that hijab should be fashionable. now days what most of our muslim sisters consider to be hijab is not hijab at all its so reviling and unexceptale
Its the not western world that is the problem, its our own relationship with our Lord.
When that is weak, we are more likely to fall prey to the tricks of shaitan
may Allah swt enable us to strengthen our relationship with Him.amen
Assalam o Alaikum WRWB
Muslim women are honored with HIJAB.
Alhumdulilah its honorable to obey Allah Subhanahu Watala. Just do it for Allah He will save you from all types of desire like those doubts that you are looking pretty or not in the hijab.
Wlai kum Salam Sis,
well said ! Well said!
xoxo
This awasome article sist..?
it can be a way to unveil islam in the world..
Jazakillah khoir..
jzk sis xoxo
As salam Alaikum,
Very well written article..May Allah swt guide us all to prctice deen in the roght way with ease..May HE guide us all to Rahei Mustaqeem,Ameen.
Jazak Allah Khair ?
wlai kum salam Saima Bhabi,
ameen, ameen
jzk
xoxoxoxox
Respectable Sana Gul Waseem,
That is how its written in Quran
O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks all over their bodies . That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful ” (Al-Ahzab, 33:59)
Please do not misinterpret it with the addition of ”(i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way)” and ”Veils”
i will take note of what you said and check it out.
jzk
Ma Shaa Allah very nice article. May Allah reward you
jzk
very very very very very gooood detail convincing clear explanation… JazakaAllah Khair. May Almighty Allah give u the best reward. 🙂
awww jzk many times over
xoxoxo
Such a beautiful article MashaAllah. May Allah set bless us all.
ameen
xoxo
The issue is that most Muslims from the Arab world wear abaya and scarf as its a part of their culture. They are not necessarily bothered about the religious aspect of it. The fashion industry is targeting these mainly. The matter is aggravated when young girls wishing to follow the commands of Allah see these fashionably clad women and assume that this is acceptable.
Women and girls who adopt wearing a hijab in public after reading and understanding Quran and Hadith are less prone to following the fashion bandwagon.
Also multiple levels of hijab standards are sending wrong signals to non-Muslims and non practicing Muslims as they feel both are equally acceptable.
The only way we can tackle this issue is by teaching the Muslims girls the essence of hijab and its requirement as per the Quran and Hadith. May Allah guide us all.
well said sis!
i agree with you
ameen
Assalaamu ‘alaykum Sister Sana
ALHAMDULILLAH… for this beautiful insight that you have shared and it is indeed the most perfect term for this new upgrading community of Muslim women—’mushrooming’ Hijaab Fashion Industries. Subhan Allah. How I wish as Muslim women (if we really do consider ourselves us one of the true believers) we must at least realise the point of why we are wearing this beautiful covering, HIJAAB. May we all practise the true wearing of Hijaab. Aameen.
amen dear sis
Jazakallah sis sana for this beautiful article……May Allah guide us all our brothers and sisters. I want to ask u a question sister sana. Here i m living in chennai nd i see most of the muslim sister doing hijab in a different way…i mean majority of sister wear jeans and scarf on head. Its more like tradition or culture or scholarly teaching i dont know than proper islamic hijab. How can majority wear this…its unlike any other region. I have seen only two types, either hijab or non-hijab in my hometown patna. Its like trend here. Whats your opinion about this.Is it permissible?
Brother Salem, please check the rulings regarding hijab , in sha Allah that will give you the best picture
Assalam o Alaikum!
JazakaAllah for addressing the thought provoking topic.
wlai kum salam
wa iyyaki 🙂
Masha Allah your article z beautiful .
May Allah swt rewards you
jzk sis
jazaakillahu yaa ukhtii. may Allah subhaanahuu wata aalaa bless your efforts.
jzk sis
MasyaAllah sis. Really insightful. Thank you for clearing this misconception, Alhamdulillah.
jzk sis, my pleasure.
JazakAllah Khair for such an encouraging article which is very helpful in guiding the young girls like me to the correct path i.e the path of the belivers. May Allah guide us all. ☺
ameen sis Aisha
Ma’sha’Allah, very well written! Right you are, sister, our Hijab, which is supposed to conceal our beauty, has now become a means of beautification itself. May Allah bless you. 🙂
Yes sis, you are right and i constantly fear that i might too fall in the trap of using the hijab as a means to beautify . may Allah swt protect us all
Do you think its easy to wear hijab in a world that’s fully obsessed with beauty?
Dear Sis Dua,
It is easy and difficult. depending upon our relationship with Allah swt.
the stronger the connection, the easier it is.
may Allah swt make it easy for all of us amen.
You Can look smart and stylish without compromising the 7 conditions of hijab according to the Qur’an and Sunnah
Yes sis, you are so correct
spot on…i totally aggree with u…
jzk
Roksana Ali
I totally agree with what has been said, there’s nothing wrong with looking clean, smart and tidy but when we making ourselves look attractive to an extent that clothes, make up and styles are never ending. I think Islamic fashion is getting too extreme where the modesty is non exsiatance, we shouldn’t live up to society standards but Allah standards. Forgive me if I may hurt anyone feelings, Allah’s alam.
yes sis, i agree with you
This issue is important in our deen, little percentages of muslims in the world observe the correct rules of hijab. We Africans look unto the Arabians for the correct sunnah but unfortunately majoority of them are carried away by western ways of life.The westernised their dressing and basterdised Islamic mode of dressing at the public. My husband went to Egypt last year and he expression was ”’my dear Alhamdulillah for we Nigeria muslims has greater percentage of muslims who practice sunnah than them”” Am sorry for making a conclusion but this is what I observed
Assalamo alaikom sister, may Allah give you rewards for you work. I really liked your article. I still trying to get to right and true hijab and I ask Allah to guide every single believer to the right path. I started wearing hijab when I was 12 and it was a very difficult decision because I lived in Italy so everyone was asking “why did put this” ecc, but it was easy at same time because I felt peace from inside for pleasing my beloved Lord. At the beginning I wasn’t wearing long clothes and I was wearing jeans ecc, but then year after year I started to want to change something in my kind of clothing, just like Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala was educating me by sending me messeges slowly. I started to learn the real meaning of hijab and why we should put it while wearing it, because at the beginning I only knew that by wearing hijab I would please Allah and I didn’t know that whatever Allah commend us to do is just for our benefit, He is already complete and doesn’t need us,but we need Him to guide us and to have a fulfilled life. Now I’m 20 and alhamdolillah I notice a lot of changes in me and I thank Allah swt for always being close to me and I ask Him to guide us to the right path and to grant us happiness here and in the akhira. I just wanted to share my experience with you 🙂 Jazaki Allahu khairan for your time 🙂
jzk for sharing your experience with us
xoxo
Dear Sana,
Jazaka Lhahu cheir for this post.It’s just so well said.It’s exactly how I think about it myself.
Whenever I catch myself watching these hijab tutorials,I ask myself…is this really the hijab Allah would be satisfied with?I make Duaa for us muslim women to set our priorities straight.First it’s Allah whose opinion should matter to us because He is the One who will question us.So may Allah make us sincere…Amin!
jzk sis Roqayya, It is a catch 20 20 situation. Some tips are helpful yet some transgress the limits of Hijab blatantly .
May Allah swt guide us and make it easy for us
amen
Assalamo alaikm sister,jazakallahu khair for the article.may allah give hidayah to all muslimah…
wlai kum salam Sis,
jzk
xoxo
Your article has seriously bothered me!!! We are living in a society now, a world which pretty much hates and targets Muslims constantly. So why do Muslims have to tear down Muslims.
I wear the hijab in the west and i wear the albaya. The Quran doesn’t say colours are haraam! Are men so pathetically weak that the colours blue or green will leave them salivating on the floor! Yes I know the youngsters have gone overboard with hijab hairbands and dressing skinny jeans and tight tops with their hijabs etc. But a hijab that isn’t black, or an albaya that is any colour but black is NOT haraam!
Please please, let us try and look at the greater good these young girls are trying to do, they are covering their hair, isn’t that the most important thing? We need to understand our youth and look at their intentions! Lets not judge them, boys have things sooo much more easy then girls in today’s society! I understand all of your points, but you are taking it to extremes.
Slapping on the make-up, dousing yourself in perfume etc, yes are all haraam, I agree with you. But for those of us who live in the west who have educated ourselves into jobs that involve being in the public, we can’t possibly be expected to cover our entire faces and wear black the whole time (I have worn a black hijab and full black albaya, but not always!!! :O ) I think hiqmah, assessing and understanding holistically the situation is needed before we start a rant! I want all our younger sisters to become active parts of society, working in hospitals, schools etc, how can this happen if we keep knocking them back?
Dear Sis,
i feel bad that i caused you pain from my words.
but dear sis, as i read your comments, i see you and me saying pretty much the same thing.
I am not against color or clean and smart clothing be it an abaya or general outfits.
What i am saying is, that whenever “fashion” pushes us to transgress/cross over the limits/boundaries of hijab, we set ourselves for failure as hijabi muslims.
make up, perfume, colors, looking pretty, being girly, are all good as long as they are done in the right context.
You mirrored my feelings about men being weak and salivating just because they see a woman!.
Hijab is there for both men and women.– Men lower their eyes and women cover themselves up.
Ma sha Allah sis, you wear an abaya and specially in the west, where an abaya clad woman draws sympathetic and fearful glances. It takes courage and I am so proud of you.
But dear Sis, please do re read what i said. I and you are saying the same thing albeit in different words 🙂
jzk
Sana
Umm Alli in my opinion I think u misunderstood the sister. She has only the stated the islamics principles of dressing as prescribed by Allah and encouraged our young sister to uphold this beautiful practise. This will in no way deter them from whatever Allah has willed for them. We should be known for what we are as Muslims and not allow our secondary purpose dictate the primary…our primary purpose is to worship Allah and then every other thing comes after this…so in our lifetime we should strive towards achieving Allah’s pleasure by making all our secondary purposes dependent on the primary….adhering to the command of Allah by covering up ourselves is one of it….may Allah increase us in faith and taqwa
jzk Br Abu Huzaypha for your kind reply to Sis Umm Ali.
and ameen to your dua
Sana
Assalamualaykum yaa ukhtii…..barakallahu laki….I love this article for the facts it explained. Our sister have been lured in the deceptive glamour of fashion. May Allah help us all and save us from this growing fitna. Most annoying is when parents are the ones discouraging the true Islamic dressing and encourages the so called “fashion hijab”. We have heard cases of parents victimising their daughters for wearing the the hijab. In some cases these sisters give up and adopt the fashion trend hijab. I’m hopeful that this article will help such sisters have a rethink and choose to satisfy Allah rather than the people. Jazaakillahu khairan…
Assalam alai kum Akhi,
jzk for your kind comments.
I see a grave need to address this issue as all of a sudden i see a sudden surge in this direction, with the latest offering being some High Fashion Designers joining in.
May Allah swt protect us all amen
Assallam, I just want to say that we have to be very careful when referring to the Holy Qur’an. You quoted a verse as follows: “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful ” (Al-Ahzab, 33:59
I think it is better you restrict yourself to what Allah said, whatever you have in the bracket is someones opinion. The ayah said and I quote: ” O Prophet , tell thy wives and daughters and believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons:that is most convenient, that they should be known and not molested. And Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful”
If you refer to the original Arabic text there is no mention of eye or eyes. If you have a Hadith from Ya Rasulullah that says what you or whoever you are quoting is saying then by all means please quote it and make the right attributes. Let me refer you to another verse in another sura, suratlu Nur 24:31 ” 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 appear thereof, that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands fathers, their sons, their husbands sons, their brothers or their brothers sons or their sisters sons or their women or the slaves whom their right hand possesses or male attendants free of sexual desires or small children who have no carnal knowledge of women:and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye who believe turn ye all together towards Allah in repentance that ye may be successful” I think you should note how the veil should be worn and the issue of not striking the feet so as not to draw attention
If however you are trying to make a case for the niqab then do a proper research because in my humble reading of the Qur’an I have not com e across the niqab. I have only come across it in literature s concerning Arabian cultures.
Well done for picking up the common mistranslations
However it is also not translated to veil as the word is “khimar” which means cover.
[Quran 24:31] And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes, and maintain their chastity. They shall not reveal any parts of their bodies, except that which is necessary. They shall cover their chests, and shall not relax this code in the presence of other than their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons, the sons of their husbands, their brothers, the sons of their brothers, the sons of their sisters, other women, the male servants or employees whose sexual drive has been nullified, or the children who have not reached puberty. They shall not strike their feet when they walk in order to shake and reveal certain details of their bodies. All of you shall repent to God, O you believers, that you may succeed.
You also notice there isn’t a mention of the word “hijab” (which means barrier) in the arabic text either or hair for those verses and no mention of covering the head. Therefore wearing the ‘hijab’ or covering the head is not mentioned in the Quran. This is entirely a cultural concept not an Islamic one.
jazakillaahu khayran….
you said my mind.. been thinking on writing an article about the way ladies take hijab the fashion and even the character they put up too. so many blogs, pages on facebook, instagram abound where people learn this hijab fashion… and i think we can also help by enlightening those with such blogs or pages or dm by saying our mind too. May continue to guide us aright.
There is no hijab fashion in Islam. Hijab is not “fashion” in Islam. Hijab is part of Sunnah and obligation from Quran. In Islam we don’t have fashion, we don’t follow fashion. We follow Sunnah.
[…] referred to as being covered with clothes, but subhanAllah, the tightness of their clothes leaves nothing to the imagination! Every feature of their body is displayed ‘wrapped’ in tight clothes. And these sisters are […]
[…] referred to as being covered with clothes, but subhanAllah, the tightness of their clothes leaves nothing to the imagination! Every feature of their body is displayed ‘wrapped’ in tight clothes. And these sisters are […]
I just wanted to ask if it is alright to wear pants while wearing the hijab, as a teenage girl growing up without a mom, I have not been told much about the proper way to dress while wearing the hijab, I do know for a fact that we should not reveal our necks, back, and chest area. But are we also not allowed to wear pants?
MASHALLAH, very nice article.
May ALLAH bless you sister and increase your knowledge, and all the team members of iou working for the true path may ALLAH help you all in good cause.
JAZAKALLAH.
Hijabs are part of muslim culture and we all should endure this fact. God bless you!
Assalamualikum
jazakAllah for this enlightening article i was searching exactly same thoughts and words on google as i was fed up with those hijab ads on f.b that how to look a chic in hijab and hijab revolution etc….. jazakAllah once again now i can share this article inshAllah.
Assalamu alaikum warahmatullah hiwabarakatuh
JazakAllah sis as finally this hijabi issues are being laid out.
When I first wanted to wear my hijab I was trying to look cool and fashionable as I was trying to please people.
Then many years later Allah has guided me with imaan to wear to please Allah and it does not matter anymore what the fashion are. I took the neatness of the fashion hijab and modify it to meet Allah’s requirement.
May Allah make it easy for us to be on the righteous and truthful path. Ameen.
Alhamdulillah for stumbling upon this article. Especially these days, more young and adult Muslimas are still oblivious or just plainly ignore them. May Allah guide us all to the Straight Path. Ameen.
I really appreciate your blog page as it contains a very helpful information regarding hijab for muslim women’s.