Muslim Fashion

 

 

 

 

 

                                                  

Muslim fashion

 

 

 

 

 

 

                 

Hijabs - The Modern Faces Behind the Muslim Head Scarf

Muslim women started wearing hijabs or other head coverings centuries ago in order to keep in step with the modesty taught by their religion. However, with the passage of time, people started embracing the westernized way and covering the head no longer remained the center of focus for a number of Muslim women. Some named it liberation, others named it modernization. However, when a few years ago the Non Muslim world created a misconception about hijabs symbolizing radicalism. At that point, a vast majority of Muslimahs become more conscious of restoring their religious as well as ethnic identities and reverted back to the use of head coverings for themselves. Today regardless of what country they are in, Muslim women globally have embraced more modest ways of dressing including the use of jilbabs, abayas and most of all hijabs.
There are a number of famous Muslim women that also endorse the fact that covering the head is not a sign of oppression or fundamentalism. In reality, these women cover their heads to please Allah swt, who is the creator of the entire mankind. From news anchors to political activist, scholars to scientists, a large number of famous Muslim women proudly wear their hijabs in public and feel more confident while covering their heads.
Islamic beacons such as Khadeejah, who was a famous businesswoman during the prophet's time and later became his wife; Fatimah, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); Asma bint Abu Bakr, the daughter of one of the closest friends of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), are the paragons for Muslim women. However, they were much later followed by powerful women such as Zaynab-al-Ghazali, who is an Egyptian Islamic Activist. She strongly supports the rights of Muslim women including their right to dress conservatively. Maryum Jameelah is another prime example of the modern women supporting headscarves. Maryum was the first American Jewish woman to convert to Islam. She then followed the teachings of Islam to the core and in addition wrote numerous books about the concepts of Islam. Her work is well read and appreciated equally by Muslims and non Muslims around the world. The former president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Mrs. Elkadi, is another prime example of a modern day muslimah who is never seen without hijabs. She actively worked for ISNA and promoted modesty and decency for the young Muslim women living in America.
These are just a few examples of the current day Muslim women who are neither afraid nor ashamed to wear hijabs in all circumstances. In fact they wear them with pride and feel honored to be educated and successful women that can make an impact on others as well as lead by example. As more success stories are publicized about women in hijabs, it will have a great and positive impact on the next generation, promoting the feelings of morality and uprightness about Islam!

Cool Islamic Clothing Styles For Muslim Women This Summer

It is important to keep the body as cool as possible during the summer months, which can be sometimes an "uphill task" for Muslim women that wear hijabs. The obvious tip is to suggest thinner and cooler fabrics in hotter weather - but it is also important to stick to absorbent materials as well. Fabrics such as georgette, chiffon and lace are therefore obviously great choices for the summer months.

Clothing with "air holes" - which allows more air to flow - are great in summer, with lace undercaps and loose crocheted caps both being very effective. Scarf headbands have become with the modern young Muslim and are a useful alternative to undercaps as they provide almost the same coverage but with a lot less material - as they just cover the forehead.

Reducing the amount of material wrapped around the neck and top of the head is a wonderful relief on hot days - as this is where a lot of body heat leaves the body. Experiment with styles and how you pin your khimars. For the cooler summer days, a hat (should never substitute a khimar) could be a stylish addition to your wardrobe and they can be great play on style during the summer months.

Are Jilbabs the Ideal Islamic Dress For Muslim Women

Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (Jilbabs) 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. (Surah Al Ahzaab verse 33:59).

Jilbabs have been in use for a very long time. They have been the foremost choice of dress for women all around the Muslim Arab world ever since the advent of Islam. While Jilbabs are considered the leading dress for Muslim women, there are some controversies about various styles from the early Islamic time. This is due to the fact that there are no pictures or garments available from the early Islamic era. Thus it cannot be conclusively stated whether the early Jilbabs were indeed the same as the modern day versions. Apart from these description related issues, no Islamic scholar has stated to date that the Jilbabs are not the stated form of dress for women in the Holy Quran.

Most modern day Muslims are adamant about the Jilbabs being the same as those that were worn by Muslim women in the Prophet's (p.b.u.h) time. On close scrutiny, there is a lot of information available on the history of Jilbabs. According to some research, the current day Jilbabs date originally back to the 1970's when the Egyptian Muslim women adopted them as the form of dressing. According to this research, the Egyptian women wore these Jilbabs to show their obedience to a specific sect of Islam. Thus they are considered a modern invention which is in complete adherence to the laws strictly stated in the Quran. After the Egyptian women, these slowly filtered out to the Indonesian women as well. Slowly and steadily, these robes became a part of Muslim women's wardrobe in a vast majority of previously unaccustomed parts of the Muslim world.

Top Tips For Islamic Women To Dress For Winter

As the temperatures across the UK plummet, your poor summer clothing range is now being shoved to the back of the wardrobe to make way for your winter collection. But what can you do to make the most of the contents of your wardrobe to keep warm over the next few months?

Get hot-headed
Well, warm-headed! Islamic women can use their hijabs into an advantage when attempting to stay warm. If you will prioritize keeping your head warm, you will have won half the battle in keeping your warm this winter. Why not wear two hijabs? Although, always take an umbrella with you - as a wet Hijab is never pleasant.

Add another layer
Dressing in layers of clothing does several things for you: Layers fill up the space between you and your winter coat with insulation. Wear a t-shirt, sweater, leg-warmers etc under your abaya.

The Wardrobe of the Modern Muslim Woman

So what does 2010 have in store for the modern Muslim woman?
Well, with Spring just around the corner it is time to start thinking about brightening up your wardrobe. The fashion industry is predicting that bright colours will certainly make a comeback, particularly pastel shades. New collections are likely to be a combination of vibrant colour schemes for the adventurous Muslim woman, with more practical neutral colours for the more conservative woman.

Despite these new trends, it is always possible to look great by using your "staple" wardrobe collection. The wardrobe basics never really change and can be worn with a variety of accessories to help you look fabulous, modern and sophisticated.

So what are the basics that all Muslim women should have?

The first piece of clothing that comes to mind is the Hijab. This is the staple of all Muslim women and can be found in a variety of styles and colours to suit any occasion. They can be worn with regular scarves, cardigans and shirts to achieve a unique look.

Jilbabs and Abayas - The Dress For Muslim Women

Jilbabs and abayas are common Islamic clothing for women. Though they are popular in the Middle East countries and other Muslim world, the concept of wearing jilbabs and abayas is much debated in the Western World. However, it is the strong influx of the Muslim leaders that has made these apparels common on the streets of several western cities.

Jilbabs are long robes and are used as outer garment. They come with separate arms that are stitched to the body of the cloth. The over garments are available in various styles and colors. You can have black outer garments that are pinstriped with different color. They also come in subtle colors with detail pinstripe work on the cuffs. These types of Islamic garments also come with hoods. In fact, the hooded Jilbabs look smart enough for both office and casual wear. In addition, you can incorporate several other styles into this cloth such as ruffles, frills, pleats, cuffed sleeves, flares and laces.

Muslim Fashion - 3 Modest Ways to Wear Muslim Fashion

Are you looking for muslim fashion which is trendy yet modest? With fashion do you know where to draw the line? What are the do's and don'ts for muslim clothing? This article will discuss some ways on how to dress modestly.

First of all, always remind yourself of the Islamic dress code. Your clothes should be long, loose fitted and not transparent. Muslim women should also cover their heads with a head scarf (hijab).

Book Review of "American Muslims, The New Generation"

As she has mentioned in the preface of her book she is an American Muslim from immigrant Pakistani parents who has born in Chicago. She has made up a title for herself "I am s self proclaimed Muslim feminist cowgirl....my spirit is a mix of American individualism, the American west, the Islam that I grew up with and practice, my family code of ethics and the Feminism I believe in." She has published another book "Why I am Muslim".

She was a 25 years old student studying law at New York when this book published in 2000. She has written editorials for the Denver Post, fiction for the Susquehanna Review. It seems she has mingled some of Islamic rules with the circumstances of living in America to create a light-minded feminist Muslim. From the evidences she provides in her book, she probably says her five daily prayers and fast during Ramezan and helps charity but thinks just modest attire is enough to save Hijab, or in judgment day she would not be guilty for not obeying a complete Halal diet.

Syrian Jilbabs - How Do They Differ From the Traditional Dress

Different culturally conscious western and Asian countries have differences in their clothing items to distinguish them from one another; similarly, there is a lot of diversity visible in the Muslim clothing worn in various Muslim countries. Observing the jilbabs worn by women from different Middle Eastern countries, it becomes clear that there are various subtle and prominent differences between the cloaks worn by them. From Saudi Arabia to Oman, Turkey to Dubai, Morocco to Jordan, all areas offer their own distinctive touch and class to the traditional Muslim outfits.

Syrian Jilbabs are another example of a special type of overdress that is a long standing traditional symbol of the region. These jilbabs are different from those of originating in other regions in terms of appearance and style.

The Syrian jilbabs resemble the western over coats more than the typical jilbabs from other regions. Similar in style to the outerwear used for cold weather in many countries, these jilbabs are more form fitting with coat like collars and occasionally cuffs at the wrists. Another similarity between them and western outerwear is that they are worn over some form of clothing, so they too are an additional layering of clothes, which are used to cover up the entire body from the throat to the ankle.

Some Basics of a Muslim Matrimony

The Muslim religion is the second largest in the world and was founded by the prophet Muhammad. Many of the followers of Islam are residing in India. The religion has its emphasis on the community more than the practice and is also a guide to the principles of political, economic and social life. The word Islam means "surrender", so all Muslims are expected to surrender completely to the will of Allah, the supreme God, whose provisions are found in the Koran (Islamic sacred scriptures). So, absolutely everything intervening in the spiritual and earthly life is established in the Koran, including, of course, the rules that guide the family and Muslim matrimony.

Marriage is considered a sacred union as defined by Islamic law, and contrary to popular belief, monogamy is a common practice in the Muslim Matrimony. Women have primary rights on their home and their sons and husbands are obligated to protect and fulfill their basic necessities. For this reason, the ceremony itself is a private, civil and religious contract, which takes place in the mosque (Muslim shrine) and is registered in the registry office as well. The agreement set out in that contract of the Muslim matrimony should be discussed in advance by the bridegroom to be and the closest male relative of the bride to be. The closest male relative may not necessarily be her father. The bride must have consent to the marriage alliance.

Are Jilbabs an Article of Oppression?

The debate about extremism and oppression in Islam against women is a never ending one it seems. The media seems to keep on focusing on the rights of Muslim women being violated by mandating clothing articles that keep the body covered in the majority of Muslim countries. Islamic clothing items such as jilbabs and abayas that cover the body from head to toe are under constant scrutiny by feminine activists and women's rights spokespersons. Regardless of the fact that most Muslim women choose to wear these jilbabs and hijabs, the discussions never cease.
The point that the Western world and advocates of pro choice seem to have forgotten is that less than 100 years ago, women living in European and American countries also used to wear clothes that fully covered them from the throat to the feet. It was considered vulgar and inappropriate for women to expose their bodies to any member of the opposite sex. The long trailing robes and gowns made up the entire contents of the ladies wardrobe. In addition to these gowns, it was mandatory to wear fitted pants under the gown, in order to prevent even the slightest bit of exposure during movement.
So why it that the Muslim women are is told that the jilbabs they wear are made compulsory by the male dominating Muslim society as a way to oppress them? Why was it alright for the western women to wear clothes that were acceptable to the males of their society, but a Muslim woman cannot cover herself in order to please Allah? The women do have a choice and they choose to wear jilbabs and hijabs in most cases. They select these outfits because they are the proper way of dressing prescribed by Islam.
There is no way that an outfit can either oppress or set free any man or woman in the world. The apparel worn just symbolizes the choice of the person and how they opt to portray themselves to the world. A Muslimah feels confident and liberated wearing her jilbabs and hijabs, as they signify her faith and belief in Allah and his Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). These very jilbabs are mentioned in the Quran as the way for a woman to dress and every Muslim woman who chooses to wear them feels proud and honoured to be a part of the faith.
These jilbabs are definitely not a sign of repression and should not be considered as such either by the Western world. As a matter of fact, they represent the respect, esteem and value imparted to us by the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H).