Islam and clothing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Hijab. (Discuss)

Part of a series on Islamic Jurisprudence – a discipline of Islamic studies
Fields
Economic Political Marital Criminal Behavior and daily life As-Salamu Alaykum Khuda Hafiz Insha'Allah Clothing Sex Segregation Mahram Ghayr mahram Hijab Niqāb Family Relations Funeral Honorifics Theological Hygiene Military This box: view • talk • edit

Adherents of Islam are concerned with clothing in two contexts: clothing for everyday, inside and outside the house, and clothing required in specifically religious contexts.

“	Say to the believing of men and women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.	”
	— Qur'an [24:30]

“	And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms ...	”
	— Qur'an [24:31]

“	O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them. That will be better, so that they may be recognized and not harassed. Allah (SWT) is ever Forgiving, Merciful.	”
	— Qur'an [33:59]

However, there are many different interpretations of what "modesty" requires. Most agree that it is covering the "awrah", from the belly button to the knees for men and from the head to the toes for women except the face and hands.

How to dress properly for prayer

This section does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007)
Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

This section has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality.
Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (May 2008)

In carpeted mosques, shoes are not allowed inside and are left at the door. No special clothing is required for worship. The only guidelines are that the person's awrah, or private parts (from the belly button to the knees for men and from the head to the toes for women except the face and hands), must be covered. Shia believe that leather products made from non-dhabihah animals are najis, or ritually impure, and must be removed before prayer. Additionally, the clothes must be loose-fitting and opaque. Believers are required to dress modestly, according to the customs of their community. A head covering (kufi, like a cap or turban) is considered desirable for men, and necessary by some more strict practitioners of the religion, but is not universally seen as necessary. A woman should cover her head in prayer.

Before prayer, Muslims perform ablutions (ritual washing) called wudu. Most mosques have some facilities for washing the hands and feet before entering.

Muslims put on special pilgrim's robes when they go on a pilgrimage, and these robes are two pieces of unhemmed white cloth; they are donned before the walk to Mecca. All people, poor or rich, wear the same garments. Many pilgrims preserve their ihram carefully. It will be their shroud when they are buried.

[edit] Special clothing for officials, sayyids, and sufis

There is no special dress for the muezzin who calls to prayer, nor for the imam who leads prayers in the mosque and delivers a talk or sermon. Islam tends to emphasize the direct relationship of each believer to Allah rather than elaborating roles for human intermediaries.

Muslim jurists, such as ayatollahs, imams, muftis, or qadis, may wear special robes or turbans of honor, but these vary according to local custom.

Also:

Male sayyids (also transliterated sayed, sayid, or said) or sharifs often wear black or green turbans.

Male sufis, especially the more monastic amongst them, commonly wore a simple robe of white wool, (leading to one tradition of how their name came about, being supposedly derived from the Arabic suf, meaning "wool"). Present day sufis often do not follow this tradition, and some tariqahs, or orders, have clothing designated for specific ceremonies. One Sufi order in present-day Turkey, the Mevlevi, wear white dresses with voluminous skirts. During their prayer services, they twirl (called Sufi whirling) so that the skirts stand out. Hence they are also known as Whirling Dervishes