I thought I would write a note about this because I think it is quite important. It deals with our identity. Im a convert as some may know and throughout my changes I have resisted to revert to a different culture. Today one of my friends called me asking my 2cents on what to wear to a certain cultural all-women party. Why does everyone or almost everyone expect us to trade in our clothing, our identity, our style for cultural dress? Why do all these sisters jump at you and say wear this and that and when you show up at the party, Bam!!!(nightclub scene)and the only one dressed like is about to give some cultural show is YOU. Or, there is the other scenario where they do actually advise you to wear a certain cultural dress because everyone else will wear the same, just in different colors. Only, one small thing, they sort of forget that you have your own identity and you are new in Islam. Ok, some may be ok with it, but some of us are just sitting not being ourselves(and it feels like I am in a costume)
My 2 cents, let me start with "you reverted/converted religion not culture." Reverting to Islam will change alot of our values(or wake up some morals in some of us) and make some modest changes to our clothing! My take is always be yourself and dress to your comfort and liking using Allah SWT Islamic guidelines. (Adapting the abaya doesn't mean you revert to a different culture, it only means you just chose the easiest way to meet Allah's guidelines in 2 minutes.) And really, those are the only guidelines, you need to check with Allah SWT in regards to hijab. Don't feel that you are forced to dress like a certain culture(now, if you like to adapt it, there is also nothing wrong, but it is your happy choice that counts). If you are attending a party, do it for fun, experimentation or to be courteous to the party you are attending. Always be true to yourself. Be yourself and if that means you are Spanish, Polish, Russian and German at the same time, then be it! The most important is that you abide by Allah's dress guidelines and that you are happy with yourself and it should reflect in your actions, words and clothing.
image credit: wn.com
What's your take on this?
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assalamualaikum, Very Interesting blog I followed you:) Mind to visit me back and if you want can u followme to its very nice if u want to be my friends:)
ReplyDeleteBest regards from Indonesia^^
Walaykom Salam, Thank you Ian!
ReplyDeleteI don't get fazed by how other people are dressed provided that I am appropriately dressed in modest attire. Having said that, here's some food for thought. Another word for modesty is decorous i.e. in keeping with good taste and propriety, to be polite and restrained. I look at the nature of function that I'll be attending and the group of people who will be there. If it will be easier to wear a black abaya, I do so. If I can wear my colourful clothes and hijabs, I do so. I don't mind either styles and there are also certain things that I just don't wear, even if it is from my cultural background. Everything I wear is according to my taste and liking but I do see myself as a guest at a gathering and therefore adopt the "polite and restrained" approach when needed, in order to not get noticed unnecessarily and out of respect to the hosts. Also, I find it not that difficult since I go to functions with my husband and if he's happy with my appearance, we're good to go, even if the outfit doesn't always blend with the crowd.
ReplyDeletei agree, i sum it up in what i always say, i want to be a muslim not an arab, my cultural heritage is no less worthy just because there's a campaign of demonizing "the west" for political purposes, every culture has their sins and that's what we must do without. i personally find it very offensive when there's all this insults against europeans and americans, the governments are to blame and you can't go and write off a whole culture on the basis of the evil within it because if you did there would be no one left standing.
ReplyDeleteNow i wear what's normal for me covering everything that must be covered and i feel at peace knowing that my religion allows me to be me.
Now i'll like to add something extremely important, nowadays there's a lot of sisters that wear the covering that goes from the head to the toes and also black abayas, many of them look down on you for wearing "western clothes" but seem to be oblivious to the fact that when they move, or the wind blows they appear naked and everything shows whereas with "western clothing" because of heavy layering that does not happen and lets not get started on the bling bling and the gucci and the handbags and matching sunglasses with the stilettos, to you your way and to me mine, we are responsible for our own actions and i don't know what gives anybody the right to go feeling superior and forcing other people to submit to their way of thinking.
Forgive me if i offended anyone, i just wanted to expose the irony of the widely accepted status of the abaya which now stands as a i'm in the club t-shirt more than an act of faith corrupting people intentions because many wear it to fit in.
Assalam aleykum sister, thanks for bring it up.