Campusalam

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There is no universal agreement on the type of clothing or styles that Muslims should wear. It will differ according to ethnicity, age, gender, marital status, geographical location, political stance and religiosity. It is possible within multi-cultural Britain to see Muslims wearing different styles of dress including the traditional Indian salwaar kameez, the Saudi Arabian abaya or Western jeans and a shirt. Many young British Muslims choose to mix ‘western’ and ‘traditional’ styles of dress together out of religious, identity, personal choice, comfort, or as a political statement.

The key principle is modesty. The Qur’an prescribes that both men and women are to be modest in their behaviour, speech and appearance, especially in public. Muslims should try to maintain modesty in public by covering their bodies, keeping chaste, lowering their gaze from the opposite sex and avoiding unnecessary physical contact with the opposite sex. They should also avoid bad speech, slander and making loud noise in line with preserving modesty and respect for themselves and others. Dress and appearance are one aspect of the broader understanding of modesty in Islam and should reflect the individual’s modesty in thought, action, manners and behaviour.

The requirements for dress from the Qur’an and Sunnah are most commonly identified as:

- Both men and women should cover their private parts in public. Women should particularly cover their chest but many feel generally they should cover all their body except hands and face. Men should cover from the navel to the knee.

- Wear loose garments so the figure is not overtly distinguishable – no skin-tight, figure hugging clothes for either men or women.

- Women should not dress like men and men should not dress like women. Many Muslim men do not wear silk or gold because of this requirement.

- No see-through garments exposing the the skin underneath for either men or women.

- Not to imitate the appearance of other people but to follow the Sunnah and honour the Prophet (pbuh) by following his example.