What I think about some "Hijab Fashion"

Milda (wa alaykom e salaam ramatullah wa barakto sister) gave me the link for this old set of videos and wondered on my thoughts on them. I have got to be aboslutely upfront and honest, alot of what was featured wasn't Islamic hijab [close as most of it was] (and as a Muslimah, I've gotta object to that AND encourage at the same time):




My thoughts can be summed up through these pics, in response to those last three video clips.... I don't believe one should ever sacrifice what Islam entails hijab is for the sake of a fashion trend (i.e skinny jeans, cinched waist belts, cleavage bearing tops, belly tops, quarter sleeves, tights, knee high boots, skin tight or see through abayat) but I do believe hijab should be made to look beautiful so long as it doesn't compromise the requirements of hijab, or be used to raise one's status among men. We should be focussed on raising our status on an individual level with Allah subhanhu wa ta'ala. That means dressing in a way that is as put together as we have the means and time available to, in a way that is as God asked of us as Muslimahs. I agee with what the girl in the pink hijab said at the end of the vid though:

I love my hijab and don't find it oppressive at all and I always manage to find things in the malls that make perfect hijab and jilbab. It takes the knowledge of what correct hijab is though, and what trends can NEVER be adapted to be modest hijab.

Comments

A said…
I totally agree with you, some piece of clothing will never be modest enough. The first picture made me cringe, especially the outfit in which the sister is wearing no pants yikes! But, sister in the middle had the right idea if only she paired it with wide jeans/pants or a skirt.
CareMuslimah said…
Salaam Alaykum sis!!..

I agree with you, I've seen these pictures (and other pics like this) before. And it's really sad.

I don't wear abaya (beside the fact that I'm a new muslim I live in a place with almost no muslims at all). I try to wear really loosen pants with loosen tops, or with dresses, and my hijab of course. And I think that's modest enough, still nice and not TOO out of context here (Inch'allah I'll be moving to a muslim country someday)

But some girls (I don't think they can be called "hijabis") take the headscarf and they just use it as a nice accessory and then they call themselves modest "modern" muslims. Never forget sister, that "hijab" is not "headscarf" it's modesty, it's covering yourself up from head to toes (or ankles at least) in loosen clothing that don't show your figure.

Inch'allah we'll all do this and become better muslims with stronger iman as the time passes.
Amina said…
I cant see the videos (too bad) but I get the gist of your message and I happen to agree with it. Well written, mashAllah.
Aida Spin2liux said…
Salaam!! Thanks for the insightful comments!!! I totally think that the hijab is getting more and more commodified in terms of making hijab another way of being "fashionable" and establishing the same consumer behaviour when it comes to hijab. This is a part of my dissertation topic this year!
I actually have another request, forgive me for bothering:)) I used to read Beautiful Muslimah a lot before, and i really miss all the resources I found there. I see now since ilovehishma has been opened, BM is for invited readers only.
I know we dont really know each other, and I respect if you would reject my request for BM, but i found it so useful in terms of understanding more about the hijab. I dont know how to send you a private message, where i would write about myself more personally as i dont want to disclose all the info here.
You could email me at mjonik@essex.ac.k if you like, and well thank you for your time :)))

Wasalaam

Spin2liux

btw if it is not clear, i am a girl :)))
Madi said…
From western eyes, these clothes are modest indeed. Although they may not be modest enough for you, some women could also criticize wide jeans as not modest enough either. I think it is for every woman to decide what is modest, and what is not. If they choose to wear a mini skirt, you may not agree with them, but that is their own decision. I think people are too concerned with others, and should be focused more on their own path, and encourage others to be more virtuous without judging.
Pixie said…
Spin2liux:
Salaam alaykom sister. All those blogs including BM will eventually be deleted. I am not having them open to anyone at the moment (they may say invited but I am the only person invited to read them except for my planner blog, Daughters of Khadijah, Girl's Guide, and My Sisters Closet) but I am slowly transferring the content over to this blog inshaAllah. Sorry for the inconvenience but I need to organize. Badly. Sorry I forgot about your comment here. Please forgive me? Love
Pixie
Pixie said…
Madelyn: This blog is about Qu'ranic Islamic hijab first and foremost before it is about cultural perceptions of modesty. I don't have a problem with a non-muslim woman wearing whatever she likes, mini or modest, but I have a problem with Muslim women calling something "Islamic" clothing, which it is not by terming it "hijab". Hijab has certain conditions or it becomes a cultural garment and not an Islamic one. It is kind of silly for people to bring up pursuing betterment of one's self when obviously, modesty of the heart and mind come before what one wear's on the body, or our concern for what other's are doing (as a Muslim woman I am concerned about what my Creator will think of me on the day of judgement and not anybody else). Worrying as I do in that sense, as I have for myself, and wanting for others as I want for myself, I thought I should share what I have learnt about what the Qu'ran says about modesty, not what a culture says. I want to where what God defines modesty as, not what an individual woman or man or people defines that to be.
Anonymous said…
Assalam alaikum

As we were shopping in a supermarket yesterday I saw this one girl... and my jaw dropped. I heard of such things but I'd never seen for myself. So imagine a supermaket on a busy weekend evening when lots of families do their grocery shopping. I live in the Emirates so there were a lot of local women in their abayas, abaya ras, niqabs, gashwa, gloves. And then I notice this slim girl in black leggings and a super tight and fitting black stretch sweater above her knees. It was so fitting- that the shape of her entire body was outlined and one could see the outlines of her panties-strings. And she had a very nice sexy black high-heeled shoes on with some bling-bling dangling in the area of the anklets. Her outfit was carefully thought over and it was not just "nice" or hot, it was too obviously sexy and EROTIC! I would not care so much if she was a non-muslim (because their standards of modesty are very different now). But she had a very proper headscarf covering her hair! I was shocked. She was "dressed" but everyone could see her entire body as if she was naked. And that's how I felt- that there was a naked woman walking around the shop... I imagined all the good muslim men (including my own husband) who could run into her and get bad thoughts because of the way this bi@ch was dressed. I felt sick in my stomach.

madelyn imagine being in place with your husband where there are women dressed too slutty walk around. How would you feel?
When Muslim women dress modestly it's not only about self-respect and protecting ourselves from male attention. But it's also about protecting your husbands and respect for their wives!

When I see a modestly dressed woman (muslim or not) I appreciate her respect for me and my husband and I respect her in return greatly.

All those women dressed provocatively sexy are egoistic and primitive. They want to attract attention and admiration, they want to "shine" and they have no regard for other women's feeling and their families.

So I did came up to that girl in the supermarket and talked to her politely. Although I think I had better shouted at her rudely maybe then she'd became scared and hurried home to change her slutty clothes.

What's the point of covering one's hair when the breasts and butt are not covered and everybody can see you are wearing strings?
Sunflower said…
From the first vid: "Muzlin women" lol!
Anonymous said…
Ya allah , these so called modern muslim fashions are craps! not only tight , its also short . Hey I'm not an abaya wearer myself , but I dress according to shariah , but not like the videos shown
zubsar said…
Asalam o Alikum
I really love the ways hijab is worn in the pictures. But I can't find the internal scarf that is worn before wearing a lose hijab. Kindly help!