Reflections of a sinner-The importance of the jilbaab
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REFLECTIONS OF A
SINNER
THE IMPORTANCE OF JILBAAB
Initially abayas were worn as modest wear. However overtime slowly a piece of a coloured material was added, thereafter some beads were added, the next step was some belts and nice fancy sleeves changing the abaya completely.
I’ll admit, colour and dazzling bling abayas make really nice dresses for us as Muslimahs. Wearing a full royal blue coloured ‘abaya’ that can pass of as a modest dress is much easier especially if you’re lazy to add sleeves or do other alterations for common dresses that we find at Western clothing stores.
Nowadays if you walk into an abaya store, most of the abayas can pass of as evening wear or dresses, because of the belts that show of parts of your body and because of the shiny swarovskis that are enough to shine up one room.
Whilst we can wear these abaya dresses in our homes, in front of our mahrams we must understand that it we shouldn’t wear these abaya dresses outside our homes and in front of non mahaarim.
And that’s where a jilbaab comes in. A jilbaab is a loose fitting plain abaya that goes over your head.
Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه describes the jilbaab as follows:
“Allah Ta’alah commanded the believing women that when they go out of their homes for any need, they should conceal their faces with the long sheet (hanging down) from their heads leaving only one eye open. (to see the way)” (Ibn Kathir)
The benefits of a jilbaab are:
It conceals your shape which is the purpose of purdah. Too many times ladies are seen with stiff and colourful abayas which display all their contours whilst they have niqaab on. Such is incorrect. Together with purdah our clothes shouldn’t be stiff. The purpose of purdah is to conceal and wearing figure hugging clothes that make men’s eyes go beeg defeats the purpose.
Abu Hurairah Radhiyallahu Anhu reports that Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said: “There are two categories of people of the fire (jahannam) which I haven’t seen (non-existent at that time). Amongst them are……WOMEN WHO ARE CLOTHED YET THEY ARE NAKED, attracting (to males) and are attracted to (by males). Their heads are like that of a camel’s hump which are tilted. Such women will not enter Jannah nor will they smell its fragrance although its fragrance can be smelt from a long distance.” (Muslim)
It’s plain, unlike abayas we find today, so no risk of attracting men.
THE PUNISHMENT IN THE HEREAFTER FOR WOMAN WHO GO OUT ADORNING THEMSELVES
Maimoonah bint Sad رضي الله عنه, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم’s maid servant, reports that Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“A woman who adorns herself for someone other than her husband would be in total darkness on the day of Judgement.” [Tirmidhi, p 230; Jame Saghir, p 497 and Faid Al-Qadeer, 5, 507]
Allah Ta’alah says in the Qur’aan:
“O Nabi, say to your wives and daughters and the wives of the believers that they should lower their jilbaab over themselves. That is more likely that they will be recognised and they will not be harmed. And Allah is most forgiving and most merciful.” (Surah Al Ahzab, verse 59)
Alhamdulillah nowadays jilbaabs are easily accessible. The materials to sew one are also available and sewing one is super easy.
If we look at the queen of Jannah, Faatimah رضي الله عنها, we will see such commendable modesty. She didn’t even want non mahaarim to see her shape after her death.
To all the muslimahs who may find a jilbaab a little troublesome because it slips of your head, a substitute for jilbaab is a plain abaya with a burqa and purdah or a plain abaya with a wide duppata like scarf that covers both the front and the back. (Extracted from the importance of purdah in the light of Qur’aan and hadeeth)
We should always remember that purdah isn’t only covering the face, it is covering the face together with concealing the shape and wearing unattractive clothing in the presence of non mahaarim males.
May Allah Ta’alah guide one and all
Written by a Muslimah
