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I see Muslimahs in various countries out in public wearing the headscarf but making BASIC mistakes in their dress and appearance. I as a male know how should they dress yet they don't appear to - ironic.

Examples: hijab not covering all the hair - at the front usually or wearing a turban style headscarf with the neck and ears showing. Further wearing dangling earrings and these being visible - I'm lost as to why she would wear them except to attract the opposite sex!

Tight or not so tight jeans showing the figure failing to fulfil the condition of looseness.

Showing the forearms.

Not covering the bosom area properly and not hiding the shape etc.

Wearing (extremely) bright colourful designs of dress and headscarf instead of being more bland.

Wearing makeup and lipstick - why? At home in privacy with mahrems or husband fine.

Wearing perfume.

Nail polish.

Etc.

As I said I'm a male yet seem to be more aware of how a Muslimah ought to dress.

I rarely see a Muslimah properly dressed in hijab.

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    Ask them, not us! each may have her own reason!
    – Aboudi
    Nov 3, 2016 at 20:07
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    Do men understand hijab correctly? Do men practice lowering the gaze as they should?
    – Medi1Saif ♦
    Nov 4, 2016 at 19:31
  • Probably people around you are just getting started with Islam. Give them time and try to suggest your local Imam to give a Khutba in Jumua prayer about this matter. And probably you should stop staring at them or their dressing style. and suggest this too to your Imam that men should lower their gaze.
    – servant-of-Wiser
    Nov 5, 2016 at 4:42

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No matter what a woman wears, it's never good enough for men. Man X says "women should wear [something]" and Man Y says "women should wear [something else]"---both state their opinion with complete certainty. We can't make everyone happy. What it says in the Qur'an and Hadith, what scholars say, what the local imam says, and what everyday men say are all different things. Eventually you just choose what you're most comfortable with.

We don't individually own every piece of clothing imaginable. Getting dressed in the morning: I start with the clothes I own, and I filter out unclean clothes, weather-inappropriate clothes, clothes that would not be appropriate for what I intend to do that day, clothes I have worn recently, and clothes I just don't feel like wearing (e.g. maybe someone made a negative comment about it, maybe they're uncomfortable). Further, some clothing combinations are ill-matched. It doesn't leave too many options to choose from, and hopefully one of them portrays "good Muslimah" to most people.

Are these particular jeans too tight? Opinions will differ. But I don't want to go around dressed like a homie. Tighter jeans allow better freedom of movement. Makeup? I look like a troll if I don't wear makeup. This is not good for looking professional, nor is it a good image for Islam. Perfume? I wear something so I don't stink. Maybe to others it smells stronger than I realize. In Islam, women are meant to act like women, and when the other girls are doing XYZ, we tend to want to do so too.

None of this has much to do with attracting men, it's just simply looking well presented. Dressing modestly does not stop men staring at, hitting on, insulting, or abusing women. In fact, dressing more modestly than other women, and thereby standing out, attracts more attention from men then blending in. And in particular "good Muslim men" target the "good Muslim women", and are hard to deflect.

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  • A good honest answer, but don't you think you should care about what the questioner is concerned, apart from keeping up with the trend and other girls? And by the way, as long as those "good Muslim women" are accompanied by a male, the "good Muslim men" try to be under control.
    – servant-of-Wiser
    Nov 5, 2016 at 4:39
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    There is a clear dress code for modesty. Tight jeans are definitely not part of it. If intended or not, make-up, strong perfume and body shape showing clothing is more likely to attrack men looking. We as Muslim women are given the responsibility not to attract men, neither with the way we dress nor with the way we behave in public. We need to be aware of this. Our modest behaviour and outfit has a big impact on society. And if men do not stick to their obligations then that is not an excuse for us to let go of ours.
    – Noor
    Nov 8, 2016 at 18:12
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I think the problem is we don't take it as obligation by Islam but just as an identity to be seen as Muslim - We don't read Quran, we don't study Hadith we just want to be doing what we are doing - we don't try to be a better Muslim each day - we just want to be where we are as long as we are happy

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  • That's an important point you mention here. Maybe you can extend your answer in this regard.
    – Noor
    Nov 8, 2016 at 18:14

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