Is It Sufficient To Wear a “Shalwar Kameez” and Hijab As One’s Islamic Clothing Due to Custom?
Question:
Is it sufficient to wear a “Shalwar Kameez” and Hijab as one’s Islamic clothing due to custom?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question.
A shalwar kameez is considered sufficient for covering a woman’s nakedness Islamically as long as it is loose and modest and if the head, hair, neck, and chest are covered as well. It would be fine and expected of a lady in that culture to cover herself in such a way. However, a highly decorated shalwar kameez would not be considered modest.
I have noticed that the religious ladies of India wear black abayas and sometimes face veils, and they are seen and understood by the public to be religious. So if one wanted to say, take the extra step, and wear an abaya, it would be even more meritorious, as it is more modest, and Allah knows best.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
