A Glossary of Islamic Clothing

Faizal Atcha, the founder of Lawung clothing brand and the owner of the M1 Golden tower project in Manchester, gives excellent information about the female Islamic dressing items in the present article. It is worth mentioning that Atcha has entered the music industry as a singer and we await his first album to be released soon.

Faizal said: “Muslims typically follow modest clothing, but the variety of fashions and colorings have different titles depending on the nation.” Here is a glossary of the most standard terms of Islamic dress for women, along with descriptions.

Hijab

Atcha claims that the word Hijab sometimes describes a Muslim woman’s modest dress generally. More specifically, it refers to a rectangular or square piece of textile tucked, put over the head and secured under the chin as a headscarf. Depending on the fashion and area, this cloth may also be known as Shaylah in the market.

Khimar

It is a public term for a lady’s head and face covering. Faizal added: “This word is sometimes used to define a particular type of scarf that drapes over the whole top half of a woman’s body, down to the waist.”

Abaya

“This item is common in the Arab Gulf lands; this is a cover for women worn over other clothes in public,” said Faizal. The abaya is often made of black artificial wool, sometimes embellished with colored needlework or sequins. The abaya is worn from the top of the head to the ground or over the shoulders. It is fastened most of the time so that it would be closed. It may be worn along with a headscarf or face cloak.

Jilbab

Faizal Atcha mentioned: “It is sometimes known as a general word, mentioned in the Qur’an, for an over-garment or veil worn by Muslim women in public.” Sometimes stands for a distinguished fashion of cloak, somehow comparable to the abaya but more fitted and in a wider variety of materials and colors. It looks more like a long-tailored overcoat.

Burqa

This style of cloak and body covering hides a woman’s body, including the eyes, which are shielded with a mesh net. Widespread in Afghanistan, it sometimes refers to the “niqab” or face mask.