Muslim religious dress
Muslims, male and female, are expected to dress modestly. (Qur'an 24:30-31) However, what modest means is open to interpretation.
Dress of the people during the lifetime of Muhammad
- to be written
Proper dress for Muslim rituals
No special clothing is worn by worshippers for religious ceremonies. There is no special dress for the muezzin, who calls to prayer, nor for the imam who leads prayers in the mosque and delivers a talk or sermon. Islam tends to emphasize the direct relationship of each believer to Allah rather than elaborating roles for human intermediaries.
All Muslims wash, or perform ablutions, before prayer, called wodoo.
Most mosques have some facilities for washing the hands and feet before entering the mosque. Shoes are not worn inside the mosque.
Muslim jurists, such as imams, muftis, or qadis, may wear special robes or turbans of honor, but these vary according to local custom.
The hajj
Men put on special pilgrim's robes when they go on hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. These robes are two pieces of unhemmed white cloth; they are donned before the walk to Mecca. All, rich and poor, wear the same humble garments. Women usually wear plain, simple white robes as well.
Contemporary Islamic dress
Male sayyids (also spelled sayed, sayid, or said), descendents of the Prophet Muhammed through his daughter Fatima and son-in-law Ali, often wear black turbans.
Male Sufis commonly wore a simple robe of white wool, hence their name (supposedly derived from the Arabic suf or wool). Present day Sufis do not necessarily follow this tradition.
One Sufi order in present-day Turkey, the Mevlevi, wear white dresses with voluminous skirts. During their prayer services, they twirl (called Sufi whirling) so that the skirts stand out. Hence they are also known as Whirling Dervishes.
Muslim women, like Muslim men, are supposed to dress modestly. In many Muslim countries, women are expected only to cover the body (long-sleeved dresses or blouses, long dresses or pants) and to wear a scarf over their hair. Muslim women living in predominantly non-Muslim countries have a wider range of choices.
All these dress codes simply proclaim "modest Muslim woman" -- they do not intimate any special religious role.
Extreme interpretations of modest dress
However, a number of cultures, principally in Arab countries, have taken the requirement for female modesty to extremes.
In these cultures, this means that women must be completely covered with veils or cloaks when outside their home.
- Afghanistan's burka is the most extreme example of this belief: not even a woman's eyes are visible. Typically, a burka is composed of many yards of light material, pleated around a cap that fits over the top of the head. There is an embroidered openwork grille where the burka passes over the eyes. Under the Taliban, the burka was obligatory. Under the current government, or lack of one, it may not be safe to leave the house without one.
- The Saudi Arabian version of modest dress is composed of abaya or loose robe, hijab or headcovering, and niqab or face veil. The Saudi niqab usually leaves a long open slot for the eyes; the slot is held together by a string or narrow strip of cloth. Roaming religious police enforce female modesty. Abaya and hijab are required; the niqab is optional.
A less strict interpretation is that of the current Iranian government, which requires women to wear loose-fitting black coats or cloaks in public, as well as a head scarf that covers the hair.
