The Islamic abaya is a long, black garment worn by women in some Muslim countries that covers the entire body except for the face, hands, and feet. It is one of the various garments worn due to Islamic norms related to female dress. The abaya is made from light fabrics and can be decorated with embroidery or contrasting imagery. The exact extent of the area that must be covered is the subject of debate among Islamic scholars. The abaya is most common in Saudi Arabia and is known by different names in other countries.
An Islamic abaya is a type of long, often black, garment worn by women in some Muslim countries. The abaya covers the entire body, leaving only the face, hands, and feet visible. The Islamic abaya is one of the different garments that are worn as a result of the Islamic norms related to female dress.
The name “abaya” derives from an Arabic word meaning “cloak.” The plural is abayat. There are several different types of Islamic abayat. Some are simple, loose garments that cover the body from the top of the head, while others are long coats with a hood and sleeves.
Although the popular image of a woman wearing an Islamic abaya includes a veil covering the face, technically the veil is not part of the abaya. It is a separate garment called the niqab. Some women wear the abaya with a niqab, others without.
Abayat are generally made from light fabrics. This allows them to be worn over other clothing in hot weather. Although some are black, it is also common to see an abayat decorated with embroidery or other contrasting imagery.
The Qur’an, Islam’s holy book, commands the wives of the Prophet Muhammad and other women to cover up when in public or around men with whom they are not related. The Hadith, or sayings of the Prophet, also contain passages related to the requirement that women wear garments that cover their bodies. The exact extent of the awrah, or area that must be covered, is the subject of some debate among Islamic scholars, with different communities attributing to different views.
Muslim cultures around the world have responded to this requirement in different ways. The Islamic abaya is just one of these various forms of women’s clothing. Other common items of clothing for Muslim women include headscarves to cover hair, as well as long, flowing garments. Some Muslim women do not choose to adhere to strict dress rules; Again, this tends to vary between countries.
The Islamic abaya is most common in countries such as Saudi Arabia, and is less common in Islamic communities in Asia Minor or the Far East. This type of garment is known by many names. In Iran, the term for a full-body garment is a chador, while a similar garment is called a burqa in Muslim communities in South Asian countries such as Afghanistan.
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