Sunday, September 16, 2012

Jilbab Modern Creations Part 4

Jilbab Modern Creations Part 3

Jilbab Modern Creations Part 2

Jilbab Modern Creations Part 1





Jilbabs - The Traditional Eastern Wear

Traditionally Muslims have always kept their women behind covers in public. The women are not allowed to show their skin in public and they are obliged to cover themselves up from head to toe barring only their feet and palms. You can easily identify a Muslim woman in a heavy crowd. Traditional Muslim wear include abayas, hijab, and jilbabs. Such clothes cover women entirely, sometimes not even the faces can be seen, and you are left to wonder what beauty is hidden behind the veils.

The Jilbab is very popular among the Middle Eastern and Muslim women and has been so for a long time. It has always been a source of curiosity for the people in the western world. Many Muslim women in the western world are terrified of wearing jilbabs. Nevertheless it has not decreased its popularity and it can even be seen in the western cities too. Jilbabs are long robes which are worn over one's clothes as an outer garment. It covers the clothes which are worn inside in the privacy of the home. It is a typical Muslim wear which all women must compulsorily wear in the presence of male members of the society, especially those men who are eligible of marrying them.

These are available these days in a variety of styles. The styles include black jilbabs which are designed with colorful pinstripes. They can also be designed with intricate floral patterns with work on the cuffs. Or they can have embroidered necklines. Some of them are designed keeping the formal environment in mind, and women can wear them to their work places or even for an interview.

These days jilbabs are available in a variety of colors, like burgundy, lilac, shades of green, pink and teal. They are also designed with Swarovski stones, shimmery work or gold and silver embroidery. They can also be styled with pleats in the front or in the side or even in the bodice. Some even have bell shaped arms.

The gypsy style jilbab is an expensive and exclusive design. It has frills on the sleeves and also at the base and the fabric from which it is made is very comfortable. They are also available in contemporary style with soft patterns printed all over or intricate design over soft colors. The ones that are used for daily wear are usually of dark color with some light embroidery work and flared sleeves.

Hence, we see that there are several types of Jilbabs available in the market. If you want to get the best of them you must visit East Essence and select the ones which you like the best at reasonable prices.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Are Jilbabs Ideal For School Children?

The vast majority of schools in the Middle Eastern and Asian countries have uniforms for wearing to school. This promotes a sense of unity, belonging as well as teaches young children to follow and obey rules. The type of uniform worn in a school largely depends on the ethnic area that the school is located in. Other factors which also play vital roles in determining the kind of uniforms adhered to include the primary religion of that region as well as the climate.

Numerous Non Muslim Asian schools have their students decked out in pants and shirts for boys and skirts or pinafore dresses for girls. In Middle Eastern Islamic countries though, the uniforms are mostly in alliance with the dress code set forth by Islam. Boys are often times dressed in jubbas whereas the girl's uniforms consist of jilbabs and hijabs. The jilbabs are long, loose fitting over dresses that are commonly referred to the Muslim woman's dress.

The colours of the jilbabs vary from school to school, based on the symbolic colours of the school, but the styles are inevitably very similar to each other as Islam does not approve or allow very stylish clothes to be worn by women when they are outside of the premises of their houses. Whether young or older, all girl students are seen wearing jilbabs in a number of Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Iran, Iraq and Egypt to name a few.

Although the majority of schools in these countries are Muslim owned, however, there is a small minority of Catholic schools available all over. These schools are run by Non Muslim administrations, but the uniforms still consist of jilbabs and jubbas if they are located in a relatively strict Muslim country. This is done in order to show respect towards the governing majority of the country and their religion.

Jilbabs for school children are mostly made of easy to manage fabrics that do not distract or hinder the child's performance in any way. Whether they are a part of a uniform or worn otherwise, these jilbabs also act as a symbol of identity and unity for the entire Muslim women's community. When young girls start wearing them at the early school going age, they later do not have any difficulty in accepting the loose gowns, which might be a subject of disapproval for Non Muslim girls. Therefore wearing these gowns from early childhood prove to be a great way to teach the young ones about modesty and conservatism that is inculcated in the roots of their religion.

Sohail Khan works for Islamic Impressions which specializes in retail and wholesale products for the Islamic market and stock a wide range of jilbabs and abayas for the discerning Muslim woman.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Are Jilbabs an Article of Oppression?

The debate about extremism and oppression in Islam against women is a never ending one it seems. The media seems to keep on focusing on the rights of Muslim women being violated by mandating clothing articles that keep the body covered in the majority of Muslim countries. Islamic clothing items such as jilbabs and abayas that cover the body from head to toe are under constant scrutiny by feminine activists and women's rights spokespersons. Regardless of the fact that most Muslim women choose to wear these jilbabs and hijabs, the discussions never cease.

The point that the Western world and advocates of pro choice seem to have forgotten is that less than 100 years ago, women living in European and American countries also used to wear clothes that fully covered them from the throat to the feet. It was considered vulgar and inappropriate for women to expose their bodies to any member of the opposite sex. The long trailing robes and gowns made up the entire contents of the ladies wardrobe. In addition to these gowns, it was mandatory to wear fitted pants under the gown, in order to prevent even the slightest bit of exposure during movement.

So why it that the Muslim women are is told that the jilbabs they wear are made compulsory by the male dominating Muslim society as a way to oppress them? Why was it alright for the western women to wear clothes that were acceptable to the males of their society, but a Muslim woman cannot cover herself in order to please Allah? The women do have a choice and they choose to wear jilbabs and hijabs in most cases. They select these outfits because they are the proper way of dressing prescribed by Islam.

There is no way that an outfit can either oppress or set free any man or woman in the world. The apparel worn just symbolizes the choice of the person and how they opt to portray themselves to the world. A Muslimah feels confident and liberated wearing her jilbabs and hijabs, as they signify her faith and belief in Allah and his Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). These very jilbabs are mentioned in the Quran as the way for a woman to dress and every Muslim woman who chooses to wear them feels proud and honoured to be a part of the faith.

These jilbabs are definitely not a sign of repression and should not be considered as such either by the Western world. As a matter of fact, they represent the respect, esteem and value imparted to us by the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H).

Sohail Khan works for Islamic Impressions which specializes in retail and wholesale products for the Islamic market and stock a wide range of jilbabs and abayas for the discerning Muslim woman.

Jilbab Muslim Part 2

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The Reason for Muslim Women Wearing Jilbabs

The main reason for wearing Jilbabs (also knows as Abayas in the Middle Eastern countries) as a Muslim woman is that it is a commandment of Allah (God) as can be seen by the following verse from the Quran:

"O Prophet (May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw over them their cloaks (veils). That in the least so that they be recognised and not be molested." (Surah Ahzaab, Verse 59).

Islam is a way of life for the Muslim man or woman, they are supposed to follow the commandment of Allah, Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was an example to mankind and that they are should follow the way shown by him, this is everything from how to sleep, how to eat, what to wear, how to get married and everything else that a person needs to know to live a healthy and fulfilling life as a Muslim.

There are many different sects within Islam, who all interpret Islam differently according to their understanding of the Quran and Hadith (the sayings and actions of the prophet Muhammad). This has led to some Muslims appearing more Islamic than others. The toughest stance by Muslim scholars for women's dress, is for the whole body to be covered with loose clothing and the face covered with a Niqab and even the eyes should be covered with a veil. The softest stance is for a Muslim woman to wear a loose Jilbab or clothing with a headscarf.

The way a Muslim woman is identified is by her wearing the Jilbab and Hijab (a headscarf), whilst other Muslim women may choose not to wear Islamic clothing but are practicing Islam as they deem practical or suitable to them, which according to Islam is very sinful. This can be seen by the following saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):

"Many women are clothed but naked in reality. Such women will never enter paradise nor will they smell its fragrance."
Wearing a Jilbab or Abaya isn't easy for a Muslim woman, especially in the West due to the stares and verbal abuse that they sometimes have to suffer. It is also hard for those women who decide to start practicing Islam and start wearing the Jilbab, whilst the rest of their family wear western clothing, as they are usually ridiculed or even asked not wear such clothing that some class as backwards.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012