By Zainab Shahid
Most schools in the UK have their own uniforms that all students must wear. But even so, students find ways to change the uniform to suit their tastes or latest fashions. Girls will wear tight trousers or short skirts, boys will wear their shirts untucked, ties shortened and have their trousers hanging low.
Well, that’s the fashion these days – fashions change all the time, who knows what it will be in a few years from now! However, it doesn’t just stop) at clothing; people start worrying about their hairstyles (and girls will also worry make-up.
Islam doesn’t stop us from looking good and presentable, but there are limits to how we should dress. Don’t dress to impress or please others, dress to please yourself and Allah. Allah wants us to look clean and presentable, but He doesn’t want us to dress in ways that aren’t very modest or too expensive. As you get older, you’ll find that many people your age will start to buy and talk about branded clothing.
Branded clothing is basically the same as the clothes you will find at your normal high street shops, except these have a particular company’s label sewn on – and the price is always a great deal higher! They may start judging you or others based on what you wear. But you shouldn’t think about it too much, nor should you pester your parents to buy you branded clothing.
There is a well-known Hadith (saying of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him), in which he says that Allah doesn’t look at our appearances, but what is in our hearts. So don’t worry about the brand of clothing you wear; if it doesn’t matter to Allah, it shouldn’t matter to you. Instead, concentrate more on your good deeds (actions) that will please Allah and earn you rewards in Jannah.
Hijab
This bit is for the girls.
Some girls find it hard to start wearing the hijab, whilst some find it hard to keep wearing it once they have started. Unfortunately, the concept of hijab has been made more difficult than it needs to be, and we are forgetting that Allah doesn’t ask us to do anything that is impossible.
You may think that you won’t be able to fit in with the latest fashion trends or hairstyle trends if you wear a headscarf or hijab. But the hijab actually protects us from all of this. It stops us from wasting money on clothes we don’t need or shouldn’t wear. Although, it is becoming increasingly popular among girls and women who do hijab, to wear the headscarf in stylish ways or wear the latest clothes along with their headscarf. Always remain careful that you don’t step outside the boundaries of modest clothing.
The whole point of hijab is to keep us simply and modestly dressed; we cannot wear tight or see-through clothes, ankles and arms need to be covered, and the headscarf itself shouldn’t be used as a fashion accessory (make sure you cover your hair, neck, ears and chest area with the scarf). As Muslims, we should remember that this life is a test for us all and we should do our very best to obey Allah.
If someone makes fun of you for wearing the hijab, but you ignore them and carry on wearing it, you will get rewarded greatly by Allah. Everything we do should please Allah, and once we have, we will be blessed with a place in Jannah.
Attire for Boys
Boys don’t need to worry about covering their hair like the girls. But you still need to make sure that you wear modest clothing. You can’t wear tight fitted clothing. As you grow older, start wearing longer shorts (make sure they are long enough to cover your knees). You also cannot wear clothes made out of pure silk, because the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, prohibited it.
Some people might find it strange or even make fun of your modest clothes, but you don’t need to pay attention to such comments. You are doing it because Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, told you to, and by obeying what he said, you are obeying Allah - and by obeying Allah, you are pleasing Him.
An important note for both boys and girls is that you need to make sure you don’t wear clothes with pictures of cartoons, people or animals on them because you won’t be able to pray Salah in them.