Dressing for Eid

With Ramadan around the corner, I'm sure sisters who haven't already gotten their outfits for Eid are scrambling to get something nice now. Hopefully we can get that done with before the holy month begins, so we don't have to waste our precious time then running around and looking for something to wear.

An important thing to keep in mind, is just because it's Eid, doesn't mean we should forget our hijab. No, I don't mean remember to cover your hair before you leave the house! I mean, make sure that your Eid outfit adheres to the Islamic guideline for women's clothing. Unfortunately not a single Eid goes by where my heart aches to see sisters out in such flashy, revealing clothing.

Last year I was almost blinded by a sister in a sari (which exposed her belly) don't worry though, she remembered to cover her hair! (?!?) Her sari was covered in gold sequins and her arms were entirely exposed. We have to make sure we're not in flashy colors, or wearing anything with ornate details, which goes against the laws of hijab. Why? Because these intricate details call for attention.. and of course we can't help but wait to hear what compliments our friends will give us on our outfits, but don't forget the lurking eyes of brothers.. Also, don't forget that Allah is still watching us this day, and our angels will still be writing.

We can totally get decked out and not be over the top or go against true hijab. We don't need a whole container of beads dumped on an outfit, or a see through hijab, or parts other than our hands or face revealed. We don't need to be in 5 inch heals and wearing 10 bracelets on 1 arm which clink together making noise, which is similar to wear bells which are haram. Actually, a lot of them do have bells on them now! And please please don't get your nails done, you need wudu for Eid salah! And please don't get all ready for Eid salah, which is not a fard, and neglect the other 5 prayers for the day just because you don't want to make wudu and wash off your makeup. Making wudu will only make you more beautiful, inshaAllah! And no, perfumes are not suddenly permissible on this day either!

I know, I know, it's Eid. We wanna look nice. We're not just gonna roll out of bed, we'll get up early, do our makeup, make sure our clothes are nicely ironed, and our shoes look nice and neat. There's nothing wrong with wanting to look nice, but within the boundaries of Islam. For myself, I wear my usual plain clothes, just a new black abaya, this year it has a black rose embroidered on the sleeves, which isn't even that noticible, and a simple hijab, which I'm get to find, maybe in black or gray. I did have a mauve colored abaya with minimal silver detailing I was thinking about wearing... if I do wear it, then I'll just pull a plain abaya over it and take it off when I get to the masjid. On Eid the sisters get the entire masjid and the men pray out in the parking garage =P. For me, it's all about what I wear when I come back home. That's when I can get decked out. Married sisters, please invest in a beautiful outfit to wear at home on Eid! Heck, even if you're not married! Home is the place you can totally get dolled up, as much as you want, and not many of us take advantage of that. Stop preening and beautifying yourself for your friends outside and start doing it for your husbands and even just yourself inside!

And so here are some rules in case we've forgotten =)

CONDITIONS OF HIJAB:
1. It's not short, and it covers the entire body.
2. It's not transparent/thin so the body color or shape can be seen through.
3. It's not tight describing the body parts of the woman
4. That it does not resemble the dress of the men
5. That it does not resemble the dress of the disbelieving women
6. That it's not a decorated/adorned garment which attracts attention
7. That garment is not perfumed whereas others can smell it