Answered by: Shaykh Umer Khan
Question
Can we wear clothes other than Abaya in functions where there is mixed gathering if the dress is modest and loose?
Is it permissible to wear colorful Abaya?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Allāh says that women should cover their bodies except for what is [necessarily] apparent (Qur’ān, 24:31).
As per the Ḥanafī madhhab, this means that the woman must cover every part of her body except for the face, hands, and feet (Raddu al-Muḥtar, 1/405). Allāh also says: “O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves their Jilbābs” (Qur’ān, 33:59).
A Jilbab or ʻAbāya is a loose over-garment that does not reveal the shape of the body. A woman’s clothing should therefore cover appropriate parts of the body, be loose, and be thick and not transparent. As long as these conditions are fulfilled, she is not obligated to specifically wear an Arab style Jilbab or ʻAbāya, and she may choose specific fabrics, styles, and colors of her liking. The clothing should be modest and not attract attention based on the culture of the area where she lives.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Shaykh Umer Khan
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham