Ramadan is coming...

...in a couple of days - depending on your mosque. everyone here is arguing over three different days. some people say its tomorrow, some say friday, others say saturday. anywho.... lets get onto the clothing.

this was a request for a taraweeh set. something that is purely about prayer shouldnt be a showcase, although unfortunately taraweeh prayer usually ends up being a catwalk for some. it should be simple, to the point and relevant. by 'relevant' i mean you dont need 50 jingling bangles, a face full of makeup, high heels or clothes entirely made from glitter sequins - you are there for prayer, not a disco. think of hajj wear and its simplicity. so for this reason the set i made is very low key. all you need is an abaya, your hijab, some slip-on shoes that you can leave at the masjid door and perhaps your water bottle. i usually take one with me to make up for the lack of water intake during the day.

for the masjid i really believe women should go in abaya/jilbab/etc. most of the girls who turn up for salat in pants usually end up having half their back/bum area exposed, underwear showing, etc and its really not nice (or appropriate) for the masjid, especially if you are the poor woman standing behind in the prayer line who gets an unwelcome eyeful on the way down to sujood. i have also seen this happen with some girls wearing skirts - skin being shown as they bend over because their top isnt long enough.

even for myself personally - during my first ramadan i turned up to the masjid as a new muslim, ignorant and uneducated about proper clothing. i was wearing jeans and a top that i considered as long because it reached about mid-thigh in length, however when i finished praying the women next to me stopped me on the way out and told me to wear something different next time because when i went into sujood my lower back was showing. so from that lesson i learnt that just because something is long enough by your standards as you stand in front of the mirror at home, it doesnt mean it will be long enough when your whole body is bending forward in a different position.

to stay on the safe side i would stick with an abaya that you can just throw on for the taraweeh prayer. if you dont wear abaya normally, it might be a good idea to keep an open style abaya/jilbab in your car so you can throw it on top of your clothes (you can wear the abaya/jilbab open as if you are wearing it as a jacket). its easy to wear, you dont need to worry about skin showing when you bend down and it is without a doubt the most accepted clothing item at the mosque.

by the way - i love this cute damask print water bottle. so cute!

Happy (coming) Ramadan and remember to keep it simple!