The battle of clothes in a demeaning society

What is the latest fashion these days - for women? Something skimpy and short?

Allah says,

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْآتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا  وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىٰ

 ذَ‌ٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

“O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness – that is best. That is from the signs of Allah that perhaps they will remember.” [Qur’an, 7:26]

First, clothing is أَنزَلْنَا sent down by Allah. The save verb, نزَلْ is also used for the revelation of the Qur’an. The likeness in terms insinuates that clothing is a beatific and consecrated blessing of Allah. The act of wearing clothing, for the purpose of covering one’s body is regarded with great respect and reverence. Although clothing also is a means of adornment, clothing increases the quality of our appearance, nevertheless, the purpose of clothing should not be entirely made to make our look attractive and tempting because Allah says in the same verse that “clothing of righteousness is best.” In other words clothing should be morally upright. When a person dawns upon clothing, he should look like a virtuous individual.

The manner in which we dress and attend to our personal grooming, defines our character and personality. Our appearance identifies us with certain manners of behavior and creates expectations in those around us. Dress codes, which require modest attire, are becoming more popular with educators and professionals everywhere to focus on learning and working and less fixation on physicality and sensuality.
Just as a business suit, a black gown or a uniform would define a professional banker, lawyer or a student during working and school hours, the abaya, hijab and niqab marks out Muslim women to be treated seriously and with respect. Modest clothing ensures that women’s intelligence, manners, wit, skills and poise get noticed and not just their body parts. Such modesty and goodness is آيَاتِ اللَّهِ a sign of Allah. Not only should fair-minded Muslims dawn complete clothing as prescribed by Islam but also honour and cherish it because this manner of dressing is  يَذَّكَّرُونَ  a reminder for all people in all times to come.

Allah bestows upon us honour and dignity with clothes and thus Shaytan wishes to humiliate and debase us by making us remove these clothes. One of the tricks that Shaytan employed against Aadam and Hawa was that he snatched their clothing from them and ergo had them expelled from Paradise. Allah warns us,

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ كَمَا أَخْرَجَ أَبَوَيْكُم مِّنَ الْجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوْآتِهِمَا
“O children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing to show them their private parts.” [Qur’an, 7:27]

 It is outrageously appalling and excruciatingly mortifying for any person to be disrobed and exposed in public. Such a doing is a vile assault against the individual. It is offensive and insolent. Similar, if not worse, is Shatyan’s attitude towards all human beings. He wishes to disgrace and defile humans by scraping our clothes off. Shaytan wants to rob us of the veneration and adoration Allah endowed upon us by sending down clothing.
Allah explains Shaytan’s plot,

إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُم بِالسُّوءِ وَالْفَحْشَاءِ وَأَن تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
 “He [Shaytan] orders you to evil and indecency and to say about Allah what you do not know.” [Qur’an, 2:169]

Allah wants us to be righteous and for that He has sent us clothing. While Shaytan wants us to be indecent and for that he removes from us our clothing.