How to Use Encouragment your Children to Dress Islamically

How to Encourage your Children to Dress Islamically

Most faiths and cultures have their own unique identity and being different from others is encouraged in Islam. The Prophet (saw) would purposely comb his hair differently from the Christians and Jews in order to be distinguished from them.

Likewise, we should encourage our children to develop an Islamic dress sense, not only to be seen as Muslims but to maintain a modest dress too.

It’s important for us to remember that we can still dress our children Islamically, whilst giving them the freedom to wear clothes in accordance with their culture and ethnic traditions. This is because Islamic dress doesn’t necessarily conform to a ‘style’ of dress; rather it is a ‘way’ of dressing.

For example, if your teenage son wants to wear shorts and a t-shirt, this should be allowed if his outfit conforms to Islamic guidlines. As long as his t-shirt and shorts are loose, non see-through, do not contain any symbols of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and the like, and his shorts cover his knees; his clothing is considered Islamic. Similarly, your teenage daughter is considered to wear Islamic dress if her attire is opaque, loose fitting, covers her body and is not extravagant or showy.

An Islamic way of dress should be something to be proud of. Not only is this a modest way of dress but it is a protection for the individual, not to mention comfortable too! When introducing Islamic clothing to your child you can remind him of the benefits of his clothing. You can say, “maashAllah, you look lovely! You’ll be able to play freely wearing this, because you have room to move!” You can also boost the confidence of an older child by saying something similar to, “maashAllah you look beautiful, just like the sahabah did! Allah will be pleased with how you look inshaAllah.”

Raising your child to have a high self esteem is paramount to him being confident when overcoming life’s challenges. You can help to boost your child’s confidence by praising him and reminding him that Allah is always there to help him through tough times. Overall, you can have control over what your child wears by ensuring it conforms to Islamic guidelines. However, try giving your child the ability to choose the colour of his clothes, at least. This will make him feel that he has an opinion in what he wears.

How to help children through challenges

Your child might experience some negative comments from his peers about his Islamic dress, simply because it appears different. In this case, reassure him that this is fine because most people get judged about what they wear if it’s not to the liking of everyone else! The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “Islam initiated as something strange, and it would revert to its (old position) of being strange. So good tidings for the stranger.” (Muslim)

Remind him that some of the greatest people i.e the Prophet (saw) and the sahabah (ra) wore their clothes in the same manner as he does. When your child sees his family and peers dressed Islamically, he will feel proud to look like them and it will feel normal to him inshaAllah.

 Try these tips to encourage your kids to dress Islamically and be proud!

1. Educate your child about the great stories of the sahabah and how they used to dress and the sacrifices they made to be seen as Muslims.
2. Be proud of wearing your Islamic clothes by keeping them clean and well kept. Wear them amongst friends and family and ensure your child sees how happy you are to dress Islamically.
3. Choose Fridays to encourage your child to wear Islamic dress. If you can, take him to Friday prayers and other places where he can witness his peers dressed Islamically too.
4. Praise and reward your child for dressing in accordance to the sunnah. You can say to your teenager, “ maashAllah, you look great with your white qamis on!” Compliment your toddler or preschooler by telling him he looks lovely in his attire and that he is your special Muslim!
5. Give your child lea-way to choose the colour and style of his clothes and ensure they meet the requirements of Islamic dress.
6. Do not get upset if your child does not want to wear Muslim clothing like a thobe or abayah, instead help him to dress Islamically, wearing other types of clothes.
7. Remind your child of the reward he will get for dressing modestly and following the sunnah of the Prophet (saw)
8. Make dressing your child fun by allowing him to play dress-up. You can incorporate Islamic dress with this too! 
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