Amidst the annual flurry of decision-making on our Eid attire, let us remember one item that should make our must-wear list year-round, writes Afia R Fitriati.
(Image: Fotolia)
When I was little, choosing clothes for Eid was a big deal in my family. A few weeks before Ramadan my mum would drag me to fashion bazaars, where we would buy new clothes for the whole family – my grandparents, aunts and even cousins. The shopping experience was often followed by a ‘dress rehearsal’ peppered with comments and quarrels from the women of our family. I recall one Ramadan when I became mired in debate with my aunts, who maintained that the dress I chose to wear for Eid prayer was ‘drab’.
This tradition changed after I got married. My husband comes from a simple family that never buys new clothes for Eid, a tradition he carried into our new family. Life is much simpler with this new change; I no longer spend precious Ramadan hours in overcrowded shopping malls. Though I may not get to wear the latest or trendiest modestwear of the season, I can now spend the last 10 days of Ramadan full of concentration in seeking Lailatul Qadr. For me, that’s worth more than all the coolest kaftans in the world.
These contrasting experiences of selecting attire for Eid remind me of Surah Al A’raf verse 26 in the Qur’an:
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.
In our excitement and anticipation of Eid, we occasionally forget that the best clothing – the kind that truly impresses Our Creator – is the clothing of righteousness, a quality defined in Surah Al-Baqarah 177 as follows:
Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveller, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakat; [those who] fulfil their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.
These two verses remind us that an attachment to objects can deceive us into paying more attention to material things and less to what really matters. Sure, a few people might notice the new stylish scarf that you plan to wear on Eid. But the zakat fitrah you pay, the heartfelt forgiveness you give to someone who hurt you in the past, the gifts of kindness you present to your family and neighbours – these are your true treasures, and they’ll be recorded for eternity.
(Image: Pixabay)
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t buy that maxi dress or cute top you’ve been eyeing. After all, we are encouraged to look our best on this very special day of celebration. Yet when we treat ourselves to some Earthly goodies, let us never forget the real spirit of Eid: why we fast, why we abstain, why we celebrate. We do it all to worship Him, to spread kindness and to celebrate life. Life is good, and to have a good life means to share it with others.
So whether Eid finds you wearing a brand-new abaya and silver stilettos, or vintage attire dug out from the back of your wardrobe, may your heart be always shrouded in the cape of righteousness.
This article originally appeared in the August 2013 Eid issue of Aquila Style magazine. For a superior and interactive reading experience, you can get the entire issue, free of charge, on your iPad or iPhone at the Apple Newsstand, or on your Android tablet or smartphone at Google Play
The post Eid clothing that lasts: shrouded in the cape of righteousness appeared first on Aquila Style.