How to Hijab: finding guidance...

Salam 3laikum!

Bismillah

I know a lot of sisters love abaya but don't wear it or don't even know how to start working toward the standard of modesty they would like to have.

On my blog I did a series of posts called How to Hijab. It covered the process that I went through to go from jeans and t-shirts (pre-Islam) to hijab (at conversion) to 3abaya about a month later.

I hope you find this series helpful or informational inshaAllah. Please keep in mind that I am not a scholar and I am just sharing with you the path that I took to wearing 3abaya.

Allah make it easy for you all ameen!

<3 NeverEver from finding guidance...

Alhamdulillah!

I got it back! Alhamdulillah! They finally answered my email and recategorized my account!  Thank you for your du'as and support. 

Oh NO!

As Salaamu Aalaykum ALL!

I found out my Abayah page has been re categorized as a community page and I will loose it as soon as it becomes popular.  NOT COOL.  I am studying to be a patternmaker and hope to take over the family factory and produce my own beautiful abayahs.  I tried starting a new page to continue nurturing my followers but I can't. :( Facebook won't allow the name anymore.  WHAT DO I DO?  Does anyone know how I can fix this?

Summer Tips from NeverEver

Salam!

Bismillah

It is getting hot outside on the top half of the earth and one of our sisters (Elizabeth) asked what are good/comfy things to wear for summer.

So here are my physiological reasons for wearing abaya (beyond religious ones, which are of course the most important :-P)

I am mostly talking about abayaat that are loose, not fitted close to the body and that have sleeves that are open at the bottom (not closed at the wrist). Also watch the fabric because some abayaat are definitely made for cooler weather.

A-line is a good shape for hot weather because it lets the air flow

• The open bottom and sleeves will create a breeze when you walk that allows your sweat to actually do its job to cool you down, even when there isn't a breeze outside. Mini skirts and blue jeans will not do this for you.
• When you wear tight clothes, your sweat does not do anything to cool you off, you just get wet and sticky.
• The loose abaya actually makes it to where your body is walking around in the shade.
• There is a reason why shade is cooler than out in the direct sun. The ambient temperature of the air does affect your body, but your body is strongly affected by the ultra violet (UV) and infrared light that hits your skin. The energy of these photons causes the cells in your body to heat up (that is why UV rays cause burns and cancer) by exciting them to higher energy levels which increases your body temperature as well as the temperature of your skin. The more skin you cover, the more you protect your cells from this energy.
• As a bonus, you wont get as dehydrated, lol. Because the abaya is helping you to use your sweat productively, you will sweat less meaning you will loose less water during the day (a bonus for those of us who are fasting during the summer months!).

Now some reasons for why covering in general is not necessarily more hot than being naked in the sun

• The above reasons are good for this as well (using your sweat productively, portable shade, etc.)
• Also, your body slowly adjusts to what you are wearing outside. If you are usually naked outside and you all of the sudden throw on more clothes, your body will struggle to regulate its temperature with these new conditions (this is why women you do not usually cover will feel hot if they temporarily wear abaya). It is age old wisdom (from my great grandma lol) that if you wear your coat when it is hot outside, you will get cold easier. My mother use to tell me NOT to wear my jacket until it got really cold outside so that my body wouldn't adjust. That way I wouldn't be too cold when I was INSIDE the house.
• Same rules apply here as in the jacket case. Your body will adjust to where you are no more hot or cold than anyone else. I use to never get cold. We kept our house at 63F all year round and I wore t-shirts and shorts all of the time, but now 63F is wickedly cold for me since my body is trained. Now I have to wear sweat pants and sweaters with my tshirt and shorts. (also amazingly I sweat less than I did before, lol)
• There is no such thing as "hot blooded" and "cold blooded" people. It is all about what you condition your body to do :-)
• Another added benefit is that you will spend less money on electricity, lol. You wont need to keep your house as cold during the summer months because your body is ready for it.

Tips for those of you who are thinking about starting to cover:

• If you are able, try starting when the weather is cooler and then just continue to wear the longer clothes as the weather starts to change. This will give your body time to adjust slowly. (I know that advice is a little late in coming, but inshaAllah it will be helpful for someone! :-D)

What is Abayah?

The abaya "cloak" (Arabic: عباية ʿabāyah or عباءة ʿabā'ah, plural عبايات ʿabāyāh) is an over garment worn by some women in parts of the Islamic world. It is the traditional form of hijab, or Islamic dress, for many countries of the Arabian peninsula such as Saudi Arabia or United Arab Emirates, where it is the national dress.

Traditional abayat are black and may be either a large square of fabric draped from the shoulders or head or a long caftan. The abaya covers the whole body except the face, feet, and hands. It can be worn with the niqab, a face veil covering all but the eyes. Some women choose to wear long black gloves, so their hands are covered as well.

Abayat are known by various names but serve the same purpose, which is to cover. Contemporary models are usually caftans, cut from light, flowing fabrics like crepe, georgette, and chiffon. Styles differ from region to region: some abayat have embroidery on black material while others are brightly coloured and have different forms of artwork across them.