What is Modest Clothing?

In a world, where the majority of it's population prioritizes revealing attire and provocative styles, the concept of modest clothing has emerged as a powerful alternative. Modest clothing serves as a reminder of the importance of human dignity, modesty, and self-restraint in our appearance. It encourages individuals to dress respectfully, emphasizing dignity, self-restraint, and cultural values. By opting for attire that covers the body more extensively, modest clothing promotes inclusivity, self-worth, and a celebration of individuality.

From the Islamic perspective (which should also be adopted by other people as well, who emphasize modesty and human dignity), Modest clothing simply refers to the clothing that perfectly covers your “private parts and their adjoining parts" as the adjoining parts could also excite to gaze at the private parts, and this rule is for both men and women. It protects the modesty and chastity of an individual.

Because of the sign of chastity, Modest clothing is associated with respect.

One of the key benefits of modest clothing is its ability to foster a sense of dignity and self-worth. By choosing to dress modestly, individuals can avoid objectification and reduce the emphasis on physical appearance. Instead, It allows more emphasis on the character of an individual. This allows them to shift the focus towards their character, abilities, and contributions. Modesty encourages people to appreciate their inner qualities and achievements rather than relying on external appearances as a measure of their worth.

So, if we follow the rule “private parts and their adjoining parts”, the minimum bare requirement would be from navel till the knees for men, and for women from neck down to the navel for perfectly covering the breasts, and from the navel to the knees for the genitals. However, sometimes modesty rules could be changed depending upon the different cultures. And note that the opinion I wrote is the viewpoint of a genious Islamic scholar, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, who is the student of Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi, the student of Hamiduddin Farahi, who was the student and relative of the legendary Islamic scholar, Maulana Shibli Nomani. The traditionalist Muslim scholars held the views and opinions of the traditionalist scholars and theologians of the Muslim history. However, Mr. Ghamidi focuses on Qur'an and Sunnah, which are the major sources of Islam.

A man who is covering his Awrah.

The elegant modest-sleeved dress of a woman, which is falling below the knees, and is covering the minimum bare requirement of a woman.

It's about respect, and Hifz al-Furooj (guarding the chastity, as mentioned in Surah an-Nur)! Modest clothing for both men and women, according to their Awrah (Arabic for minimum bare requirements), is seen as a characteristic of a person who is devoted to God and values his/her purity. ☺️

  The Pakistani religious scholar and philosopher, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi in the 8th Part of the series "Response to 23 Questions" described in detail the minimum bare requirement (Awrah) for both males and females. (The video is in the Urdu language, but it provides the English subtitles)