Why the Abaya is Black ?

History of the abaya

Theabaya is a long black dress traditionally worn by Arab women. The Quran does not specify its color, but according to the hadith, Muhammad told his wife Aisha that after his death the abayas of women in paradise would be black, so it is believed that it should also be on earth. According to legend, the story of theabaya begins when Muhammad had a dream in which virgin Magdalene of Alexandria appears to him. When Mohammed went looking for a woman who could interpret this dream he met one who was dressed in white and then interpreted this dream saying that he was warning us that if we did not wear a black garment like the virgins of Paradise we would be guilty before God.

If you are a Muslim, you wear a black abaya or a white abaya. In both cases, you make a choice of color. But where does this choice come from?

Theabaya is a dress that every woman wears in the Muslim world. It has not always been black, but it has certainly never been any other color. Abayas are traditionally black in color and this is usually a misunderstood fact, as it goes against what we are used to. It can be a typical mistake when people think that theabaya can be any color besides black. However, it is important to know that inIslam, there are different mentions of God's teachings for His believers.

The abaya as a symbol

Women's clothing enjoys special attention and as such, the Muslim habitus of dress is not without some significance. The habitus being the relationship that the individual maintains with his clothes and the attitudes that this induces, there is a differentiated sensitivity, according to the social groups. Because it is the symbol of Islam, the manifestation of power and wealth par excellence and it protects Muslim women. It also symbolically frees them from economic contingencies. Indeed, its cost is mainly due to the work done at home and suddenly transforms the whole family into a factory to manufacture clothes: a remarkable example of female economy.

The significance of the black color of the abaya

What do superheroes, musicians and a black garment called an abaya have in common? Black is universally accepted as one of the most elegant colors. It represents power and money. It is the color of worship. And every woman who wears it deserves admiration. Worn only by women in countries with large Muslim populations, theabaya deserves far more attention than it gets.

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