Abaya : An Ideology

It’s not just a dress; Abaya is more of an ideology, a way of living, especially in the modern age of 2026. It’s when a woman respects herself and has dignity, when she disciplines herself and avoids validation and attention from just any other man and acts on it by adopting modest dressing in public. Opposing the Western dressing sense, which fails to complete its main purpose (covering the body)

The origins of the Abaya, or more likely a loose-fitting garment, trace back to Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 4000 years ago, where similar loose robes were used for protection against the harsh desert environment. In the 7th century, this evolved into the symbol of modesty with the rise of Islam, influenced by Quranic verses such as (Al Ahzab 33:59), encouraging women to cover themselves and conceal their bodily figure, this led to the trend of abaya type clothing for women that initially started from Arabian Peninsula, primarily regions of Mecca and Medina and became an example of for all Muslim women even today.

References:

But wait, what do you mean? Before Islam, did people not cover themselves? That is not true, so why is abaya or modest dressing tied to Islam? Here’s the short answer: this concept is not just in Islam, it has been there way before Islam.

Here are some references from the Bible (New International Version)

1 Timothy 2:9-10: “I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” This passage from the Apostle Paul addresses women in the context of worship and godly living, prioritizing modesty and good works over ostentatious display. (cross-check from cbeinternational.org)

1 Peter 3:3-4: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” Written by the Apostle Peter, this encourages focusing on internal qualities rather than external finery, implying a modest approach to clothing. (cross-check from cbeinternational.org)

Deuteronomy 22:5: “A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this.” This Old Testament law prohibits cross-dressing, often interpreted as promoting gender-distinct and appropriate attire. (cross-check from openbible.info)

This proves how modest dressing is not tied to Islam or gender; it has been around way before Islam.

Here is what is mentioned in the Quran for the modest dressing of men:

Surah An-Nur 24:30: “Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is [well] Acquainted with what they do.” (cross-check from thenabia.com)

Surah Al-A’raf 7:26: “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.” (cross-check from quran.com)

Now, with all this data, we can conclude that modest dressing (as we say it now) is actually the basic principle of dressing both for men and women, and it is tied to humbleness and purity, which implies that it’s not just about dressing, it’s a lifestyle, it’s a character and its something that shows how a person is in general.

What is Modest Dressing?

Now the question: what is modest dressing, and is wearing an abaya the only way to dress modestly for women?

Short answer, NO, modest dressing means (for females)

1. Your body is covered, meaning your skin and hair are not exposed.
2. Your body figure (shape) is concealed, meaning no one can tell if you’re fat or slim, if you have a bigger chest, or what your leg shape is.

*NOTE: This all is for when in public or when with other men (other then your husband)

So the 2 points that I mentioned above are important because

As seen in the picture, the woman is wearing an abaya (or what she would like to say), but her body shape is revealing; it’s noticeable quite easily, so this is not an abaya, nor does it fall under modest dressing. She can wear this at home when alone or with her husband, but not in public or when accompanied by other men.
Many research studies in evolutionary psychology and the social sciences have shown that men are attracted to female body shapes, and vice versa. Often using stimuli in which the body is covered, even the facial features, but the body shape alone drives attractiveness.

Singh (1993): Devendra Singh proved, by using drawings of female figures varying in WHR (waist to hip ratio), that the WHR of (0.6 to 1.0) is the most attractive, and this is linked to biology as females with this ratio are mostly healthy and reproductively capable, regardless of overall weight, also these were drawing, not even women, but drawings. (see what I mean)

Suschinsky, Elias, and Krupp (2007): Another study presented using images of women that men directed most visual attention to reproductively relevant areas like breasts, waist, and hips. This showed that even covered representation elicits strong attraction responses when the body figure is shown

Way of Life:

Now I mentioned character, but why? Well, if a man sexualizes a woman, he is bad, and the same goes if a woman sexualizes herself; she’s bad. It is widely known, researched, and documented that females wear immodest clothes to gain the attraction and validation of men.

Perilloux et al. (2021): An experimental study examining women’s clothing choices in co-occurrence environments. Women reported dressing in immodest, more revealing outfits, suggesting that revealing clothes serves as a competitive tool for mate attraction or for seeking validation.
So if they say “We do it for ourselves” or “We are expressing freedom.” They are simply lying.

Conclusion:

It’s not about whether someone is seeing you, but rather about your own dignity, faith, and self-respect. Both women and men should avoid seeking attention or validation from anyone other than their partners (husband and wife) as this type of behavior leads to the downfall of society.