Dress Code

In sociolinguistic, we learn that a person would resort to speak, dress, and behave etc like a group of people of which he or she wanted to feel the self-belonging. One may come from a different part of the country to a place; for a certain purpose he or she has in mind, thus in assuring that the purpose is fulfilled it is very important that he or she makes themselves accepted by people around them. The same goes to when a teenager wanted to be like a certain figure; he or she would dress up, speak, and behave like the person he or she tries to imitate, a personality or a group.

The key here is; changing one’s preference (in dressing, speaking, behaving, manners, tones of voice, etc) to other so he or she is accepted. Such finding made by the sociolinguists was never a new thing to Islam, as our prophet has recorded it first. Hence, the finding above approves what has the prophet said;

Whoever imitates a people, they are among them [recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawud].

The question that some may want to ponder upon here is where would the du’aat be in such claims? Should we dress like the others (the people we call for Islam) or how? Calling the people to Allah’s path in the present era needs us to be ‘in-line’ so that the term ‘exclusivity’ would not appear in the perception of the people whom we are calling. However, it should not be misunderstood that we should dress as the way others dress. We need not to wear baggy clothes, or sag jeans, or whatever just to call people for Islam and Allah.

Be moderate in what we wear and wear what is permitted by Islam that is by making sure that it covers our “aurat”. The du’aat are the ambassadors of Allah, we represent what have we understood from its teaching, despite the fact that we should wear our best; it does not necessarily mean we have to overspend on our clothing. We also learn that in Islam, moderation is the best, it’s not the path-in-between or the middle-way, rather it’s not being extreme or taking it too lightly.

As much as we want to follow the sunnah of the prophet (PBUH) in ibadah, we would also want to follow his guidance in our attitude and manners (akhlaq). Moreover, experiencing the difficult target to be approached does not need us to give up our principles for if it goes against Allah’s will, and then everything would go wrong. Al-akh or a dai’e ilAllah is the example set on others to follow, in Islam we call it qudwah hasanah as Rasulullah SAW had said, the best among you, is the best in his attitude and manners.

p/s: not all imitation of people is bad, imitating the pious, the scholars, sabiquunal awwalun, and the prophet could never be a bad thing aye?!~