Is black really “The Islamic Colour for women”?

Recently I was out shopping with my mother and sister. We were looking for Islamic clothes. Even though we live in South Africa, most of the people selling Islamic clothing like abayas, etc, are foreigners from countries like Egypt and Pakistan. Well, the truth is that you can find really beautiful abayas, but they are all black. So my mum asked the man in the shop why they don’t have any other colours besides black and he said, “because black is the Islamic colour for women”.

I really wonder about this, and it’s something I’ve been pondering over for a long time. I have no problem with women wearing only black so don’t get me wrong here, it’s just that I remember a time, not so long ago when Muslim women didn’t only wear black clothes, or perhaps that was just in South Africa? However, I remember when I went for Hajj, back in 1999, women could be seen wearing different colour clothes, and some of them looked really nice in different colours, especially white clothing. It made the women look so pure and serene. So I guess what I’m wondering is when did this black clothes trend really begin? And what is it actually based on?

Some women have said that black is the chosen colour for women because it’s dark and thus covers a woman’s body as you can’t see through it. But then I have to ask; in that case why not dark green, or navy blue, or maroon or even brown? Surely all these dark colours would serve the same purpose.

Another thing is that in my opinion black makes a woman look radiant. It’s elegant, and especially with the fashionable Islamic clothing these days, many women end up looking really stunning and perhaps even attracting more attention. I don’t always wear black, I try to choose different colours in the clothes I’m wearing, but one day I wore a black cloak and matching black hijab and some of my friends actually remarked that they thought I looked really good in the black. I never got such reactions when wearing other colours. So once again, I had to wonder.

I’d really like to hear people’s opinions on this, because it is something that interests me and I don’t believe that I have enough knowledge on the matter. I mean, I really don’t understand why women have to wear only black. Again, I have no problem with it. I’d just like to understand why some people are so adamant about the restriction of other colours. I think it would be great if I could find the Islamic clothes I was looking for in different colours. I know that in some countries this is possible, but here in South Africa and in many other countries, all we find is black clothes for women. I guess I’m just someone who likes to have colour in my life and an all black wardrobe somehow just doesn’t sit well with me.

I wonder what types of colours women wore in the time of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him). Perhaps this is something that I need to do more research on. If anyone knows anything about the issue, I’d really like to hear it!

Remember-I’m looking forward to hearing your comments on this issue so please feel free to share your opinions.

And Allah Almighty is the Knower of all things!!!

Image taken from: http://islamicwear.webs.com/