Islamic clothing- the line of defense against the sun*

Muslim women have also pointed out that in many hot countries, both Muslims and non-Muslims choose to wear long, loose, light-colored clothing which helps the body stay cool, rather than wearing less clothing on the head or body.

In addition, even in the United States, where one in five Americans develop skin cancer, the National Safety Council has offered these guidelines: “wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and long-sleeved, tightly woven clothing. Clothing can physically block out the sun’s harmful rays and should be one of the first lines of defense against sun exposure.”

(Extracted from “Don’t Muslim women get hot wearing the Hijab in the summer?” Chicago Crescent, August 2007, p8.)

* The Qur’an gives an objective of dress as such:

And He has made dress which saves you from heat (An-Nahl 16: 81).