Libas Al Anwar – Kurta And Saya
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The formal attire of the Dawoodi Bohras, known as Libas al-Anwar or ‘the luminous clothing’, comprises two primary garments for men: the ‘kurta’ and the ‘saya’. The ‘kurta’ is worn as the inner layer, underneath the ‘saya’, which resembles a robe worn over it.
Both ‘kurta’ and ‘saya’ are Persian words elegantly adopted by Lisan al-Dawat in the context of clothing. ‘Kurta’, spelled with a ‘ه’ in Persian, refers to ‘any fabric that touches the body’ and is akin to the ‘qamees’ in Arabic. On the other hand, ‘saya’ translates to ‘shadow’ and conveys a sense of ‘protection’ or ‘shade’. Interestingly, the word ‘saya’ has no direct reference to fabrics or clothing in Persian or any other language. However, its usage in Lisan al-Dawat bestows upon it a unique connotation as the upper layer of clothing worn above the ‘kurta’.
The term ‘saya’ possesses two etymological roots, adding to the beauty of its usage as ‘robe’ in Lisan al-Dawat. In one interpretation, ‘saya’ is a compound of ‘soo’, meaning ‘light’, and ‘aayad’, meaning ‘to come’. Literally translating to ‘light is coming’, ‘soo-aayad’ evolved into ‘sa-aya’, as the shadow always accompanies and heralds the arrival of light. In another interpretation, ‘sa’ signifies ‘similar’, and ‘aayad’ means ‘to come’, indicating ‘to become similar’, as a shadow projects a duplicate form of a person or thing.
In accordance with this etymological understanding, ‘saya’ in the context of Libas al-Anwar allows us to appreciate the profound cultural significance of this attire, which combines both the ‘kurta’ and the ‘saya’. It is the ‘saya’ that provides us with protection, illumination, and a means to resemble and emulate the One who bestowed us with this clothing; the One who always endeavors to make us more like Him.
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