garments in which we have disobeyed Allah.” Thus, men would circumambulate by day and women by night, naked.

Qatadah said: A woman would circumambulate while placing her hand over her private parts and saying:

Today some of it, or all of it, may be seen—
and whatever is seen of it, I do not permit.

So Allah, Glorified is He, commanded that they cover themselves, saying: “We have bestowed upon you clothing to cover your nakedness” (1)—that is, to conceal your private parts. The singular of this word is saw’ah (a private part); it is so called because its exposure causes its possessor distress. Therefore, do not circumambulate naked. “And as adornment”: Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, al-Dahhak, and al-Suddi said that this means wealth. It is said, “A man has become wealthy,” when he acquires wealth. It was also said that adornment means beauty—that is, what they use from clothing to beautify themselves. It was also said that it means clothing itself.

“But the garment of taqwa is better.” The reciters of Madinah, Ibn Amir, and al-Kisa’i read “garment” in the accusative case, coordinating it with His saying, “clothing.” The others recited it in the nominative case, as the subject whose predicate is “better,” taking “that” as an additional particle in the phrase. For this reason, Ibn Masud and Ubayy ibn Kab recited: “But the garment of taqwa—that is better.”

They differed regarding the meaning of “the garment of taqwa.” Qatadah and al-Suddi said: The garment of taqwa is faith. Al-Hasan said: It is modesty, because it prompts one to taqwa.

Atiyyah narrated from Ibn Abbas that it is righteous deeds. Uthman ibn Affan said: It is dignified outward bearing.

Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: The garment of taqwa is fear of Allah. Al-Kalbi said: It is chastity. The meaning is that the garment of taqwa is better for its wearer than the clothing Allah created for him as adornment.

Ibn al-Anbari said: The garment of taqwa refers to the first-mentioned clothing. It is repeated only to state that covering one’s private parts is better than being naked during circumambulation.

Zayd ibn Ali said: The garment of taqwa refers to the protective equipment by which one guards oneself in battle, such as armor, a helmet, arm guards, and greaves.

It was also said: The garment of taqwa is wool and coarse clothing worn by people of scrupulous piety. “That is among the signs of Allah, so that they may take heed.”