Sura 7, al-Araf, Mecca 39

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Translation:

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْءَاتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا...

7: 26. O ye children of Adam!

We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you,

...وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىَ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ...

but the raiment of righteousness, that is the best.

...ذَلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ﴿٢٦﴾

Such are among the signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition!

Transliteration Ya_ bani a_dama qad anzalna_ 'alaikum liba_say yuwa_ri sau'a_tikum wa risya_(n), waliba_sut taqwa_ za_lika khair(un), za_lika min a_ya_tilla_hi la'allahum yazzakkaru_n(a).

Other Translations:

7: 26

Asad

O children of Adam! Indeed We have bestowed upon you from on high [the knowledge of making] garments to cover your nakedness, and as a thing of beauty: but the garment of God-consciousness is the best of all. Herein lies a message from God, so that man might take it to heart.

Pickthall

O Children of Adam! We have revealed unto you raiment to conceal your shame, and splendid vesture, but the raiment of restraint from evil, that is best. This is of the revelations of Allah, that they may remember.

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Ali’s comments:

C1008. There is a double philosophy of clothes here, to correspond with the double signification of verse 20 above, as explained in n. 1006.

Spiritually, Allah created man "bare and alone" (6:94): the soul in its naked purity and beauty knew no shame because it knew no guilt: after it was touched by guilt and soiled by evil, its thoughts and deeds became its clothing and adornments, good or bad, honest or meretricious, according to the inner motives, which gave them colour.

So in the case of the body: it is pure and beautiful, as long as it is not defiled by misuse: its clothing and ornaments may be good or meretricious, according to the motives in the mind and character: if good, they are the symbols of purity and beauty: but the best clothing and ornament we could have comes from righteousness, which covers the nakedness of sin, and adorns us with virtues. (R).