Parenting Perspective 

When a child consciously chooses modest clothing, they are making a powerful statement of self-respect and faith. Yet, in peer groups that often equate worth with exposure, they can unfortunately become a target for mockery. Your crucial role is to equip them with both the emotional armour and the gentle words required to stand firm without hostility. The primary goal is not to engage in a fight against ridicule but to rise above it with calm confidence and grace. 

Name the Behaviour, Not the Person 

Teach your child the critical distinction that mockery reveals the other person’s confusion or insecurity, not the truth about themselves. Say, ‘When someone laughs at your clothes, it says more about their manners than it does about your actual worth.’ This clear distinction helps your child detach their self-image from the teasing, ensuring their self-respect remains completely intact. 

Short, Confident Responses 

Provide your child with short, steady lines they can use once, followed by disengagement: 

• ‘I like dressing this way.’ 

• ‘Everyone has their own comfort zone — this is mine.’ 

• ‘I wear what feels right to me.’ 

• ‘Thanks for noticing, but I am good.’ 

Coach the appropriate tone and posture: a calm face, a soft voice, and a steady stance. They must understand they do not need to preach a sermon or launch a fierce defence. A poised, brief answer, followed by silence or an immediate change of topic, is sufficient to end most taunts. 

Use Humour When Safe 

Gentle, self-deprecating humour can occasionally disarm the situation without causing offence: 

• ‘Yes, modest is the new trendy — you did not know?’ 

• ‘At least I never run out of layers in winter.’ 

If the group offers a light laugh and moves on, the tension is successfully diffused. If the teasing escalates, humour must stop immediately, and a calm, firm boundary should take over. 

Reconnect Modesty with Identity 

Remind your child that modesty is not a process of hiding; it is an active choice of purpose over pressure. Help them to personalise their style within Islamic limits—through the selection of colours, fabrics, and accessories—so that modesty feels like a form of self-expression, rather than an imposition. Confidence flourishes when clothing choices align seamlessly with both their faith and their personality. 

Role-Play Real Situations 

It is essential to practise the actual scenarios they might encounter: a classmate teasing a headscarf, a friend mocking loose clothing during Physical Education, or someone calling their style “too serious.” Use varied tones—playful, sarcastic, or mean—and debrief after each role-play: discuss which reply felt the strongest, when they should choose silence, and when the best option is to leave the area. Praise their control, not the cleverness of their reply. 

Strengthen Emotional Recovery 

Even the most composed children feel hurt after mockery. After an incident, help them process the feeling through journaling, prayer, or a focused conversation. Say, ‘Feeling upset does not make you weak — it means you care about doing what is right.’ Reassure them that standing by one’s faith may feel momentarily lonely but ultimately earns quiet, lasting respect. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam elevates modesty (haya) as a reflection of inner beauty and faith. Modest clothing is not intended as a restriction but as a powerful statement of identity—a shield that preserves dignity and clearly communicates self-respect. When children internalise that modesty is beloved by Allah Almighty, the cruel mockery of peers loses all its power. 

From the Noble Quran 

The Quran transforms modest dress into a clear sign of protection and honour for believing women. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Ahzaab (33), Verses 59: 

‘O Prophet (Muhammad ﷺ upon whom have been conveyed the secret codes of existential realities) , say to your wives, and your daughters and the women who are believers; to cover themselves (fully) with their (outer) garments; this is more appropriate, in order that they are recognised (as chaste women) and not harmed; and (as always) Allah (Almighty) is Most Forgiving and Most Merciful.’ 

This verse frames modest clothing as protection and honour. It reminds all believers that their worth is not subject to public approval or scrutiny. When a child wears modestly for the sake of Allah Almighty, they are not lagging behind trends—they are moving ahead in obedience and self-respect. 

From the Teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ 

The Sunnah directly links the choice of modesty to the fundamental nature of belief. 

It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, Hadith 36, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Modesty is part of faith.’ 

This Hadith Shareef confirms that modesty is more than mere clothing; it is an essential character trait that beautifies every single believer. It permanently links outer choices with inner belief (Imaan). When a child remembers that their modesty reflects their faith, it transforms embarrassment into an unshakable source of strength. 

Encourage your child to respond to teasing with dignity and composure, to wear their values with quiet pride, and to walk away immediately when mockery turns crude. Every time they choose calm over comparison and principle over fleeting popularity, they mirror the prophetic path. True beauty is not found in the fabric that shows, but in the faith that shines—and Allah Almighty sees every act of modesty, even those wrapped in silence.