In Surah Al-Baqarah, the Quran describes the relationship between spouses using imagery that is both intimate and precise:
هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ
(Quran 2:187)
“They are garments for you and you are garments for them.”
While this is one of the most well-known verses about marriage, the depth of meaning within the word libās is often overlooked. It is a metaphor that touches physical need, emotional safety, and spiritual growth.
In this post, we will explore:
- The meaning of “garments” in Quran 2:187
- The many layers of a garment
- Marriage as reflection
- Frequently asked questions about this verse
What does “garments” mean in Quran 2:187?
In this verse, Allah uses the word libās.
A garment protects.
It conceals.
It warms.
It beautifies.
It rests close to the skin.
The metaphor is precise.
Marriage in the Quranic vision is not described as ownership or hierarchy. It is described as nearness and mutual protection. The structure of the verse is balanced. You are garments for them, and they are garments for you.
There is reciprocity embedded in the imagery.
Garments as protection and honour
In marriage, libās becomes moral and emotional sanctuary. Spouses are entrusted with each other’s vulnerabilities and strengths.
The imagery implies discretion.
Safeguarding faults
Just as clothing covers a scar, a spouse protects their partner’s privacy. Struggles are not placed on public display. Correction happens privately, without humiliation.
Nurturing strengths
A garment also frames what is beautiful. To be a garment for your spouse is to protect their confidence and guard their potential. You preserve their dignity even when they feel fragile.
Ultimately, this is about honour. You are the covering that preserves your spouse’s honour before the world.
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Garments as warmth and intimacy
A garment is not distant. It is close.
The metaphor signals vulnerability and trust. Marriage is not casual companionship. It allows closeness without fear of exposure.
Warmth here is emotional steadiness during hardship. It is remaining present when circumstances shift.
Garments as beautification
The garment metaphor in the Quran carries aesthetic weight. Clothing does more than shield the body; it shapes presence. In Surah Al-A‘raf, the Quran speaks of clothing as both covering and adornment (7:26). Beauty is not separate from human life.
In marriage, this adornment shifts inward.
A spouse who acts as a garment does not manufacture virtue. But through closeness, character becomes visible. The daily rhythm of living together reveals patience, exposes impatience, strengthens generosity, and tests consistency.
Marriage does not complete a person.
It refines a person.
Like a garment that fits properly, it allows what is already there to sit correctly. Strength becomes steadier. Weakness becomes visible enough to address.
This is not about adding something missing.
It is about shaping what already exists.
Marriage as reflection
Protection is one layer of the metaphor. Reflection is another.
When someone stands as close as a garment, they inevitably become a mirror for you. Your impatience surfaces. Your mercy is tested. Your ego becomes visible.
Refinement happens in that reflection.
Like traditional mirrorwork, where fragments of glass multiply a single source of light, marriage reflects and intensifies what already exists within the soul. The reflection is not always comfortable. It is clarifying.
Not completion.
Refinement.
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And where does love sit in this?
Elsewhere, the Quran speaks of mawadda and rahma placed between spouses (30:21). The garment metaphor shows how that affection functions in practice.
Love is not spectacle.
It is shelter.
It is the quiet act of covering what should not be exposed, and strengthening what should be nurtured.
The word حب carries this meaning. Love in Islam is not intensity without structure. It is affection anchored in responsibility.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is described as garments for one another in the Quran?
In Surah Al-Baqarah (2:187), husbands and wives are described as garments for one another. The verse appears within the discussion of fasting, highlighting that intimacy and mutual support remain a mercy within spiritual discipline.
What does “spouses are garments” mean?
It means spouses provide protection, concealment of faults, emotional warmth, and dignity. The metaphor emphasises equality, closeness, and shared responsibility.
Why is the “garments” verse placed in the context of Ramadan?
Quran 2:187 appears within the verses outlining fasting. By placing the garment metaphor here, the Quran shows that marital intimacy is not separate from spiritual life. The discipline cultivated through fasting shapes how spouses treat one another with awareness and restraint.
What does “garments” really mean in this verse?
Libās, the Arabic word for garments, suggests something that intermingles closely. It protects, warms, and conceals. In marriage, this means safeguarding vulnerability and preserving dignity while creating a secure space for growth.
A final reflection
The Quran does not describe marriage with exaggeration. It uses a single metaphor.
Garments. The Arabic word is libās.
A covering.
A protection.
A closeness.
A refinement.
If you are drawn to exploring how faith shapes everyday life, you may also enjoy the reflections in our Deen and Dunya topic on Deenista, where spiritual concepts meet lived reality.
February 2, 2026 ∙ 5 minutes read
