Prof. Abdur Rahman I. Doi Professor and Director, Center for Islamic
Legal Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira, Nigeria.
Contents
·
The Family
·
Modesty
· Lowering the Eyes
· Social Behavior
· Beautification and Adornment
· Guests
·
Public Baths and Swimming Pools
·
Dance-Halls and Gymnasiums
·
The Mosque
The Family
The family in Islam is a unit in which a man and woman unite to share
life together according to the rules and regulations laid down by the
Shari'ah. They become as close to each other as a garment is to the
body. The husband's honor becomes an integral part of his wife's honor,
and vice versa. They share each other's prosperity and adversity. Thus
in Islam the bridal couples are united as husband and wife in the
presence of witnesses seeking Allah's blessings to increase in mutual
love and compassion and agreeing to care for each other in sickness and
adversity. This fundamental principle of Islamic marriage, understood
and observed by the spouses, is the basis of the institution of Muslim
marriage. In the family, the man is charged with the duty of being the
leader of the family and the woman is assigned the duty of looking after
the household. Even if the man has more responsibility than the woman
and thereby has a degree over her, it does not make a husband inherently
better than his wife. The Qur'an contains a verse which says:
And in no wise covet those things in which Allah has bestowed His gifts
more freely on some of you than others: to men is allotted what they
earn, and to women what they earn... (4:32)
Commenting on this verse Sheikh Muhammad 'Abduh says that it does not
imply that every man is better than every woman or vice versa, but it
emphasizes that: "each sex, in general, has some preferential
advantage over the other, though men have a degree over women." What
is this "degree"? There are different views about it. One view is
that it means the qualities of leadership, surveillance and
maintenance which are bestowed on men. Another view is that it
signifies the tolerance with which men must treat their wives even when
in extremely bad moods. Yet another view is that it is man's
natural gift from Allah for judging matters pertaining to his family and
managing the problems affecting it. However, the consensus of the
scholars is that the "degree" comprises the principle of guardianship
and nothing more.
Muhammad 'Abduh feels that guardianship has four elements:
protection, surveillance, custody, and maintenance. 'Abd al-'Ati
considers that over and above these four elements is the element of
obedience. According to 'Abd al-'Ati obedience consists of the following
aspects:
1.
A wife must neither receive male strangers nor accept gifts from them
without her husband's approval.
2.
A husband has the legal right to restrict his wife's freedom of
movement. He may prevent her from leaving her home without his
permission unless there is a necessity or legitimate reason for her to
do otherwise. However, it is his religious obligation to be
compassionate and not to unreasonably restrict her freedom of movement.
If there arises a conflict between this right of the husband and the
rights of the wife's parents to visit her and be visited by her, the
husband's right prevails in the wider interest of the family. Yet the
Shari'ah recommends that he be considerate enough to waive his rights to
avoid shame within the family.
3.
A refractory wife has no legal right to object to her husband exercising
his disciplinary authority. Islamic law, in common with most other
systems of law, recognizes the husband's right to discipline his wife
for disobedience.
4.
The wife may not legally object to the husband's right to take another
wife or to exercise his right of divorce. The marital contract
establishes her implicit consent to these rights. However, if she
wishes to restrict his freedom in this regard or to have similar rights,
she is legally allowed to do so. She may stipulate in the marital
agreement that she too will have the right to divorce or that she will
keep the marriage bond only so long as she remains the only wife. Should
he take a second wife, she will have the right to seek a divorce in
accordance with the marriage agreement.
Top
Modesty
Modesty is a virtue which Islam demands of Muslim men and women. The
most powerful verses commanding the believers to be modest occur in
Surah al-Nur and begin with the words:
Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard
their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is
well aware of what they do. (24:31)
The rule of modesty is equally applicable to men and women. A brazen
stare by a man at a woman or another man is a breach of correct
behavior. The rule is meant not only to guard women, but is also meant
to guard the spiritual good of men. Looking at the sexual anarchy that
prevails in many parts of the world, and which Islam came to check, the
need for modesty both in men and women is abundantly clear. However it
is on account of the difference between men and women in nature,
temperament, and social life, that a greater amount of veiling is
required for women than for men, especially in the matter of dress. A
complete code of modesty is laid down in the Qur'an as follows:
And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and
guard their modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and
ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should
draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty save to
their husbands, or their fathers or their husbands' fathers, or their
sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons,
or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right
hands possess, or male servants free of physical desire, or small
children who have no sense of sex; and that they should not stamp their
feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O
believers! Turn all together towards Allah, that you may attain bliss.
(24:31)
A key term in the above verse is zinat. It means both natural
beauty and artificial ornaments. The word as used in the above verse
seems to include both meanings. Women are asked not to make a display of
their figures, not to wear tight clothing that reveals their
shapeliness, nor to appear in such dress except to:
·
their husbands,
·
their relatives living in the same house with whom a certain amount of
informality is permissible,
·
their women, that is, in the strict sense, their maid-servants who are
constantly in attendance on them, but in a more liberal sense, all
believing women,
·
old or infirm men-servants, and
·
infants or small children who have not yet got a sense of sex
While Muslim men are required to cover the body between the navel and
the knee, every Muslim woman is asked to cover her whole body excluding
the face and hands from all men except her husband. The following
traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) give us further guidance
in the matter:
"It is not lawful for any woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day
that she should uncover her hand more than this and then he placed his
hand on his wrist joint. "When a woman reaches puberty no part of her
body should remain uncovered except her face and the hand up to the
wrist joint."
'A'isha reports that once she appeared got up in finery before her
nephew, 'Abdullah ibn al-Tufail. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not
approve of it. "I said, 'O Apostle of Allah, he is my nephew.' The
Prophet replied,
'When a woman reaches puberty it is not lawful for her to uncover any
part of her body except the face and this and then he put his hand on
the wrist joint as to leave only a little space between the place he
gripped and the palm."
Asma', the sister of 'A'isha and daughter of Abu Bakr, came before the
Prophet in a thin dress that showed her body. The Prophet turned his
eyes away and said, "O Asma'! When a woman reaches puberty, it is not
lawful that any part of her body be seen, except this and this" - and
then he pointed to his face and the palms of his hands. Hafsah, daughter
of 'Abdur-Rahman, once came before 'A'isha wearing a thin shawl over her
head and shoulders. 'A'isha tore it up and put a thick shawl over her.
The Messenger of Allah also said,
"Allah has cursed those women
who wear clothes yet still remain naked."
The khalif, 'Umar, once said, "Do not clothe your women in clothes
that are tight-fitting and reveal the shapeliness of the body." The
above-mentioned traditions make it explicitly clear that the dress of
Muslim women must cover the whole body, except for the face and hands,
whether in the house or outside, even with her nearest relatives. She
must not expose her body to anybody except her husband, and must not
wear a dress that shows the curves of her body. Some scholars, like
Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani, are of the opinion that, because modern
times are particularly full of fitnah (mischief), women should go as far
as to cover their faces because even the face may attract sexual glances
from men. Shaikh al-Albani says, "We admit that the face is not one of
the parts of the body to be covered, but it is not permissible for us to
hold to this taking into consideration the corruption of the modern age
and the need to stop the means for further corruption."
It is respectfully submitted, however, that in the light of the
Prophetic traditions it suffices to cover the body, leaving out the face
and hands up to the wrist joints, since this is the specified Islamic
covering and it may sometimes be essential for a woman to go about her
lawful engagements with her face uncovered. However if a woman
prefers to put on the veil (burqah), she should not be discouraged as
this may be a sign of piety and God-consciousness (taqwah). The rules on
dress are slightly relaxed when a woman reaches old age and her sexual
attractions have faded. The Qur'an says:
Such elderly women as are past the prospect of marriage, there is no
blame on them if they lay aside their (outer) garments, provided they
make not a wanton display of their beauty; but it is best for them to be
modest and Allah is the One who sees and knows all things. (24:60)
However, if a woman is old but still has sexual desires, it is not
lawful for her to take off her over- garments. Women at whom people are
not possibly going to cast sexual glances but rather look at with
respect and veneration are entitled to make use of the relaxation and go
about in their houses without wearing an over-garment.
Top
Lowering the Eyes
Islam requires its male and female adherents to avoid illicit sexual
relations at all costs. Because the desire to have sexual relationships
originates with the look that one person gives another, Islam prohibits
a person from casting amorous glances towards another. This is the
principle of ghadd al-basar (lowering the eyes). Since it is impossible
for people to have their eyes fixed constantly to the ground and
inconceivable that a man will never see a woman or a woman will never
see a man, Islam absolves from blame the first chance look, but
prohibits one from casting a second look or continuing to stare at a
face which one finds attractive at first sight.
The following traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) offer us
guidance in this regard: Jarir says,
"I asked the Prophet what I should do if I happened to cast a look (at a
woman) by chance. The Prophet replied,
'Turn your eyes away.'
"According to Buraidah, the Prophet told the future fourth khalif, 'Ali,
not to cast a second look, for the first look was pardonable but the
second was prohibited.
However, there are certain circumstances in which it is permissible for
a man to look at another woman. Such circumstances may arise when a
woman is obliged to be treated by a male doctor, or has to appear before
a judge as a witness, or when a woman is trapped inside a burning house,
or is drowning, or when a woman's life or honour is in danger. In such
cases, even the prohibited parts of the body of the woman may be seen or
touched, and it is not only lawful but obligatory on a man to rescue her
from danger, whatever physical contact it may entail. What is required
by Islam in such a situation is that as far as possible the man should
keep his intentions pure. But if in spite of that his emotions are a
little excited naturally, it is not blameworthy for him to have looked
at such a woman, since having contact with her body was not intentional
but was necessitated by circumstances, and it is not possible for a man
to suppress his natural urges completely.
The Shari'ah also allows a man to look at a woman with the object of
reaching a decision about whether he should marry her or not. The
following traditions explain the matter further: Mughirah ibn Shu'bah
says,
"I sent a message to a woman asking for her hand. The Prophet (peace be
upon him) said to me,
'Have a look at her for that will enhance love and mutual regard between
you.'
"
Abu Hurairah says that he was sitting with the Prophet when a man came
and said that he intended to marry a woman from among the Ansar
(Helpers). The Prophet asked him if he had seen her. He replied in the
negative. The Prophet told him to go and have a look at her because the
Ansar often had a defect in their eyes. According to Jabir ibn
'Abdullah, the Prophet said that when a man sent a request to a woman
for her hand in marriage, he should have a look at her to see if there
was anything in her which made him inclined to marry her.
It is thus clear that no man is prohibited from having a look at a woman
as such, but that the real idea behind the prohibition is to prevent the
evil of illicit intercourse. Therefore what the Prophet has prohibited
is only such casting of the eyes as is not essential, as does not serve
any social purpose, and as is loaded with sexual motives. This command
applies to both Muslim men and Muslim women and is not confined to only
one sex.
Maulana Abu'l-A'la Maududi has made a fine psychological distinction,
however, between women looking at men and men looking at women. The man,
he says,
"...is by nature aggressive. If a thing appeals to him, he is urged from
within to acquire it. On the other hand, the woman's nature is one of
inhibition and escape. Unless her nature is totally corrupted, she can
never become so aggressive, bold, and fearless, as to make the first
advances towards the male who has attracted her. In view of this
distinction, the Legislator (the Prophet) does not regard a woman's
looking at other men to be as harmful as a man's looking at other women.
In several traditions it has been reported that the Prophet (peace be
upon him) let 'A'isha see a performance given by negroes on the occasion
of the 'Id. This shows that there is no absolute prohibition on women
looking at other men. What is prohibited is for women to sit in the same
gathering together with men and stare at them, or look at them in a
manner which may lead to evil results. "
The Prophet (peace be upon him) told Fatimah, daughter of Qais, to pass
her 'iddah (waiting term), in the house of Ibn Maktum, the same blind
Companion from whom Umm Salamah had been instructed to observe purdah.
Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi has related in his Ahkam al- Qur'an that
Fatimah, daughter of Qais, wanted to pass her waiting term in the house
of Umm Sharik. The Prophet did not approve of this for the reason that
the house was visited by many people. Therefore he told her to stay in
the house of Ibn Maktum who was blind, where she could stay without
observing purdah.
This shows that the real object of the Prophet was to reduce the chances
of any mischief occurring. That is why the lady was not allowed to stay
in a house where the chances of possible mischief were greater but
allowed to stay in a house where they were less. On the other hand,
where there was no such need, women were prohibited from sitting in the
same place face to face with other men.
The real object of ghadd al-basar (lowering the eyes) is to stop people
with evil intentions from casting lewd looks at others. It is common
knowledge that a person turns their eyes towards another person
innocently in the beginning. If the latter is attractive, the former may
go on casting glances and thus drift towards the precipice of sexual
attraction and ultimately fornication or adultery. Islam encourages
regulated love in order to build up happy family lives since it is
healthy families that provide the blocks to construct a healthy society;
but it abhors promiscuity which ruins people's family lives and
seriously damages people through the ultimate disaster of illicit sexual
relationships developing between its adherents. Islam blocks the
path that finally leads to active temptation by prohibiting the casting
of looks by one person at another except when they do so by chance.
Top
Social Behavior
The Shari'ah has placed restrictions on men meeting strange women
privately. Similarly no man other than her husband is allowed to touch
any part of a woman's body. The following traditions of the Prophet
(peace be upon him) are worth noting in this connection:
"Beware that you do not call on women who are alone,"
said the Messenger of Allah. One of the Companions asked, "O Messenger
of Allah, what about the younger or the elder brother of the husband?"
The Prophet replied,
"He is death."
(Tirmidhi, Bukhari and Muslim)
"Do not call on women in the absence of their husbands, because Satan
might be circulating in any of you like blood." (Tirmidhi).
According to 'Amr ibn al-'As, the Prophet forbade men to call on women
without the permission of their husbands. (Tirmidhi)
"From this day no man is allowed to call on a woman in the absence of
her husband unless he is accompanied by one or two other men."
(Tirmidhi)
The Prophet said, "The
one who touches the hand of a woman without having a lawful relationship
with her, will have an ember placed on his palm on the Day of Judgment."
(Takmalah, Fath alQadir)
'A'ishah says that the Prophet accepted the oath of allegiance from
women only verbally, without taking their hands into his own hand. He
never touched the hand of a woman who was not married to him (Bukhari).
Umaimah, daughter of Ruqaiqah, said that she went to the Prophet in the
company of some other women to take the oath of allegiance. He made them
promise that they would abstain from idolatry, stealing, adultery,
slander, and disobedience to the Prophet. When they had taken the oath,
they requested that he take their hands as a mark of allegiance. The
Prophet said,
"I do not take the hands of
women. Verbal affirmation is enough."
(Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).
According to Maulana Maududi these commandments apply in respect of
young women. He says, "It is lawful to sit with women of advanced age in
privacy and touching them is also not prohibited. It has been reported
that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr used to visit the clan where he had been suckled
and shook hands with the old women. It has been reported that Sayyidina
'Abdullah ibn Zubair used to have his feet and head pressed gently for
relief by an old woman. This distinction between old and young women
itself shows that the real object is to prevent such mixing of the sexes
as may lead to evil results.''
It is most unfortunate, however, that in spite of this guidance from the
Prophet (peace be upon him) many Muslims have adopted the Western system
of shaking hands with women, using these traditions in respect of old
women as a justification. This is clearly an unreasonable extension of
the permission. It is, therefore, submitted that the Muslims the world
over, and 'ulama in particular, must pause to reflect and stop this
un-Islamic practice which has crept into our society. There cannot be a
better form of greeting than uttering 'as-salamu 'alaikum ' (peace be
upon you) and greeting back with 'wa alaikum as-salam '(and peace
be upon you too).
The Shari'ah wants people to live in their houses in peace and privacy.
It therefore commands a Muslim, when visiting friends, relatives or
strangers not to enter their houses without seeking their permission.
The Qur'an particularly forbids him to enter their houses without
alerting the women of the house so that he does not surprise them in a
condition in which he would not normally see them. However, children do
not have to seek such permission until they reach the age of puberty and
sexual awareness stirs in them:
When your children attain puberty, they should ask for leave before
entering the house, just as their elders asked it before them... (24:58)
The Holy Qur'an also gives categories of people who should not enter
anybody else's house without permission:
O believers! Do not enter houses other than your own until you have
taken permission; and when you enter a house, greet the people therein
with salutation. (33:33)
At the beginning of Islam, the Arabs could not grasp the real
significance of these commands. Therefore they used to peep into houses
from the outside. Once when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was in his
room, a person peeped through the lattice. The Prophet said:
"If I had known that you were peeping, I would have poked something into
your eye. The command to ask permission has been given to safeguard
people against the evil look."
(Bukhari) Then the Prophet publicly announced:
"If a person peeps into somebody else's house without permission the
people of the house will be justified if they injure his eye."
(Muslim)
No matter how urgent the need is, no-one is allowed to enter anyone
else's house without permission. The Qur'an says:
...and when you ask women for an article, ask for it from behind a
curtain; this is a purer way for your hearts and theirs. (33:53)
These restrictions also apply to household servants. Once Bilal or Anas
asked Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet, to hand him her child. She
handed it to him by stretching her hand from behind a curtain. It is
noteworthy that both these men were the personal attendants of the
Prophet (peace be upon him) and he used to affectionately address them
as "Ya Bunayya" (O my son). The real purpose behind those restrictions
is to safeguard men and women against evil inclinations. By keeping a
safe distance between them, the Shari'ah ensures that they do not grow
too familiar and free with one another which may make them drift towards
sexual intimacy.
Top
Beautification and Adornment
The Qur'an lays down the code of conduct for women in the following
words:
And play your role by being in your houses and do not keep exhibiting
your beauty and decorations like what used to happen in the Jahiliyyah
period (before Islam). (33:33)
Abu Bakr al-Jassas says in explaining this verse, "This verse points out
the fact that women are ordered to play their role in the house and are
forbidden from loitering outside of their houses."
It was revealed when the Muslim ummah was being formed in Madina as an
example for the coming generations of Muslims. It sought to put an end
to the Jahiliyyah practices of the pagan Arabs. The khalif 'Umar
remarked:
"By Allah, we did not give any position to women in the Jahiliyyah
period until such time that Allah sent His command in respect of them
and apportioned for them the role that was to be theirs." (Muslim)
Under this apportionment women were given the role of making their own
homes the centers of their attention rather than going about exhibiting
their physical charms and worldly possessions. The Prophet (peace be
upon him) said that the following type of women constitute one of the
categories of the dwellers of Hell:
"Those women who seem naked even when dressed and those who walk
flirtingly and those who plait their heads like the humps of camels,
thus inviting people's attention, will not enter Paradise nor will they
smell its fragrance even though its fragrance can be smelt from a very
long distance."
(Muslim).
Islam, however, does not prohibit beautification (zinat) on the part of
women as long as it is not done in a way that injuriously interferes
with the limbs or the body. In ancient times there were many kinds of
defacement practiced on the bodies of men and animals, partly on account
of superstition or pagan custom and partly on account of the craze for
fashion and display. Examples of this were tattooing, sharpening or
spacing the teeth, shaving or plucking the hair, wearing hair pieces,
etc. Many of these practices still survive and are, in fact, getting
more and more refined.
Since all these practices change or seriously interfere with the natural
creation of Allah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) cursed those who
indulged in them for the purpose of mere beautification. One report
says,
"The Messenger of Allah cursed women who tattooed, and those who got
themselves tattooed those who engaged in sharpening the teeth (as a mark
of beauty) and those who had their teeth sharpened." (Bukhari and
Muslim)
The Messenger of Allah cursed women who had spaces made between their
teeth in order to increase their beauty, thus changing the creation of
Allah. A third report says,
"The Messenger of Allah cursed the women who plucked hair and those who
were employed to pluck the eyebrows." (Abu Dawud)
This method of beautification would include the modern practice of
shaving the eyebrows and then painting on new ones, or shaving certain
hair and leaving the eyebrows to look like two inverted crescents.
However, if a woman has some obtrusive hairs on her face which are a
problem and embarrassment for her, she may remove them. When 'A'ishah
was approached by the young wife of Abu Is'haq who wished to remove her
facial hairs in order to look beautiful for her husband, she advised her
to do so. (Reported by atTabarani) On this basis some Hanafi jurists are
of the opinion that there is no harm in removing the hairs from a
woman's face and applying cosmetics if it is done with the permission of
the husband, in order to please him and with a good intention. But Imam
alNawawi opposes even removing the hairs on a woman's face because he
considers the practice similar to plucking hair.
A fourth report says:
''A'ishah reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
cursed women who wore hair pieces and the women who aided in this
practice." (Bukhari)
This method of beautification would include the modern practice of
wearing wigs. It consists of using a plait of one woman's hair or
artificial hair and joining it to another woman's hair with the object
of making the woman's hair appear very long and beautiful. Mu'awiyah,
while holding a plait of such hair in his hands during his address to
the Muslims, castigated the 'ulama:
"Where are your learned men gone? (meaning why did they not stop women
from using such hair) I heard the Messenger of Allah stop them from
using this." He also said, "Undoubtedly the Israelites destroyed
themselves when their women adopted such things." (Bukhari)
The Shari'ah also requires women to abstain from displaying their
"decorations" except to a restricted circle of people. The Qur'an says:
And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and
guard their modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and
ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should
draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty save to
their husbands, or their fathers, or their husbands' fathers, or their
sons, or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers'
sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their
right hands possess, or male servants free of physical desire, or small
children who have no sense of sex; and that they should not stamp their
feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O
believers! Turn all together towards Allah, that you may attain bliss.
(24:31)
Thus, the following people fall in the exceptional category to whom
decorations can be displayed by a woman:
·
Her husband.
·
Her father, including maternal and paternal grandfathers.
·
Her husband's father. He is also like her own father.
·
Her son, including grandsons from her son's side or her daughter's side.
·
Her husband's son by another woman, provided that he is staying with
her, and she is looking after him as her son.
·
Her brother, whether full, consanguine, or uterine (that is to say, real
or step).
·
Her brother's son.
·
Her sister's son.
·
Muslim women and other women of good character.
·
Her female slaves or servants. However, some 'ulama even include male
slaves or servants in the excepted category.
·
Men who have no sexual desire (e.g. eunuchs).
·
Children who have not yet developed sexual feelings.
·
Her uncle, whether paternal or maternal.
It is noteworthy that the above verse of the Noble Qur'an does not
mention uncle, but uncle is included in the exceptional category on the
basis of a tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet
said,
"The uncle (maternal or paternal) is of the same degree as one's
father." (Muslim)
Let us here give a little more consideration to the women to whom
another woman is permitted to display her finery. These are the women
with whom she has blood or family relations. It should be borne in mind
that the foregoing Qur'anic verse implies only women of good character.
Other women who may not be well known to her or who are notorious for
their evil ways or who may be of doubtful character are excluded from
this permission, because contact with them might easily lead to
disastrous results. That is why the khalif 'Umar wrote to Abu 'Ubaidah
ibn al-Jarrah, the Governor of Syria, to prohibit the Muslim women from
going to the baths with the women of the Ahl al-Kitab (the People of the
Book). (At-Tabari, Ibn Jazir) According to Ibn 'Abbas too:
"...a Muslim woman is not allowed to display herself before the women of
the unbelievers and non-Muslim poll-tax payers (Ahl al- Dhimmah) any
more than she can display herself before other men." (At-Tabari).
This distinction between women on grounds of character and religion is
intended to safeguard Muslim women against the influence of women whose
moral and cultural background is either not known or is objectionable
from the Islamic point of view. However, the Shari'ah allows Muslim
women to mix freely with non- Muslim women who are of good character. It
is important to note that permission to display zinat does not include
permission to display those parts of the body which fall within the
female satr. Thus zinat covers decorations, ornaments, clothing, hair-
dos, etc. that women are by nature fond of showing in their houses. But
tight jeans, short blouses, sleeveless dresses are not counted as zinat
for they also reveal that satr.
The Shari'ah further requires a woman not to stamp on the ground while
walking, lest her hidden decorations should be revealed by their jingle,
and thus attract the attention of passers-by. Writing about these
restrictions, Maulana Maududi says:
"It cannot, however, be claimed that a display of fineries will turn
every woman into a prostitute, nor that every man who sees her will
become an adulterer. But, at the same time, nobody can deny that if
women go about in full make-up and mix freely with men, it is likely to
result in countless open and secret, moral and material disadvantages
for society."
As against this view, the Egyptian scholars, notably 'Abbas Mahmud
al-'Aqqad, are of the view that these restrictions were only imposed on
the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and other Muslim women are
not bound by them. 'Aqqad says, "We should discuss this point in the
light of the fact that the command to stay at home was merely addressed
to the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) with particular
reference to them without referring it to Muslim women in general. It is
for this reason that the verse begins with the statement of Allah:
O women of the Prophet, you are not like other women. (33:32)
It is respectfully submitted that this view of Al-'Aqqad needs
reconsideration. There are a number of verses in the Qur'an which,
though apparently laying down "dos" and "don'ts" for our Prophet and for
the other Prophets (peace be upon all of them) preceding him, contain
clear messages for Muslims in general, nay for all mankind. And
Al-'Aqqad contradicts himself when he quotes the following verse of the
Holy Qur'an:
O you who believe! Do not enter the Prophet's house until leave is given
you for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its
preparation; but when you are invited, enter; and when you have taken
your meal, disperse, without seeking familiar talk. Such (behavior)
annoys the Prophet. He is ashamed to dismiss you, but Allah is not
ashamed (to tell you) the truth. And when you ask his womenfolk for
anything you want, ask them from behind a screen; that makes for greater
purity for your hearts and for theirs. Nor is it right for you that you
should annoy Allah's Apostle, or that you should marry his widows after
him at any time. Truly such a thing is an enormity in Allah's sight.
(33:53)
This verse apparently lays down a code of manners for the believers when
entering the house of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and taking food
there. After quoting this verse, Al-'Aqqad says:
"And this is part of the etiquette of visiting people with which all
visitors should be well disciplined.' In other words, he agrees that
this ayat, which is specific to the house of the Prophet (peace be upon
him) and taking food there, in reality, contains rules applicable to all
believers who want to enter somebody else's house. If from this special
case a rule of general application can be deduced by Al- 'Aqqad, there
seems no reason why he should refuse to deduce a rule of general
application for Muslim women from the verse addressed to the wives of
the Prophet.
Moreover, this view seems to get support from a tradition of the Prophet
in which he said:
"...a woman who freely mixes with other people and shows off her
decorations is without light and virtue "
(At-Tirmidhi)
Hence we may conclude that no Muslim woman should display her zinat
(decoration) before others intentionally, but she is not held
responsible for something which cannot be helped e.g. her stature,
physical build, gait. etc. nor for uncovering her hand or face when
there is a genuine need to do so and without any intention of attracting
men. In such cases it is the responsibility of Muslim men not to cast
evil glances at women with the intention of drawing pleasure from them.
The Qur'an ordains:
Say to believing men to lower their eyes. (24:30)
Top
Guests
Very often, a man may receive male visitors and guests in his house. In
such a situation the question may arise whether the wife of the host can
come forward to serve food and drink to them. If a woman's husband is
not present when his guests arrive, she should not serve them. However,
if her husband is present and the guests are known friends, relatives
and well-wishers, a woman may come forward to serve them with food and
drink provided that she is properly dressed and her manners, movements
and method of talking are such that they are not likely to encourage
evil in them or arouse their passions and thereby become a source of
fitnah (mischief).
We have a very good example in the following:
"When 'AbdurRashid al-Sa'adi got married, he invited the Prophet (peace
be upon him) and his Companions. His wife, Umm Asyad, prepared the food
alone and served it herself. She soaked some dates in a stone bowl
overnight, When the Prophet finished eating, and she offered him the
water, after stirring it well, as a present." (At-Tirmidhi and Abu
Dawud)
If a woman is not properly dressed, it is better that she does not come
forward to serve guests. In this case she should pass out the food and
drinks to her husband and he should entertain the guests and visitors on
his own.
Top
Public Baths and Swimming Pools
A Muslim woman should not use public baths (hammam) or swimming pools
because these places are likely to be a cause of her exposing herself to
evil influences. The following tradition treats this point:
"Some women from Homs or from Sham (now the area of Damascus) came to
'A'ishah. She asked, 'Do you enter the public baths? I heard the
Messenger of Allah saying that a woman who undresses anywhere else other
than in her own house tears off the satr which lies between her and her
Lord' " (At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud)
If the public baths and swimming pools are mixed, with both men and
women using them, it is all the more objectionable. At one stage the
Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade both men and women to enter public
oath- houses but later he allowed men to use them on the condition that
they were never naked. "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, forbade all men to enter public baths but later allowed
them to enter them wearing waist-wrappers."
If a wealthy man builds a private pool on his own property there is no
harm in him and his wife using it together. However, if he has more than
one wife, he should not bathe with more than one at a time, and, if he
has grown-up sons, they should not bathe together with their mothers or
step-mothers.
Top
Dance-Halls and Gymnasiums
Places in which men and women dance together are totally at odds with
the ethos of Muslim society and the Shari'ah does not tolerate the
participation of Muslim men and women in this activity because it may so
easily prove the first step towards greater evils such as adultery and
fornication. Dancing is most certainly not compatible with the simple,
purposeful lives that all Muslims should lead. Mixed gymnasiums where
women remove their clothes and wear skin- tight costumes for doing
physical exercises are also against the dictates of the Shari'ah.
Top
The
Mosque
The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) granted permission to Muslim
women to attend the mosque and pray standing behind the rows of men. He
even advised the Companions:
"Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from going to the mosque."
And husbands were specifically told by him: "When your womenfolk ask you
for permission to attend the mosque, do not prevent them."
Of course this permission to attend the mosques was on the condition
that women strictly observed the various restrictions imposed upon them
by the Shari'ah regarding dress, etc., and it is known that the Prophet
(peace be upon him) considered it preferable for women to pray in their
own homes rather than attend the mosques. This is borne out by the
following incident.
Once the wife of Abu Hamid Sa'adi pleaded with the Prophet to be allowed
to attend his mosque (the Prophet's Mosque in Madina) as she was very
fond of offering prayers behind him. He told her,
"What you say is right, but it is better for you to offer prayer in a
closed room than in a courtyard. Your prayer in a courtyard is better
than on a verandah, and your offering prayer in the mosque of your own
locality is better than your coming to our mosque for it."
Thereafter she appointed a room for offering prayers and continued
offering prayers there till her death, never even once going to the
mosque.
There is a clear tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
encouraging women to offer their prayers inside their houses:
"The best mosques for women are the inner parts of their houses."
Since the Prophet had not forbidden women to attend the mosques, they
continued to come to the mosques. But after his death it became
increasingly clear that it was not in keeping with the dignity and honor
of Muslim women to come to the mosques for prayers, especially at night,
because men, being what they were, would tease them. Therefore the
Khalif 'Umar told women not to come to the mosques, but to offer their
prayers inside their own houses. The women of Madina resented this
prohibition and complained to 'A'isha. But they received a fitting reply
from her: "If the Prophet knew what 'Umar knows, he would not have
granted you permission to go out (to the mosque)."
'A'isha also prevented women from going to the mosques. When she was
told that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had permitted them to attend
the mosques, she replied:
"Had the customs and manners which women have adopted since the
Prophet's death been there in his lifetime, he too would have prevented
them."
Now, what 'A'isha said by way of admonition was in the context of what
happened immediately after the death of the Prophet. But what is
happening today 1350 years after his death is much more serious in the
context of modern fashions and manners. It would probably have shocked 'A'isha
beyond measure and she would have reinforced her admonition. Be that as
it may, the fact remains that our Prophet did grant permission to women
to attend the mosques. In the modern world a new situation has arisen.
There are many Muslims living in Western countries, and Western culture
and fashions have affected women, even in the East. In addition, the
economic tyranny of today has forced many women to work in factories and
offices to earn their living. These developments have largely
contributed to making many Muslims neglectful of their prayers. We
Muslims have to find ways and means of encouraging Muslim women to be
particular about their prayers. With due respect to what the khalif, 'Umar,
and the Mother of the Believers, 'A'isha, said, it appears to this
humble writer that such a way can be found by reverting to the original
Prophetic tradition, that is to say, permitting Muslim women to attend
the mosques to offer their prayers, subject to all the restrictions laid
down by the Prophet (peace be upon him) about their dress etc.
People generally learn by example. Therefore the chances are that, if
women started coming to the mosque for prayer, a social pressure would
start building up that would make Muslim women feel the urge to come to
the mosque to offer their prayers and give up their neglectful attitude.
However, it goes without saying that proper arrangements would have to
be made for Muslim women to attend the mosques. They must not be allowed
to mingle with the men, and their rows must be kept separate from those
of the men, preferably behind them, because this is what was approved by
the Prophet (peace be upon him).
It is reported by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (peace be upon him)
said:
"The best row for men is the first, and the worst for them is the last.
The best row for women is the last, and the worst is the first."
(Muslim)
It is well known that, in the time of the Prophet, women were permitted
to attend the mosques subject to the condition that they satisfied the
various restrictions imposed on them by the Shari'ah, such as the
putting on of a jalbab (a large sheet used for covering the entire
body), wearing simple and dignified clothes, not using any perfume,
avoiding ostentatious display of ornament, etc. Therefore, if the
suggestion of this writer is accepted, efforts will have to be made to
persuade Muslim women who want to attend the mosques to start complying
with the traditional restrictions on dress, etc. But what has been
suggested above should in no way be taken to mean that all women should
be required to attend the mosque and indeed those who feel that their
houses are as good as the mosque should be encouraged to offer their
prayers there.
Top
Source: www.islamawareness.net