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Gender Issues
Talking to the Opposite Sex
Women Travelling
1. The Distance of the Journey
There are various narrations on the order for women to travel
with a maHram. (Brother Farooq (farooqm@uiu-fayette-1.uiu.edu) has been good
enough to collect a number of them and has posted them to the net already.) A
discussion of these hadith has been undertaken in the two major commentaries of
Sahih al-Bukhari: The synopsis is that there is the narration of Ibn `Abbas in Sahih al-Bukhari which says that a woman must not travel without a maHram. It adds nothing else. There are other narrations, in Sahih al-Bukhari and elsewhere, which mention a lengths of journeys for which a maHram is required - some of the narrations specify three days, some two, some one, and some even less. The Shafi`is took the narration of Ibn `Abbas as `aamm muTlaq (general and unrestricted), and deduced that a woman may not embark on any journey (longer than 81km) regardless of the length, without a maHram. The narrations specifying a length for the journey were taken by them as being in response to specific questions, or by way of illustration. The Hanafis, on the other hand, considered the other narrations as containing additional information (ziyaadah), which was perhaps somehow dropped from the narration of Ibn `Abbas. Hence, they considered Ibn `Abbas' narration subject to specification by the others. Since the lengths of journey given in the various narrations differ, and it is not possible for us to determine the temporal succession of the narrations, their evidentiary capacity becomes speculative, and in such a situation we must take by the most certain position. Hence, the Hanafis took by the narration of three days and three nights (anything beneath that being speculative and inadequate to base a ruling upon). It should be noted that this refers to the distance usually covered by walking or by beast in three days, so that the restriction of travelling with a maHram applies if the _distance_ of the journey exceeds this, even if the journey itself is accomplished in a shorter time, as stated by the Grand Mufti of Pakistan, Muhammad Rafi` (may Allah preserve him and bring benefit by him). By now, it should be apparent that the sister's practice is baseless according to the Hanafi school. We now proceed to demostrate its invalidity in the Shafi`i school also, and in order to do this, we need to define 'journey'. 'Journey' ( What is the evidence, then, that 'journey' takes on a more
specific meaning in the shari`ah? First of all, it is a rational necessity.
Since lexically, a journey is any traversal of distance, it becomes essential to
fix a reference location such that departure from it constitutes a journey, and
this location must be of finite (non-zero) dimensions. It is also intuitive that
this 'home' location cannot be extremely small, because we know through the
consecutively inherited tradition of Islam that people do not shorten their
prayers, nor exercise other travel-specific regulations in their day-to-day
activities, in spite of the fact that they are traversing distance. "The
best of you are those who, when they travel, they shorten their salah and do not
fast." [al-Umm, Imam al-Shafi`i, vol. I, p. 208]
Let us provide another line of deduction also. A hadith states
that the resident wipes for a day and a night, and the traveller three days and
nights [Narrated by Daraqutni (Bukhari said it is Hasan, Tahawi said it is
SaHeeH), Tirmidhi (Hasan SaHeeH) and others.] 'The traveller' here must refer
either to a specific traveller, or to the entire category of travellers. Since
it is obviously not the former, it must apply to every single traveller. Hence,
someone travelling for less than three days and nights is not a traveller (in
the context of the shari`ah). If such a person were to be considered a traveller,
the statement 'the traveller' in the hadith could not be referring to the entire
category (
A woman's maHram is a permanently non-marriageable male relative
of hers. According to the majority of scholars, his being a Muslim is not a
condition for his being a maHram. However, Imam Ahmad said that a Muslim woman's
non-Muslim father is not her maHram, because he cannot be trusted with regard to
protection of her religion. [See fatH al-Baaree] It is also only reasonable that
the maHram should be capable of taking care of/protecting the woman, so that a
baby son would not be suitable for this purpose, although he is technically a
maHram.
Finally, a word on the hadith that a woman will travel and
perform Tawaf of the Ka`bah without a husband/maHram with her. This hadith seems
to suggest the permissibility of women travelling alone, but it needs further,
more precise analysis. [See FatH al-Baaree and `Umdat al-Qaaree once again] The
Shafi`is, for example, adduced this hadith as evidence that a woman may travel
for Hajj without a maHram if the way is safe. According to the Shafi`i school, a
woman can perform Hajj even in the company of other trustworthy women. The
Hanafis, however, pointed out that this hadith is an account of something which
is going to happen, and as such is not a sign of its approval or permissibility.
In any case, it seems very shaky to deduce a general permissibility of a woman
travelling alone in safety just from this hadith, especially in view of other
evidences. And Allah, the Flawless, is most knowledgable and most wise.
The sister should be reassured that the practice she has been
imposing on herself is not religiously required of her. Of course, if there are
extraordinary circumstances on which she is basing her decision, such as the
presence of some danger or other evil if she were to use the elevators and go
down four floors on her own, then that is a different matter. A Muslim should
not deliberately and needlessly expose him/ herself to danger. As for not going
to the store, doctor, park, etc. without a maHmram/husband : If the sister
prefers to stay at home - as a means for avoiding the various evils outside
which affect a person to at least some extent - without making this practice an
obligation, and in keeping with a more strict observation of the verse,
("And remain in your houses,") [Surah al-aHzaab] then that is her
prerogative. However, it should be made clear that this is not a religious
requirement, for it does not constitute a journey in the context of the shari`ah,
as we have explained. Again, if there is a real danger of attack, rape or
molestation, then she should not go alone, of course. If not, though, then let
us not prohibit what Allah has made permissible. "Do not be hard on
yourselves, lest Allah be hard on you. Indeed, there used to be people who were
hard on themselves, and so Allah was hard on them. You see their remains in the
monasteries." [Mishkat al-Masabih, from memory]
Allah The Exalted mentions mosques in Surat al-Noor (Light),
beginning at verse 36; (translation follows): Regarding women attending congregational prayers in the
mosque, it has been reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that if women
ask for permission to go to the mosque, they should be given permission. He is
also reported to have said , meaning 'Do not prevent the female servants of
Allah (i.e. women) from (going to) the mosques of Allah'. However, the Prophet
himself laid down certain conditions which are clear from authentic traditions;
among these is that a woman attending prayers in the mosque should not use
perfume.
The reason for this is clear - people go to mosques to pray,
and in prayer concentration and humility are sought after; distractions such as
a perfumed woman are certainly not conducive to a good prayer. If women go to
mosques with decorated clothes and perfumes, this is against the spirit of
prayer in the mosque. It is probably in this regard that Aishah (may Allah be
pleased with her) said during the time of the Companions of the Prophet, that
had the Messenger of Allah known what women have introduced after his death, he
would have prevented them from going to mosques just as the women of the
Israelites were forbidden to do so. [Reported in SaHeeH Muslim].
Jurists have specified that if a woman wants to attend prayers
in the mosque, the following conditions should be satisfied:
- She should not be perfumed (as has already been mentioned)
- She should not have make-up or any other form of
beautification, such as decorated or fancy clothes, such as would be distracting
to men. Also, their clothes should not be such as to attract the attention even
of other women, because they are coming to to the mosque to pray, not for a
fashion show. Of course, it goes without saying that women should wear hijaab
when they come to the mosque. People may argue that we see improperly dressed
women all the time outside the mosque, so there is no harm if women come into
the mosques without a head covering for example. But, we should remember that a
mosque is a place of prayer, and aside from the distraction such a woman would
cause, we know anyway that a Muslim woman should wear hijaab even outside the
mosque. Besides, the fact that we see semi-naked women outside the mosque does
not change the fact that such behavior is still wrong, and we should hate it
with our hearts at least (this being the weakest form of faith), and certainly
we should enforce the correct codes of dress and behavior in places which we do
have control over.
- She should not mix with the men. The Prophet has told us
that the best rows (in prayer) for men are the first (front) ones, and the worst
for them are the last ones, while for women it is the opposite. [Reported by
Muslim] (This applies to the case where men and women are praying together - if
no men are present, and only women are praying in a room, then the best rows for
women are the foremost (front) ones). The reason for this is that a woman in the
backmost rows is furthest from the men, and so is least likely to be distracted
by their movements, voices, etc. This is corroborated by the Hadith (reported by
Muslim): Oh assembly of women! Do not raise your heads (from ruku/sujud) until
after the men have done so.
In fact, according to Hanafi jurists, if a row of women is in
front of a row of men, the prayer of the men behind the women is void (broken),
since the men are disregarding the hadith . Similarly, If a woman is praying
together with a man , standing next to him without any barrier between them, the
prayer of the man is broken. Some scholars are of the view that if a woman
passes in front of a man while he is praying, his prayer will be broken. Other
jurists have also disapproved of women praying in front of men, although they
did not think the men's prayers would become void. So, if the mosque also serves
other purposes, such as providing various facilities for use by Muslim men and
women, so that women may need to move around the mosque, they should bear these
things in mind. Similarly, men should avoid praying in places where women cannot
avoid passing in front of them.
- There should not be any danger for the women on the road to
the mosque, nor should there be any danger of the women causing distraction or
mischief on the road.
- If a woman is praying while men are present, she should not
recite aloud. This is based on the Qur'anic advice to women in Surat al-aHzaab,
verses 33-34, (the translation of which is): "then be not soft in (your)
speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease yearn; and speak a good word. And
stay in your houses and do not display your finery like the displaying of the
ignorance of yore;"
From this it is obvious that women coming to the mosque should
not remain behind and talk unnecessarily. The sunnah is that they leave
immediately after the prayer while the men remained engaged in , so that
intermingling is minimized - this was the practice of the early generations of
Muslims. Of course, this does not give men a license to remain behind to engage
in useless talk. In order to further reduce mixing of the sexes, the Prophet
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) introduced a separate door to the
mosque for women, and Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to prevent men
from entering by his door.
-One other point regarding women in the mosque is regarding
the Hadeeth (clapping is for women, tasbeeH [i.e.saying subHaanAllaah] is for
men) [Reported by Muslim]. If, during the prayer, the Imam makes a mistake, men
should say to alert him, but women should clap with their hands. This clapping
is not the clapping together of the two palms as is done when playing or
applauding; it refers rather to a woman tapping on the outer part of her left
hand using the palm of her right hand - if she instead clapped by striking her
two palms together withthe intention of imitating the behavior of somebody
playing or applauding, her prayer is broken.
Let us move to the issue of the jum`a prayer. The jum`a prayer
is not compulsory for women, although if they wish they may perform it instead
of Zuhr prayer.
It is better (afDal) for the woman to pray Zuhr at home rather
than got the mosq mosque and perform jum`a, since jum`a is not compulsory for
her. Imam Abu Haneefah himself used to allow women to come to the mosque, but
later, after his death, Imam Muhammad his student did not see any harm in
forbidding women from coming since they did not observe the proper etiquette.
It is permissible (jaa'iz) for an elderly woman (whom men would
not be unduly attracted by) to go the mosque to offer jum`a. It is undesirable (makrooh)
for a young woman to go, however, and if it is feared that she would be a cause
of fitnah then it is forbidden (Haraam) for her to go.
It is makrooh for a good-looking woman to go to the mosque,
either for jum`ah or for any other prayer, even if she wears plain (undecorated)
clothes. It is permissible (not makrooh) for an elderly woman to go, but she
must wear plain (non-fancy) clothes. In all cases two conditions must be
satisfied first: If these 2 conditions cannot be fulfilled, it is Haraam
(forbidden) for the woman to go to the mosque.
It is neutrally permissible (mubaaH) for an elderly woman to go
to the mosque, but disliked (makrooh) for a young, good-looking woman.
Evidences for these opinions in Hadeeth include: Also, the statement of Aishah has been taken to account,
bearing in mind that she was , and that the condition of women today is
generally as bad if not worse than at that time. From her statement, it is
concluded that protection from fitnah is more important than women praying in
the mosque. If both can be accomplished, that is fine, otherwise the former has
a higher priority.
[Note: regarding fitnah, an Arabic word which is used
above,since some people may not be familiar with it. The noun is derived from
the root {f-t-n} which has the following meanings: In a general sense it means
to try, probe, or test. From this follow further meanings such as 'to tempt',
'to visit or tempt by calamity', 'to incite to rebellion', 'to stir up revolt or
discord'. Other meanings, which are appropriate to our case are: To charm by
beauty, captivate, madden, fill with admiration, allure, enamor, arouse. So can
mean infatuation, fascination, captivation, enchantment, seduction, trial,
affliction, temptation.]
I have quoted the opinions of the 4 schools of thought
regarding women and the mosque, in order to give some idea of the general
rulings of the majority of muslim scholars. From the 4 opinions I posted, what
can be seen is that most scholars preferred that women not go to the mosque.
However, it is wrong to place an absolute ban on all women going to the mosque;
such a ban would be against the advice of the Prophet. Regarding the statement
of `Aishah that the prophet would have forbidden women from going to the mosque
if he had known what they had introduced- this does not contradict the Prophet:
the Prophet himself said that women should not come to the mosque with perfume.
So, `Aishah meant that if the Prophet knew that women were coming to the mosque
with perfumes and fancy clothes, he would have prevented them. And Allah knows
best.
Al-Waanilee [in his book: al-masjid fil-Islam] mentions that
the women used used to come to the mosque and pray the Jum`ah prayer during the
time of the Prophet. He then goes on to say that women should realize that
although Allah has permitted them to go to the mosque to listen to good talks of
admonition and to learn about religious matters, Allah has also made it
necessary for her that if she chooses to go, she should not use perfume. al-Waanili
then mentions that the women requested the Prophet to give special lessons for
them, and he did so.
Of course, it is true that many Muslim women nowadays do not
observe correct dress and/or behavioral codes, and it is not correct to allow
them to come to the mosque in this state. Regarding the Prophet giving lessons
to the women, Al-Waanilee quotes from Shaykh al-Qaasimee, who remarked that
women today are surely in greater need of of admonition than those in the time
of the Prophet, due to the prevalence among them of innovations, wrong
practices, nonsensical and misled beliefs, disobedience to their husbands, and
countless other evils; thus it is incumbent on the muslim leaders to establish
lessons for the women in the mosque, with somebody at the door to ensure that
men do not enter during this time.
This article has attempted to address some of the main issues
regarding women and the mosque. I ask that Allah bring benefit by it, and grant
us the sincerity to act only for His sake. And may Allah bless the prophet
Muhammad, his Noble Household and Companions, and send peace upon them. In conclusion,
I praise Allah, Lord of the Worlds. Among the prerequisites of salah is covering one's
nakedness. This obligation is established by the Qur'an, sunnah and
consensus (ijma`). From the Qur'an : Allah's words, (translated),
"O
Children of Adam! Wear your [apparel of] beauty in every place of
prayer" [Qur'an 7:31]
i.e. that which covers your nakedness.
From the sunnah : the Prophet (upon him be blessings and peace) said,
"Allah
does not accept the salah of an adult woman (i.e. one who has reached puberty)
except with a scarf."
From consensus : Numerous scholars have reported consensus on the fact
that covering the nakedness is a prerequisite for salah. [See Ibn al-Humam's
Fath al-Qadir, vol I, p224 of al-Hidayah with its commentaries.]
The nakedness of a man is from below his navel upto (and
including) the knee, because of the hadith : On the authority of `Ata' ibn Yisar, on the authority of Abu Ayyub, who said : I
heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) say,
"That which is above the knees is [part] of nakedness, and that which
is below the navel is [part] of nakedness."
[Narrated by : Daraqutni (p.85) and
Bayhaqi (vol. II, p. 229).] And, in part of a long hadith : On the authority of Siwar ibn Dawud, on the
authority of `Amr ibn Shu`ayb, on the authority of his father, on the authority
of his grandfather, that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) said, " . . . for that which is below the navel, upto the knee is [part] of
nakedness." [Narrated by Daraqutni. Siwar ibn Dawud has been regarded as
a mediocre narrator by `Uqayli, but as trustworthy by Ibn Ma`in and Ibn Hibban.
Imam Ahmad said there is nothing wrong with him. The hadith is hasan,
inshaAllah.] It is clear that the navel is not part of the nakedness.
However, the knee is included in the nakedness because: i) A mentioned limit may either be included or excluded, but this matter
is one of precaution, and so we rule that it is included. 1.2.1 : It is disliked for a man to pray with his shoulders
bare, for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has said, "None of you must pray in a single garment of which no part comes
over his shoulders." [Narrated by : Bukhari and Muslim; vide Bulugh
al-Maram #223]
1.2.2 : It is forbidden for a man to keep his lower garment
below his ankles out of arrogance, and severely disliked / close-forbidden (makruh
tahrimi) to do so even without arrogance, for the Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) has said, This is especially important during salah, for another hadith says, 1.3.1 The entire body of the free-woman is nakedness, except for her face and
hands.
" The woman is a nakedness, and so when she goes out, Satan raises his
glance to her." [Narrated by : Tirmidhi, in the Chapter on
Suckling, on the authority of Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him). He
classified it as hasan sahih gharib. Also reported byIbn Khuzaymah; vide Sahih Ibn HibbAn (3.66)] A woman should not cover her face or hands while in ihram, based
on the authentic narration by Tirmidhi prohibiting a woman in ihram from wearing
a veil or gloves. Similarly, she should not cover her her face during
salah, unless there are stranger-men around and a danger of fitnah. It may be
noted that according to Imams Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Dawud al-Zahiri, the hands
are a nakedness.
Evidently the head must be covered in salah. We have
already quoted the hadith : "Allah does not accept the salah of an adult woman (i.e. one who has
reached puberty) except with a scarf."
1.3.2 It is at least precautionary for a woman to cover the
tops of her feet in salah. Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace), said, "A woman should pray in a shift that reaches down and covers the top of her
feet." [Narrated by : Imam Malik in his Muwatta'
(8.10.37), Abu Dawud ("Chapter : In how much should a woman pray", p. 101)
and Bayhaqi (vol. II, p. 232).] Scholars have differed regarding the feet of the woman : are they`awrah in salah,
or outside salah, or both or neither? There are differences among the
Hanafis themselves, and there exist three authentic opinions in the madhhab : 1) That the feet are nakedness This is based on the direct implication of the hadith, It is also strengthened by the narration that the Prophet (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) was asked, when he mentioned the prohibition of dragging
the lower garment, about what women should do with the ends of their garments.
He said, 'They should extend them a span.' Umm Salamah
said, 'Then, their feet will be uncovered!' He said, 'Then, they
should extend them a cubit, not exceeding that.' [Narrated by : Tirmidhi, who graded it as hasan
sahih, Nasa'i and Abu Dawud, with the words, "then she will be uncovered."]
This opinion was presented as the madhhab of Abu Hanifah by
al-Quduri in "Bidayat al-Mubtadi", and is also espoused by al-Jassas
in "Ahkam al-Qur'an" and by Qadi-Khan. Similarly, in Sharh al-Aqta`,
it is stated, "The authentic [opinion] is that it is `awrah, from the
apparent [implication] of the report." [See al-Bunayah, vol. II, p. 63]
Of the latter Hanafi scholars, al-Ghunaymi has inclined towards this view in
"al-Lubab." The feet are also considered nakedness by Imams
Malik, al-Shafi`i and Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
2) That they are not nakedness. The argument for this is based on two points: This opinion has been reported by al-Hasan from Abu Hanifah.
Al-Marghinani graded it as the more authentic opinion in "al-Hidayah",
and Ibn al-Humam and al-`Ayni acknowledged this in their commentaries thereof.
This view has been presented as the madhhab by latter mutun, such as
"Nur al-Idah" and "al-Durr al-Mukhtar". al-Thanvi concluded
in "I`la al-Sunan" that it is sounder from the point of rationale.
3) That they are nakedness outside salah, but not in salah. Ibn `Abidin reported this as one of the authentic views in "Radd al-Muhtar". Some scholars opined that the feet are not nakedness in that
she is not required to cover them, but they are nakedness for the purposes of
looking and touching, i.e. it is not permissible for stranger men to look at or
touch her feet.
It is obligatory upon every sane adult to cover his / her nakedness outside
salah, from himself, as well as from others for whom it is not lawful to look at
his nakedness. Excepted from this are cases of necessity, such as medical
treatment, for which it is permissible for him/her to expose such portion of
his/her nakedness as is necessary. Similarly, it is permissible for him to
expose it for istinja',
bathing, answering the call of nature and the like if he is alone to the extent
that nobody can see him. It is not permissible to look at the nakedness of a man
or a woman, whether attached to the body or severed. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has
said, "A man shall not look at the nakedness of [another] man, nor shall a
woman look at the nakedness of [another] woman." [Narrated by : Muslim (in Kitab al-Hayd),
Tirmidhi, who rated in hasan gharib sahih, Ibn Majah,
Ahmad] And, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) told Mu`awiyah ibn
Haydah, The nakedness of the man outside salah is what is between his navel and his
knees, based on the evidences we have already mentioned. It is permissible for
other men or women to look at anything beyond that, provided there is immunity
from temptation, although according to Imam Abu Hanifah, a woman may not look at
a man's belly or back. [al-Hidayah] In any case, men should not leave their
chests or backs exposed if there is a danger of their being seen by women and of
fitnah ensuing subsequently.
The thigh is a nakedness, and hence Muslim men may not, in
public, wear shorts which expose the thighs. The fundament here is the words of Allah the Exalted, (translated), 2.3.1 If she is in the presence of stranger-men (ajnabiyy,
i.e. non-mahram men, viz. men other than her permanently-non-marriageable
male relatives, such as father, brothers and sons.), or non-Muslim women, then
her nakedness is all her body, except for her face and palms. This
is also the view of Imam Malik, and one of the views of Imam al-Shafi`i.
Ibn `Abbas said that the 'apparent beauty' referred to in Allah's saying,
(translated), And, we have already mentioned the hadith, Thus, the hands and face are not nakedness, and it is lawful
to look at them if one is immune from temptation. It is worth pointing out
this does not grant a license for indiscriminate looking, for one will generally
not know whether or not one will be allured by a woman's looks before one has
looked at her. In fact, even accidental glances should be brought in check
as soon as one realizes them, for the gaze is one of Iblis' poisoned arrows. It is not lawful to touch a woman's face or hands, even if one
considers oneself secure from lust. [al-Hidayah] And, it is reported that Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, The head and hair must be covered, without any disagreement.
There is ijma` (consensus) of the scholars on this, and hence any claim
to the contrary is a bid`ah. That there is support for the bid`ah
from a handful of contemporary individuals is of no consequence, because the
ijma` was enacted prior to that, and also because of the clear evidences the
dissenters have contradicted. Allah says, (translated),
"And let [the believing women] not reveal their beauty, except that of it
which is apparent, and let them clasp their scarves over their bosoms." The application of this verse to covering the head is twofold: As for the claim that one could cover one's neck and chest,
but leave the head exposed, this is inadmissible on at least two counts: 2.3.2 When a woman is alone, or in the presence of
Muslim women, her nakedness is that between her navel and her knees. In
the presence of mahram men, she must, in addition, cover her belly and back.
[al-Hidayah / Fath al-Qadir] The obligation of covering the back is understood
from the legislation concerning zihar - a pagan custom in
which a man would liken his wife's back to his mother's back to indicate that he
no longer had desire for sexual relations her. The Qur'an condemns zihar
and stipulates an atonement for it [Qur'an, 58:1-4]. This indicates that
the wife's back cannot become like the mother's back, and hence that it is not
permissible to look at one's mother's back. If the back is a nakedness in
this regard, it is fitting, by analogy, that the belly also be. By further
analogy, this regulation is extended to other mahram women.
2.3.3 The voice of the woman is not nakedness, because the
wives of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to speak to
the Companions, who used to listen to the regulations of the religion from them.
But, it is forbidden to listen to her voice if one fears temptation, even in
recitation of the Qur'an. Allah has said, (translated),
"So, do not be soft in speech [O women], lest he in whose heart is a
disease should be moved with desire." [Qur'an, 33:32] See : "Talking
to the opposite sex" for more details.
2.3.4 A number of scholars have regarded the woman's
entire body to be nakedness, without any exception outside of salah. This is one
of the views reported from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and is the view of most of the
latter Shafi`i scholars. They view the evidence we have cited as being
abrogated, and cite other evidence in their favor, including the practice of the
women of Madinah, who covered their entire bodies, with the exception of one or
both eyes upon the descent of the verse, (translated), "O Prophet! Tell your wives, your daughters and the believing women to draw
their jalabib (outer garments) over themselves." [Qur'an,
33:59] Thus, it is at least recommended, and certainly more precautionary, for women to
cover their faces, hands and feet also. The word used in the verse, jalabib
(plural of jilbab), refers to an outer garment which covers
the body completely, and so this is also an argument in favor of covering the
face. Also indicating the covering of the face is the verse, (translated), The reasoning here is that if covering the face was a requirement for the
Mothers of the Believers, whom Allah has purified [See Qur'an, 33:33], and who
talked to the Companions, the best of generations, and that only on matters of
religion, then it is more fitting and imperative that women beneath them in
station should observe the same, espcially in times of greater moral decadence
in society.
Even if the face is not considered a nakedness, it is
obligatory to cover it if there is a danger of fitnah. [Radd al-Muhtar]
2.4 The `Awrah of a Child Al-Thanvi provides the following iinformation :
2.4.1 A very small child has no `awrah [based on a hadith extracted by Bayhaqi. Hafiz al-Zayla`i has
mentioned in Nasb al-Rayah that it is not strong. Mufti Muhammad Taqi al-`Uthmani,
the editor of I`la al-Sunan mentions that its narrators are trustworthy,
although there was some disagreement over one of them. In either case, if
there is no authentic narration on a matter, many scholars take by even a weak
narration.]
2.4.2 Then, when the child starts to have a sense of
feeling/shame (which varies from one child to another; some suggested an age of
4 years), the `awrah is the front and back private parts.
2.4.3 The `awrah gradually increases with age (according
to some) until the age of ten.
2.4.4 At the age of ten, it becomes the same as the `awrah
of an adult. 2.5 Further, General Regulations 2.4.1 The clothes should not be transparent. The
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said,
"There are two categories of the inhabitants of Hell that I have not
seen: People with whips like the tails of cows, with which they beat people, and
women who are clothed yet naked, swaying, and moving out of Allah's religion;
their heads are like an inclined camel's hump. They will not enter Heaven, nor
smell its fragrance, though its fragrance can be smelt from such and such a
distance." [Narrated by : Muslim, Ahmad, Malik.]
2.4.2 The clothes should not be tight to the extent
that they reveal the shape of what they are supposed to be covering. 2.4.3 The clothes should not be of those characteristic of
the unbelievers "And differ from the allies of Satan with all that you are able." [Narrated by : Tabarani]
2.4.4 The clothing should not be characteristic of the
opposite sex 2.4.5 The clothing should not be worn for vanity or fame
2.4.6 Men may not wear silk, gold or silver, with the
exception of a silver ring.
2.4.7 Women's clothing should not be such as to attract undue
attention to them, as with extremely bright colors. Much of the text of this article has been adapted from the
following two sources: Substantiating evidences and discussions were taken mainly
from: Other references consulted include: |
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