Women in Society
Women in Society
Prof. Abdur Rahman I. Doi Professor and Director, Center for Islamic
Legal Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira, Nigeria.
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Contents
* The Family
* Modesty
* Lowering the Eyes
* Social Behaviour
* Beautification and Adornment
* Guests
* Public Baths and Swimming Pools
* Dance-Halls and Gymnasiums
* The Mosque
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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 honour becomes an integral part of his wife's
honour, and vice versa. They share each other's prosperity and
adversity. Thus in Islam the bridal couple 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.
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
behaviour. 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.
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 knowlege 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.
Social Behaviour
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.
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
(behaviour) 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)
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,
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.
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.
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.
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
honour 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.
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