Allah (SWT) instructs females as follows:” And say to the believing women that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what ordinarily appears thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers and their brothers’ sons or their sisters’ sons or their women or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical need or small children who have no awareness of sex.” (An-Nur: 31)
The purpose of the cloaks and covering is not to make the women inconspicuous, as some have mistakenly understood. Some sisters in the West have avoided wearing the coat and scarf, claiming that it draws attention to themselves, whereas they claim that a Muslim woman’s dress should not draw male attention to them. However, the dress of the woman is meant to be particularly conspicuous “so that they be known and not molested.’
When women in the West adhere to the Islamic code of dress and character (i.e., non-flirtatious), in most cases, it brings respect. Men consider them to be some order of nuns and therefore unapproachable. Many Muslim sisters have testified to this fact – that in their full Islamic dress (coat and large scarf), men tend not to make any sexual advances and, in fact, become overly polite and gentlemanly. Men are also obliged to wear loose-fitting clothes that do not display their private parts or call attention to their sexuality. However, the stress is on the female for her own protection and because it is the over-aroused male who often attacks the beautiful female and not vice versa.
Women are free to beautify themselves within the confines of their homes for the delight of their husbands or close unmarriageable relatives (men within the forbidden degree of marriage). Certainly, Allah has not denied them this right as He says in Qur’an:” Say who has forbidden the beautiful (gifts) of Allah which He has produced for His servants, and the things pure and clean (which has provided) for sustenance.” (Al-A’raf: 32)
The desire to look attractive is a human characteristic, yet that attractiveness should not be a source of destruction for men or women. Instead of revealing their beauty to the world and inciting men to sin, women should seek to look attractive to comfort and retain their husbands’ respect and love. For this reason, women are also forbidden to wear makeup and scented oils or perfume in the streets or anywhere where men outside of the forbidden degrees of marriage can see or smell them.
The Prophet (SAW) was reported to have said,” Every eye is adulterous, and a woman perfumed herself and passes a company, she is such and such (meaning adulterous).” Every citizen of the West is aware of the high incidence of rapes and sexual harassment perpetrated on women in Western society. These violations are a direct result of the high level of sexual enticement present on all levels of Western life. The dress, which originally was intended to cover the private parts of men and women and protect the body from the elements, has become a means of displaying the body in the most vulgar fashions. Most male-oriented commodities, from cars to shaving razors, are advertised by alluring half-naked females, while virile males are used in the advertisements of female-oriented commodities. Islam also protects women from this type of sexual brutality by generally prohibiting the undue mixing of marriageable males and females. And it even goes one step further by instructing men and women to avoid staring at each other.
Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an:” And 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 acquainted with all that they do.” (An-Nur: 30). And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty.” (An-Nur: 31)
This does not imply that men and women should go around the society staring at the ground, as this is most impractical and unreasonable. What it does mean is that when men and women see each other, they should not take pleasure in staring at each other, nor should they look each other up and down. The Prophet (SAW) said:” Allah has decreed for man his portion of fornication which he will inevitably commit. The fornication of the eyes consists in looking, and of the tongue in speech. The soul wishes and desires, and the private parts accord with that or reject it.” (Bukhari). Buraidah reported the Prophet (SAW) as saying to Ali,” Do not give a second look (to women), Ali, for while you are not to blame for the first, you have no right to the second.” (Ahmad) (To be continued)
Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
