"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.
Women in Society
University, Zaira, Nigeria.
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,
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