Women in Society
By: Prof. Abdur Rahman I. Doi
Professor and Director, Center for Islamic Legal Studies,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira, Nigeria.
Contents:
* The Family
* Modesty
* Lowering the Eyes
* Social Behaviour
* Beautification and Adornment
* Guests
* Public Baths and Swimming Pools
* Dance-Halls and Gymnasiums
* The Mosque
The Family
The family in Islam is a unit in which a man and woman unite to share life
together according to the rules and regulations laid down by the Shari'ah.
They become as close to each other as a garment is to the body. The husband's
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,thatyoumayattainbliss.(24:31)
Thus, the following people fall in the exceptional category to whom decorations can be displayed by a woman:
a)Her husband.
b)Her father, including maternal and paternal grandfathers.
c)Her husband's father. He is also like her own father.
d)Her son, including grandsons from her son's side or her daughter's side.
e)Her husband's son by another woman, provided that he is staying with her, and she is looking after
him as her son.
f)Her brother, whether full, consanguine, or uterine (that is to say, real or step).
g)Her brother's son.
h)Her sister's son.Muslim women and other women of good character.
i)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.
j)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
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-
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.
|
