Modesty (2/2)

Islamic modesty encompasses not only behaviour, but also dresses. It is well-known that appearances count, and that clothes can make a "statement" about the person. Muslims are required to dress modestly and conceal their private parts. The Qur’an reminds us that after the error committed by Adam and Eve, they became aware of their nakedness and shame, so clothing was given as a means of concealing the body:

 “O children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness -that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition!” [Surah Al-A'raf, 7:26]

A prominent commentator, from Asia, on the Holy Qur'an, Hazrat Shah Saheb interprets this ayah as meaning that the enemy (i.e., Satan) stripped them of their 'Paradisian' garments, then Allah taught them the art of dressing, so that henceforth they should wear only the garments of piety.

Allamah Usmani points out that Allah has bestowed many natural resources for human use. He has created cotton, wool, feathers and other materials which man utilises and makes into clothing and other items. When we reflect upon these bounties of Allah, we will easily recognise Allah's favours and become thankful to Him. Moreover, the dress of piety will help us to regain the long-lost Paradisian dress.

Muslims are commanded to cover the 'awrah, which in the case of men extends from the navel to the knee, and in the case of women includes the whole body except the face, hands and (according to some Hanafi scholars) feet. Muslims should wear clothes that are loose fitting, thick (non-transparent) and simple (not ostentatious or gaudy).

Although the man's 'awrah is from the navel to the knee, the sunnah (practice) of the Prophet He is to wear clothes that cover the body from the shoulders to just above the ankles. The 'awrah is the minimum area to be covered in cases where a person may be too poor to afford more extensive garments.

The guidelines regarding women's dress come straight from the Qur’an:

 “And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; 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 except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, 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 needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O Believers! Turn all together towards Allah, that you may attain Bliss.” [Surah An-Nur, 24:31]

 “O Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:59]

The outer garment (jilbab) is one which covers a person from head to foot. A well-known hadith further describes the dress of the Muslim woman: "When a woman reaches the age of maturity, it is not lawful for her to uncover any part of her body except the face and this -" and he (the Prophet) put his hand on his wrist joint so as to leave only a little space between the place he gripped and the palm.

Not only do women have to cover themselves in front of men who are strangers to them, but they are also required to lower their gaze. Umm Salamah reported that she and Maymunah (who were both wives of the Prophet) were with the Prophet when the son of Umm Maktum, who was blind, came to speak with him. The Prophet told his wives to observe hijab in front of the visitor Umm Salamah said, "O Messenger of Allah, he is a blind man and will not see us". The Prophet said, "He may be blind but you are not, and do you not see him."

The main aim of hijab is to restrain individuals of the opposite sex from being unduly attracted to one another. However, hijab has numerous secondary advantages that bring benefits to women. It gives women their own identity and their own sphere, which exists parallel to that of men. Women are thus freed from the strain of Western-style social pressure in which women are expected to look impeccable and sexually attractive at all times, and they are relieved of the "necessity" of spending large amounts of time and money in visiting beauty parlours and applying chemicals, lotions, potions and scents to their bodies for the purposes of gratifying men. Above all, it allows Muslim women to have an identity, an ability to express their personality and intellect of their own, independently of men's whims and desires.

The Prophet issued a warning which offers food for thought for all of us:

"Those women who appear naked even though they are wearing clothes, who allure and are allured by others, and who walk in a provocative manner, will never enter Paradise, or even smell its fragrance."