Requirements in Dress (1/2)

The First Requirement: Extent of Covering

The dress must cover the whole body except for the areas specifically exempted. The Qur’an states:

 “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.

*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’  you believers   Turn  all  toward   Allah that  you  may  attain   bliss.” [Surah An-Nur (24) 30-31]

These ayahs contain among other thing two main injunctions:

1. A   Muslim woman should not display her beauty   and adornment (zeenah) except for "that which must ordinarily appear of it”[1] (ma dhahara minha), or "that which is apparent."[2]

The word zeenah[3] lends itself to two related meanings:

a) Natural or bodily beauty,[4] and, 

b)  Acquired adornment such as rings, bracelets, and clothes.

The part of zeenah, exempted from the above injunction, was interpreted in two ways:

i)  The face and the hands.  This is the  interpretation of the majority  of  the  jurists, past and present[5] This  interpretation  is confirmed  by Ijma'  (consensus) that a Muslim  woman  is allowed by Islam to uncover  her  face and hands during  pilgrimage  and even during  the prayers, while  the rest of her body  is regarded as 'awrah (that which  should be covered).[6] This interpretation is based on the authority of Prophet Muhammad (Allah's blessing be upon him), especially the hadith in which he says:

“….If the woman reaches the age of puberty, No (part of her body) should be seen but this - and he pointed to his face and hands."

ii) Whatever appears of the woman's body owing to uncontrollable factors such as the blowing of the wind, or out of necessity such as the bracelets or even the    outer clothes themselves.[7] 

2. The headcovers (khumur) should be drawn over the neck sills (juyoob). Khumur is the plural of the Arabic word "khimar" which means a headcover.[8] Juyoob is the plural of the Arabic word "Jalyb" (a derivative of jawb or cutting) refers to the neck slit (of the dress). This means that the headcover should be drawn so as to cover not only the hair but it should also be drawn over the neck and to be extended so as to cover the bosom.

The Second Requirement: looseness

The dress must be loose enough so as not to describe the shape of a woman’s body. This is consistent with the intent of the 'ayahs cited above (24: 30-31) and is surely a crucial aspect of hiding zeenah. Even moderately-tight clothes which   cover the whole body do describe the shape of such attractive parts of the woman's body as the bustline the waist, the buttocks the back and the thighs. If these are not part of the natural beauty or zeenah what else is?

Prophet Muhammad (Allah's blessing be upon him), once received a thick garment as a gift He gave it to Osamah b Zayd, who in turn gave it to his wife. When asked by the Prophet (Allah's blessing be upon him), why he did not wear it, Osamah indicated that he gave it to his wife. The Prophet (Allah's blessing be upon him), then said to Osamah "ask her to use a gholalah under it (the garment) for I fear that it (the garment) may describe the size of her bones."[9] The word gholalah in Arabic means a thick fabric worn under the dress to prevent it from describing the shape of the body.

A highly desirable way of concealing the shape of the body is to wear a cloak over the garment. The Prophet (Allah's blessing be upon him), however indicated   that  if  the  woman's  dress  meets  the  Islamic standards  it suffices (without  a cloak)  even  for  the  validity  of prayers.[10]

 (Continued)