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COVERING for women in Islam

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

COVERING for women in Islam

Terminology

§ Al-Sater covering

§ Al-Khimar Head cover, head to chest

§ Al-Jilbaab Dress of the woman, neck to ankles

§ Al-Juyoub The neck of anything which includes the neck up to the chest.

§ Al-Ibdaa Showing - what is permitted and not permitted to show.

§ Al-Idnaa Length, Lowering e.g. Jilbaab.

§ Al-Tabaruj dazzling, decorating herself.

§ Libaas al-Mar’ah Clothes of the woman inside and outside of the house.

§ Libaas al-Rajul Clothes of the man.

§ Sater al-Awrah Covering of the Awrah.

§ Al-Tahseen The organising of e.g. beard or eyebrows etc.

§ Al-Tajmeez Plastic surgery.

§ Al-Hatek To reveal the awrah, opposite to al-Sater Uncover

§ Hat ul Irdh To expose the Honour.

§ Al-Zeenah Applies to the woman and what appears from her.

Nb: There are 2 types of prettiness, one she has naturally and one with make-up. Ahkam address which zeenah must be covered. Some jurist says all of woman’s body is zeenah.

The Prophet (saw) compared the hatek (uncovering) with fornication.

“Whoever uncovers what should normally be covered (breaks the honour intentionally) it is as if she commits zina”

The direct irdh (honour) for men are female relatives such as their mothers, sisters, daughters and wives.

THE DIVISIONS OF ZEENAH (BEAUTY)

Al-Zeenah al-Khilqiyah (Natural Beauty):

The fuqaha differ on two things namely the face (Wajhaha) and the hands (Khafiha).

For Hanafi, Shafi and Hanbali both can be shown and are al-Zeenah al-Khilqiyah.

For Jafari they are beauty and must be covered.

Al-Zeenzah al-Muqtasabah (Gained/acquired Beauty):

§ Al-Theyaab Clothes,

§ Al-Hulie Jewellery,

§ Al-Kuhl Eye liner,

§ Al-Khedhaab Hennah,

§ Al-Qurtt Ear ring,

§ Al-Qelaadah Necklace,

§ Al-Dumlujj Tongue or navel stud,

§ Al-Khelkhaal Ankle chain,

§ Al-Sewaar Bangles,

§ Al-Khatem Ring

§ Al-Sebaagh Make-up.

Ibn Abbas said “Zeenah is of two types”

1.  Al-Zeenah Al-Baatinah (The Hidden Beauty)

Ear rings, necklaces, studs (tongue), ankle chains, etc all classical scholars agree that these items of decoration must be covered.

Henna:

For Maliki’s this is hidden beauty and must be covered. Though some of Imam Malik’s students differed and said it was allowed on the feet but haram to show on the hands.

The Hanafi Maslaq says it is haram, whilst other scholars say henna is allowed.

Other scholars say if the henna is designed and dazzling it cannot be shown, the quote the following as evidence:

Hind came to the Prophet (saw) to give bayah and she had dotted henna and the Prophet (saw) said “Change your hand and come back”.

In another hadith Umm Habibah said the Prophet (saw) forbade a woman to make her face and hands like tigers, even to her husband.

Bangles:

Ibn Abbas said they are on the wrist and must be covered because the wrist is awrah.

Some scholars say you can wear a watch if it is covered and not decorated.

Make up (Al-Sebaagh):

Make-up is of two types:

§ Al-Sebaagh Bassrah: The same colour as the body, all scholars agree this is allowed.

§ Al-Sebaagh Ghareeb: Different colours to the face.

Maliki and Hanbali say this is dazzling and can’t be shown

Shafi and Hanafi say it is allowed as long as it is not dazzling.

2.  Al-Zeenah al-Zahirah (The Apparent Beauty)

§ Clothes Ibn Masoud said only the clothes are the apparent beauty (and rest must be covered for some people).

§ Eye liner Ibn Abbas said this is apparent beauty.

§ Ring Ibn Abbas said they are apparent, it is allowed to be shown. Men are recommended to wear one (people differ on what hand right or left), but one is recommended. 

The classical scholars all agreed that the face and hands are apparent beauty. Apparent beauty means it can be seen. Ibn Masoud and Ibn Abbas merely added clothes and rings.

However making designs like tigers on the hand or face, tattoos and hair extensions are all forbidden whether for husband or others.

Evidence from the Qur’an

[Surah An-Nur 24:30-31]

قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ذَلِكَ أَزْكَى لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ

“Say to the believers to lower the gaze and to protect and cover their awrah, [Surah An Nur 24:30]

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاء بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاء بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُوْلِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَى عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاء وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (face and hands), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s fathers, their sons, their husband’s sons, their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigor, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful. [Surah An Nur 24:31]

This ayah addresses the woman and it uses the word Zeenah which applies to the beauty and awrah of the woman.

وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ

Wa la yubdeena zeenatahuna illah ma zahara minha

“They should not show their zeenah except what is apparent.”

Yubdeen is derived from Arabic verb ‘bada’ which means kharaja and zaharah, all which mean to show, uncover and reveal.

وَلَا يُبْدِينَ

“and they should not (uncover, reveal or show)” [Surah An Nur 24:31]

The ‘Laa’ in Arabic is of 2 types: one which is prevention the other is nullification. An example of the ‘laa’ of nullification can be found the kalimatut-Tawheed ‘la Illaha illalah’ which means there is NO god worthy of worship except Allah (swt).

Zeenah – is singular for beauty

Zeenatahunna – beauty as applied to women (i.e. plural)

The verse says ‘Illah’ which means except zahara minha (that which is apparent or appears).

The verse before tells the believers to lower their gaze, if the woman is completely covered then what are we to lower are gaze from.

Abdullah ibn Omar (ra) said a woman came to the Prophet (saw) and her face looked frightened and he (saw) asked “what frightened you.”

Another woman came to the Prophet (saw) and the Sahabah described a scar on her cheek.

In another hadith a woman was described as giggling.

In yet another hadith al-Khuthamiyyah, a pretty woman came to the Prophet (saw) to ask a question and Fadal the Prophet (saw) cousin (son of Abbas) was staring at the woman. The Prophet (saw) pushed his neck away. Fadal complained to the Prophets (saw) uncle and he (saw) said “he looked at her the way Shaytan looks”

This hadith was after the ayah and the Prophet (saw) never asked this woman to cover her face despite the fact that to forbid evil is instant without a time limit.

In one Hadith the messenger Muhammad (saw) said: “If I ask you to do something do as much as you can (with time limit) but if I ask you to leave something, leave it (without time limit).”

وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ

Wal Yudhribna Bi Khumurihina Alla Juyubi Hinna

And to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna [Surah An Nur 24:31]

Yudhribna is driveled from the verb ‘dharaba’ which has over 200 meanings (beating, pain, gone, far, hurry, rise, appoint, refrain, associate, in custody, lash, judge, specify, request, surround etc…)

Wal Yudhribna ‘And Let Them’ is a decisive indication i.e. it commits them and make it a burden upon them and they must take it seriously. Further it applies only to women (and this is without disagreement)

BI Khumurihina is derived from ‘khamara’ and applies to the woman and it means Satara i.e. to cover (which is opposite to Zahara and Bada or to uncover.)

Khamara also means:

§ Katama - hide,

§ Ghatta - Conceal,

§ Tawara - Make it disappear and

§ Ikhtafa - Invisible.

Al-Khimar The head cover is called Khimar.

There is a disagreement on the following areas about the Khimar: its length, thickness, colour and what to cover.

Ala Juyubi Hinna, Juyub is derived from Jaba or Jaieb which means al-Futhah or an opening

Hence the ayah should be read as “They must cover with their Khimar their Jaieb”

Jaieb starts from the lower part of the chin. People disagree about this lower part and make it awrah and part of the Jaieb, but the strongest opinion is that it starts from the lower part of the chin up to the chest. To take precaution and to cover the chin is allowed but doesn’t make it obligatory.

Ibn Tabari, Ibn Abbas and Harabi said that the khimar used to cover all except the left eye. But this was the custom of the people of Ashraaf. The custom was that the woman who was uncovered was the slave and the one who was more covered was the respected one. The Jaieb is over the front part of the body not the back.

The Prophet (saw) described a woman who showed some hair as a goat, because it has hair over its head.

Omar (ra) lashed a woman lightly and she ran to the Prophet (saw) and he (saw) said “he lashed you because you left the neck open.”

Jaieb is from the ayah and is linguistic in meaning.

[Surah Al Ahzab EMQ 33:59]

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاء الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-­Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Surah Al Ahzab 33:59]

أَدْنَى Al-Idnaa or Al-Irkhaa is from the word Dana which means come closer (Qaruba) to the end / bottom (usually used for curtains)

The text requires the Jilbab to come down to the ankle but as a precaution it can be even lower.

Idnaa is also used for pregnant women when the baby becomes very low, ready to come out. No one can say Jilbab is therefore up to the knee.

يُدْنِينَ Yudneena restricts this up to the ankle (minimum) and more is precaution. It is narrated that the Messenger Muhammad (saw) said:

‘It is recommended to be genourous and take precaution.’ and “…more than the ankle is not obligatory…”

يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ Yudneena ala hinna ‘Ala’ means on top, over and upon. Those who say “all of the woman is awrah” use this ayah to say over their Jaieb and even their face.

يُدْنِينَ Yudneen is talking about the lower part and has nothing to do with the head. The ayah continues with min jalabihinna

LIBAAS AL-MARA’H - CLOTHES OF THE WOMAN

Clothing for women is of two types:

Libaas Al-Hayat Al-Ammah - Clothes of the Public Life,

Libaas Al-Hayat Al-Khassa - Clothes of the Private Life.

The Public Life

Jilbab emanates from Jalaba which means to put things together e.g. stack of chairs. Jilbab is the thing one puts over them all. The tent is the Jilbab of the people. Women must wear the khimar and the jilbab when they go outside their homes. No one disagrees with this, but they disagree whether it should be on one or two pieces. The Manat (or situation) of the Hukm needs to be understood. We must measure our reality to that of the past i.e. what did the Muslims understand when the Prophet (saw) spoke of the Jilbab.

Private Life

The woman can wear what she likes and must cover her awrah depending on who is present. Insha’allah read the article on the awrah

Definition of Jilbab

Jilbab is a linguistic term for the woman to cover herself in the public life, whether it is one or two pieces it is up to the individual because the text is general.

From islambase.tk