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| A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| sofia |
| 01/05/03 at 20:16:13 |
| As-salaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullah, sisters - Some things regarding hijaab/covering the 'awrah that I wish someone told me when I was younger. You know how wearing pants is somewhat of a "controversial" issue (for sisters)? I don't mean to bring up the controversial part, I just think it would be beneficial to clarify some points for those who may not know, and want to know (like me, waaay back when). First, most of a woman's body is her 'awrah (part of the body that needs to be covered in public/in front of non-mehrem men/when praying). Most of us know that the chest and head/hair are part of the 'awrah. There is only really difference in opinion when it comes to a woman's face and hands (and maybe feet). For the most part, the majority of scholars do not hold obligatory the covering of the hands and face. [If you do not yet wear hijaab, this post is not to ask you to wear it now (although that would be ideal), just to keep in mind some points for when you do, insha'Allah]. That being said, there are 2 main qualifications for "covering" (if your goal is to cover): 1) to cover the skin with a cloth that is not see-through (ie, that does not show the color of your skin/hair). Most scholars agree that the cloth should not be too flashy or ornamented, like shocking pink/red/gold or something, but that's a different level. That doesn't mean you can only wear black. AND 2) (this is the part that's often neglected) to try to cover the shape of the body (ie, thighs, chest, stomach, etc), especially from the navel to the knees (if you wear hijaab on your head properly, it should cover your head, neck, and chest. That's another thing I didn’t know early on. But anyhow, that's why I've omitted the chest for now). In other words, wearing skin-tight lycra/jeans is definitely not considered covering the 'awrah (although it may not be see-through). Sometimes, it's impossible to completely cover our shape (ie, we can't wear boxes, the wind will blow, etc). For the most part, #2 just means to try to wear LOOSE clothing. Again, especially for the area between the navel and the knees. So why am I bringing this up? Because, even though most Muslimahs think they know what it means to wear hijaab/cover their 'awrah (I thought I did when I was younger), they may only know #1. Some wear tight pants with a short shirt (ie, not down to the knees), and think they're covered. I don't mean to argue with those who think it's ok (if you don't believe me or lack hayaa', do as you wish. I haven't provided you with proof yet and I'm not a scholar, so there's no compulsion. But we should research this info for ourselves). My only objective is to bring this to the attention of those who care to know and don't know. Even if you have not yet started to wear LOOSE clothing, at least wear a loose robe/jilbaab/'abayah over your clothing when you pray (in addition to your hijaab). It only takes a second. Some sisters do not know that wearing a short shirt and tight jeans is not necessarily acceptable attire period, let alone to pray in. Think about it, when you go into sujood, what parts of your body are totally being defined when wearing tight jeans/pants? This happens even with loose pants, which is why wearing a long shirt is recommended when wearing pants. It should go without saying that wearing tight jeans is also a no-no for men, since they have to cover their shape from the navel to the knees as well. Wearing tight pants (for men or women) is actually more of a recent phenomenon, and not necessarily the norm for most cultures (Muslim or non-Muslim), even as late as 50 years ago here in the West. Although I'm harping on the navel-to-knees bit, I guess my main point is, there are parts of the body that should be covered (by "covered," I mean shape) before you even worry about covering your hair. Some may disagree with me on that (ie, which should a girl start covering first, her head or wear otherwise loose clothing?), but Allahu'Alim. It's obviously best to cover both, and to cover both now, but that's not my main point. Btw-the current fashion of sweater dusters and long shirts that look like the old-fashioned qamees (I hear the new Indo-Pak qamees is a short top - don't get me started) works pretty well in covering your shape, even if you wear pants with it. If you're anything like me, taking it slowly will make it even easier to wear the jilbaab (more exclusively), insha'Allah. A loose dress can fit into the jilbaab category, btw - it doesn't have to be the old-school, boxy jilbaab (which I never liked). Alhamdulillah for us, there's even more variety now. Ok, glad I got that off my chest. Absolutely no pun intended. And no offense to those who like the old-school jilbaabs. :-) May Allah forgive me if I've offended or included any mistakes, and may He make it easy for us all to properly cover our 'awrah, aameen. "Every religion has a certain ethos/character, and the ethos of Islaam is hayaa'/modesty." - Prophet Muhammad (s) Regulations of Clothing http://www.wponline.org/vil/Books/Quduri_Mukhtasar/libas.htm Rules of Modesty http://www.themodernreligion.com/basic/charac/essays_Rules_Modesty.htm The Muslim Woman's Dress http://members.tripod.com/iaislam/TMWD.htm Proofs on proper hijaab/jilbaab http://www.angelfire.com/me4/islaam/Hijab1.html http://www.quraan.com/Sisters/RequirementsOfWomensHijab.asp http://members.tripod.com/oum_abdulaziz/women.htm Islam Q/A (regarding male/female dress) http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=5809&dgn=3 http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=12371&dgn=3 http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=150&dgn=3 |
| 10/01/03 at 11:08:26 |
| sofia |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| Kathy |
| 01/05/03 at 21:03:48 |
| [wlm] Enlightening article! thanks for taking the time to post it. I never imagined that some girls do not know that they are doing "wrong" when wearing tight clothing. I just assumed that it was a choice they were making. Yesterday I was watching a tape on Hajj and I noticed a woman my age with an outfit that was quite fitting and revealed the shape of her bosom. I was thinking how sad, that even on Hajj women are worried about fashion. Yet, after reading the above, maybe she did not know better.... |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| deenb4dunya |
| 01/05/03 at 21:36:52 |
| Jazaakillaahu Khayran Sr.Sofia... For me, when I was younger, I had no clue that wearing pants might be haraam since many ppl I knew, some of which I respected often wore pants, so I never gave it much thought. But alhamdulillah, I soon learnt what I needed to know... Deen :-) |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| jannah |
| 01/05/03 at 22:52:42 |
| [slm] I don't think she was saying wearing pants was haram? but that you shouldn't wear pants that show your awrah? and that it's good to wear a long shirt even with loose pants because of movement it can show your awrah. Maybe Sr Sophia can clarify? |
| 01/05/03 at 22:56:10 |
| jannah |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| Barr |
| 01/06/03 at 04:33:29 |
| Salam, Thanks, sofia for the post :) but... wot is an old-school jilbab? ??? |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| sofia |
| 01/06/03 at 09:45:40 |
| As-salaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullah, Glad it made sense somewhat, walhamdulillah. I definitely think we should give sisters who don't really cover yet, more benefit of the doubt. The more proof you woulda given me back in the day, the more likely I woulda covered earlier, but Allahu'Alim. Each person responds to something different, maybe. To clarify, I guess my main point was that if sisters continue to wear pants, we should be careful to wear a long enough shirt/sweater/something over it (to cover down to the knees). Esp. when we pray. Otherwise, we risk showing our 'awrah (ie, like the shape of our hips/thighs/behind/etc). It's much easier to cover the 'awrah with a loose dress/jilbaab/'abayah than loose pants, but if pants are something one can't do without (for now), then wear a long shirt. Hope that made sense, and insha'Allah, it'll be a stepping stone to wearing jilbaab for those who don't yet. Sis Barr, if I had time, I'd search out what I think the new-school jilbaabs are versus old-school jilbaabs and post pics for you. I guess new-school is kind of like the Shukr online fashion trend. And old-school is kind of like the timeless jilbaab that never really goes out of style, but that some sisters aren't too keen on, since some have stuff like pleats and shoulder pads and designs we're not used to. Or maybe it's just me. I don't know, the less "stuff" on my clothing, the better. :) Anyhow, I think that's why there are some alternatives popping up in the states, so the jilbaab can become a more comfortable mainstay for various cultures, inshaa'Allah. Allahu'Alim. |
| NS |
| 01/06/03 at 22:23:07 |
| sofia |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| se7en |
| 01/07/03 at 01:16:28 |
as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatAllah, sis sofia, hope all is well with u inshaAllah.. jazaki Allahu khayran for the post. I know there are a number of different opinions on the matter.. but I was just wondering.. what convinced you to wear *jilbaab*, as opposed to other types of clothing that cover? wasalaamu alaykum :-) |
| 01/07/03 at 01:19:37 |
| se7en |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| sofia |
| 01/08/03 at 09:29:24 |
| as-salaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullah, se7en! i'm gonna assume (since i know u) that this is a ganeral q and not a challenge to my thoughts on jilbaab (not that i would mind, it'd just help me formulate). :) [i may have mentioned this b4, but in the bldg where i work, there was a woman who wore an 'abayya, hijaab AND niqaab. it took me a while to finally realize she was jewish, although i talked to her on several occasions (african-american convert, not ethiopian, not yemeni) . i never once assumed she wasn't muslim, even if she didn't ever say salaam, i mean, she was covered! let me just say, subhan'Allah, the ethos of islaam is modesty, but it's never been an exclusive characteristic of any one deen. and we have more rights to cover here than in parts of turkey, uzbekistan, egypt, france, etc, where we'd be banned from wearing something that is the mark of a muslim (ie, the hijaab for women, the beard for men, etc), may Allah preserve these rights, aameen.] originally, i wanted to make a point about correctly covering from the navel to the knees. [ok, specifically, it scared me that just because the latest fashion trend is low-riders/hip huggers, that some muslimahs had to wear them, too. subhanAllah, we follow some non-muslims in their action to the most minute detail sometimes.] but about the topic of wearing jilbaab: it's different for everyone - for me, it was a gradual process. the more i hung out with sisters who wore/did more than me, and the more i researched it, the less doubt i had about it. so alhamdulillah, before i knew it, i went from ditching pants from my wardrobe to wearing skirts to wearing dresses/jilbaabs exclusively. [and for those who don't know me - no, i wasn't raised in a muslim country where everyone was doing it so i did it, too. i loved wearing pants at the time, was not a "follower," and was not into anything "girly" (ie, skirts/dresses). alhamdulillah, this was before the low-ride and tight boot-cut pants trend. anyhow, it was a very conscious decision to move away from it, and i wouldn't have done it without proof of something better]. alhamdulillah, it's really not that hard to do, and once you do, insha'Allah, you'll wonder what took you so long. i have never felt restricted by the change, whether at school, work, social events, etc. And props to the sisters who research/act on conviction more quickly, masha'Allah, which is always better. [btw-i've been asked why i stopped wearing skirts and moved to dresses/jilbaabs...maybe i wasn't wearing them correctly, but i felt like more of my shape showed with certain skirts than with my baggy jeans. Allahu'Alim.] once u move in this sort of direction (just like with anything else) - the more you're convinced of it (has to be authentic) - the more likely you'll move forward and not back (and keep moving fwd, iA). and the easier Allah will make things for you, insha'Allah. the weaker the proof/reasoning/understanding (even if the proof is actually legit), the less likely someone will stick with it. For ex, you know how some sisters quit wearing hijaab after a while, or stop wearing jilbaab once they come to the west (like literally, uncovering on the plane ride over)? i don't think it's because they had all the proof and rejected it. Allahu'Alim, it may be that they just didn't research/weren't taught correctly/were convinced by something less authentic. [that being said, educating ourselves is still obligatory on us.] so i guess what i'm trying to say is (without getting into the "different opinions"), besides doing the research, it's good to have those who know/do more around to motivate us (not to say i'd advocate only hanging around with those who do more). and there are so many other aspects of covering that i haven't gone into (like spiritual and social). i started this thread mainly because it seems like the subject of "how to cover" gets overpowered/lost to "why we should cover." As has been the case, a lot of us really didn't know the details (and there's still a lot more we don't really know), may Allah increase us in knowledge, forgive us, and forgive any mistakes i may have made in my explanation of this particular topic's importance. [sheesh, there's no "long story short" here, apparently] btw - on occastion, i still wear "other types of clothing that cover" (besides the more traditional Arab/Turkish/Indo-Pak jilbaabs). Only, i try to make it fit into the definition of "jilbaab" (ie, long, loose, layered, not too flashy, etc). so i guess it does turn into a "jilbaab" in the end. anyhow, there's a lot a girl can do, esp since we're not required to take on the dress code of other cultures, just the dress code of Islaam. Allahu'Alim. i don't know if that answered your question, but that's just the way it happened for me. we're never truly evolved, just evolving, right (insha'Allah)? if anyone else wants to share their "jilbaab" story, feel free to do so. it may give another sister "on the edge" that boost, insha'Allah. disclaimer: wearing the jilbaab (or doing whatever else) does not make anyone a better muslim than someone who doesn't (there's a lot more we need to work on, with or without jilbaab). with the right intentions, it's just another step closer to following the Qur'aan/sunnah, and a step away from following something else. Allahu'Alim. |
| 01/08/03 at 09:39:17 |
| sofia |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| hijabi4L |
| 01/11/03 at 23:53:20 |
| [slm] Mashallah thank you sis sofia that was such a great post! I've actually started to think a lot about wearing jilbab myself, but i was also wondering like would it be wrong to not be strictly in jilbab? I mean for me, I think jilbab is the most conservative and best way to go, but then again I also love to create new hijabi outfits too. I mean is it ok to be back and forth? Or should you be in jilbab the majority of the time? What do you think? |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| se7en |
| 01/12/03 at 01:34:24 |
| as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatAllah, no sis, I definitely was not intending to 'challenge' your ideas about jilbaab, but was just curious to know what exactly convinced you.. if it was a particular book or text, or a lecture, or just something you gradually felt more comfortable with over time, and continued practice and study. it's really interesting to hear :) my sis in law wears niqaab, and she started wearing it after a lot of study and research and listening to Sh. Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq. wasalaamu alaykum :-) |
| 01/12/03 at 04:58:52 |
| se7en |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| sofia |
| 01/12/03 at 22:09:37 |
| As-salaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullah, Sister Hijabi4L, little story about something waaay different: An uncle that I knew of told some of my college friends and I once, that he had a friend that rarely prayed. But when he came to his house, he saw that they prayed in jamaa'a, so he prayed with them a few times. Then the thought came to his mind, "But wouldn't I be a hypocrite for praying with them, when I don't at my own house? I'd better not pray at all then." So he told this Uncle why he'd be "sitting out" the next time he went to his house. The Uncle told him, "Don't let shaytaan stop you from gaining whatever reward you can get." Of course, the act of praying is completely different and way more serious, but this story just came to mind. Allahu'Alim, but you'd probably be doing what most of us did before we started to wear jilbaab! So keep your intentions in check, and iA you may want to ask someone more knowledgable on the fiqh behind that. And se7en, that's awesome about your sister-in-law, masha'Allah (no similar shaykh influence for me, I don't think. It was mainly the proofs and influences from various sources). |
| 01/12/03 at 22:14:19 |
| sofia |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| deenb4dunya |
| 01/13/03 at 16:33:30 |
| Assalamu Alaikum, How would you explain to a non-Muslim why you don't wear pants? Wassalamu Alaikum. Deen :-) P.S- Is their a diff of opinion at all about wearing pants-- (I mean pants without a long sweater or shirt that covers the 'awrah) |
| 01/13/03 at 16:34:32 |
| deenb4dunya |
| [/quoteRe: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| zomorrud |
| 01/13/03 at 17:31:52 |
| [color=blue]bismillah... assalamu alaikum [quote]How would you explain to a non-Muslim why you don't wear pants? [/quote] say that you don't feel comfortable wearing them in public. i mean, it is a strange question in the first place. certainly, not every little question about how muslim women choose to dress is deserving of an answer. it may violate one's sense of privacy. and sometimes people have oddest theories or deductions about how we dress. for ex., i used to wear a black skirt EVERY single day because most of my skirts are black. one day, a lady in our lab who is originally from india but is non muslim (i am mentioning this because people in india are more familiar with muslims and their traditions than other non-muslim countries), asked me if there was a rule in my religious that stipulates women must wear a black skirt!! and this is someone with a PhD!! another example would be another gentleman from inida who was surprised that i don't wear black hijabs on a constant basis since "all the islamic women in india wear black hijabs" !! i am like, leave me alone, i have experiments do!! to myself, i was wondering, and you call yourself a scientist?? your analytical skills are not showing here... it is just silly sometimes. take care wassalam [/color] |
| 01/13/03 at 17:39:42 |
| zomorrud |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| sofia |
| 01/13/03 at 23:41:11 |
| As-salaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullah, Good points, sis zomorrod. Amazing how some of the most intelligent people think. But I guess in a way, it's somewhat understandable, given the absurdity of some cultural practices (outside divine teachings). *NO* sense. :o <== me when I get those questions. Deenb4dunya - regarding "difference of opinion" and the "navel-to-the-knees" bit, I'm not sure how pants fit into that category. Allahu'Alim, please check with a shaykh/scholar. I mainly wanted to give suggestions on how to cover more "effectively." And ironically enough, I've never been asked that question by a non-Muslim (only Muslims). But if someone did ask me, I think I'd want to convey something to the effect of: -modesty is a key feature of Islaam -it's not contained to just covering the head, but also properly covering most of the rest of the body. This can be done pretty effectively by wearing loose clothing. For me, it's most effective (and easier and more comfortable) to wear a dress/jilbaab to do the job (rhyming can't hurt. jk, that doesn't even really rhyme). -modesty is also prescribed for men -and hey, btw, I do wear pants on occasion (gasp, what? After all that, sofia??). Only, it's underneath my 'abaya/jilbaab. ;) |
| 01/13/03 at 23:49:29<+td> |
| sofia |
| Re: A Woman's 'Awrah |
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| Kathy |
| 01/14/03 at 09:12:21 |
| [slm] When i worked in a hospital, there were many professional women who only wore dresses. Never in a million years did I ever think to ask them why they don't wear pants.... :P Sometimes, I think people ask questions for alteritive motives.... |
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