Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
12 Qualities of a good Da'iee (one who does Da'wah)
1. Iman - The first essential characteristic mentioned is to have a strong faith or belief in what the da'ee is calling to, which is Islam.
2. Good Relationship with Allah - The second characteristic is to have a good relationship with the One to whom the da'ee is calling, Allah SWT. This characteristic can be broken down into two parts: sincerity, and love.
- Ikhlaas means sincerity, and the da'ee must be pure in his intentions. He should be worshiping Allah SWT with sincerity and purity, and not be maintaing what could be called merely a superficial relationship. It should be sincere.
- Love for Allah SWT is the second part, and a da'ee should love Allah SWt in his heart in order to be an effective da'ee or even a strong Muslim. There are ways to cultivate love for Allah SWT.
4. Application - The da'ee must also implement what he calls for, as it is not appropriate to call people to do what he himself cannot apply in his own life. Sometimes this is called 'practicing what you preach.' It is very important for the da'ee to implement Islam in his own life before calling others to it.
5. Awareness - The da'ee should have awareness of basically three principles:
- Awareness of the reality of da'wah in his lifetime and place, such that he knows the means of giving da'wah in his particular circumstances and time.
- Awareness of the reality of the condition of the people he is calling to Islam, such that he understands their experience and their options.
- Awareness of his personal capabilities, as a person cannot give da'wah beyond his capabilities so he should be aware of his own limits.
7. Good Manners - While good manners attract people, poor manners repel them, and manners attract people much more than speech, so it is essential that the da'ee has good manners. The most important of the good manners is patience, as Muhammad (saaws) was advised to have patience as the messengers before him had patience.
8. Giving Muslims the Benefit of the Doubt - The da'ee should give the Muslims the benefit of the doubt, and respect, because if he doesn't, people will always have the worst interpretation of a person's actions. The da'ee needs to show respect so that people will open their hearts.
9. Covering the Faults of People - When a doctor treats a patient, there is a strict rule of confidentiality, which is essential for a patient to be able to trust his physician. He needs to trust that the doctor will not reveal the person's shortcomings and weaknesses to others. Similarly, the da'ee should cover people's shortcomings so that they are able to trust him, not fearing that he will reveal their flaws to their friends or community.
10. Mixing and Isolating Appropriately - This characteristic means that the da'ee mixes with the people when it is best to mix with them, which is when he can help them. But at the same time, it means he refrains from mixing with them, or isolates himself, when mixing with them would be harmful. It is good to mix with the people, but isolation is preferred if the mixing would allow the group to bring down the da'ee.
11. Giving Due Respect - This implies that the da'ee gives everyone the respect which is due to their position, which means respect the scholars, the elderly, and people who have been given authority. This way the disrespect will not block the haqq from reaching their minds. We have an example of this behavior in the Prophet (saaws) who at the conquest of Mecca said that anyone inside the Haram or staying in their homes would be safe, as well as anyone staying in the House of Abu Sufyan--this showed respect to Abu Sufyan.
12. Cooperating with other Da'ees - This final characteristic is that the da'ee should cooperate with others who are calling to Islam (plural is du'aat by the way) and this is because they are working for the same objective, and working for the same ilaah. So they should help each other, give each other advice, and make consultation, instead of competing and trying to defeat each other.
Now it's important to note that just because a person might not have all of these characteristics doesn't mean he cannot be a da'ee, it just means that he won't be as effective, and perhaps that he is not giving da'wah correctly. So what a da'ee should do if he finds himself lacking in any of these attributes, is to improve himself. If he has bad manners, he should improve his manners. If he lacks knowledge, he should acquire knowledge. And if he has been accusing Muslims instead of covering their faults then he should try to give them the benefit of the doubt.
To give da'wah is to be on the sabeel or way of the Prophet Muhammad (saaws), as Allah SWT says in the Qur'an
Say, "This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allah ; and I am not of those who associate others with Him." (12:108)
So May Allah make us among those who follow this Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (saaws) and improve us in those attributes where we are weak.
Friday, November 11, 2011
If You Can't Speak Good, Don't Speak At All
The Prophet (SAWS) said: "The faith (iman) of Allah's
servant will not be upright until his heart is upright, and his heart
will not be upright until his tongue is upright."
(Musnad Ahmad)
- Every morning the body parts warn the tongue:
“When
man wakes up in the morning each day, all parts of the body warn the
tongue saying, ‘Fear Allah as regards us for we are at your mercy; if
you are upright, we will be upright and if you are crooked, we become
crooked.’”
(At-Tirmidhee)
- Most of the sins are due to the tongue:
Prophet SAWS said, “Most of the sins of the children of Adam are from the tongue.”
(At-Tabaraanee, classed as authentic)
He (SAWS) also said "Does anything topple people headlong into the Hell-fire except the harvests of their tongues?"
[Sunan al-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah]
- Save your tongue, and you will be saved:
Prophet SAWS said: "Whoever keeps silent is saved."
[Sahih - narrated by Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi]
“Whoever guards what is between his jaws and legs. I shall guarantee him paradise.”
(Saheeh al-Bukhari)
"Indeed,
the servant will speak a word, while being unaware of (its
consequences), and due to it, he will be cast into the Hell-fire,
farther than the distance between the east and the west."
[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
- If you can't speak good, don't speak at all
Allah says "Say
to My servants that they should only say those things that are best,
for Satan does sow dissensions among them, for Satan is to man an
avowed enemy."
(Quran 17:53)
Prophet SAWS said ‘Whosoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, then let him speak good or remain silent.’
[Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree]
- Protect others from the evils of your tongue
The Prophet SAWS said, "A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands."
(Muslim)
- Restrict your conversation
Prophet SAWS said "Allah
has hated for you Qil and Qal (sinful and useless talk,
like backbiting or that one talks too much about
others), and to ask too many questions (in disputed religious matters, etc.)."
[Sahih Bukhari]
- Restrain your tongue from evil talk by keeping it busy with Dhikr (Allah's remembrance):
Messenger of Allah SAWS said,
“Every saying of the children of Aadam is cursed, expept
for the enjoining good and forbidding the evil or for the remembrance
of Allah.”
[Sunan at-Tirmidhi]
- Remember your words are being recorded:
“Not a word is said except that there is a watcher by him ready to record it.”
[Quran(50):18]
Monday, November 7, 2011
Is the Jilbab obligatory?
The Jilbab: its obligation and characteristics
The Islamic dress code for men and women is well known, distinguished from other religions' dictates on the matter and unique in its ability to prevent social vices and moral discord. At its heart is preventing the exposure of those parts of the bodies of men and women which are an invitation to the licentious desires of either gender, as well as those aspects beyond covering which would invite lust and desire.
The ideal Muslimah is characterised by piety, fear of Allah SWT and concern for His decree in every matter. Essential to the Muslim woman's daily comportment is her attire and the way in which she carries herself in public. In recent times the Islamic dress for women has come under fire as being oppressive, restrictive and ancient as part of the ongoing ideological onslaught against the deen of Islam. Muslims, nonetheless, realise the fallacy of such expostulations and appreciate that only the divinely inspired Islamic social system and its dictums are sufficient in guarding the honour and chastity of all peoples. This is clear not just from an analysis of Islamic Jurisprudential law, but also from a cursory glance at the venality present in Western society, where the detriment of social promiscuity is readily observable in the prevalence of adultery, fornication and the disintegration of the family unit.
One aspect of the Muslimah's attire that has captured the attention of some modern Muslim audiences is that of the Jilbab, the single cloth which helps complete the Islamic requirement for a woman's dress. A contemporary "debate" on this particular issue has emerged in our times; causing confusion on a matter where the wide body of classical scholars reached a majority opinion. Some observers wrongfully contend that the debate is about the Fardh (obligatory) nature of the Jilbab (only the most audacious would challenge its obligatory nature); rather it is about what the Jilbab is to be defined and charaterised as.
This article will seek to explore the issue of the Jilbab, its requirements, and whether points forwarded are frivolity in the guise of semantics or an in-depth appreciation of the lexicon of the Arabic language and an understanding of the Usool (principles) of Islamic Law.
Defining the terms
A few terms which need to be clarified in this discussion are often themselves a source of confusion. The term "Hijab", for instance, is often thought to be the headscarf, when its meaning is otherwise.
The Hijab literally means concealing, screening, or protecting and is used to refer to the mandatory dress of the Muslim person, be they male or female. For our purposes, therefore, the Hijab is the composite or complete dress for Muslim women. The root word of Hijab is hajaba and that means to veil, to cover, to screen, or shelter, among other things.
The Khimar is the word which refers to the Muslimah's headscarf that covers her head and drapes over her neck and bosom. One of the most respected Islamic commentators on the Qur'an, Imam Abu Al-Fida ibn Kathir, is noted to have said: "Khumur is the plural of khimar which means something that covers, and is what is used to cover the head. This is what is known among the people as a khimar."
The Jilbab, meanwhile, is the subject of our discussion, and its definition shall be elucidated upon further into the article. More important, at this stage, is establishing the command (Hukm) of this "Jilbab" – is it recommended, is it obligatory, or is it merely permissible for the Muslimah?
The Jilbab – an established obligation
The Muslimah is required to preserve her modesty in front of those who are non-Mahram for her. A non-Mahram male is one to which she can potentially get married. The verse of the Qur'an which establishes the edicts of the Muslimah's dress in general terms is found in Surah an-Nur:
And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands' fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters' sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed. (31)
The method whereby this injunction is carried out is through the covering of the woman's Awrah, which is the area of the body she must cover at all times when in front of non-Mahram males. She is only allowed to display "that which is apparent", which the majority of scholars have agreed is the face and the hands. Further to this, it is narrated by Aisha (RaA) the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) once said, "Oh Asma, if the woman reaches the age of puberty, nothing should be seen of her but this and this", pointing to his face and hands beyond the wrists. This hadith was graded Sahih by ibn Hibban according to Imam Muslim's criteria, and was also recorded by Abu Dawood and Al Baihaqi.
The Awrah for the woman is thus all but the hands and the face. In front of non-Mahram males, therefore, she must cover her entire Awrah in a way that doesn't compromise her modesty. Here a distinction must be made between public and private life. It is established that the guidelines for what she must cover with whilst in the home (in private) are fundamentally different from that which apply to the public dress; an understanding arrived at through appreciation of the Islamic texts, an activity we shall engage in presently. When in front of non-Mahram males in private life (ie: at home) the imperative is on the Muslimah to cover her awrah and the command (Hukm) for her is left at this. She is allowed to cover her awrah in a way which satisfies her, so long as she fulfils the obligation of dressing modestly, without showing off her charms or without appealing to the carnal desires of the present males in as far as her capacity allows her to do so. If she successfully does this, then she is fulfilling her obligatory dress requirements. She is, therefore, permitted to wear a traditional Indian Shalwaar Kameez, or a loose and baggy skirt and top, as long as her body shape remains relatively well shielded and the contours of her body are relatively inconspicuous, thus fulfilling the conditions of all Islamic dress (be it public or private) as discussed later in the article. All this is, of course, to be fulfilled in addition to the commandment for covering the Awrah (hair, arms, neck etc) – the point to emphasise here being that there is no restriction in the manner she does this as long as she is covered, within the bounds of modesty.
Public dress, however, is a different matter, and is where our discourse is centered. For a Muslimah's attire in public life, Allah has decreed a wrap or Jilbab which conceals the clothes she primarily covers herself with. This Jilbab is to be a singular piece of cloth, which according to the majority scholarly view is to drape down from the shoulders to her feet. It is not permitted for the Muslimah to go outside her house in either her primary layer of clothing, or any clothing which is other than a singular, loose garment that covers her from at least the shoulder down to her feet. There is a difference of opinion (Ikhtilaf) among the Ulema with regards to whether the Jilbab should drape down from the shoulders or the head down, but is a separate discussion in its own right pertaining to the Niqab, and cannot be entertained here.
The obligation for this particular type of clothing, the Jilbab, is well established through the primary Islamic sources. The very famous verse of Surah Al Ahzab is to be quoted here:
O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (jalabib) close round them (when they go outside). That will be better, so that they may be recognised and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. (59)
An incident that occurred immediately following the revelation of this verse sheds light on its obvious meaning and the weight of the command its words carry. It is narrated in the Sunan of Imam Abu Dawood that the prophet's wife Umm Salama is reported as having said: "When the verse 'That they should draw their jalabib close around them' was revealed, the women of the Ansar came out as if they had crows over their heads by wearing Jilbab".
This hadith exemplifies the haste with which this commandment was undertaken, and the clear obligation of it. The obligatory nature of the outer garment that is the Jilbab is also evident in the Prophet limiting women's ability to come outside the home and into public life to when they were wearing a Jilbab. It is narrated in the Sahih of Imam Bukhari that Umm Atiya said: "We were ordered to bring our menstruating women and screened women to religious gatherings and invocation of the Muslims on the two Eids. These women were to keep away from the Musallah. A woman asked, 'Oh Rasool Allah, what about a woman who does not have the Jilbab and wishes to come out?' He replied by saying 'Let her borrow the Jilbab' of her companion'".
The Prophet Muhammad SAW therefore limited the women going out publicly to when they were wearing a Jilbab. If they did not possess one, then they were compelled to borrow one from a friend. The Prophet SAW saying "let her borrow the Jilbab of her companion" is an express indication, or qarina, that the opposite of this action is not allowed, even though he has not disallowed it in express words. The meaning or implication is clear, and establishes for a Muslimah the obligation of wearing a Jilbab to go into the public domain, or the prohibition of doing so without one.
From this discussion of evidence, it is amply evident that some garment called the "Jilbab" is obligatory for the Muslimah. What this exactly is, however, must be crystallized in its own right, notwithstanding the brief allusions to it being a singular piece thus far in this article. How then, do we understand the term "Jilbab"?
What's in a word; a matter of semantics?
SO what exactly is this obligatory garment called the "Jilbab"? IN order to comply with an order of Allah SWT, it is a truism to say that we must be familiar with what that order is referring to. Thus it would be wrong to prohibit Pepsi on the basis that Khamr (wine) is disallowed merely because, on the basis of tenuous evidence, some might say that the former causes hyperactivity among children, which can be deemed by some as being similar to intoxication. The rule for Khamr needs to be understood in the context of the word's meaning as the Lawgiver SWT intended it (as referring to alcoholic intoxication and not merely the influence of relatively harmless substances such as Caffeine which very minutely alter bodily function). Such an understanding comes only in light of appreciating the usage of words by the Arabs at the time the commandments of the Qur'an came down.
Some say that the obligation of the Jilbab, while established, allows Muslim women to go out in public life in multi-piece garments (notwithstanding the Khimar) because the evidences do not specify a definition of "Jilbab". Such propositions by and large ignore the sheer importance lexicography plays in understand the Usool of deriving Islamic law, and they leave the door open to whimsical, modern understandings of words used in the Qur'an, whose different understanding in the modern age would alter the Ahkam of Islam considerably.
In order to grasp, in full, the meaning of a Qur'anic or Prophetic injunction, the wording used to establish that injunction must be understood in its own context, and anything less is an injustice to the process of deriving divine law. Thus we must seek out the understanding of the word "Jilbab" as it was held by the Arabs at the time of the Law's revelation. This is not a difficult matter, and one whose understanding solidifies the conception of what the Jilbab is. We refer here, therefore, to the dictionaries and books explaining the classical (Fusha) Arabic in which the Qur'an was revealed.
The most definitive dictionary on classical Arabic was written by Ibn Mandhoor, an Islamic scholar and linguist of the highest order (died 711), and was called Lisaan-al-Arab. This dictionary is considered the most powerful tool for understanding the Fusha Arabic in which the Qur'an was revealed. According to ibn Mandhoor's Lisaan, "the Jilbab is the outergarment, mantle or cloak. It is derived from tajalbaba, which means to clothe. The Jilbab is the outer sheet or covering which a woman wraps around her on top of her garments to cover herself head or shoulders down to the feet. It hides her body completely".
Another very prominent dictionary of Fusha Arabic is the Al Qamus Al Muhit, or "comprehensive dictionary". This particular work was the amalgam of the works of two other Arabic linguists, Ibn Saadi and As Sajaani. Al Qumas was written by the famous Maliki scholar Abu Tahir al Fairuzabadi, being completed around the year 1400. Fairuzabadi's pedigree as a scholar in his own right makes his work all the more meaningful from a jurisprudential viewpoint, and in his Qamus he says that the "Jilbab is that complete outer clothing of the woman which conceals her clothes like a cover".
Yet another Arabic dictionary, al-Sihah, was completed by the Arabic lexicographer Abu Nasr al Jawhari. He is famous for having studied the Fusha Arabic from the Arabs of the desert, which gives further clout to his understanding of the Qur'anic language. In his work he says that "the Jilbab is the cover and some say it is a sheet. It has been mentioned in ahadith with the meaning of one sheet, which the Muslim woman must wrap over her clothes when in public".
It is not just classical dictionaries written in classical times which assert that the Jilbab is a one piece outergarment which the woman wears in public life. Arguably the most monumental work in cross-lexical scholarship between ANY two languages in the modern age, that being theArabic-English Lexicon by Edward Lane (completed in 1893 by his student Stanley Poole), defines the Jilbab as "one garment that envelops the whole body…a wide garment for a woman, and one with which she covers her other garments".
And it is not only the classical Arabic dictionaries which take this as being the meaning imparted by the word "Jilbab" or "jalabib" (plural) as used in the verse of Surah al Ahzab. Modern works of undoubted authority on the Arabic language make it clear that the meaning today too remains the same. This is the case in Hans Wehrs' Dictionary of modern written Arabic and A dictionary and glossary of the Qur'an by John Penrice.
From a lexical perspective, therefore, it is clear that the Jilbab, or Jalabib, as made reference to in the Qur'an, is a singular sheet of clothing which is worn on top of the normal clothes of the woman, or to cover the normal/house clothes of the woman. Both its outergarment, and singular nature, is thus established.
Hence an appreciation of the Arabic language is vital in characterising the true nature of the Jilbab. The matter is not semantical, as semantics are frivolous discussions which don't change the meaning of the matter being discussed, but is an important one, as its consideration leads to the understanding that the Muslimah is to cover, as commanded by Allah, her ordinary clothes with a one-piece wrap which she must wear when she ventures into the public domain. It is not only lexicon which establishes this understanding, but the Islamic texts themselves, as we shall now discover.
The Islamic dress code for men and women is well known, distinguished from other religions' dictates on the matter and unique in its ability to prevent social vices and moral discord. At its heart is preventing the exposure of those parts of the bodies of men and women which are an invitation to the licentious desires of either gender, as well as those aspects beyond covering which would invite lust and desire.
The ideal Muslimah is characterised by piety, fear of Allah SWT and concern for His decree in every matter. Essential to the Muslim woman's daily comportment is her attire and the way in which she carries herself in public. In recent times the Islamic dress for women has come under fire as being oppressive, restrictive and ancient as part of the ongoing ideological onslaught against the deen of Islam. Muslims, nonetheless, realise the fallacy of such expostulations and appreciate that only the divinely inspired Islamic social system and its dictums are sufficient in guarding the honour and chastity of all peoples. This is clear not just from an analysis of Islamic Jurisprudential law, but also from a cursory glance at the venality present in Western society, where the detriment of social promiscuity is readily observable in the prevalence of adultery, fornication and the disintegration of the family unit.
One aspect of the Muslimah's attire that has captured the attention of some modern Muslim audiences is that of the Jilbab, the single cloth which helps complete the Islamic requirement for a woman's dress. A contemporary "debate" on this particular issue has emerged in our times; causing confusion on a matter where the wide body of classical scholars reached a majority opinion. Some observers wrongfully contend that the debate is about the Fardh (obligatory) nature of the Jilbab (only the most audacious would challenge its obligatory nature); rather it is about what the Jilbab is to be defined and charaterised as.
This article will seek to explore the issue of the Jilbab, its requirements, and whether points forwarded are frivolity in the guise of semantics or an in-depth appreciation of the lexicon of the Arabic language and an understanding of the Usool (principles) of Islamic Law.
Defining the terms
A few terms which need to be clarified in this discussion are often themselves a source of confusion. The term "Hijab", for instance, is often thought to be the headscarf, when its meaning is otherwise.
The Hijab literally means concealing, screening, or protecting and is used to refer to the mandatory dress of the Muslim person, be they male or female. For our purposes, therefore, the Hijab is the composite or complete dress for Muslim women. The root word of Hijab is hajaba and that means to veil, to cover, to screen, or shelter, among other things.
The Khimar is the word which refers to the Muslimah's headscarf that covers her head and drapes over her neck and bosom. One of the most respected Islamic commentators on the Qur'an, Imam Abu Al-Fida ibn Kathir, is noted to have said: "Khumur is the plural of khimar which means something that covers, and is what is used to cover the head. This is what is known among the people as a khimar."
The Jilbab, meanwhile, is the subject of our discussion, and its definition shall be elucidated upon further into the article. More important, at this stage, is establishing the command (Hukm) of this "Jilbab" – is it recommended, is it obligatory, or is it merely permissible for the Muslimah?
The Jilbab – an established obligation
The Muslimah is required to preserve her modesty in front of those who are non-Mahram for her. A non-Mahram male is one to which she can potentially get married. The verse of the Qur'an which establishes the edicts of the Muslimah's dress in general terms is found in Surah an-Nur:
And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands' fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters' sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed. (31)
The method whereby this injunction is carried out is through the covering of the woman's Awrah, which is the area of the body she must cover at all times when in front of non-Mahram males. She is only allowed to display "that which is apparent", which the majority of scholars have agreed is the face and the hands. Further to this, it is narrated by Aisha (RaA) the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) once said, "Oh Asma, if the woman reaches the age of puberty, nothing should be seen of her but this and this", pointing to his face and hands beyond the wrists. This hadith was graded Sahih by ibn Hibban according to Imam Muslim's criteria, and was also recorded by Abu Dawood and Al Baihaqi.
The Awrah for the woman is thus all but the hands and the face. In front of non-Mahram males, therefore, she must cover her entire Awrah in a way that doesn't compromise her modesty. Here a distinction must be made between public and private life. It is established that the guidelines for what she must cover with whilst in the home (in private) are fundamentally different from that which apply to the public dress; an understanding arrived at through appreciation of the Islamic texts, an activity we shall engage in presently. When in front of non-Mahram males in private life (ie: at home) the imperative is on the Muslimah to cover her awrah and the command (Hukm) for her is left at this. She is allowed to cover her awrah in a way which satisfies her, so long as she fulfils the obligation of dressing modestly, without showing off her charms or without appealing to the carnal desires of the present males in as far as her capacity allows her to do so. If she successfully does this, then she is fulfilling her obligatory dress requirements. She is, therefore, permitted to wear a traditional Indian Shalwaar Kameez, or a loose and baggy skirt and top, as long as her body shape remains relatively well shielded and the contours of her body are relatively inconspicuous, thus fulfilling the conditions of all Islamic dress (be it public or private) as discussed later in the article. All this is, of course, to be fulfilled in addition to the commandment for covering the Awrah (hair, arms, neck etc) – the point to emphasise here being that there is no restriction in the manner she does this as long as she is covered, within the bounds of modesty.
Public dress, however, is a different matter, and is where our discourse is centered. For a Muslimah's attire in public life, Allah has decreed a wrap or Jilbab which conceals the clothes she primarily covers herself with. This Jilbab is to be a singular piece of cloth, which according to the majority scholarly view is to drape down from the shoulders to her feet. It is not permitted for the Muslimah to go outside her house in either her primary layer of clothing, or any clothing which is other than a singular, loose garment that covers her from at least the shoulder down to her feet. There is a difference of opinion (Ikhtilaf) among the Ulema with regards to whether the Jilbab should drape down from the shoulders or the head down, but is a separate discussion in its own right pertaining to the Niqab, and cannot be entertained here.
The obligation for this particular type of clothing, the Jilbab, is well established through the primary Islamic sources. The very famous verse of Surah Al Ahzab is to be quoted here:
O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (jalabib) close round them (when they go outside). That will be better, so that they may be recognised and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. (59)
An incident that occurred immediately following the revelation of this verse sheds light on its obvious meaning and the weight of the command its words carry. It is narrated in the Sunan of Imam Abu Dawood that the prophet's wife Umm Salama is reported as having said: "When the verse 'That they should draw their jalabib close around them' was revealed, the women of the Ansar came out as if they had crows over their heads by wearing Jilbab".
This hadith exemplifies the haste with which this commandment was undertaken, and the clear obligation of it. The obligatory nature of the outer garment that is the Jilbab is also evident in the Prophet limiting women's ability to come outside the home and into public life to when they were wearing a Jilbab. It is narrated in the Sahih of Imam Bukhari that Umm Atiya said: "We were ordered to bring our menstruating women and screened women to religious gatherings and invocation of the Muslims on the two Eids. These women were to keep away from the Musallah. A woman asked, 'Oh Rasool Allah, what about a woman who does not have the Jilbab and wishes to come out?' He replied by saying 'Let her borrow the Jilbab' of her companion'".
The Prophet Muhammad SAW therefore limited the women going out publicly to when they were wearing a Jilbab. If they did not possess one, then they were compelled to borrow one from a friend. The Prophet SAW saying "let her borrow the Jilbab of her companion" is an express indication, or qarina, that the opposite of this action is not allowed, even though he has not disallowed it in express words. The meaning or implication is clear, and establishes for a Muslimah the obligation of wearing a Jilbab to go into the public domain, or the prohibition of doing so without one.
From this discussion of evidence, it is amply evident that some garment called the "Jilbab" is obligatory for the Muslimah. What this exactly is, however, must be crystallized in its own right, notwithstanding the brief allusions to it being a singular piece thus far in this article. How then, do we understand the term "Jilbab"?
What's in a word; a matter of semantics?
SO what exactly is this obligatory garment called the "Jilbab"? IN order to comply with an order of Allah SWT, it is a truism to say that we must be familiar with what that order is referring to. Thus it would be wrong to prohibit Pepsi on the basis that Khamr (wine) is disallowed merely because, on the basis of tenuous evidence, some might say that the former causes hyperactivity among children, which can be deemed by some as being similar to intoxication. The rule for Khamr needs to be understood in the context of the word's meaning as the Lawgiver SWT intended it (as referring to alcoholic intoxication and not merely the influence of relatively harmless substances such as Caffeine which very minutely alter bodily function). Such an understanding comes only in light of appreciating the usage of words by the Arabs at the time the commandments of the Qur'an came down.
Some say that the obligation of the Jilbab, while established, allows Muslim women to go out in public life in multi-piece garments (notwithstanding the Khimar) because the evidences do not specify a definition of "Jilbab". Such propositions by and large ignore the sheer importance lexicography plays in understand the Usool of deriving Islamic law, and they leave the door open to whimsical, modern understandings of words used in the Qur'an, whose different understanding in the modern age would alter the Ahkam of Islam considerably.
In order to grasp, in full, the meaning of a Qur'anic or Prophetic injunction, the wording used to establish that injunction must be understood in its own context, and anything less is an injustice to the process of deriving divine law. Thus we must seek out the understanding of the word "Jilbab" as it was held by the Arabs at the time of the Law's revelation. This is not a difficult matter, and one whose understanding solidifies the conception of what the Jilbab is. We refer here, therefore, to the dictionaries and books explaining the classical (Fusha) Arabic in which the Qur'an was revealed.
The most definitive dictionary on classical Arabic was written by Ibn Mandhoor, an Islamic scholar and linguist of the highest order (died 711), and was called Lisaan-al-Arab. This dictionary is considered the most powerful tool for understanding the Fusha Arabic in which the Qur'an was revealed. According to ibn Mandhoor's Lisaan, "the Jilbab is the outergarment, mantle or cloak. It is derived from tajalbaba, which means to clothe. The Jilbab is the outer sheet or covering which a woman wraps around her on top of her garments to cover herself head or shoulders down to the feet. It hides her body completely".
Another very prominent dictionary of Fusha Arabic is the Al Qamus Al Muhit, or "comprehensive dictionary". This particular work was the amalgam of the works of two other Arabic linguists, Ibn Saadi and As Sajaani. Al Qumas was written by the famous Maliki scholar Abu Tahir al Fairuzabadi, being completed around the year 1400. Fairuzabadi's pedigree as a scholar in his own right makes his work all the more meaningful from a jurisprudential viewpoint, and in his Qamus he says that the "Jilbab is that complete outer clothing of the woman which conceals her clothes like a cover".
Yet another Arabic dictionary, al-Sihah, was completed by the Arabic lexicographer Abu Nasr al Jawhari. He is famous for having studied the Fusha Arabic from the Arabs of the desert, which gives further clout to his understanding of the Qur'anic language. In his work he says that "the Jilbab is the cover and some say it is a sheet. It has been mentioned in ahadith with the meaning of one sheet, which the Muslim woman must wrap over her clothes when in public".
It is not just classical dictionaries written in classical times which assert that the Jilbab is a one piece outergarment which the woman wears in public life. Arguably the most monumental work in cross-lexical scholarship between ANY two languages in the modern age, that being theArabic-English Lexicon by Edward Lane (completed in 1893 by his student Stanley Poole), defines the Jilbab as "one garment that envelops the whole body…a wide garment for a woman, and one with which she covers her other garments".
And it is not only the classical Arabic dictionaries which take this as being the meaning imparted by the word "Jilbab" or "jalabib" (plural) as used in the verse of Surah al Ahzab. Modern works of undoubted authority on the Arabic language make it clear that the meaning today too remains the same. This is the case in Hans Wehrs' Dictionary of modern written Arabic and A dictionary and glossary of the Qur'an by John Penrice.
From a lexical perspective, therefore, it is clear that the Jilbab, or Jalabib, as made reference to in the Qur'an, is a singular sheet of clothing which is worn on top of the normal clothes of the woman, or to cover the normal/house clothes of the woman. Both its outergarment, and singular nature, is thus established.
Hence an appreciation of the Arabic language is vital in characterising the true nature of the Jilbab. The matter is not semantical, as semantics are frivolous discussions which don't change the meaning of the matter being discussed, but is an important one, as its consideration leads to the understanding that the Muslimah is to cover, as commanded by Allah, her ordinary clothes with a one-piece wrap which she must wear when she ventures into the public domain. It is not only lexicon which establishes this understanding, but the Islamic texts themselves, as we shall now discover.
The Characteristics/conditions of Jilbab and dress as per the Islamic texts
The Islamic texts themselves clearly establish the Jilbab as a singular sheet (separate to the Khimar or headscarf) worn on top of one's home clothes.
Surah an-Nur Ayah 31, discussed earlier in the article, establishes the dictates for a Muslimah's modesty in general terms. However, Surah Al Ahzab Ayah 59 commands the wearing of a "Jilbab close around them". The conciliation of these two verses is that the basic requirement for the woman at all times in the presence of a non-Mahram male is as per the things listed in the former Ayah, whereas the latter establishes the necessity of an outergarment to be worn as an addition to the requisite elements of dress (in front of non-Mahrams), when the Muslimah partakes in public life.
Moreover, a critical Ayah forwarded in support of the singular and outergarment nature of the Jilbab is Ayah 60 of Surah an Nur.
'And as for women past child-bearing who do not expect wed-lock, it is no sin on them if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show their adornment. But to refrain (i.e. not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.' [24:60]
Of note in this particular discourse is the Tafsir of none other than Imam al Qurtubi. To one well versed with classical Islamic scholarship, this is a colossal figure, whose commentary of the Qur'an (Al-Jami' li Ahkam il-Qur'an) is considered as ranking just below the commentaries of many companions, who are considered the most well learned commentators of the Qur'an, and is held to be perhaps the greatest work on Tafsir along with the Tafsir of Imam At Tabari in times after the Salaf. In his commentary of this verse, al Qurtubi says that it is a clear averment that the Jilbab is to be an outergarment for the woman, such that once she reaches menopause, she is allowed to discard it. In this contention he cites the opinions of the two great companions Abdullah Ibn Abbas (considered the greatest single exegist/commentator on the Qur'an, whom even Khalifah Umar RA would go to for his opinion) and Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, accepted as the two most commanding authorities on Qur'anic exegesis. They understood this verse as a direct inference alluding to the Jilbab being the singular outergarment that women could discard when the age of menopause arrived.
The texts thus establish not just the fardh (obligatory) nature of the Jilbab, but also clarify that it is a singular outergarment through the above verses and their interpretation by the most learned men of Islam, the companions of the Prophet Muhammad SAW himself. The obvious lexical understanding of the term "Jilbab" also clarifies that it is one garment, being in complete harmony with the texts, such that the Shariah's command in this regard thus applies to a one-piece garment worn over the home clothes.
The other conditions of the Jilbab or the Muslimah's dress generally are derived mainly from the verse of Surah an-Nur, but are expounded in other primary texts. One such example is the condition that the Jilbab be sufficiently thick and not seen through, established through the presently mentioned example and others. When Usama RA enquired with the Messenger SAW as to the permissibility of dressing his wife in a thin garment called the cuptiyah, he SAW responded by saying "Command her to wear a undergarment underneath it, for I fear that it might describe the size of her bones", in reference to her body shape. Thus the prohibition of wearing thin clothes that reveal the body shape outside reasonable bounds, and the condition that the Muslimah's dress not reveal her shape, is established. This condition is applicable to the Muslimah's dress in front of non-Mahrams generally; hence, if inside the home in their presence, she must wear clothes which do not fit tightly around her body, and if outside, then her Jilbab must be loose and not tight.
The conditions for the Muslimah's dress in front of non-Mahrams, established through various evidences, can be summarised as follows:
* It must be loose fitting.
* It mustn't be transparent.
* It shouldn't resemble clothing of the other gender.
* It shouldn't become a source of attraction (tabarruj).
These conditions are the conditions for ALL Muslim women's' dress in front of non-Mahram males. The Jilbab, which must be worn when in the public domain, has its own conditions, which must adhere to the above basic rules of dress, and must also fulfil the following criteria:
* The Jilbab must be an extra layer worn on top of normal clothing, or an "outergarment"
* If the Khimar is worn then it is to be a shoulder-to-feet article, but if the Khimar isn't worn, then the Jilbab can be draped over the head all the way to the bottom of the feet, as is the case in some places.
* The Jilbab must be made of a fabric sufficiently thick to hide the normal clothes and contours of the Muslimah's body.
The Islamic texts themselves clearly establish the Jilbab as a singular sheet (separate to the Khimar or headscarf) worn on top of one's home clothes.
Surah an-Nur Ayah 31, discussed earlier in the article, establishes the dictates for a Muslimah's modesty in general terms. However, Surah Al Ahzab Ayah 59 commands the wearing of a "Jilbab close around them". The conciliation of these two verses is that the basic requirement for the woman at all times in the presence of a non-Mahram male is as per the things listed in the former Ayah, whereas the latter establishes the necessity of an outergarment to be worn as an addition to the requisite elements of dress (in front of non-Mahrams), when the Muslimah partakes in public life.
Moreover, a critical Ayah forwarded in support of the singular and outergarment nature of the Jilbab is Ayah 60 of Surah an Nur.
'And as for women past child-bearing who do not expect wed-lock, it is no sin on them if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show their adornment. But to refrain (i.e. not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.' [24:60]
Of note in this particular discourse is the Tafsir of none other than Imam al Qurtubi. To one well versed with classical Islamic scholarship, this is a colossal figure, whose commentary of the Qur'an (Al-Jami' li Ahkam il-Qur'an) is considered as ranking just below the commentaries of many companions, who are considered the most well learned commentators of the Qur'an, and is held to be perhaps the greatest work on Tafsir along with the Tafsir of Imam At Tabari in times after the Salaf. In his commentary of this verse, al Qurtubi says that it is a clear averment that the Jilbab is to be an outergarment for the woman, such that once she reaches menopause, she is allowed to discard it. In this contention he cites the opinions of the two great companions Abdullah Ibn Abbas (considered the greatest single exegist/commentator on the Qur'an, whom even Khalifah Umar RA would go to for his opinion) and Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, accepted as the two most commanding authorities on Qur'anic exegesis. They understood this verse as a direct inference alluding to the Jilbab being the singular outergarment that women could discard when the age of menopause arrived.
The texts thus establish not just the fardh (obligatory) nature of the Jilbab, but also clarify that it is a singular outergarment through the above verses and their interpretation by the most learned men of Islam, the companions of the Prophet Muhammad SAW himself. The obvious lexical understanding of the term "Jilbab" also clarifies that it is one garment, being in complete harmony with the texts, such that the Shariah's command in this regard thus applies to a one-piece garment worn over the home clothes.
The other conditions of the Jilbab or the Muslimah's dress generally are derived mainly from the verse of Surah an-Nur, but are expounded in other primary texts. One such example is the condition that the Jilbab be sufficiently thick and not seen through, established through the presently mentioned example and others. When Usama RA enquired with the Messenger SAW as to the permissibility of dressing his wife in a thin garment called the cuptiyah, he SAW responded by saying "Command her to wear a undergarment underneath it, for I fear that it might describe the size of her bones", in reference to her body shape. Thus the prohibition of wearing thin clothes that reveal the body shape outside reasonable bounds, and the condition that the Muslimah's dress not reveal her shape, is established. This condition is applicable to the Muslimah's dress in front of non-Mahrams generally; hence, if inside the home in their presence, she must wear clothes which do not fit tightly around her body, and if outside, then her Jilbab must be loose and not tight.
The conditions for the Muslimah's dress in front of non-Mahrams, established through various evidences, can be summarised as follows:
* It must be loose fitting.
* It mustn't be transparent.
* It shouldn't resemble clothing of the other gender.
* It shouldn't become a source of attraction (tabarruj).
These conditions are the conditions for ALL Muslim women's' dress in front of non-Mahram males. The Jilbab, which must be worn when in the public domain, has its own conditions, which must adhere to the above basic rules of dress, and must also fulfil the following criteria:
* The Jilbab must be an extra layer worn on top of normal clothing, or an "outergarment"
* If the Khimar is worn then it is to be a shoulder-to-feet article, but if the Khimar isn't worn, then the Jilbab can be draped over the head all the way to the bottom of the feet, as is the case in some places.
* The Jilbab must be made of a fabric sufficiently thick to hide the normal clothes and contours of the Muslimah's body.
Can one whimsically fulfil the conditions of the Jilbab?
* Some people claim that a multi-piece set of articles, if worn over the home clothes, can constitute the Jilbab because they are worn "over the home clothes" and thus fulfil the condition that the Jilbab is an outergarment. This particular proposition is incorrect as it is clearly established that the Lawgiver SWT, by virtue of his use of the word "jalabib" and its clearly understood lexical meaning (which hasn't altered through the ages), intended not just an outergarment as obligatory, but one that was singular in its nature and was not multi-pieced. Thus the Jilbab cannot be multi-pieced and this particular understanding ignores completely the enormous and undeniable weight behind the real meaning of the word "Jilbab" as understood in the language of the Qur'an both in classical and contemporary times, and by the great Islamic scholars and lexicographers.
* Some people, meanwhile, audaciously challenge the very Fardh (obligation) of the Jilbab itself, although they are in the clear minority and this view shouldn't be given credence through entertainment of discussion on it. It is abundantly clear, without any room for doubt, that Allah SWT in Surah Al Ahzab Verse 50, and the Prophet through his clear speech on the matter of women going outside without the Jilbab, indubitably established a ruling.
* Finally, mixing the aforementioned two views is yet another, which claims that the ruling on the Jilbab is subject to an 'Illah, or a legal reason, meaning that the commandment of the Jilbab is subject to the implication of the condition (Mafhoom al-shart). This view is distinct from the above two because it doesn't deny the Fardh of the conditions of the Jilbab, but nonetheless questions the decisiveness of wearing the clearly defined garment if the conditions are fulfilled. In essence, it is contended that the real task of the Muslimah is to fulfil the "legal reasons" bringing the ruling of the Jilbab into being, such as modesty. If she is able to satisfy these conditions or reasons, then she has fulfilled her obligation and it does not matter if she wears the Jilbab (the one-piece outergarment) or not, since its application/adornment is subject to these conditions. This view is manifestly incorrect and in complete disharmony with the work of traditional Islamic scholars and Usooliyeen (Ulema of the principles of Islamic law). The texts dealing with this particular issue do not in any way carry a legal reason.
We observe that the verse of Surah Al Ahzab offers some divine wisdom behind the Hukm (ruling), namely so that "they may be recognised and not annoyed". This doesn't in any way suggest that the wearing of the Jilbab ("Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them") is contingent upon women being recognised (or not) or being annoyed/not annoyed. While wisdom is offered, and it is a blessing of Allah SWT to humanity, it is not in this case a legal reason, and thus the application of the command isn't subject to the fulfillment of any conditions, because Allah SWT doesn't make the following of the Hukm dependent on annoyance in any way, as is clear from the Ayah and what Mufassireen such as Al Qurtubi have categorically declared.
Secondly, the famous hadith of the Prophet SAW mentioned earlier in the article, where he said 'Let her borrow the Jilbab' of her companion' instead of allowing a non-Jilbaabi without a Jilbab to leave the home, establishes that a woman wishing to go outside must go out with a Jilbab on, or after having borrowed one from someone else. It is explicitly clear that she cannot go out without a Jilbab, given the Prophet's wordscommanding the borrowing of a Jilbab if there is non-possession thereof. Thus the prohibition of going out without one is established by the Prophet's decisive command regarding borrowing one if it isn't already possessed.
Hence there is no legal reason behind the Jilbab; rather the matter is subject to clear texts which carry clear meanings and orders over which there can be no doubt. Not only is this evident from the texts themselves and the commentaries of the scholars of the Qur'an on the matter as presented above, but it is also clear from the stance adopted by the majority of Ulema on the matter, of which some are presented below. The contentions that the Jilbab has an 'Illah, or that it can be two-pieced, are propositions that do not stand up to scrutiny and are obviously dwarfed by the sheer weight of evidence and scholarly opinion backing the obligation of the Jilbab as defined clearly herein.
Classical Scholarly opinion on the matter of the Jilbab
Imam Al-Qurtubi, in addition to what has been quoted previously, forwarded the narrations of both ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud. The following is a quote from his Tafsir: 'Jalabib is the plural of Jilbab, and it is a garment larger than a khimar (headscarf). It has been narrated by Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud that it is a ridaa (large sheet of cloth). It is said that it is a qina'/veil but the correct view is that it is a garment which covers the whole body. It has been reported in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Umm 'Atiya who asked; "O Messenger of Allah! What about one who does not have a Jilbab?". He said, "Let her borrow the Jilbab of her companion".
The famous work Safwat at-tafasir by Ali as-Sabuni, an amalgamation of the most commanding Qur'anic exegeses (including those of At Tabari,al Qurtubi, and Az Zamakhashari), states that verse 59 of chapter Ahzab is saying to the Prophet to 'tell the women that they should wear a wide outer garment.'
An-Nawawi, one of the leading scholars of the Shafi'i school of thought, quoted Imam Ash Shafi'i as having said that the Jilbab 'is a sheet worn over the clothes i.e. that it is an outer garment)' He added that: 'This view is correct and it is the view of ash-Shafi'i (that the Jilbab is worn over the ones clothes)'. Imam Nawawi needs no introduction to a Muslim with even elementary knowledge of Islamic history; nor, of course, does Imam Shafi'i.
Sheikh Muhammad Al-Hanooti said that 'The verse 59 of Surah Al-Ahzab urges a woman to wear a Jilbab. A Jilbab means the outer garment over her inner clothes to guarantee that everything of her body is covered and doesn't show or shape any of her figures. That is the objective of Shari'a.'
Sheikh Taqiuddin an Nabhani, founder of the worldwide Islamic political party and mass movement Hizb ut Tahrir, considered a reputable scholar in his own right, adopted the view that the basic obligatory public dress for the Muslim woman in public is the singular outergarment called the Jilbab draped from the shoulders down towards the feet, and the Khimar.
Conclusion
The beautiful way of life that is Islam has been sent for the guidance of humanity, with a complete set of ordinances for all facets of life. The successful in the hereafter are those who are Muttaqoon (believers who fear Allah) and strive for Allah's pleasure through firm adherence to these dictates.
The Jilbab is a fundament part of the Muslim woman's dress, and one which she should love to wear for the sake of preserving her modesty in public and abiding by the deen of the Haqq. It is, as has been shown, a single piece garment that is worn over her home clothes, a position arrived at through an examination of the evidences in light of their lexical significance and the positions of the great scholars of Islam, both classical and contemporary, on the matter. The difference of opinion existed on the Muslimah's dress not in terms of the Jilbab, its characterisation or Fardh, but in matters to do with the Niqab. The modern conjecture over the Jilbab is out of place, and the position arrived at by the classical scholars on the matter, through an understanding of the Qur'an and the Usool (principles) of Islamic jurisprudence, is not merely sufficient, but the overwhelmingly preponderant view which Muslims of today should seek to follow. We should never allow ourselves and our actions to be dictated by anything other than the Shariah (or what is easier to adorn/follow), for therein lies great reward for which we should strive in order to seek the pleasure of Allah SWT. May Allah give us the Imaan and Taqwah to adhere firmly to his deen and all which it entails! Ameen!
It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path." [Al-Ahzab 33:36]
* Some people claim that a multi-piece set of articles, if worn over the home clothes, can constitute the Jilbab because they are worn "over the home clothes" and thus fulfil the condition that the Jilbab is an outergarment. This particular proposition is incorrect as it is clearly established that the Lawgiver SWT, by virtue of his use of the word "jalabib" and its clearly understood lexical meaning (which hasn't altered through the ages), intended not just an outergarment as obligatory, but one that was singular in its nature and was not multi-pieced. Thus the Jilbab cannot be multi-pieced and this particular understanding ignores completely the enormous and undeniable weight behind the real meaning of the word "Jilbab" as understood in the language of the Qur'an both in classical and contemporary times, and by the great Islamic scholars and lexicographers.
* Some people, meanwhile, audaciously challenge the very Fardh (obligation) of the Jilbab itself, although they are in the clear minority and this view shouldn't be given credence through entertainment of discussion on it. It is abundantly clear, without any room for doubt, that Allah SWT in Surah Al Ahzab Verse 50, and the Prophet through his clear speech on the matter of women going outside without the Jilbab, indubitably established a ruling.
* Finally, mixing the aforementioned two views is yet another, which claims that the ruling on the Jilbab is subject to an 'Illah, or a legal reason, meaning that the commandment of the Jilbab is subject to the implication of the condition (Mafhoom al-shart). This view is distinct from the above two because it doesn't deny the Fardh of the conditions of the Jilbab, but nonetheless questions the decisiveness of wearing the clearly defined garment if the conditions are fulfilled. In essence, it is contended that the real task of the Muslimah is to fulfil the "legal reasons" bringing the ruling of the Jilbab into being, such as modesty. If she is able to satisfy these conditions or reasons, then she has fulfilled her obligation and it does not matter if she wears the Jilbab (the one-piece outergarment) or not, since its application/adornment is subject to these conditions. This view is manifestly incorrect and in complete disharmony with the work of traditional Islamic scholars and Usooliyeen (Ulema of the principles of Islamic law). The texts dealing with this particular issue do not in any way carry a legal reason.
We observe that the verse of Surah Al Ahzab offers some divine wisdom behind the Hukm (ruling), namely so that "they may be recognised and not annoyed". This doesn't in any way suggest that the wearing of the Jilbab ("Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them") is contingent upon women being recognised (or not) or being annoyed/not annoyed. While wisdom is offered, and it is a blessing of Allah SWT to humanity, it is not in this case a legal reason, and thus the application of the command isn't subject to the fulfillment of any conditions, because Allah SWT doesn't make the following of the Hukm dependent on annoyance in any way, as is clear from the Ayah and what Mufassireen such as Al Qurtubi have categorically declared.
Secondly, the famous hadith of the Prophet SAW mentioned earlier in the article, where he said 'Let her borrow the Jilbab' of her companion' instead of allowing a non-Jilbaabi without a Jilbab to leave the home, establishes that a woman wishing to go outside must go out with a Jilbab on, or after having borrowed one from someone else. It is explicitly clear that she cannot go out without a Jilbab, given the Prophet's wordscommanding the borrowing of a Jilbab if there is non-possession thereof. Thus the prohibition of going out without one is established by the Prophet's decisive command regarding borrowing one if it isn't already possessed.
Hence there is no legal reason behind the Jilbab; rather the matter is subject to clear texts which carry clear meanings and orders over which there can be no doubt. Not only is this evident from the texts themselves and the commentaries of the scholars of the Qur'an on the matter as presented above, but it is also clear from the stance adopted by the majority of Ulema on the matter, of which some are presented below. The contentions that the Jilbab has an 'Illah, or that it can be two-pieced, are propositions that do not stand up to scrutiny and are obviously dwarfed by the sheer weight of evidence and scholarly opinion backing the obligation of the Jilbab as defined clearly herein.
Classical Scholarly opinion on the matter of the Jilbab
Imam Al-Qurtubi, in addition to what has been quoted previously, forwarded the narrations of both ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud. The following is a quote from his Tafsir: 'Jalabib is the plural of Jilbab, and it is a garment larger than a khimar (headscarf). It has been narrated by Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud that it is a ridaa (large sheet of cloth). It is said that it is a qina'/veil but the correct view is that it is a garment which covers the whole body. It has been reported in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Umm 'Atiya who asked; "O Messenger of Allah! What about one who does not have a Jilbab?". He said, "Let her borrow the Jilbab of her companion".
The famous work Safwat at-tafasir by Ali as-Sabuni, an amalgamation of the most commanding Qur'anic exegeses (including those of At Tabari,al Qurtubi, and Az Zamakhashari), states that verse 59 of chapter Ahzab is saying to the Prophet to 'tell the women that they should wear a wide outer garment.'
An-Nawawi, one of the leading scholars of the Shafi'i school of thought, quoted Imam Ash Shafi'i as having said that the Jilbab 'is a sheet worn over the clothes i.e. that it is an outer garment)' He added that: 'This view is correct and it is the view of ash-Shafi'i (that the Jilbab is worn over the ones clothes)'. Imam Nawawi needs no introduction to a Muslim with even elementary knowledge of Islamic history; nor, of course, does Imam Shafi'i.
Sheikh Muhammad Al-Hanooti said that 'The verse 59 of Surah Al-Ahzab urges a woman to wear a Jilbab. A Jilbab means the outer garment over her inner clothes to guarantee that everything of her body is covered and doesn't show or shape any of her figures. That is the objective of Shari'a.'
Sheikh Taqiuddin an Nabhani, founder of the worldwide Islamic political party and mass movement Hizb ut Tahrir, considered a reputable scholar in his own right, adopted the view that the basic obligatory public dress for the Muslim woman in public is the singular outergarment called the Jilbab draped from the shoulders down towards the feet, and the Khimar.
Conclusion
The beautiful way of life that is Islam has been sent for the guidance of humanity, with a complete set of ordinances for all facets of life. The successful in the hereafter are those who are Muttaqoon (believers who fear Allah) and strive for Allah's pleasure through firm adherence to these dictates.
The Jilbab is a fundament part of the Muslim woman's dress, and one which she should love to wear for the sake of preserving her modesty in public and abiding by the deen of the Haqq. It is, as has been shown, a single piece garment that is worn over her home clothes, a position arrived at through an examination of the evidences in light of their lexical significance and the positions of the great scholars of Islam, both classical and contemporary, on the matter. The difference of opinion existed on the Muslimah's dress not in terms of the Jilbab, its characterisation or Fardh, but in matters to do with the Niqab. The modern conjecture over the Jilbab is out of place, and the position arrived at by the classical scholars on the matter, through an understanding of the Qur'an and the Usool (principles) of Islamic jurisprudence, is not merely sufficient, but the overwhelmingly preponderant view which Muslims of today should seek to follow. We should never allow ourselves and our actions to be dictated by anything other than the Shariah (or what is easier to adorn/follow), for therein lies great reward for which we should strive in order to seek the pleasure of Allah SWT. May Allah give us the Imaan and Taqwah to adhere firmly to his deen and all which it entails! Ameen!
It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path." [Al-Ahzab 33:36]
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Top 10 ways of having HALAAL ENTERTAINMENT :)
Many Muslims have a misconception that having fun is Haraam. Nothing
could be further from the truth as having fun is part of human nature
and Islam is the religion of Al-Fitrah (Human Nature). Unfortunately,
despite the fact that most forms of entertainment are Halal, many
Muslims seem to indulge in the Haraam forms instead.
So here are my top ten favorite Halal things to do for fun. But
remember even Halal forms of entertainment become Haraam through
overindulgence and neglecting your Islamic duties:
10. Eating out:
Everybody enjoys going out to their favorite fast food joint and
enjoying a delicious chicken tikka or burger. This is completely Halal
and extremely fun, especially when you go with company, so go ahead and
enjoy yourself… just make sure the chicken is Halal! 
9. Reading:
Not everybody enjoys this but I do, there is nothing like a good book
to take your mind of things and help you relax. Of course one must
choose a book whose content in Halal and it is preferable to read books
by Muslims, unless you have reached the level of knowledge to read
Non-Muslim books, and separate the good from the evil.
Don’t forget that the first command in the Quran was to “READ” so enjoy your reading, and may Allah help us all reach the level where we enjoy reading Islamic books.
8. Swimming:
This one is recommended by the prophet (peace & blessings be upon him), and there
is no better way to cool off on a hot day! So make sure your Satr is
covered and enjoy the water in the upcoming summer.
7. Relaxing:
We all need a break and nobody can pray all day, the prophet (peace
& blessings be upon him) recommended that we will our lives in balance and said, “A time for your Lord and a time for yourself,” meaning that we should
split our day and balance between Islamic work and living life. So do
not stress, when you get tired, sit back and relax. Its perfectly Halal,
just don’t sleep through any salah times.
6. Video Games and Videos:
Not all video games and videos are Haraam; it’s the content that
matters. So if you enjoy playing video games and can balance without
getting addicted, make sure you only buy Halal games (that means no
Grand Theft Auto!). The same with videos, watch
something Islamic or something beneficial and keep away from movies as they contain uncovered women, music, shameless scenes and immoral teachings. It it okay to watch a movie if it has little bit of Haraam in it? Sheikh kamal el mekki gives you the answer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi4G6NOoqjE
Most importantly, do not get addicted and sit till Fajr time playing
Pro Evolution Soccer, because that would then become haraam. So balance
and be careful and responsible when choosing the content, and do not try
to fool yourself that a certain movie is halal when you know it is not,
because you can not fool Allah or the angels sitting with you watching
and writing down every moment into your book of deeds.
5. Nature:
I love nature! Whether it is the ocean, forests, animals, I just love
being out in the natural environment. It is one of those times when I
feel closest to Allah and feel peace inside me. There is no feeling
equal to praying under a tree or on a mountain. Take my word for it and
book your next family holiday at some place natural, like the
Drakensburg Mountains of South Africa. It is Beautiful!
4. Nasheeds:
I love Nasheeds, in them I have found the perfect replacement for
music and a source of both joy and education for myself. Make sure you listen to halaal nasheeds (voice-only nasheeds, and according to some scholars daff nasheeds are permissible) so load your cars with
Zain Bhikha, Kamaluddin, Talib al-Habib etc. and throw out the Haraam music, and
enjoy Halal beneficial entertainment as you drive to work and back!
3. Hanging out with the right crowd:
Your friends either make you or break you. The prophet (peace & blessings be upon
him) said, “Every person follows the religion of his best friend so be
careful whom you befriend”.
Since we are all social beings, hanging out and socializing will be
high on our list of ways of having fun, yet it is so important to have
the right friends. Your friends are the ones who encourage
you to pray or to skip the prayer and catch a movie. They are the ones who tell you your Hijab looks beautiful or that it makes you look old. In the end, whom you choose to hang out with, makes the biggest difference in who you become.
you to pray or to skip the prayer and catch a movie. They are the ones who tell you your Hijab looks beautiful or that it makes you look old. In the end, whom you choose to hang out with, makes the biggest difference in who you become.
Sadly, in South Africa we have an added problem in that having fun is
looked upon as Haraam as a result many practicing Muslims in this
country are B-O-R-I-N-G! So it is even harder to find good friends here
who are practicing yet cool and fun, but they do exist. You just have to
look in the right places, like at the Al-Kauthar courses and ILM-SA
programmes. Hang out with those crowds, you will become a better Muslim
and have an awesome time at the time!
2. Playing with kids:
I have two baby boys, two baby nieces, a baby brother, a baby cousin
and many other little people in the family and there is nothing that is
more fun to me than spending time with these innocent sweet kids and
playing with them. Children are a joy and the coolness of my eyes. On
this point, I hate people who hate kids and treat them badly, it’s
because of such people in our Masjids that many kids grow up traumatized
and hate the Masjid and Islam. That is not Islamic at all.
The prophet (peace be upon him) would play with kids even in the
Masjid, sometimes when he was in Sajdah, he would be very long because
his grandchildren were riding on his back. That’s the Sunnah not banning
the kids from the Masjid and growling at them whenever you see them!
Playing with children is part of the Sunnah methods of having fun.
One last hadith on this topic, once the prophet (Peace be upon him)
kissed his grandchildren in public, a man commented that he had ten kids
and never kissed any of them. The prophet (peace be upon him) replied,
“What can I do if Allah has removed mercy from your heart, who ever does
not show mercy will not be shown mercy,” Think about that next time you
mistreat a child.
1. Marriage and all the fun it legalizes:
Being with the opposite gender is the natural desire of every human
and it is such a situation that one has the most fun, especially if
there is love between them. Islam does not prohibit this but promotes it
in the form of marriage while prohibiting it outside of marriage. So
dump your boyfriends and girlfriends, get religious and marry a cool
religious person!
The prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) stressed the importance of marriage
many times and also stressed the importance of having a fun marriage. If
your marital life sucks, your life in general will be miserable, but if
you are happily married and enjoying it (like I am, masha’Allah) then
you can cope with every other problem you face. The prophet (peace & blessings be
upon him) has a fun marital life, he would race with his wives, have
food fights with them, joke with them. Study his life with them; he was
the perfect husband so let us all follow in his footsteps.
Once the prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) advised a young companion who
had married an elderly woman, “you should have married someone young
(like you) so that you could play with her and she could play with you”.
So what are you waiting for?
If you are married, make changes to improve your marital life and
make it a source of fun and pleasure for yourself, and if you are not
married, get married soon and have a lot of kids so that then do
everything else of this list with your wife and kids, its more fun like
that than when you are alone.
—
I hope you all enjoyed and benefited from this list and I hope that
it will assist you in living Halal, practicing Islam and enjoying it.
May Allah guide us all to the straight and balanced path and put the
love of Islam into our hearts.
Slightly modified article taken from muslimmatters.org
What is meant by 'Lower your gaze'?
Allah the Most High, commands us in the Glorious Qur'an:
"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts'' (Qur'an 24:30)
"Tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts'' (Qur'an 24:31)
"Lowering the gaze" means:
Refraining from looking at people’s ‘awrah:
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (15/414):
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, has enjoined us in
His Book to lower the gaze, which is of two types: refraining from looking
at ‘awrahs and refraining from looking at the site of desire.
1) The former refers to a man refraining from looking at the
‘awrah of another person.
Awrah are the parts of the body that must not be exposed.
- The awrah of a woman in front of a non-mahram man is: According to some scholars, her entire body leaving her face and palms, and according to other scholars, the face must be covered, as well.
Imam al-Marghinani (Allah have mercy on him) states:
“It is impermissible for a man to look at the whole body of a non-Mahram woman (due to it being part of Awrah) except for her face and hands, for Allah Most High says: “Women must not display their beauty and ornaments except what appear thereof” (al-Nur, 31). Sayyiduna Ali and Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) interpreted this verse with the face and hands...(al-Hidaya, 4/458).
- The awrah of a man in front of a non-mahram woman and in front of other men is: His area between the navel and the knee, including the knees.
The Prophet (s.a.w.) passed by Ma’mar when I was with him, and his thighs were uncovered. He said: “O Ma’mar, cover your thighs, for the thigh is ‘awrah.” (Reported by Ahmad)
The Messenger of Allaah (s.a.w.) said: “Do not show your thigh, and do not look at the thigh of anyone, living or dead.” (Abu Dawood and Ibn Maajah)
- The awrah of a woman in front of a fellow muslim woman is the same to that which is a man’s Awrah in front of other men, i.e. from the navel up to and including the knees.
“A woman may see of another (Muslim) woman that which is permitted for a man to see of another man, due to them being from the same sex, and the non-existence of desire (shahwa) between them normally…..Similarly, due to the need and requirement of them exposing amongst themselves”. (See: al-Marghinani, al-Hidaya, 4/461).
- The awrah of a non-muslim woman is the same that is in front of non-Mahram men, i.e. the whole body besides the hands and face.
The verse of Surah al-Nur quoted earlier details the list of people besides whom a woman is not allowed to expose her beauty. Such people (as explained earlier) are known to be her Mahrams (unmarriageable kin). Also, in that verse, Allah Almighty states: “their women” (al-Nur, 31) indicating that a woman must only expose herself to her woman and not others.
- The ‘awrah of a woman in front of her mahrams such as her father, brother and nephew is her entire body except that which usually appears such as the face, hair, neck, forearms and feet.
Allah orders the muslim women "not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women” [al-Noor 24:31] So Allaah has permitted a woman to show her adornment in front of her mahrams.
It says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa: A man may also look at the face, neck, hand, foot, head and calf of a woman who is his mahram. According to this report al-Qaadi said: It is permissible (to look at) that which ordinarily appears such as the head and hands up to the elbows. These mahrams differ in the degree of closeness and risk of fitnah (temptation). However, it should be remembered that if there is a fear of temptation (fitna), then it will be impermissible to expose these parts even in front of Mahrams.
2) The second refers to looking at uncovered parts of a
non-mahram which are not awrah but looking at it causes desire.
The Prophet (s.a.w.) said "The Zina (adultery) of the eye is the (lustful) look...''
[Bukhari and Muslim]
Tips to help you lower your gaze:
1- Remember the reported texts about ordering to
lower the gaze and forbidding it from seeking the prohibited. Allah
Almighty has said:
{Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what they do.} [An-Noor 24:30]
And the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
“Allah has written for the son of Adam his share of adultery which he commits inevitably. The adultery of the eyes is the sight (to gaze at a forbidden thing), the adultery of the tongue is the talk, and the inner self wishes and desires and the private parts testify all this or deny it.” [Agreed upon]
He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
“O Ali, do not give a second look, (because) while you are not to blame for the first, you have no right to the second.” [Reported by At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawûd, and made good by At-Tirmidhi and Al-Albâni.]
What is meant by the first look is the one which is cast unintentionally.
2-
Seek the help of Allah Almighty, and keeping on asking Him to protect
you from this turmoil and to guard you against it. In a Divine Hadith,
reported by Muslim:
“O, my servants. All of you are straying except for those I guide. So, seek my guidance and I will guide you.“
The Almighty has said:
{And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.} [Al-Baqarah 2:186]
From the invocations of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is:
“O My Lord, give us a share of your fear (piety) that comes in between us and committing your disobediences.” [Reported and made good by At-Tirmidhi].
The Prophet,
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has guided one of his
companions to say this invocation: “O My Lord I seek Your refuge from
the evil of my hearing, from the evil of my sight, from the evil of my
tongue, from the evil of my heart, and from the evil of my sperms”
(meaning his private parts). [Reported and made good by At-Tirmidhi].
3-
To know that you have no choice or option in this, no matter what the
conditions and the circumstances are. Gaze must be lowered off the
prohibited in all places, times, and circumstances. You should not give
yourself the excuse of the corrupted reality; nor should you justify
your steps by the existence of the affliction inducers. Allah Almighty
has said:
{It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allâh and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error.} [Al-Ahzaab 33:36]
4- Remember that Allah is watching you, knows you; so that you may fear Him and feel ashamed before Him. Allah Almighty has said:
{And indeed We have created man, and We know what his ownself whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by Our Knowledge).} [Qaaf 50:16]
And He has also said: {Allâh knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal.} [Ghafir 40:19]
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
“I recommend you to be ashamed from Allah, as you feel ashamed from the righteous man in your people.” [Reported by Al-Hassan ibn Sufiân and Ahmed in Asceticism, made authentic by Al-Albâni]
So feel ashamed from Allah and do not make Him the easiest of your watchers.
5- Remember that your eyes bear witness against you. Allah Almighty has said:
{Till, when they reach it (Hell-fire), their hearing (ears) and their eyes, and their skins will testify against them as to what they used to do.} [Fussilat 41:20]
In Sahih Muslim,
from Anas, he said: “We were in the company of Allah’s Messenger, peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he smiled and said: Do you
know why I laughed? We said: Allah and His Messenger know best.
Thereupon he said: It was because of the (fact that there came to my
mind the) talk which the slave of Allah would have with his Lord (on
the Day of Judgment). He would say: My Lord, have you not guaranteed me
protection against injustice? He would say: Yes. Then the slave of
Allah would say: I do not deem valid any witness against me but my own
self, and He would say: Well, enough would be the witness of yourself
against you and that of the two angels who had been appointed to record
your deeds. Then the seal would be set upon his mouth and it would be
said to his limbs (hands, feet, eyes, ears…) to speak and they would
speak of his deeds. Then the mouth would be made free to talk, he would
say (to the hands and feet): Be away, let there be curse of Allah upon
you. It was for your safety that I was contending.”
So recognize
that your eye that you wanted to give pleasure out of the forbidden
will bear witness against you on the Day of Resurrection. So, keep it
off the prohibited.
6- Remember the angels that record your deeds. Allah Almighty has said:
{Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)} [Qaaf 50:18]
And
He has also said: {But verily, over you (are appointed angels in
charge of mankind) to watch you, (10) Kirâman (Honourable) Kâtibîn
writing down (your deeds), (11) They know all that you do}.
7- Remember the witness of the earth on which you commit sins. Allah Almighty has said:
{That Day it will declare its information (about all that happened over it of good or evil).} [Az-Zalzala 99:4]
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has explained:
“its information means that it bears witness against every slave of Allah of what he had done on its surface, as it says: he did so and so on the day of so and so“. [Reported by At-Tirmidhi and he said that it is good and authentic].
8-
Performing a lot of the optional worships. Performing more optional
worships combined with obligatory ones is a reason for the protection
of Allah to the senses of the slave, as in the Divine Hadith in which
The Almighty has said:
“Whoever antagonize one of my Auliyâ’ (i.e. those who believe in the Oneness of Allâh and fear Allâh much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which he has forbidden), and love Allâh much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)); then I will declare war against him. My slave will not approach me by anything more favorable for me than that I have enjoined on him. And my slave keeps approaching me by optional worships till I love him. And if I love him I will be his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he fights, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks me I will give him and if he asks my refuge I will give him refuge.” [Reported by Al-Bukhâri]
Ibn Rajab wrote in
“Gâmea El-’Ulûm Wal-Hikam (the Collection of Knowledge and wisdom):
this means that who works hard in approaching Allah with obligatory and
then optional acts of worships, Allah makes him nearer, and promotes
him from the rank of believing to the rank of Al-Ihsân (i.e. to be
patient in performing your duties to Allah, totally for Allah’s sake
and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet (peace be
upon him) in a perfect manner). So, he worships Allah feeling His
presence and monitoring as if he sees Allah watching him; which fills
his heart with the knowledge of Allah, His love, glory, fear, reverence
and joviality and longing for Him till the knowledge in his heart
turns into seeing with the eye of insight. When the heart is full with
the glory of Allah, this heart deletes everything else, and the slave
of Allah has no will or desire but what his Lord wants. By then, he
only speaks of His remembrance, and moves with His orders. If he
speaks; he speaks with Allah. If he hears; he hears with Him, if he
sees; he sees with Him, and if he ravages; he ravages with Him.“
9-
Remember the benefits and the fruits of lowering the gaze. Ibn
Al-Qayyim mentioned a number of benefits in Al-Jawâb Al-Kâfi (the
Sufficient Answer). Here are some of them in brief:
· It is
submission to the orders of Allah almighty, which is the ultimate
happiness for the slave of Allah in this life and the Hereafter.
· It prevents the impact of the poisoned arrow (the gaze) – which could destroy him – to his heart.
· It leaves joviality with Allah in the heart, and ties it; as letting it go distracts the heart.
· It blocks the Devil’s entrance to the heart. The Devil enters with sight faster than air in a space.
·
There is a path between the eye and the heart, which makes one
reformed by the reform of the other and destroyed by the destruction of
the other.
· It opens the ways of knowledge and facilitates its
means, because of the light of the heart. If the heart is illuminated
the facts of knowledge are uncovered to him and he moves from one to
another. Whoever raises his gaze, his heart grieves and darkens, and
the gate and paths of knowledge are blocked before him.
· It
relieves the pain of regret from the heart. He who raises his gaze, his
regret lasts. The most noxious thing to the heart is raising the gaze,
as man desires what he sees; which he cannot be patient about getting
it nor can he obtain it, and this is the ultimate pain.
· It
implants joy, happiness and ease, more than the joy and happiness of
gazing, in his heart. This is due to his overcoming his enemy by
disobeying his own lusts and wishes, and when he stops his desires for
Allah – including the desires of the wrong-ordering soul- Allah will
compensate him with a more perfect joy.
· It frees the heart from
the captivity of lustrous desire. The prisoner is captured by his
desire, as it was told: he is a prisoner; however he seems to the eyes
as if he were free.
· It frees the heart from the intoxication of
lust and the slumber of heedlessness. Raising the gaze leads to the
heedlessness from Allah and the Hereafter, it leads to the intoxication
of ardent passion which is more intoxicating than liquor.
· It
leads to safety from Al-Fâhishah (evil, great sin, every kind of
unlawful sexual intercourse, adultery, sodomy) because gazing is the
way to it.
· It leads to the safety from punishment in the
hereafter as a consequence of prohibited gazing. As was mentioned
before, the adultery of the eyes is gazing (to prohibited things).
10-
Striving with one’s soul and making it accustomed to lowering the
gaze, doing this with patience, and staying off despair. Allah Almighty
has said:
{As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths (i.e. Allâh’s religion – Islâmic Monotheism)} [Al-Ankaboot 29:69]
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
“Whoever bears patience, Allah will bestow patience upon him.” [Reported by Al-Bukhâri, under a section named: Patience on Allah's Prohibited Things]
»ومن يتصبر يصبره الله«رواه البخاري
Another
Hadith reported and authenticated by Al-Albani that the Prophet, peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: “victory comes from
patience.“
If your soul gets used to lowering the gaze, it becomes easier for it; man is overcome by habit and is tamed by persistence.
11- Trying some physical means, such as:
•
Avoiding places where the affliction of gazing is feared, if it is not
indispensable; even if you lose some benefits that are not comparable
to the benefits of safety from the affliction of gazing. For example,
if there is a place located between your house and your place of work
or school, in which you fear affliction, leave it and take another
route even if it is longer so that your heart may be safe from the
sedition. Also, stop watching series and movies for entertainment and
spending leisure time, and do not find excuses for getting near the
places of sedition on the pretext of keeping up with news and being
informed of the facts. Information is the head of the nail, as
mentioned by one of our Sheikhs – May Allah protect him. Also, beware
of traveling to infidel countries or places of depravity so that you
will not expose yourself to affliction.
• Stay away from
irrelevant curious looks, by looking where you walk and stop turning
around: right and left or behind. If one is curious he will certainly
find something prohibited to gaze at, if he is accustomed not to get
curious then he gets safe.
• Also, if one needs a certain
magazine, he should not go to stores where anything and everything is
being shown. Instead he should go to specialized stores, or –if
necessary- ask the storekeeper and does not look for what he needs by
himself so as not to expose himself to looking at prohibited pictures.
•
And, if one sees the shadow of a woman or what seems like that he
fears of temptation; he should turn his gaze away from it and does not
stare in order not to fall into sedition.
12-
Marriage is one of the best medicines in healing this disease. The
Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
“O young men, those among you who can support a wife should marry, for it restrains eyes from casting (evil glances) and protects the private parts from adultery; but those who cannot should keep on fasting for it is a means of controlling sexual desire.” [Agreed upon]
Marriage has many benefits
• It is submitting to the decree. In submission there is happiness in this worldly life and in the Hereafter.
• It restrains the eyes from casting (evil glances) and protects the private parts from adultery, as mentioned in the previous Hadith.
• It supplements one half of the religion, as the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: “when the slave of Allah marries, half of his religion is supplemented; so let him fear Allah in the remaining half.” [Reported by Al-Baihaqi from the Hadith of Anas, and considered good by Al-Albâni].
»إذا تزوج العبد ؛ فقد استكمل نصف الدين ، فليتق الله في النصف الباقي« رواه البيهقي وحسنه الألباني
• It is repose and stability, as Allah Almighty has said: {And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy.} [Ar-Room 30:21]
This repose and stability
helps one to perform his acts of worship and practice his worldly and
religious activities with comfort and dedication, so that he performs
better and more than others (unmarried persons).
13-
To remember that every bounty from Allah must be praised by what is
due thanks. The bounty of sight is praised by using one’s eyes in what
is legitimate and to keep it off the prohibited. If one lets it in the
prohibited, then one did not give the praise for this bounty and denied
it.
14- Increasing remembering Allah. It is a protection and shield from the Devil. In the Hadith narrated by Al-Hârith Al-Ash’ari:
“And I command you to remember Allah, for it is like a man whom the enemy has followed consistently till he has come to a fortress where he has protected himself from them. This is the condition of the slave of Allah; he only protects himself from the Devil by remembering Allah.” [Reported by At-Tirmidhi, and said: it is good and authentic].
So,
keep remembering Allah’s praises all the time. Persist on the praises
of day and evening, and all the praises related to certain times and
places. Do it more in times of affliction to drive the devil away and
protect yourself against him. Also, the soul gets busy with remembrance
so it does not raise the gaze. On the same line, remembering Allah
reminds the slave of Allah of His Lord and he becomes ashamed and
afraid of his Lord to cast the gaze.
15-
To help lower the gaze, one must know that persisting on gazing will
keep him off his legitimate wives. The Devil adorns the prohibited and
arouses one’s dislike for the legitimate, and changes the image in the
eyes of the viewer to make it look better.
16-
Remember the Hûr (fair females) with wide, lovely eyes (as wives for
the pious), to help you become patient in not asking for the
prohibited; to get their reunion. The Prophet, peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him, has said:
“if a woman from paradise appeared to the people of the earth, she would fill the space between Heaven and the earth with light and pleasant scent and her head cover is better than the world and whatever is in it.” [Reported by Al-Bukhâri]
Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
“Every man in paradise will have two wives of the Hûr (fair females) with wide, lovely eyes; the marrow of the bones of the wives’ legs will be seen through the flesh out of excessive beauty.” [Reported by Ahmed, and its origin is in the two Sahih books]
So,
he who is patient not to cast his gazie will be compensated by Allah
with much better than what he has turned his gaze from. Also, the
Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
“Whosoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, but that He will compensate him with that which is better than it“. [Reported by Ahmed, and the transmission is authenticated by Al-Albâni]
»إنك لن تدع شيئا لله عز وجل إلا بدلك الله به ما هو خير لك منه« رواه أحمد وصحح سنده الألباني
We
ask Allah Almighty to make us see the right as it is, and guide us to
follow it; and make us see the evil as it is, and guide us to stay away
from it; and to guide us to the Right Path for He is the Most
Generous. And peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Prophet, his
family and companions.
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