Fatwa
On the main requirements to women’s clothes in islam
In Allah’s name, His mercy is infinite and eternal! Hoping on the Single God, the Posessor of true knowledge and wisdom, I pray to Him for strength and skills to express a humble judgement that would correspond to the truth of God’s Word, and not to the temporal knowledge of this age.
Both Muslim men and women must observe those laws and rules that were set out by the Creator of the world and which are the token of our welfare in this world and in the hereafter.
The requirement of modesty and moderateness in everything including relationships between men and women applies both to behavior and clothing. One of the revelations of the Holy Qur’an reads as follows:”Enjoin believing men to turn their eyes away from temptation and to restrain their carnal desires. This will make their lives purer. Allah has knowledge of all their actions. Enjoin believing women to turn their eyes away from temptation and to preserve their chastity; to cover their adornments (except such as are normally displayed); to draw their veils over their bosoms[1] and not to reveal their finery except to their husbands...” (the Holy Qur’an, 24:30, 31).
It is inadmissible for a Muslim woman to reveal her adornments except to the men whom she may not marry due to kindred relationships.
As far as the phrase “to cover their adornments (except such as are normally displayed)” (“illa ma zahara minha”) is concerned it applies to the face and the hands, as well as to the part of the body which has been revealed by chance and the outline of the body that cannot be covered even with loose clothes (this comment also considers the opinions of such authoritative theologians as Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn Mas’ud, etc.).
The modern understanding of women’s clothing, which has grown a habit with the modern (mostly non-religious) social conscience, is stipulated by the influence of the western standards of dressing and behaviour with their trend to explicit undisguisedness and exposure. Such approach to women’s clothes contradicts not only the ethic and moral principles of Islam but also those of Christianity and Judaism.[2]
The Holy Qur’an – the Holy Scripture crowning the series of Divine Revelations to mankind, as well as the statements of God’s last Apostle Muhammad (may the Lord greet and bless him) have set down a number of fundamental requirements to women’s clothes which are as follows:
1. Clothes should cover all parts of the body except the face and the hands as well as the hair (according to the adduced 31st ayah of the 24th sura of the Holy Qur’an). As for the sayings of the Prophet on the subject one can adduce a hadith from his wife ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):”Once my niece looked in at our house. At her sight the Prophet turned away. I said:”This is my niece!” The Prophet answered:”If a girl reaches puberty and she has her menses, it is inadmissible for her to reveal any parts of the body except her face and this (then the Prophet grappled his other hand in such a manner that between the grasp and the wrist there was a space of one grasp left)”.[3]
2. Clothes should not be limpid, sheer. Prophet Muhammad (may the Lord greet and bless him) warned that “the women who are dressed and stripped at the same time, who have a slinky gait and thus incite men’s lust will never enter Paradise and will not even breathe in its flavour” ( a hadith from Abu Hurayra; the holy ahadith from imam Muslim).[4]
Once the women of the tribe Banu Tamim visited the Prophet’s wife ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). They had fine transparent clothes on. ‘Aisha told them:”If you are devout Muslim women, these garments are not what is appropriate for you!” And another time a bride called on her. And this woman had a fine limpid veil on. ‘Aisha having noticed it told her:”He who dresses in such manner, has not believed in the truth of the sura “an-Nur”!”[5]
3. Clothes should not be tight-fitting.
4. Women’s clothes should correspond to the female style of clothing; they should by no means imitate men’s clothes.
Prophet Muhammad (may the Lord greet and bless him) severely censured the women imitating men and the men imitating women, for such behavior is alien to human nature.[6]
Women’s clothes that do not comply with the above mentioned injunctions, contradicts Islamic laws and a person wearing such clothes is bound to be punished by the Lord on the Day of Judgement.
I beg God, He is the Compassionate and the Merciful, to accept this work which has been produced only with the hope for His kindness and forgive me my probable mistakes and sins, for the only intention I had was to bring good to people who follow His path, He is worshipped by everyone and everything that is in heaven and on earth.
[1] The word “juyub” used in the Arabic text means “the opening at the top of a dress”. See: Al-Hamsy M. Tafsir wa bayan. P. 353.
[2] Islamic requirements of modesty and moderateness claimed to women’s clothes fully correspond to the spirit of moral injunctions of the Bible. The Abrahamic tradition of monotheism pays special attention to the appearance of the women who came to believe in God,- the concealment of woman’s body from foreign eyes, “chaste garments” have always symbolized purity and chastity of the woman. A veil (Hebrew “tsaif”, Pers. “chadur”, Arab. “hidjab” from ancient times has been the integral part of the woman’s clothes (see: Exod. 3:22; Gen. 38:19). The veil was worn by women as an adornment ( Cant. 4:1,3 in the Russian translation the word “veil” is transmitted through the word “curls”); and as a wedding apparel (Gen. 24:65). The Old Testamant tradition continues in the New Testament:”I will... in like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety” (1 Tim. 2:8,9). In Judaic and the first Christian communities the woman was supposed to cover her head (especially during prayers), thus setting an example of chastity and piety not only before people but also before angels:” For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels” (1 Cor. 11:6,10).
[3]See: Al-Qurtubi M. Al-djami’ li ahkyam al-qur’an. Volume 12, p. 152.
[4] As-Suyuty Dj. Al-djami’ as-sagyr. P. 311, hadith ¹ 5045, “sahih”.
[5] See: Al-Qardawi Y. Fatawa mu’assyra. Volume1, p. 438.
[6] “The Lord damned the women trying to imitate men [in clothing, style of communication and behaviour] and the men trying to imitate women” (a hadith from Ibn ‘Abbas; the holy ahadith from Ahmad, Abu Daud, at-Tirmizhi and Ibn Madj). See: As-Suyuty Dj. Al-djami’ as-sagyr. P. 446, hadith ¹ 7265, “sahih”. This ban is one of the strongest injunctions of the Torah:” The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God” (Deut. 22:5).
