Why Our prayers are not answered
IBRAHIM IBN ADHAM - may Allah have mercy on him - a third century scholar, a
teacher and a companion of Sufyaan ath-Thawree, was asked about the saying
of Allah - the Most High:

"AND YOUR LORD SAYS: 'CALL ON ME I WILL ANSWER YOUR PRAYER..." [Surah Ghafir
or Al-Mumin(40): 60]

"We supplicate and we are not answered." So he said to them:

"You know Allah,Yet you do not obey Him,
You recite the Qur'aan, Yet do not act according to it,
You know Shaitaan(Devil), Yet you have agreed with him,
You proclaim that you love the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa
sallam, Yet you abandon his Sunnah,
You proclaim your love for Paradise, Yet you do not act to gain it,
You proclaim your fear for the Fire, Yet you do not prevent yourselves from
sins,
You say "Indeed death is true", Yet you have not prepared for it,
You engage yourselves with finding faults with others, Yet you do not look
at your faults,
You eat of that which Allah has provided for you, Yet you do not thank Him,
You bury your dead, Yet you do not take a lesson from it."


Taken from Khushoo fis-Salaat (p.62) of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee - rahimullah.

WOMEN IN SOCIETY
   BY
Prof. Abdur Rahman I. Doi Professor and Director, Center for Islamic Legal
Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira, Nigeria.

Contents
The Family
Modesty
Lowering the Eyes
Social Behaviour
Beautification and Adornment
Guests
Public Baths and Swimming Pools
Dance-Halls and Gymnasiums
The Mosque

The Family
The family in Islam is a unit in which a man and woman unite to share life
together according to the rules and regulations laid down by the Shari'ah.
They become as close to each other as a garment is to the body. The
husband's honour becomes an integral part of his wife's honour, and vice
versa. They share each other's prosperity and adversity. Thus in Islam the
bridal couple are united as husband and wife in the presence of witnesses
seeking Allah's blessings to increase in mutual love and compassion and
agreeing to care for each other in sickness and adversity. This fundamental
principle of Islamic marriage, understood and observed by the spouses, is
the basis of the institution of Muslim marriage. In the family, the man is
charged with the duty of being the leader of the family and the woman is
assigned the duty of looking after the household. Even if the man has more
responsibility than the woman and thereby has a degree over her, it does not
make a husband inherently better than his wife. The Qur'an contains a verse
which says:
And in no wise covet those things in which Allah has bestowed His gifts more
freely on some of you than others: to men is allotted what they earn, and to
women what they earn... (4:32)
Commenting on this verse Sheikh Muhammad 'Abduh says that it does not imply
that every man is better than every woman or vice versa, but it emphasizes
that: "each sex, in general, has some preferential advantage over the other,
though men have a degree over women . " What is this "degree"? There are
different views about it. One view is that it means the qualities of
leadership, surveillance and maintenance which are bestowed on men. Another
view is that it signifies the tolerance with which men must treat their
wives even when in extremely bad moods. Yet another view is that it is man's
natural gift from Allah for judging matters pertaining to his family and
managing the problems affecting it. However, the consensus of the scholars
is that the "degree" comprises the principle of guardianship and nothing
more.
Muhammad 'Abduh feels that guardianship has four elements: protection,
surveillance, custody, and maintenance. 'Abd al-'Ati considers that over and
above these four elements is the element of obedience. According to 'Abd
al-'Ati obedience consists of the following aspects:
A wife must neither receive male strangers nor accept gifts from them
without her husband's approval.
A husband has the legal right to restrict his wife's freedom of movement. He
may prevent her from leaving her home without his permission unless there is
a necessity or legitimate reason for her to do otherwise. However, it is his
religious obligation to be compassionate and not to unreasonably restrict
her freedom of movement. If there arises a conflict between this right of
the husband and the rights of the wife's parents to visit her and be visited
by her, the husband's right prevails in the wider interest of the family.
Yet the Shari'ah recommends that he be considerate enough to waive his
rights to avoid shame within the family.
A refractory wife has no legal right to object to her husband exercising his
disciplinary authority. Islamic law, in common with most other systems of
law, recognizes the husband's right to discipline his wife for disobedience.
The wife may not legally object to the husband's right to take another wife
or to exercise his right of divorce. The marital contract establishes her
implicit consent to these rights. However, if she wishes to restrict his
freedom in this regard or to have similar rights, she is legally allowed to
do so. She may stipulate in the marital agreement that she too will have the
right to divorce or that she will keep the marriage bond only so long as she
remains the only wife. Should he take a second wife, she will have the right
to seek a divorce in accordance with the marriage agreement.
Modesty
Modesty is a virtue which Islam demands of Muslim men and women. The most
powerful verses commanding the believers to be modest occur in Surah al-Nur
and begin with the words:
Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their
modesty; that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well aware
of what they do. (24:31)
The rule of modesty is equally applicable to men and women. A brazen stare
by a man at a woman or another man is a breach of correct behaviour. The
rule is meant not only to guard women, but is also meant to guard the
spiritual good of men. Looking at the sexual anarchy that prevails in many
parts of the world, and which Islam came to check, the need for modesty both
in men and women is abundantly clear. However it is on account of the
difference between men and women in nature, temperament, and social life,
that a greater amount of veiling is required for women than for men,
especially in the matter of dress. A complete code of modesty is laid down
in the Qur'an as follows:

And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard
their modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments
except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their
veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty save to their husbands,
or their fathers or their husbands' fathers, or their sons or their
husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters'
sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male
servants free of physical desire, or small children who have no sense of
sex; and that they should not stamp their feet in order to draw attention to
their hidden ornaments. And O believers! Turn all together towards Allah,
that you may attain bliss. (24:31)
A key term in the above verse is zinat. It means both natural beauty and
artificial ornaments. The word as used in the above verse seems to include
both meanings. Women are asked not to make a display of their figures, not
to wear tight clothing that reveals their shapeliness, nor to appear in such
dress except to:
their husbands,
their relatives living in the same house with whom a certain amount of
informality is permissible,
their women, that is, in the strict sense, their maid-servants who are
constantly in attendance on them, but in a more liberal sense, all believing
women,
old or infirm men-servants, and
infants or small children who have not yet got a sense of sex
While Muslim men are required to cover the body between the navel and the
knee, every Muslim woman is asked to cover her whole body excluding the face
and hands from all men except her husband. The following traditions of the
Prophet (peace be upon him) give us further guidance in the matter:
"It is not lawful for any woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day that
she should uncover her hand more than this and then he placed his hand on
his wrist joint. "When a woman reaches puberty no part of her body should
remain uncovered except her face and the hand up to the wrist joint."
'A'isha reports that once she appeared got up in finery before her nephew,
'Abdullah ibn al-Tufail. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not approve of
it. "I said, 'O Apostle of Allah, he is my nephew.' The Prophet replied,
'When a woman reaches puberty it is not lawful for her to uncover any part
of her body except the face and this and then he put his hand on the wrist
joint as to leave only a little space between the place he gripped and the
palm."
Asma', the sister of 'A'isha and daughter of Abu Bakr, came before the
Prophet in a thin dress that showed her body. The Prophet turned his eyes
away and said, "O Asma'! When a woman reaches puberty, it is not lawful that
any part of her body be seen, except this and this" - and then he pointed to
his face and the palms of his hands. Hafsah, daughter of 'Abdur-Rahman, once
came before 'A'isha wearing a thin shawl over her head and shoulders.
'A'isha tore it up and put a thick shawl over her. The Messenger of Allah
also said, "Allah has cursed those women who wear clothes yet still remain
naked." The khalif, 'Umar, once said, "Do not clothe your women in clothes
that are tight-fitting and reveal the shapeliness of the body." The
above-mentioned traditions make it explicitly clear that the dress of Muslim
women must cover the whole body, except for the face and hands, whether in
the house or outside, even with her nearest relatives. She must not expose
her body to anybody except her husband, and must not wear a dress that shows
the curves of her body. Some scholars, like Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani,
are of the opinion that, because modern times are particularly full of
fitnah (mischief), women should go as far as to cover their faces because
even the face may attract sexual glances from men. Shaikh al-Albani says,
"We admit that the face is not one of the parts of the body to be covered,
but it is not permissible for us to hold to this taking into consideration
the corruption of the modern age and the need to stop the means for further
corruption."
It is respectfully submitted, however, that in the light of the Prophetic
traditions it suffices to cover the body, leaving out the face and hands up
to the wrist joints, since this is the specified Islamic covering and it may
sometimes be essential for a woman to go about her lawful engagements with
her face uncovered. However if a woman prefers to put on the veil (burqah),
she should not be discouraged as this may be a sign of piety and
God-consciousness (taqwah). The rules on dress are slightly relaxed when a
woman reaches old age and her sexual attractions have faded. The Qur'an
says:
Such elderly women as are past the prospect of marriage, there is no blame
on them if they lay aside their (outer) garments, provided they make not a
wanton display of their beauty; but it is best for them to be modest and
Allah is the One who sees and knows all things. (24:60)
However, if a woman is old but still has sexual desires, it is not lawful
for her to take off her over- garments. Women at whom people are not
possibly going to cast sexual glances but rather look at with respect and
veneration are entitled to make use of the relaxation and go about in their
houses without wearing an over-garment.

Lowering the Eyes
Islam requires its male and female adherents to avoid illicit sexual
relations at all costs. Because the desire to have sexual relationships
originates with the look that one person gives another, Islam prohibits a
person from casting amorous glances towards another. This is the principle
of ghadd al-basar (lowering the eyes). Since it is impossible for people to
have their eyes fixed constantly to the ground and inconceivable that a man
will never see a woman or a woman will never see a man, Islam absolves from
blame the first chance look, but prohibits one from casting a second look or
continuing to stare at a face which one finds attractive at first sight.
The following traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) offer us
guidance in this regard: Jarir says,
"I asked the Prophet what I should do if I happened to cast a look (at a
woman) by chance. The Prophet replied, 'Turn your eyes away.' " According to
Buraidah, the Prophet told the future fourth khalif, 'Ali, not to cast a
second look, for the first look was pardonable but the second was
prohibited.
However, there are certain circumstances in which it is permissible for a
man to look at another woman. Such circumstances may arise when a woman is
obliged to be treated by a male doctor, or has to appear before a judge as a
witness, or when a woman is trapped inside a burning house, or is drowning,
or when a woman's life or honour is in danger. In such cases, even the
prohibited parts of the body of the woman may be seen or touched, and it is
not only lawful but obligatory on a man to rescue her from danger, whatever
physical contact it may entail. What is required by Islam in such a
situation is that as far as possible the man should keep his intentions
pure. But if in spite of that his emotions are a little excited naturally,
it is not blameworthy for him to have looked at such a woman, since having
contact with her body was not intentional but was necessitated by
circumstances, and it is not possible for a man to suppress his natural
urges completely.
The Shari'ah also allows a man to look at a woman with the object of
reaching a decision about whether he should marry her or not. The following
traditions explain the matter further: Mughirah ibn Shu'bah says,
"I sent a message to a woman asking for her hand. The Prophet (peace be upon
him) said to me, 'Have a look at her for that will enhance love and mutual
regard between you.' "
Abu Hurairah says that he was sitting with the Prophet when a man came and
said that he intended to marry a woman from among the Ansar (Helpers). The
Prophet asked him if he had seen her. He replied in the negative. The
Prophet told him to go and have a look at her because the Ansar often had a
defect in their eyes. According to Jabir ibn 'Abdullah, the Prophet said
that when a man sent a request to a woman for her hand in marriage, he
should have a look at her to see if there was anything in her which made him
inclined to marry her.
It is thus clear that no man is prohibited from having a look at a woman as
such, but that the real idea behind the prohibition is to prevent the evil
of illicit intercourse. Therefore what the Prophet has prohibited is only
such casting of the eyes as is not essential, as does not serve any social
purpose, and as is loaded with sexual motives. This command applies to both
Muslim men and Muslim women and is not confined to only one sex.
Maulana Abu'l-A'la Maududi has made a fine psychological distinction,
however, between women looking at men and men looking at women. The man, he
says,
"...is by nature aggressive. If a thing appeals to him, he is urged from
within to acquire it. On the other hand, the woman's nature is one of
inhibition and escape. Unless her nature is totally corrupted, she can never
become so aggressive, bold, and fearless, as to make the first advances
towards the male who has attracted her. In view of this distinction, the
Legislator (the Prophet) does not regard a woman's looking at other men to
be as harmful as a man's looking at other women. In several traditions it
has been reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) let 'A'isha see a
performance given by negroes on the occasion of the 'Id. This shows that
there is no absolute prohibition on women looking at other men. What is
prohibited is for women to sit in the same gathering together with men and
stare at them, or look at them in a manner which may lead to evil results. "
The Prophet (peace be upon him) told Fatimah, daughter of Qais, to pass her
'iddah (waiting term), in the house of Ibn Maktum, the same blind Companion
from whom Umm Salamah had been instructed to observe purdah. Qadi Abu Bakr
ibn al-'Arabi has related in his Ahkam al- Qur'an that Fatimah, daughter of
Qais, wanted to pass her waiting term in the house of Umm Sharik. The
Prophet did not approve of this for the reason that the house was visited by
many people. Therefore he told her to stay in the house of Ibn Maktum who
was blind, where she could stay without observing purdah.
This shows that the real object of the Prophet was to reduce the chances of
any mischief occurring. That is why the lady was not allowed to stay in a
house where the chances of possible mischief were greater but allowed to
stay in a house where they were less. On the other hand, where there was no
such need, women were prohibited from sitting in the same place face to face
with other men.
The real object of ghadd al-basar (lowering the eyes) is to stop people with
evil intentions from casting lewd looks at others. It is common knowlege
that a person turns their eyes towards another person innocently in the
beginning. If the latter is attractive, the former may go on casting glances
and thus drift towards the precipice of sexual attraction and ultimately
fornication or adultery. Islam encourages regulated love in order to build
up happy family lives since it is healthy families that provide the blocks
to construct a healthy society; but it abhors promiscuity which ruins
people's family lives and seriously damages people through the ultimate
disaster of illicit sexual relationships developing between its adherents.
Islam blocks the path that finally leads to active temptation by prohibiting
the casting of looks by one person at another except when they do so by
chance.

Social Behaviour
The Shari'ah has placed restrictions on men meeting strange women privately.
Similarly no man other than her husband is allowed to touch any part of a
woman's body. The following traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
are worth noting in this connection:
"Beware that you do not call on women who are alone," said the Messenger of
Allah. One of the Companions asked, "O Messenger of Allah, what about the
younger or the elder brother of the husband?" The Prophet replied, "He is
death." (Tirmidhi, Bukhari and Muslim)
"Do not call on women in the absence of their husbands, because Satan might
be circulating in any of you like blood." (Tirmidhi).
According to 'Amr ibn al-'As, the Prophet forbade men to call on women
without the permission of their husbands. (Tirmidhi)
"From this day no man is allowed to call on a woman in the absence of her
husband unless he is accompanied by one or two other men." (Tirmidhi)
The Prophet said,
"The one who touches the hand of a woman without having a lawful
relationship with her, will have an ember placed on his palm on the Day of
Judgment." (Takmalah, Fath alQadir)
'A'ishah says that the Prophet accepted the oath of allegiance from women
only verbally, without taking their hands into his own hand. He never
touched the hand of a woman who was not married to him (Bukhari). Umaimah,
daughter of Ruqaiqah, said that she went to the Prophet in the company of
some other women to take the oath of allegiance. He made them promise that
they would abstain from idolatry, stealing, adultery, slander, and
disobedience to the Prophet. When they had taken the oath, they requested
that he take their hands as a mark of allegiance. The Prophet said, "I do
not take the hands of women. Verbal affirmation is enough." (Nasa'i and Ibn
Majah).
According to Maulana Maududi these commandments apply in respect of young
women. He says, "It is lawful to sit with women of advanced age in privacy
and touching them is also not prohibited. It has been reported that
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr used to visit the clan where he had been suckled and
shook hands with the old women. It has been reported that Sayyidina
'Abdullah ibn Zubair used to have his feet and head pressed gently for
relief by an old woman. This distinction between old and young women itself
shows that the real object is to prevent such mixing of the sexes as may
lead to evil results.''

It is most unfortunate, however, that in spite of this guidance from the
Prophet (peace be upon him) many Muslims have adopted the Western system of
shaking hands with women, using these traditions in respect of old women as
a justification. This is clearly an unreasonable extension of the
permission. It is, therefore, submitted that the Muslims the world over, and
'ulama in particular, must pause to reflect and stop this un-Islamic
practice which has crept into our society. There cannot be a better form of
greeting than uttering 'as-salamu 'alaikum ' (peace be upon you) and
greeting back with 'wa alaikum as-salam '(and peace be upon you too).
The Shari'ah wants people to live in their houses in peace and privacy. It
therefore commands a Muslim, when visiting friends, relatives or strangers
not to enter their houses without seeking their permission. The Qur'an
particularly forbids him to enter their houses without alerting the women of
the house so that he does not surprise them in a condition in which he would
not normally see them. However, children do not have to seek such permission
until they reach the age of puberty and sexual awareness stirs in them:
When your children attain puberty, they should ask for leave before entering
the house, just as their elders asked it before them... (24:58)
The Holy Qur'an also gives categories of people who should not enter anybody
else's house without permission:
O believers! Do not enter houses other than your own until you have taken
permission; and when you enter a house, greet the people therein with
salutation. (33:33)
At the beginning of Islam, the Arabs could not grasp the real significance
of these commands. Therefore they used to peep into houses from the outside.
Once when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was in his room, a person peeped
through the lattice. The Prophet said:
"If I had known that you were peeping, I would have poked something into
your eye. The command to ask permission has been given to safeguard people
against the evil look." (Bukhari) Then the Prophet publicly announced: "If a
person peeps into somebody else's house without permission the people of the
house will be justified if they injure his eye." (Muslim)
No matter how urgent the need is, no-one is allowed to enter anyone else's
house without permission. The Qur'an says:
...and when you ask women for an article, ask for it from behind a curtain;
this is a purer way for your hearts and theirs. (33:53)
These restrictions also apply to household servants. Once Bilal or Anas
asked Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet, to hand him her child. She
handed it to him by stretching her hand from behind a curtain. It is
noteworthy that both these men were the personal attendants of the Prophet
(peace be upon him) and he used to affectionately address them as "Ya
Bunayya" (O my son). The real purpose behind those restrictions is to
safeguard men and women against evil inclinations. By keeping a safe
distance between them, the Shari'ah ensures that they do not grow too
familiar and free with one another which may make them drift towards sexual
intimacy.
Beautification and Adornment
The Qur'an lays down the code of conduct for women in the following words:
And play your role by being in your houses and do not keep exhibiting your
beauty and decorations like what used to happen in the Jahiliyyah period
(before Islam). (33:33)
Abu Bakr al-Jassas says in explaining this verse,
"This verse points out the fact that women are ordered to play their role in
the house and are forbidden from loitering outside of their houses."
It was revealed when the Muslim ummah was being formed in Madina as an
example for the coming generations of Muslims. It sought to put an end to
the Jahiliyyah practices of the pagan Arabs. The khalif 'Umar remarked:
"By Allah, we did not give any position to women in the Jahiliyyah period
until such time that Allah sent His command in respect of them and
apportioned for them the role that was to be theirs." (Muslim)
Under this apportionment women were given the role of making their own homes
the centers of their attention rather than going about exhibiting their
physical charms and worldly possessions. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said that the following type of women constitute one of the categories of
the dwellers of Hell:
"Those women who seem naked even when dressed and those who walk flirtingly
and those who plait their heads like the humps of camels, thus inviting
people's attention, will not enter Paradise nor will they smell its
fragrance even though its fragrance can be smelt from a very long distance."
(Muslim).
Islam, however, does not prohibit beautification (zinat) on the part of
women as long as it is not done in a way that injuriously interferes with
the limbs or the body. In ancient times there were many kinds of defacement
practiced on the bodies of men and animals, partly on account of
superstition or pagan custom and partly on account of the craze for fashion
and display. Examples of this were tattooing, sharpening or spacing the
teeth, shaving or plucking the hair, wearing hair pieces, etc. Many of these
practices still survive and are, in fact, getting more and more refined.
Since all these practices change or seriously interfere with the natural
creation of Allah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) cursed those who indulged
in them for the purpose of mere beautification. One report says,
"The Messenger of Allah cursed women who tattooed, and those who got
themselves tattooed, those who engaged in sharpening the teeth (as a mark of
beauty) and those who had their teeth sharpened." (Bukhari and Muslim)
The Messenger of Allah cursed women who had spaces made between their teeth
in order to increase their beauty, thus changing the creation of Allah. A
third report says,
"The Messenger of Allah cursed the women who plucked hair and those who were
employed to pluck the eyebrows." (Abu Dawud)
This method of beautification would include the modern practice of shaving
the eyebrows and then painting on new ones, or shaving certain hair and
leaving the eyebrows to look like two inverted crescents.
However, if a woman has some obtrusive hairs on her face which are a problem
and embarrassment for her, she may remove them. When 'A'ishah was approached
by the young wife of Abu Is'haq who wished to remove her facial hairs in
order to look beautiful for her husband, she advised her to do so. (Reported
by atTabarani) On this basis some Hanafi jurists are of the opinion that
there is no harm in removing the hairs from a woman's face and applying
cosmetics if it is done with the permission of the husband, in order to
please him and with a good intention. But Imam alNawawi opposes even
removing the hairs on a woman's face because he considers the practice
similar to plucking hair.

A fourth report says:
''A'ishah reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) cursed
women who wore hair pieces and the women who aided in this practice."
(Bukhari)
This method of beautification would include the modern practice of wearing
wigs. It consists of using a plait of one woman's hair or artificial hair
and joining it to another woman's hair with the object of making the woman's
hair appear very long and beautiful. Mu'awiyah, while holding a plait of
such hair in his hands during his address to the Muslims, castigated the
'ulama:

"Where are your learned men gone? (meaning why did they not stop women from
using such hair) I heard the Messenger of Allah stop them from using this."
He also said, "Undoubtedly the Israelites destroyed themselves when their
women adopted such things." (Bukhari)
The Shari'ah also requires women to abstain from displaying their
"decorations" except to a restricted circle of people. The Qur'an says:

And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard
their modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments
except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their
veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty save to their husbands,
or their fathers, or their husbands' fathers, or their sons, or their
husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters'
sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male
servants free of physical desire, or small children who have no sense of
sex; and that they should not stamp their feet in order to draw attention to
their hidden ornaments. And O believers! Turn all together towards Allah,
that you may attain bliss. (24:31)
Thus, the following people fall in the exceptional category to whom
decorations can be displayed by a woman:

Her husband.
Her father, including maternal and paternal grandfathers.
Her husband's father. He is also like her own father.
Her son, including grandsons from her son's side or her daughter's side.
Her husband's son by another woman, provided that he is staying with her,
and she is looking after him as her son.
Her brother, whether full, consanguine, or uterine (that is to say, real or
step).
Her brother's son.
Her sister's son.
Muslim women and other women of good character.
Her female slaves or servants. However, some 'ulama even include male slaves
or servants in the excepted category.
Men who have no sexual desire (e.g. eunuchs).
Children who have not yet developed sexual feelings.
Her uncle, whether paternal or maternal.
It is noteworthy that the above verse of the Noble Qur'an does not mention
uncle, but uncle is included in the exceptional category on the basis of a
tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet said, "The uncle
(maternal or paternal) is of the same degree as one's father." (Muslim)
Let us here give a little more consideration to the women to whom another
woman is permitted to display her finery. These are the women with whom she
has blood or family relations. It should be borne in mind that the foregoing
Qur'anic verse implies only women of good character. Other women who may not
be well known to her or who are notorious for their evil ways or who may be
of doubtful character are excluded from this permission, because contact
with them might easily lead to disastrous results. That is why the khalif
'Umar wrote to Abu 'Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, the Governor of Syria, to
prohibit the Muslim women from going to the baths with the women of the Ahl
al-Kitab (the People of the Book). (At-Tabari, Ibn Jazir) According to Ibn
'Abbas too:


"...a Muslim woman is not allowed to display herself before the women of the
unbelievers and non-Muslim poll-tax payers (Ahl al- Dhimmah) any more than
she can display herself before other men." (At-Tabari).
This distinction between women on grounds of character and religion is
intended to safeguard Muslim women against the influence of women whose
moral and cultural background is either not known or is objectionable from
the Islamic point of view. However, the Shari'ah allows Muslim women to mix
freely with non- Muslim women who are of good character. It is important to
note that permission to display zinat does not include permission to display
those parts of the body which fall within the female satr. Thus zinat covers
decorations, ornaments, clothing, hair- dos, etc. that women are by nature
fond of showing in their houses. But tight jeans, short blouses, sleeveless
dresses are not counted as zinat for they also reveal that satr.
The Shari'ah further requires a woman not to stamp on the ground while
walking, lest her hidden decorations should be revealed by their jingle, and
thus attract the attention of passers-by. Writing about these restrictions,
Maulana Maududi says:


"It cannot, however, be claimed that a display of fineries will turn every
woman into a prostitute, nor that every man who sees her will become an
adulterer. But, at the same time, nobody can deny that if women go about in
full make-up and mix freely with men, it is likely to result in countless
open and secret, moral and material disadvantages for society."
As against this view, the Egyptian scholars, notably 'Abbas Mahmud
al-'Aqqad, are of the view that these restrictions were only imposed on the
wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and other Muslim women are not
bound by them. 'Aqqad says, "We should discuss this point in the light of
the fact that the command to stay at home was merely addressed to the wives
of the Prophet (peace be upon him) with particular reference to them without
referring it to Muslim women in general. It is for this reason that the
verse begins with the statement of Allah: O women of the Prophet, you are
not like other women. (33:32)
It is respectfully submitted that this view of Al-'Aqqad needs
reconsideration. There are a number of verses in the Qur'an which, though
apparently laying down "dos" and "don'ts" for our Prophet and for the other
Prophets (peace be upon all of them) preceding him, contain clear messages
for Muslims in general, nay for all mankind. And Al-'Aqqad contradicts
himself when he quotes the following verse of the Holy Qur'an:


O you who believe! Do not enter the Prophet's house until leave is given you
for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation; but
when you are invited, enter; and when you have taken your meal, disperse,
without seeking familiar talk. Such (behaviour) annoys the Prophet. He is
ashamed to dismiss you, but Allah is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth.
And when you ask his womenfolk for anything you want, ask them from behind a
screen; that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs. Nor is
it right for you that you should annoy Allah's Apostle, or that you should
marry his widows after him at any time. Truly such a thing is an enormity in
Allah's sight. (33:53)
This verse apparently lays down a code of manners for the believers when
entering the house of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and taking food there.
After quoting this verse, Al-'Aqqad says:

"And this is part of the etiquette of visiting people with which all
visitors should be well disciplined.' In other words, he agrees that this
ayat, which is specific to the house of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and
taking food there, in reality contains rules applicable to all believers who
want to enter somebody else's house. If from this special case a rule of
general application can be deduced by Al- 'Aqqad, there seems no reason why
he should refuse to deduce a rule of general application for Muslim women
from the verse addressed to the wives of the Prophet.
Moreover, this view seems to get support from a tradition of the Prophet in
which he said: "...a woman who freely mixes with other people and shows off
her decorations is without light and virtue " (At-Tirmidhi)

Hence we may conclude that no Muslim woman should display her zinat
(decoration) before others intentionally, but she is not held responsible
for something which cannot be helped e.g. her stature, physical build, gait.
etc. nor for uncovering her hand or face when there is a genuine need to do
so and without any intention of attracting men. In such cases it is the
responsibility of Muslim men not to cast evil glances at women with the
intention of drawing pleasure from them. The Qur'an ordains:

Say to believing men to lower their eyes. (24:30)


Guests
Very often, a man may receive male visitors and guests in his house. In such
a situation the question may arise whether the wife of the host can come
forward to serve food and drink to them. If a woman's husband is not present
when his guests arrive, she should not serve them. However, if her husband
is present and the guests are known friends, relatives and well-wishers, a
woman may come forward to serve them with food and drink provided that she
is properly dressed and her manners, movements and method of talking are
such that they are not likely to encourage evil in them or arouse their
passions and thereby become a source of fitnah (mischief).
We have a very good example in the following:

"When 'AbdurRashid al-Sa'adi got married, he invited the Prophet (peace be
upon him) and his Companions. His wife, Umm Asyad, prepared the food alone
and served it herself. She soaked some dates in a stone bowl overnight, When
the Prophet finished eating, she offered him the water, after stirring it
well, as a present." (At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud)
If a woman is not properly dressed, it is better that she does not come
forward to serve guests. In this case she should pass out the food and
drinks to her husband and he should entertain the guests and visitors on his
own.

Public Baths and Swimming Pools
A Muslim woman should not use public baths (hammam) or swimming pools
because these places are likely to be a cause of her exposing herself to
evil influences. The following tradition treats this point:

"Some women from Homs or from Sham (now the area of Damascus) came to
'A'ishah. She asked, 'Do you enter the public baths? I heard the Messenger
of Allah saying that a woman who undresses anywhere else other than in her
own house tears off the satr which lies between her and her Lord .' "
(At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud)
If the public baths and swimming pools are mixed, with both men and women
using them, it is all the more objectionable. At one stage the Prophet
(peace be upon him) forbade both men and women to enter public oath- houses
but later he allowed men to use them on the condition that they were never
naked. "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
forbade all men to enter public baths but later allowed them to enter them
wearing waist-wrappers."
If a wealthy man builds a private pool on his own property there is no harm
in him and his wife using it together. However, if he has more than one
wife, he should not bathe with more than one at a time, and, if he has
grown-up sons, they should not bathe together with their mothers or
step-mothers.

Dance-Halls and Gymnasiums
Places in which men and women dance together are totally at odds with the
ethos of Muslim society and the Shari'ah does not tolerate the participation
of Muslim men and women in this activity because it may so easily prove the
first step towards greater evils such as adultery and fornication. Dancing
is most certainly not compatible with the simple, purposeful lives that all
Muslims should lead. Mixed gymnasiums where women remove their clothes and
wear skin- tight costumes for doing physical exercises are also against the
dictates of the Shari'ah.

The Mosque
The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) granted permission to Muslim women
to attend the mosque and pray standing behind the rows of men. He even
advised the Companions: "Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from
going to the mosque." And husbands were specifically told by him: "When your
womenfolk ask you for permission to attend the mosque, do not prevent them."
Of course this permission to attend the mosques was on the condition that
women strictly observed the various restrictions imposed upon them by the
Shari'ah regarding dress, etc., and it is known that the Prophet (peace be
upon him) considered it preferable for women to pray in their own homes
rather than attend the mosques. This is borne out by the following incident.

Once the wife of Abu Hamid Sa'adi pleaded with the Prophet to be allowed to
attend his mosque (the Prophet's Mosque in Madina) as she was very fond of
offering prayers behind him. He told her,


"What you say is right, but it is better for you to offer prayer in a closed
room than in a courtyard. Your prayer in a courtyard is better than on a
verandah, and your offering prayer in the mosque of your own locality is
better than your coming to our mosque for it." Thereafter she appointed a
room for offering prayers and continued offering prayers there till her
death, never even once going to the mosque.
There is a clear tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraging
women to offer their prayers inside their houses: "The best mosques for
women are the inner parts of their houses."

Since the Prophet had not forbidden women to attend the mosques, they
continued to come to the mosques. But after his death it became increasingly
clear that it was not in keeping with the dignity and honour of Muslim women
to come to the mosques for prayers, especially at night, because men, being
what they were, would tease them. Therefore the Khalif 'Umar told women not
to come to the mosques, but to offer their prayers inside their own houses.
The women of Madina resented this prohibition and complained to 'A'isha. But
they received a fitting reply from her: "If the Prophet knew what 'Umar
knows, he would not have granted you permission to go out (to the mosque)."

'A'isha also prevented women from going to the mosques. When she was told
that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had permitted them to attend the
mosques, she replied:


"Had the customs and manners which women have adopted since the Prophet's
death been there in his lifetime, he too would have prevented them."
Now, what 'A'isha said by way of admonition was in the context of what
happened immediately after the death of the Prophet. But what is happening
today 1350 years after his death is much more serious in the context of
modern fashions and manners. It would probably have shocked 'A'isha beyond
measure and she would have reinforced her admonition. Be that as it may, the
fact remains that our Prophet did grant permission to women to attend the
mosques. In the modern world a new situation has arisen. There are many
Muslims living in Western countries, and Western culture and fashions have
affected women, even in the East. In addition, the economic tyranny of today
has forced many women to work in factories and offices to earn their living.
These developments have largely contributed to making many Muslims
neglectful of their prayers. We Muslims have to find ways and means of
encouraging Muslim women to be particular about their prayers. With due
respect to what the khalif, 'Umar, and the Mother of the Believers, 'A'isha,
said, it appears to this humble writer that such a way can be found by
reverting to the original Prophetic tradition, that is to say, permitting
Muslim women to attend the mosques to offer their prayers, subject to all
the restrictions laid down by the Prophet (peace be upon him) about their
dress etc.
People generally learn by example. Therefore the chances are that, if women
started coming to the mosque for prayer, a social pressure would start
building up that would make Muslim women feel the urge to come to the mosque
to offer their prayers and give up their neglectful attitude. However, it
goes without saying that proper arrangements would have to be made for
Muslim women to attend the mosques. They must not be allowed to mingle with
the men, and their rows must be kept separate from those of the men,
preferably behind them, because this is what was approved by the Prophet
(peace be upon him).

It is reported by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

"The best row for men is the first, and the worst for them is the last. The
best row for women is the last, and the worst is the first." (Muslim)
It is well known that, in the time of the Prophet, women were permitted to
attend the mosques subject to the condition that they satisfied the various
restrictions imposed on them by the Shari'ah, such as the putting on of a
jalbab (a large sheet used for covering the entire body), wearing simple and
dignified clothes, not using any perfume, avoiding ostentatious display of
ornament, etc. Therefore, if the suggestion of this writer is accepted,
efforts will have to be made to persuade Muslim women who want to attend the
mosques to start complying with the traditional restrictions on dress, etc.
But what has been suggested above should in no way be taken to mean that all
women should be required to attend the mosque and indeed those who feel that
their houses are as good as the mosque should be encouraged to offer their
prayers there.


******For those brothers and sisters who may want to look at other aspects
of Sharia,there is a book published by Professor A.Rahman I. Doi
title:Sharia:The Islamic Law Publisher: TaHA Publishers Ltd,London .One of
the best in the field using the Holy Quran and the Sunnah as the starting
point rather than case law.for example,The Hedaya:commentary on the Islamic
Law translated by Charles Hamilton.******

Allahumma Inni A'udhubika Minal Hammi Wal Hazn
Wa A'udhubika Minal 'Ajzi Wal kasl
Wa A'udhubika Minal Jubni Wal Bukhl
Wa A'udhubika Min Ghalabat adDayni Wa qahri Rijal

"O Allah i seek refuge in Thee from worry and sadness and I seek refuge in
Thee from incompetence and sloth and i seek refuge in Thee from cowardice
and miserliness and i seek refuge in Thee from being overwhelmed bt debt and
from being subjugated and humiliated by men".

The prophet one day entered the mosque and found one of his companions named
Abu Umamah sitting in the mosque at a time when it was not anywhere near the
time of prayer.From his countenance the prophet surmised that he was deeply
disturbed,as his face was strained with sadness and anxiety.Upon enquiry he
confessed his worries to the prophet who listened carefully-"Shall I teach
you a dua(supplication)which if repeated sincerely may cause Allah Almighty
to relieve you from you anxieties?" asked the prophet.'Yes please O Prophet
of God',
reponded Abu Umamah.Then repeat the above words when ever you feel
distressed,' said the Prophet.
The companion said,'I used to repeat this prayer and Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala
relieved me from all anxiety.'May this dua do the same for us.May
Allah,Subhannahu Wa Ta'ala,guide us all to His Sirat Al-Mustaqim (Righteous
Path).May He protect us from the evils of this life and the hereafter.May
Allah,Subhannahu Wa Ta'ala,grant us entrance to paradise .. Ameen








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