Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Istafa Hanif Salaam

AsSalamu Alaikum waramatullah hirabakatu!

May Allah bless you in this life and the next life for being so real and so available to this deen!  You have kept me tide to my computor and you have enlightened me in so many areas that I was Ingornant in.

My wife questions wheather you are African American or not? I told her  "I do not know and I have nevered questioned you about It." She was curious anyway, so if you could clarify this for her (Alhumdullah), but if she is out of order then please forgive her.  The question I have for you is about Modesty and how shoud a woman dress when she is at work, at the gym, visiting her husband at his job and any other occassion? My wife has been Muslim for nine months (she was christian for 43 years), she always question me on what she should wear, what she should get rid of, can she keep her tight pants or just not wear hijab to the YMCA.  I tell her to read the Quran and the Hadith and pray to Allah so she will be doing as he said and not as I said.  I also tell her that I want her to always represent this Deen. Dress modest always and stand out for what you believe in.  I also dress modest! I do not wear tight pants, show my belly button and I make sure that all my shorts come past my knees. Please return our reply soon.

AsSalamu Alaikum!!!!!!!!

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Modesty in dressing

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: May Allah bless you in this life and the next life for being so real and so available to this deen!  You have kept me tide to my computor and you have enlightened me in so many areas that I was Ingornant in. My wife questions wheather you are African American or not? I told her  "I do not know and I have nevered questioned you about It." She was curious anyway, so if you could clarify this for her (Alhumdullah), but if she is out of order then please forgive her.

May Allah Subhanah increase your quest to study the knowledge of Truth. May Allah reward you generously in the life of this world and the Hereafter for making the effort to gain this knowledge. Allah is our witness, if with our humble effort, we are able to bring even one brother or sister closer to their Creator and His Message; we will consider ourselves blessed and honored. May Allah Subhanah accept yours and our humble efforts, have Mercy on us, forgive us our short-comings, and save us all from the torment of the Hell Fire.

Regarding your wife’s query about our background, the brothers and sisters who spend time on this forum are from the Indian sub-continent. All Praise is due to Allah Subhanah Alone, who has bound the believers into the Brotherhood of Islam. It is only the Mercy and Grace of the Merciful, that wherever one may be, whatever race or nation he may belong to, whatever language he may speak….provided they are believers in Allah Subhanah, His Messenger (saws), and the Last Day, they are all brothers to one another! May Allah Subhanah bless the believers wherever they reside, have Mercy on the Ummah of Islam, and save them all from the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Ref: Dress modestly

Allah has commanded the believing woman, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, to guard her modesty, and dress herself modestly when in front of non-mehram men.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Al Ahzaab verse 59:O Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters, and the women of the believers, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons. It is expected that they will be recognized and that they will not be molested. And Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah An-Noor verse 31:And O Prophet, enjoin the believing women to restrain their gaze and guard their private parts and not to display their adornment except that which is displayed of itself (their face and hands), and to draw their veils over their bosoms and not to display their adornment except before their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons and the sons of their husbands, their brothers, their brothers sons, their sisters’ sons, their female associates, and those in their possession and male attendants incapable of sexual desire, and those boys who have not yet attained knowledge of sexual matters. Also forbid them to stamp their feet on the ground lest their hidden ornaments should be displayed.

Islam has not enjoined a particular dress code. One may wear any clothes they feel comfortable with, provided the following conditions are met:

The ‘satr’ (or parts which must be hidden) must be completely covered.

The clothes must not be tight and fitting, whereby the curves of the body are openly displayed.

The clothes must not be transparent.

Women must not copy men’s clothing; and the men must not copy women’s clothing.

The clothes must not copy a pagan culture or religion.

Other than this the believers may dress in whatever clothes they feel comfortable in.

There is absolutely no veil between the sacred relationship of a husband and wife; and in front of each other, one may wear anything one wills. When in front of mehrams, the woman must cover her ‘satr’, but she may leave her head uncovered. But when in public, the believing woman is commanded to cover herself completely; except what is displayed of itself (her face and her hands).

Allah, The All Knowing, All-Wise, has placed a definite physical attraction between man and woman. He has allowed mankind to fulfill this attraction through legal means of marriage, and made adultery and fornication a major sin in Islam.

When something is deemed ‘haraam’ in Islam, The Prophet (saws) said that all roads or ways leading to the ‘haraam’ thing are also ‘haraam’. And not wearing the ‘hijaab’ of the woman is a thing that leads to illegal attraction between man and woman.

Allah, in His Divine Wisdom, indicates two reasons why a believing woman cover herself: 1. So that she is recognized and 2. So that she will not be molested!. Wearing a ‘hijaab’ is a sort of a ‘red-light’ or ‘stop-signal’ to the on-looker. It indicates to him, that the woman wearing the ‘hijaab’ is not a loose woman, but a pious and God-fearing slave of Allah, so stay away. The ‘hijab’ of the woman indicates to the onlooker that his stares and comments are not welcome here … ‘I am not public property like the other half-naked woman, but I fear Allah and the Last Day”.

I agree that not every woman who wears the ‘hijab’ is pious, and not every woman who does not wear the ‘hijab’ is astray. The ‘hijab’ is only a sign that this woman has submitted her will to the Will of Allah, fears Allah and the Last Day, and wants to adhere to every commandment sent down by her Lord and Creator. Just like an officer in the army considers it an honor to wear his army uniform, the believing woman should be honored and proud to be in the uniform commanded by Allah, if indeed she believes in Allah and fears meeting Him on the Last Day.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan