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:

Assalamualaikum,

I have a question about womens dress code. When women have get togethers where there are only women what should be the proper attire. for example if some girls want to wear sleeveless and short dresses is that permissable or not? They can remove their hijaab to my understanding but what is proper in regards to attire do they need to be fully covered in women only GATHERINGS OR NOT 

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Answer:

Dress code for women amongst women

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.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah Noor verse 31:

31 And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; 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 except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, 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 needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! Turn ye all together towards Allah that ye may attain Bliss.

Your Question: When women have get togethers where there are only women what should be the proper attire.

If the believing woman are in a gathering of only womenfolk, they should still maintain and obey the Command of their Lord to guard their modesty. The absolute minimum ‘satr’ of a believing woman when in the company of woman is that all her body parts from the beginning of her breasts to her knees inclusive should be absolutely covered.

One should not take the absolute minimum ‘satr’ guidance as a license to dress inappropriately when in the company of woman, but they should fear their Lord and still maintain and obey His Command to guard their modesty and dress and behave appropriately.

Your Question: for example if some girls want to wear sleeveless and short dresses is that permissable or not?

If the sisters are solely in the company of their womenfolk, there is no harm if one amongst them wishes to wear a sleeveless or short dress, provided the absolute minimum ‘satr’ of a believing woman is observed; ie. the sleeveless or short dress must not display any part of her body between the very beginnings of her breast to her knees inclusive.

If the sleeveless dress exposes even a part of her breasts, or the short dress exposes even a part of her knees; then it would be a violation of the minimum ‘satr’ of the believing woman’s attire.

Your Question: They can remove their hijaab to my understanding but what is proper in regards to attire

If the gathering is only of womenfolk, there is absolutely no harm if the believing woman removes her hijaab or veil or outer covering. She must still maintain and obey the Command to guard her modesty at all times with her attire, her behavior, her speech, her deeds, etc.; and thus behave and dress appropriately.

Your Question: do they need to be fully covered in women only GATHERINGS OR NOT 

The absolute minimum a believing woman is guided to cover at all times (expect in the presence of her husband alone) is the body parts between the beginning of her breasts and her knees inclusive.

If the believing woman adorns herself beyond her minimum ‘satr’ when in the presence of her womenfolk, she will not be in violation of the commands and guidance of ‘satr’.

The believing woman is commanded to cover herself completely only when in the presence or visibility of non-mehrams. When in the presence of mehrams or womenfolk or children, the believing woman is not required to cover fully and if she wills and pleases, she may remove her veil or outer garment but under no circumstances whatsoever she is to expose any part of her body which falls under the category of her minimum ‘satr’.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan