Sunday, 25 November 2012

Concept of Garment in Quran


7:26

يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ قَدۡ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمۡ لِبَاسً۬ا يُوَٲرِى سَوۡءَٲتِكُمۡ وَرِيشً۬اۖ وَلِبَاسُ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ ذَٲلِكَ خَيۡرٌ۬ۚ ذَٲلِكَ مِنۡ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَذَّكَّرُونَ 

[7:26] O children of Adam, we have provided you with garments to cover your bodies, as well as for luxury. But the best garment is the garment of righteousness. These are some of GOD's signs, that they may take heed.







Protection in Insecurity


Surah Ahzaab (59) refers to the social situations which were not safe for the wives of Prophet Muhammad S. and the believing Muslim Women, at that time. This commandment is specific in nature.The reader is recommended to study in context.

33:53     O ye who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses,- until leave is given you,- for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation: but when ye are invited, enter; and when ye have taken your meal, disperse, without seeking familiar talk. Such (behaviour) annoys the Prophet: he is ashamed to dismiss you, but God is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth. And when ye ask (his ladies) for anything ye want, ask them from before a screen: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs. Nor is it right for you that ye should annoy God's Apostle, or that ye should marry his widows after him at any time. Truly such a thing is in God's sight an enormity.
33:54     Whether ye reveal anything or conceal it, verily God has full knowledge of all things.
33:55     There is no blame (on these ladies if they appear) before their fathers or their sons, their brothers, or their brother's sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the (slaves) whom their right hands possess. And, (ladies), fear God; for God is Witness to all things.
33:56     God and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.
33:57     Those who annoy God and His Apostle - God has cursed them in this World and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating Punishment.
33:58     And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, bear (on themselves) a calumny and a glaring sin.



يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزۡوَٲجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ يُدۡنِينَ عَلَيۡہِنَّ مِن جَلَـٰبِيبِهِنَّۚ ذَٲلِكَ أَدۡنَىٰٓ    أَن يُعۡرَفۡنَ فَلَا يُؤۡذَيۡنَۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورً۬ا رَّحِيمً۬ا

O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognized and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. (33:59)

Here the word جَلَـٰبِيبِهِنَّۚ is used their gowns, outer garments Consult Dictionary

And the term used for Annoy is يوءذي (harm,hurt,molest etc).
The subject matter continues..in the following verse...


33:60        Truly, if the Hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who stir up sedition in the City, desist not, We shall certainly stir thee up against them: Then will they not be able to stay in it as thy neighbours for any length of time:
33:61     They shall have a curse on them: whenever they are found, they shall be seized and slain (without mercy).





Should Men Expose?



On Hajj The annual pilgrimage of Muslims, Men and Women dress up keeping the best standard of modesty and simplicity.

Men are suppose to wear Ihraam which is a two piece dress made up of un-stitched white cloth.

Women can wear anything cultural or traditional that conceal her beauty and  body contour. They do not cover their faces, hands and feet.

The Quran does not specify that men can expose certain parts of their bodies in public.

Though , it should not be difficult to find out...

WUDU in Quran




5:6] O you who believe, when you observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), you shall: (1) wash your faces, (2) wash your arms to the elbows, (3) wipe your heads, and (4) wash your feet to the ankles. ......(cont'd)

This command is obviously to purify the parts of the body, which are exposed ...and get dirty

is Wudu for Men is different from Women?

No

What does this mean?

Women has the same parts of the body  in exposure as men....except, their chests are additionally covered!




In case of other conditions the whole bath (Ghussal) is commanded,

5:6.............If you were unclean due to sexual orgasm, you shall bathe. If you are ill, or traveling, or had any digestive excretion (urinary, fecal, or gas), or had (sexual) contact with the women,......(cont'd)

In case of no water ...

5:6........you shall observe the dry ablution (Tayammum) by touching clean dry soil, then rubbing your faces and hands....(cont'd)




Kindly see...the WISDOM behind these commandments ...! you; He wishes to cleanse you and to perfect His blessing upon you, that you may be appreciative.





Saturday, 24 November 2012

Modesty for Men & Women


Fortunately, this picture may represent a taboo or cultural restrictions, but does it represent the Islam in Quran?....You need to find out yourself!

Allah Ordains in the Quran;

24:30     Say to the believing men that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do.
24:31     And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants not having need (of women), or the children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known; and turn to Allah all of you, O believers! so that you may be successful. (Shakir)

This is interesting that BOTH men and women are suppose to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, in general.

For women the commandment is extented because of their physical beauty and attraction towards men.

I encourage the readers of the Quran to kindly study the words in Arabic...for some of the terms used in the translation above .

Ornaments is used for the Arabic term      زِينَتَهُنَّ 
Consult Dictionary

which refers to something additionally used to beautify oneself. So Allah didn't stop woman from decorating herself ...but...only from displaying her charm openly in public...otherwise Allah also made it clear that it does not include her natural charm or some un-intentionally visible attraction, which is obvious to others. إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَا‌ۖ
Then we see an Arabic word   بِخُمُرِهِنَّ 
Consult Dictionary

This word has been translated into "head covering" by the translator...while it means their VEIL only which may include a head-covering or not..


So وَلۡيَضۡرِبۡنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِہِنَّۖ means to 
DRAW A VEIL ON/OVERTHEIR BOSSOMS




And again  وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ Don't show their adornments except before the close relations mentioned in the verse.

So this is the MODESTY for Muslim Women!

Now think for yourself....

Does Allah forbids wearing COLORS?

Does Allah commands, covering of the whole body with black burqa?

Would covering of ears, eyes, nose , mouth (all the senses)...really make any sense?

Would wearing gloves and socks should bring women close to Allah?

Why then Allah has made beautiful things?

Why then Allah has made women beautiful?


HAIR OR HEAD?
Covering the head had been just a common practice to present oneself as a GENTLEMAN or A LADY...in different cultures and the religions.
Hair is one of the natural beauty element for women especially. So covering the head may be considered as practicing a modest way of dressing up!
YET...
covering each and every hair....means entirely a different thing..
if so...does it mean that a bald women should not wear a head-covering?
Why men choose to cover their heads, then?



(Referred to other posts in the same blog)
We must understand what "Freedom" is....
...................................................



Now with this verse in the same Surah Noor...the issue becomes more clear...

) وَٱلۡقَوَٲعِدُ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ٱلَّـٰتِى لَا يَرۡجُونَ نِكَاحً۬ا فَلَيۡسَ عَلَيۡهِنَّ جُنَاحٌ أَن يَضَعۡنَ ثِيَابَهُنَّ غَيۡرَ مُتَبَرِّجَـٰتِۭ بِزِينَةٍ۬ۖ وَأَن يَسۡتَعۡفِفۡنَ خَيۡرٌ۬ لَّهُنَّۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ۬ (٦٠)

24:60 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 God is One Who sees and knows all things.

The word   ثِيَابَهُنَّ means clothes...must be outer garments

Again she is recommended NOT to to display adornments  بِزِينَةٍ۬ۖ in public.




An Important Question:Why Allah, Himself suggests the adornment ... in this verse then?

۞ يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُواْ زِينَتَكُمۡ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسۡجِدٍ۬ وَڪُلُواْ وَٱشۡرَبُواْ وَلَا تُسۡرِفُوٓاْۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ (٣١)


7:31
O children of Adam, you shall be clean and dress nicely when you go to the masjid. And eat and drink moderately; Surely, He does not love the gluttons

Note the word زِينَتَكُمۡ in the above verse...again! 

Consult Dictionary

So  may be the Display of the Adornment which is not decent or respectable...is not allowed, only!

...........................................
IMPORTANT:


The wives of Prophet Muhammad S. were especially ordered to remain in veil for important reason , yet this commandment  has a serious Clue That Women who walks around displaying their beauty in public are considered “Ignorant” near Allah.


33:32
O wives of the Prophet! you are not like any other of the women; If you will be on your guard, then be not soft in (your) speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease yearn; and speak a good word.
33:33
And stay in your houses and do not display your finery like the displaying of the ignorance of yore; and keep up prayer, and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Apostle. Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying.
33:34
And keep to mind what is recited in your houses of the communications of Allah and the wisdom; surely Allah is Knower of subtleties, Aware.
33:35
Surely the men who submit and the women who submit, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women and the humble men and the humble women, and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember -- Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward.




THINK!!!!

Isn't simplicity a modest practice, then?

And...What's the point in doing "Make-up" and showing off jewellary while wearing a head-cover (Hijab) or...What would tight dresses do..(for both genders)? esp. in the private areas...making them..... 'public' or what...!!!