بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَ الصَّلاَةُ وَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ اَجْمَعِينَ
TASATTUR – HIJÂB – COVERING – 31
1. About the tasattur in Hajj:
وَلاَ الْوَرْسُ، وَلاَ تَنْتَقِبِ الْمَرْأَةُ الْمُحْرِمَةُ وَلاَ تَلْبَسِ الْقُفَّازَيْنِ
Ibn ‘Umar (ra) narrated that… “A pilgrim woman must neither cover her face nor wear gloves in the state of Ihram.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 1838
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ الرُّكْبَانُ يَمُرُّونَ بِنَا وَنَحْنُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُحْرِمَاتٌ فَإِذَا حَاذَوْا بِنَا سَدَلَتْ إِحْدَانَا جِلْبَابَهَا مِنْ رَأْسِهَا إِلَى وَجْهِهَا فَإِذَا جَاوَزُونَا كَشَفْنَاهُ
‘Aisha (ra) said, "Men on camels used to pass by us while we were with Allah's rasûl (asm) in the state of Ihram. We would cover our faces with our gowns when they passed by us, and then uncover them again (when they had gone far from us)."
Sunan Abi Dawud 1833
وَقَالَ لِي عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنَا قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَطَاءٌ، إِذْ مَنَعَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ النِّسَاءَ الطَّوَافَ مَعَ الرِّجَالِ قَالَ كَيْفَ يَمْنَعُهُنَّ، وَقَدْ طَافَ نِسَاءُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَعَ الرِّجَالِ قُلْتُ أَبَعْدَ الْحِجَابِ أَوْ قَبْلُ قَالَ إِي لَعَمْرِي لَقَدْ أَدْرَكْتُهُ بَعْدَ الْحِجَابِ. قُلْتُ كَيْفَ يُخَالِطْنَ الرِّجَالَ قَالَ لَمْ يَكُنَّ يُخَالِطْنَ كَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ تَطُوفُ حَجْرَةً مِنَ الرِّجَالِ لاَ تُخَالِطُهُمْ، فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ انْطَلِقِي نَسْتَلِمْ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. قَالَتْ {انْطَلِقِي} عَنْكِ. وَأَبَتْ. {وَكُنَّ} يَخْرُجْنَ مُتَنَكِّرَاتٍ بِاللَّيْلِ، فَيَطُفْنَ مَعَ الرِّجَالِ، وَلَكِنَّهُنَّ كُنَّ إِذَا دَخَلْنَ الْبَيْتَ قُمْنَ حَتَّى يَدْخُلْنَ وَأُخْرِجَ الرِّجَالُ،
“Ibn Juraij said, “ ‘Ata informed us that when Ibn Hisham forbade women to perform tawaf with men, he said to him, “How do you forbid them while the wives of the Prophet (asm) used to perform tawaf with the men?” I said, “Was this before decreeing of the use of the veil or after it? ‘Ata took an oath and said, “I saw it after the order of veil.” I said, “How did they mix with the men?” ‘Ata said, “The women never mixed with the men, and ‘Aisha used to perform tawaf separately and never mixed with men. Once it happened that ‘Aisha was performing the tawaf and a woman said to her, “O Mother of believers! Let us touch the Black stone.” ‘Aisha said to her, “Go yourself,” and she herself refused to do so. The wives of the Prophet (asm) used to come out at night in disguise and used to perform tawaf with men. But whenever they intended to enter the Ka’ba, they would stay outside till the men had gone out.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 1618
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ نَوْفَلٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَتْ شَكَوْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنِّي أَشْتَكِي. فَقَالَ " طُوفِي مِنْ وَرَاءِ النَّاسِ، وَأَنْتِ رَاكِبَةٌ
Narrated by Umm Salama (the wife of the Prophet): I informed Allah's rasûl (asm) that I was ill. So he said, "Perform the tawaf while riding behind the people."
Sahih al-Bukhari 1619
2. Some hadiths about covering the ‘awrah:
بْنُ حَكِيمٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ جَدِّي، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَوْرَاتُنَا مَا نَأْتِي مِنْهَا وَمَا نَذَرُ قَالَ " احْفَظْ عَوْرَتَكَ إِلاَّ مِنْ زَوْجَتِكَ أَوْ مِمَّا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ " . فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ قَالَ " إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ لاَ يَرَاهَا أَحَدٌ فَافْعَلْ " . قُلْتُ وَالرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ خَالِيًا . قَالَ " فَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُسْتَحْيَا مِنْهُ
Narrated by Bahz bin Hakim:
"My father narrated to me from my grandfather, who said: I said, "O rasûl of Allah! Regarding our 'awrah, what of it must we cover and what of it may we leave uncover?" He said, "Protect your 'awrah except from your wife or what your right hand possesses.” He said, "What about a man with another man?” He said, "If you are able to not let anyone see it, then do so." I said, "What about a man when he is alone?" He said, "Allah is most deserving of being shy from Him."
Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2769
لاَ يَنْظُرُ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى عَوْرَةِ الرَّجُلِ وَلاَ تَنْظُرُ الْمَرْأَةُ إِلَى عَوْرَةِ الْمَرْأَةِ وَلاَ يُفْضِي الرَّجُلُ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ فِي الثَّوْبِ الْوَاحِدِ وَلاَ تُفْضِي الْمَرْأَةُ إِلَى الْمَرْأَةِ فِي الثَّوْبِ الْوَاحِدِ
Narrated by 'Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Sa'eed [Al-Khudri] from his father, who said: “The rasûl of Allah (asm) said, “A man is not to look at the 'awrah of a man, and a woman is not to look at the 'awrah of a woman. A man is not to be alone with a man under one garment, and a woman is not to be alone with a woman under one garment.”
Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2793
الْمَرْأَةُ عَوْرَةٌ فَإِذَا خَرَجَتِ اسْتَشْرَفَهَا الشَّيْطَانُ
“The woman is ‘awrah, so when she goes out, shaytan makes people look at her.”
A man’s role in family life is defined as being a qawwam2 in the Qur’an. He, therefore, should be careful and diligent in protecting their family from sin and evil. Though a man who is not conscientiously disturbed by this situation was described with the term dayyus3 in the hadiths, in this time, mingling with men in society and not following the Qur’an's commands on tasattur are considered respectable, modern and progressive, and those who follow the command of Allah are insulted as being old-fashioned, conservative, bigot and backward.
3. Wearing clothes resembling those of the opposit sex:
لعن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم المخنثين من الرجال، والمترجلات من النساء.
وفي رواية: لعن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم المتشبهين من الرجال بالنساء، والمتشبهات من النساء بالرجال
“The rasûl of Allah (asm) cursed those men who are effeminate and women who imitate men.
Another narration is: The rasûl of Allah (asm) cursed men who copy women and cursed women who copy men.”
Bukhari- Riyad as-Salihin 1631
لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الرَّجُلَ يَلْبَسُ لِبْسَةَ الْمَرْأَةِ وَالْمَرْأَةَ تَلْبَسُ لِبْسَةَ الرَّجُلِ
“The rasûl of Allah (asm) cursed the man who dressed like a woman and the woman who dressed like a man.”
Sunan Abi Dawud 4098
4. The matter of women going out of their homes:
Some hadiths sources of the ‘ulamâ’s judgments on this subject:
زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ لَوْ أَدْرَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا أَحْدَثَ النِّسَاءُ لَمَنَعَهُنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ كَمَا مُنِعَهُ نِسَاءُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ . قَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ فَقُلْتُ لِعَمْرَةَ أَوَمُنِعَ نِسَاءُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْمَسَاجِدَ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ
‘Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (asm) said, "If the rasûl of Allah (asm) had seen what women do now, he would have forbidden them to go into the masjîds, just as the women of the Bani Israil were forbidden."
Yahya ibn Said said that he asked Amra, "Were the women of the Bani Israil forbidden to go into the masjîds?" and she said, "Yes."
Muwatta-Malik-Book 14, Hadith 15
لَقَدْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي الْفَجْرَ، فَيَشْهَدُ مَعَهُ نِسَاءٌ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ مُتَلَفِّعَاتٍ فِي مُرُوطِهِنَّ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعْنَ إِلَى بُيُوتِهِنَّ مَا يَعْرِفُهُنَّ أَحَدٌ.
“Some of the women, who were covered with their veiling sheets, were joining the rasûl of Allah (asm) in the fajr salâh, and afterward they would go back to their homes unrecognised.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 372
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
“Do not prevent your women from coming to the masjîds, but their houses are better for them.”
Sunan Abi Dawud 567
Regarding the judgment on the matter of women going out of their homes, below are some examples from the Hanafi fiqh books on which the other three madhab Imams also agreed:
- Hanafi book Al-Hidayah :
“Attending the salâh in jamâ’ah is considered makruh for women, that is, the young women, due to the fear of fitnah. There is no harm if the old women go out (to attend the salâh in jamâ’ah) for fajr, maghrib and ‘isha. This is so according to Abu Hanifah (ra). The two Imams said that the old women can go out for all the salâh, because there is no fitnah in this due to the absence of desire for them. Thus, it is not makruh, as in the case of ‘Eid. He argues that extreme lust can lead to harassment of old women, therefore, fitnah can occur.”
Burhânaddin al-Margînân - Al Hidayah
The latter ‘ulamâ, who saw the emergence of fitnah and corruption in the Islamic community, prohibited all women, young or old, from going out to perform salâh in jamâ’ah at all times because fâsiq men spread everywhere.
-Hanafi book Al-‘Inayah:
The women going out to perform salâh in jamâ’ah was allowed before, but they are prohibited from going out since it caused fitnah. It is mentioned in the tafsirs that the noble âyah 4 وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِم۪ينَ مِنْكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَاْخِر۪ينَ sent about women because munâfiqs used to stand back to see women's ‘awrah (i.e., their ankles). Hazrat ‘Umar (ra) prohibited women from going out in order to go masjîds, and they complained about it to ‘Aisha (ra). She said, “If the Prophet (asm) were to know the present state that ‘Umar (ra) knows, he (asm) would not permit you to go out.”
Akmaladdin al-Bâbartî - Al-‘Inayah
Thus, based on these judgments, Ottoman ‘ulamâ absolutely prohibited women from going out to perform salâh in jamâ’ah; therefore, masjîds built in Ottoman times in Turkey do not have a place for women but the ones added in recent decades.
-Hanafi book Al-Mukhtar:
“In our time, women going out is not permissible (jâiz) due to widespread corruption and evil.”
Abdullah bin Mahmûd al-Mavsilî - Al Mukhtar
-Hanafi book Al-Kâfi:
“Fahr-al Islam Pazdawi stated that if women going out to perform salâh in jamâ’ah is makruh, their continuing the lessons under some ignorant, who claim to be ‘ulamâ, surely is makruh.”
Hâkim ash-Shahîd - Al-Kâfi
If women going out to perform salâh in jamâ’ah is tahriman makruh, how can their being in social life and mingling with non-mahram men be permissible (jâiz) in this time of corruption and fitnah?
Hazrat Bediüzzaman explains this state, its causes, and its consequences in his poem-like work Gleams:
Women Left Their Homes and Led Mankind Astray, They Must Return To Their Homes
اِذَا تَاَنَّثَ الرِّجَالُ السُّفَهَاءُ بِالْهَوَسَاتِ ٭ اِذًا تَرَجَّلَ النِّسَاءُ النَّاشِزَاتُ بِالْوَقَاحَاتِ5
Vile civilisation made womankind fly from their homes; it destroyed their blessedness and respect towards them and made them common goods.
As a rahmah, the Sharî’ah of Islam invites them to their real homes. It is there, they are respected; their comfort is in their homes, in family life.
Cleanliness is their adornment; goodness of character is their splendour; innocence is their grace and beauty; compassion is their perfection’s beauty; their children are their amusement.
Despite so many causes of corruption, she has to be as strong and firm as steel so that she can withstand them.
When a beautiful woman enters a gathering of brothers, riyâ, rivalry, envy and selfishness stir the veins. Sleeping desires of the nafs suddenly awaken.
Increased freedom of womankind has caused a sudden unfolding of bad morality in mankind.
…
The Words-Gleams
ما تركت بعدي فتنة هي أضر على الرجال من النساء
“I have not left behind me more harmful fitnah to men than women.”
Riyad as-Salihin 288
Furthermore, through a certain sahîh riwâyât, he (asm) decreed:
اِذَا مَشَوُا الْمُطَيْطَاءَ وَخَدَمَتْهُمْ بَنَاتُ فَارِسَ وَالرُّومِ، رَدَّ اللّٰهُ بَاْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ وَ سَلَّطَ شِرَارَهُمْ عَلَى خِيَارِهِمْ
"When Persian and Roman girls serve you, then calamity and fitnah will enter among you; your struggles will be between yourselves; the wicked of you will prey on the virtuous."
The Nineteenth Letter-Sixth Subtle Sign
Thus, the hadith mentioned that االنِّسَاءُ حَيَائِلُ الشَّيْطَانِ6 “Women are shaytan’s trap.” Shaytans, that is, nifâq currents, deceive those they cannot deceive in any other way, mostly by means of women.
Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır - Hak Dini Kur’an Dili Tafsiri - (4:117)
In the terminology of the Qur’an and hadith, the word shaytan refers to shaytans among men and munâfiqs and their currents, who hypocritically corrupt mankind, depending on where in the text it is used. For instance, the explanation of the word شَيَـٰطِينِهِمْ7 :
In this âyah, there is no disagreement among mufassirs about their being human shaytans.
Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır - Hak Dini Kur’an Dili Tafsiri - (2:14)
The âyah (33:34) addresses firstly the noble wives of the Prophet (asm) and secondarily all Muslim girls and women and orders them to repeatedly read and reflect on the âyahs of Allah and the lessons of îmân and hikmahs within those âyahs in their houses. It is as follows:
وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلٰى ف۪ى بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ اٰيَاتِ اللّٰهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِۜ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ لَط۪يفًا خَب۪يرً۟ا
“O wives and daughters of Rasûl,… remember the âyahs of Allah and hikmah recited in your homes, gather and study them; that is, memorise and reflect on the Qur’an and the Sunnah.”
Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır - Hak Dini Kur’an Dili Tafsiri - (33:34)
The madrasa of women is their home. The phrase ف۪ى بُيُوتِكُنَّ8 in the above âyah is significant in terms of our subject.
Certain commands of Islam, like tasattur, cannot be changed according to time and place. The governments also cannot impose a haram form of clothing that is clearly contrary to religion as a legal obligation.
Throughout his life, Bediüzzaman made no compromises on the Islamic way of life, Sharî’ah and Sunnah, with heroic determination, perseverance and courage against the severe oppression against the freedom of religion and conscience.
“…who has never given up his Islamic dress, and never changed it, and who told the governor of Ankara, called Nevzat, who wanted to interfere with his dress and received a blow by killing himself, “This turban (sariq) comes off with this head,” pointing to his neck and rejecting any interference; whose turban (sariq) they could not remove in any courts…”
Emirdağ Addendum 2-19
As a result, the most important issue in tasattur is this:
Even if Muslim men and women have flaws in Islamic clothing and tasattur, they should approve and accept the rulings of Sharî’ah about tasattur. They should not have an understanding that underestimates religious attire and tasattur, which they do not fully comply with due to the European lifestyle they plunged into. They should love and respect the Islamic way of life and those who practise the Sharî’ah. They should offer istighfâr for their own shortcomings and faults and strive to correct them as soon as possible. This is the minimum requirement for all mu’mins to save their îmân and remain in the circle of Islam.
“A woman who does not cover herself and who displays her beauty and adornment to the eyes of strangers surely cannot preserve her independence, liberty, dignity and honour.”
Ottoman Dictionary of History
اَلْعَارِفُ تَكْفِيهِ اْلاِشَارَةُ
A hint is enough for the wise
1 In these compilations on tasattur-hijâb, we gathered concisely the judgements of great Mujtahid Imams of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamâ'ah about tasattur and women’s place in society, and we mentioned some hadiths in order to give examples for their judgements’ sources. No one has the right to make judgments from the âyahs and hadiths except the great Imams of the Four Madhab, who established the rulings of the Sharî’ah with their ijtihads based on the Qur’an and Sunnah. They are the authority on these subjects, and the ‘ulamâ of this age and those who claim to serve Islam can only narrate and explain their judgments to Muslims.
“…there are judgements of As-Salaf on the nadhariyyah of Islam that were established by their pure and sincere ijtihads, which are sufficient for all times’ needs, to abandon them and make new ijtihads by following the desires of the nafs is the bid’ah and betrayal of Islam.”
27th Word-On Ijtihad
Compilers.
(Please also refer to 27th Word On Ijtihad)
2 (Qawwam literally means a protector and an administrator. It is a man’s title in the family that is defined in the tafsirs as the one who sustains the needs of his family, protects them from material and ma’nawî dangers and harms, especially sinning, which is the greatest harm in the eternal life, and is responsible for applying the Shar’iah laws in family life and for making his household follow them.) (Tr.)
3 Dayyus literally means a pander to his own wife; a contented cuckold.
Tafsirs describe dayyus as a man who does not feel jealous over his wife and daughter, in general, all of his mahrams, that is, lacks the demeanour of paternalistic protectiveness for them. A man who is not conscientiously disturbed by his mahrams being seen and liked by other men and who does not protect the honour of his mahrams.
A hadith about dayyus:
ثَلَاثَةٌ قَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْجَنَّةَ: مُدْمِنُ الْخَمْرِ وَالْعَاقُّ وَالدَّيُّوثُ الَّذِي يُقِرُّ فِي أَهْلِهِ الْخَبَثَ
“There are three to whom Allah has forbidden Jannah: one who is addicted to wine, an undutiful son and a dayyus who agrees to the female member of his family’s unchastity.”
Mishkat al-Masabih 3655
4 (Certainly we know those who are ahead of you and those who are lagging behind.)
5 (When the foolish men become feminine by following the desires of their nafs, nâshiza* women become masculine by losing their hayâ.
*Nâshiza: Disobedient wife, that is, a wife who does not fulfil her duties towards Allah as an ‘abd or marital duties towards her husband.) (Tr.)
6 (Kashf al-khafa Hadith: 2802)
7 (Their shaytans.)
8 (In your homes.)