Hayah by Aisha
Hayah (part 1)
What is hayah? The word hayat is derived from the word hayat which means life. Hayat covers a wide range of concepts. It is often used to exemplify modesty, shyness, self respect, bashfulness, shame, honor and humility. In Islam hayah is a property which pushes the believer to avoid anything disgraceful or abominable. Islam has strongly emphasized the concept of decency and modesty in the interaction between members of the opposite gender.
Nowadays, we are witnessing a very disturbing trend in hijab style. Sisters are wearing hijab but not really fulfilling the basic requirements of hijab. It has become a norm to wear lots of make up, wearing very eye catchy, tight fitting and see through clothes. I think the rise of the new so called trendy hijab style is due to our sheer ignorance and lack of understanding about what hijab really means and what it actually requires. The word "hijab" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general. The Arabic word literally means curtain or cover. Most Islamic legal systems define this type of modest dressing as covering everything except the face and hands in public. According to Islamic scholarship, hijab is given the wider meaning of modesty, privacy, and morality. So it’s not just a piece of cloth but it is a symbol for us as Muslims to behave in a modest way and present ourselves as well balanced Muslims. The Qur'an instructs both Muslim men and women to dress in a modest way.
It is necessary to remind our women folk that the purpose of hijab is not putting on any cloth but to hide the body. Transparent or thin clothes which reveal the colour of skin or shape of body are absolutely forbidden.
The Holy Prophet s.a.w said in a hadith:
“Their women will be dressed, yet naked; on their heads will be like the humps of lean camels; do curse them, for they are truly cursed.”
The prophet pbuh says "There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen: men in whose hands are whips like the tails of cattle, with which they beat the people, and women who are clothed yet naked, maa’ilaat mumeelaat, with their heads like the humps of camels, tilted to one side. They will not enter Paradise nor even smell its fragrance.”
What are the humps of camels? This phrase is referring to when women use scarves or other accessories such as big bobbles etc to wrap around their hair making their hijab look big like the hump of a camel. It seems like they have two heads because of the hump. This is 🚫 in Islam, and is not the correct way to do hijab at all.
The Holy Prophet s.a.w on seeing a bride in a thin dress said:
”A woman who dressed like this, is not the one who believes in the Surah an-Nur.”
Wearing excessively dirty or rugged cloth to demonstrate denial of 'Self' or one's rejection of the norms of society is not allowed. The showiness and pride are improper in the eyes of Islam and are rejected by Islamic ethics. The Prophet said: ”Whoever wears a dress of fame in this world, Allah will cloth him with a dress of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection, then set it on fire.”
The clearest verse on the requirement of the hijab (for men and women) is Surah Al-Nur, “[Prophet], tell believing men to lower their eyes and guard their private parts: this is purer for them Allah is well aware of everything they do. And tell believing women that they should lower their eyes, guard their private parts and not display their charms beyond what [it is acceptable] to reveal; they should draw their coverings over their neckline and not reveal their charms except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their womenfolk, their slaves, such men who attend them who have no desire or children who are not aware of women’s nakedness; they should not stamp their feet so as to draw attention to any hidden charms. Believers, all of you, turn to Allah so that you may prosper.”
Hayah (part 2)
According to majority of Muslims scholars, it is recommended that women wear clothing that is not very fitting to the body: either modest forms of western clothing (long shirts and skirts), or the more traditional jilbāb, loose robe that covers the arms and legs. We are told to cover ourselves in a way so that we are not creating fitna by getting the wrong attention from the non mahrams. Allah (swt) also mentions very clearly in the Qur’an who are allowed to see us without hijab and when we are wearing our hijab, we are not suppose to beautify ourselves in such a way that creates attention. However, the opinion that Muslim men must cover themselves between the navel and the knees is predominant, and most Muslims believe that a man who fails to observe this requirement during salah must perform the prayer again, properly covered, in order for it to be valid.
Men:
"Say to the believing men that they should cast down their glances and guard their private parts by being chaste, this is better for them."
In this verse men are clearly instructed to not lustfully look at women other than their wives. They are required to cast their glances downwards in order to prevent any possibility of temptation. This is known as hijab of the eyes. Hijab of the eyes is for men and women. Men are instructed to lower their gaze and women should not wear clothing to attract men. The believer men must cast down their gaze and believer women must cast down their gaze. None is allowed to look at the opposite sex, unless he or she is within the prohibited degree (mahram).
1. Man must cover his 'Awratain at all times, from all persons except his wife or a very small child.
2. He must cover his 'Awratain in the prayer.
3. His cloth should not be tight so as to describe what it is supposed to hide.
4. It should not be thin so as to show the colour of the skin of the parts which should be covered
5. The dress should not be like a costume generally considered a female costume.
6. They should not be clothes of fame, pride of vanity.
7. They should not be made of pure silk.
8. Man is not allowed to wear even impure gold.
As the man is required to struggle for earning the livelihood, he is not told to hide his body (except to a certain extent). Still he is obliged to cast down his gaze; and not to look at Ghair-Mahram women. Women can easily keep themselves covered and hidden because their sphere of activity is in their home; therefore, they are told to cover their entire body, as well as cast down their gaze and not to look at Ghair Mahram men. There are many Hadith which say that: “Glance is a poisoned arrow from the arrows of Shaitan.” Numerous Hadith declare that the glance after the 1st glance is an arrow of Shaitan; and is Haram. Our boys and girls should ponder on these verses and traditions, in order to realize that wearing hijab or scarf is not a license to look freely at the opposite gender.
Hayah (part 3)
"Every religion has a character and the character of Islam is modesty.” (Muwatta). We see women and men out there partying, dressing half naked. If there was no modesty women would be seen as "toys" men wouldn't care about their relations with women. Modesty keeps a woman safe. If there was no modesty in this world then the only thing people would do is drink, party, sell themselves, zina. No real purpose to life. Women would have no worth. With modesty comes self respect, shyness, it prevents you from doing sins. Hayah in Islam is so much that even when the diseased are being washed, their awrah should be covered. So oh muslims what right do we have to openly flaunt our awrah when even the diseased is not allowed to be seen naked?
Putting pictures up of oneself:
This opens the door to fitnah (temptation) and evil for the woman and for those who see her. How often have we heard and read painful stories caused by such things. How many pure and chaste women have fallen into the traps of those who do not fear Allah, evildoers who have tempted them with sweet words and promises until, when they had had their way with them, they turned their back on them and abandoned them with nothing but regret and loss, and perhaps shame in this world and in the Hereafter Allah forbid. How many evildoers have tampered with those images and reproduced them by modern means, putting the head of a decent woman on the body of an immoral woman, then there will be great regret for what she brought upon herself and her family. The focal point of beauty and fitnah in women is the face, and this is what men want to see, and it is from this that it is judged whether a woman is beautiful or not, then publishing pictures in the manner mentioned opens the door to women for be tempted to be a source of temptation, and for them and their pictures to be treated disrespectfully, as they will be visible to anyone who wants to see them.
These pictures I spoke about were to do with hijab. However nowadays there are sisters who post themselves without hijab even though they wear hijab. Wearing a hijab does not mean you wear it only when you go out in the streets, it means you wear it everywhere be it real life or online. Males online are also your gayr mahram, are they not? They are still men and again your picture may cause temptation. Your account on instagram or facebook may be private but how well can you really trust them people you have as "friends." They may be viewing your facebook or instagram page infront of their brothers, fathers, male friends. This causes you to sin because a gayr mahram is seeing you without a hijab whether that was your intention or not.
May Allah guide all of our Muslim brothers and sisters and give me and you the ability to be modest insha Allah. I hope this topic benefitted someone insha Allah.
Allah knows best.