Thinking Muslim's Guide to Atheist Arguments by Basira Education

 

Listen to the whole series of 15 episodes. It's a gem!

Understanding Modest Dress for Women in Islam

I have been researching the scholarly consensus and the fundamental requirements for modest dressing for women in Islam, prompted by a request from my cousin sister. Given the sensitivity of this topic, I aim to present a high-level overview while providing references for further exploration at the end of this post.

Core Principles of Modest Dress

• Covering the Awrah: Islamic teachings emphasize covering the parts of the body considered awrah—areas that should remain hidden from unrelated men. While interpretations differ, the majority opinion holds that a woman should cover her entire body except for her face and hands.
• Loose and Non-Revealing Garments: Clothing should be loose-fitting to prevent the body’s shape from being discernible. It should also be non-transparent and not form-fitting to avoid attracting undue attention.
• The term hijab is often used to describe both the headscarf (which covers the hair) and the broader concept of modest attire. While the headscarf is a key element, modest dress extends beyond just covering the hair.

Minimum Requirements

• Covering the Hair and Neck: At a minimum, a woman is expected to cover her hair and neck, which is typically done using a hijab or headscarf.
• Covering the Body: The rest of the body, except for the face and hands, should be covered with loose, non-transparent garments to maintain modesty and avoid drawing attention to the body’s shape.

Context and Variation

• Scholarly Differences: Although these guidelines are widely accepted, variations exist among scholars and communities. Some interpretations include covering the feet or even the face (as in the case of the niqab), but the most commonly practiced opinion allows the face and hands to remain uncovered.
• Cultural and Personal Considerations: Modesty is expressed in different ways across cultures and personal beliefs. However, the core principle remains a focus on modesty, humility, and respect in public appearance.

Summary

Islamic modest dress for women generally includes covering the hair, neck, and body in a loose and non-revealing manner, with the face and hands being common exceptions. These guidelines promote modesty and discourage unnecessary attention, while variations in practice exist due to different interpretations and cultural influences.

References

• The Evolution of Hijab – Dr. Shabir Ally

• Understanding Islamic Dress Codes

• Helping Hijabis Understand Proper Hijab and Its Purpose - Omar Suleiman

• What’s Behind the Hijāb Bans: An Analytical Look | Ask Shaykh YQ - EP 261

• Understanding the Ruling and Wisdom of Hijab | Ask Shaykh YQ - EP 262

• The Quran and Modest Dress

• A Feminist's Choice to Wear the Hijab | Attiya Latif | TEDxUVA

• What does the Quran really say about a Muslim woman's hijab? | Samina Ali | TEDxUniversityofNevada

• What does the Quran really say about a Muslim woman's hijab? | Samina Ali | TEDxUniversityofNevada

• Don't Force The Hijab, Do THIS Instead | Nouman Ali Khan

• Progressive Views on Islamic Modesty

The rise and fall of the medieval Islamic Empire - Petra Sijpesteijn & B...

Garry Wills and the Q'uran

The Five Essential Questions About The Zionist Narrative by Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi

1. What gave United Kingdom the right to promise (Sykes-Picot Agreement 1916) the land of Palestinians to the fellow Europeans, the land that they didn't own?
2. What gave United Nations the right to hand over the majority of the land to Europeans of Zionist background in 1947?
3. What gave the right to newly formed State of Israel in August 1948 launch massacres (first Nakba) of thousands of Palestinians in hundreds of villages resulting in millions of people flee?
4. What gave State of Israel launch further attack in 1967 to take over (second Nakba) Gaza, West Bank and Jerusalem?
5. What gave the Govt of Israel the right to treat Palestinians in sub-human restrictions making Gaza the largest open air prison in the world?

Reconstructing The Muslim Mind ~ Dr. Yasir Qadhi | 31st January 2015

6 years old lecture but very relevant for any time!

Islamic Civilization in Thirty Lives by Chase Robinson

After one year of reading (not listening in audible but reading the fine print hardcover), I feel sad that the book is finished for me yesterday - Islamic Civilization in Thirty Lives: The First 1,000 Years. This is written by distinguished historian of Islam Professor Chase F. Robinson and published in 2016. I haven't found many books in English that describe major Islamic figures in the last one and half millennia. Something that came close was written by Badr Azimbadi named Great Personalities in Islam, which I finished 3 years ago. But the quality of Chase Robinson's work is nowhere near comparable with any other books of similar category I can think of. My friend Nody first told me about this book when she shared with me a youtube video Professor Robinson's conversation with Sarah Chayes. After watching it, I immediately ordered the book and started reading when it arrived. It's been a pleasure to see the diversity Islam brought to the world over a long period of time through some of the well-known and unknown figures in this book. The book has been organized by describing the lives of 30 persons picking a few from each century, ordered by their year of death. The 30th character in this book dies in 1524. I wish a follow up of this book is written for the last 5 centuries as well, perhaps picking another 10 lives?

Here are the biographies touched in this book.

Part 1: Islam & Empire (600-850)

• (1) Muhammad- the Prophet (632)
• (2) Ali - cousin, caliph and forefather of Shi'ism (661)
• (3) A'isha - wife of the Prophet - (678)
• (4) Abd al-Malik - engineering of the caliphate (705)
• (5) Ibn al-Muqaffa - translator and essayist (759)
• (6) Rabia al-Adawiyya - renunciant and saint (801)
• (7) al-Mamun - caliph-patron (833)

Part 2: The Islamic Commonwealth (850-1050)

• (8) Arib - courtesan of caliphs (890)
• (9) al-Hallaj - the Truth (922)
• (10) al-Tabari - traditionalist rationalist (923)
• (11) Abu Bakr al-Razi - free thinking physician (925 or 935)
• (12) Ibn Fadlan - intrepid envoy (fl. tenth century)
• (13) Ibn Muqla - vizier, scribe, calligrapher? (940)
• (14) Mahmud of Ghazana - conqueror and patron (1030)
• (15) al-Biruni - catalog of nature and culture (c. 1050)

Part 3: A Provisional Synthesis (1050-1250)

• (16) Ibn Hazm - polemicist, polymath (1064)
• (17) Karima al-Marwaziyya - hadith scholar (1070)
• (18) al-Ghazali - Renewer of Islam (1111)
• (19) Abu al-Qasim Ramisht - merchant millionaire (c. 1150)
• (20) al-Idrisi - cosmopolitan cartographer (1165)
• (21) Saladin - anti-Crusader hero (1193)
• (22) Ibn Rushd (Averroes) - Aristotelian monotheist (1198)

Part 4: Disruption & Integration (1250 - 1525)

• (23) Rumi - Sufi poet (1273)
• (24) Rashid al-Din - physician, courtier and global historian (1318)
• (25) al-Hilli - paragon of Shi'ism ascendant (1325)
• (26) Ibn Taymiyya - stubborn reactionary (1328)
• (27) Timur - sheep-rustler, world-conqueror (1405)
• (28) Ibn Khaldun - social theorist and historian (1406)
• (29) Mehmed II - conqueror and renaissance man (1481)
• (30) Shah Ismail - esoteric charismatic (1524)