O My Sister, Stay Hidden!

﷽

All praises are due to Allāh alone, without any partners, I ask Allāh to mention our Messenger, Muḥammad (‏صلى الله عليه وسلم) in the highest of gatherings, and to send peace and blessings upon him, his household and his companions. As for what follows;

Allāh, the Most-High, mentioned:

‎وَقُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ يَغۡضُضۡنَ مِنۡ أَبۡصَٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحۡفَظۡنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَاۖ وَلۡيَضۡرِبۡنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّۖ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآئِهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ إِخۡوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِىٓ إِخۡوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوۡ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ غَيۡرِ أُوْلِى ٱلۡإِرۡبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفۡلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يَظۡهَرُواْ عَلَىٰ عَوۡرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِۖ وَلَا يَضۡرِبۡنَ بِأَرۡجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعۡلَمَ مَا يُخۡفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّۚ وَتُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyûbihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islām), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allāh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful. (Sūrah An-Nūr:31)

In this Āyah Allāh instructs the Muslim woman on how to protect herself from Fitan (trials and tribulations), likewise He instructs her on what she must do in order not to be a Fitnah for others; which would only eventually lead to the destruction of the society at large. Among the means of protecting herself that Allāh mentioned are:

(1) Lowering her gaze; from looking at the opposite gender and looking at forbidden things.

(2) Protecting her private parts from any sexual activity, except with her husband.

(3) Not showing her adornments, that is her beauty and that which beautifies her (from clothes, henna, jewellery, make-up, etc).

(4) Ensuring that her beauty is seen only by the individuals aforementioned in the Āyah.

Presently, both in Nigeria and out of it, it has become the norm for many Muslim men and women to ignore these obligations and boundaries which Allāh has set in place to protect women from falling into Fitnah. Let’s not forget the statements of Allāh:

‎وَلَا تَكُونُواْ كَٱلَّذِينَ قَالُواْ سَمِعۡنَا وَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ إِنَّ شَرَّ ٱلدَّوَآبِّ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلصُّمُّ ٱلۡبُكۡمُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ

And be not like those who say: "We have heard," but they hear not. Verily! The worst of (moving) living creatures with Allāh are the deaf and the dumb, who understand not. (Sūrah Al-Anfal:21-22)

Many of us have read multiple Āyāt (verses) and Aḥadīth (statements from Allāh's Messenger) where Allāh and His Messenger (‏صلى الله عليه وسلم) instructed the Muslim woman to cover herself with the legislated Ḥijāb, which is the Jilbāb. The Jilbāb is a garment, which can be one or two pieces [of the same colour and material], which covers the woman completely; starting from her head down to her feet. While many like to argue that Allāh never legislated the Jilbāb, in Sūral Al-Ahzāb Allāh clearly mentioned to the Messenger of Allāh (‏صلى الله عليه وسلم) that he should instruct his wives, his daughters and the believing women - which In shā' Allāh we all are - that they should bring over themselves their Jilbābs (see Sūrah Al-Ahzāb, Āyah 58). Likewise, we find in the Prophetic Sunnah a Ḥadīth wherein Allāh's Messenger (‏صلى الله عليه وسلم) was asked about a woman who wished to go to the ʿĪd prayer but had no Jilbāb, the Messenger then answered that: '“her sister should lend her a Jilbāb” (see At-Tirmidhī, #539).

Now that we know this, will we be from those who submit or those who turn away from the commandments of Allāh? If you have read this far, then the evidence has been established, should you turn away from these commands, you would only bring harm to yourself, just as Allāh said:

‎وَتِلۡكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِۚ وَمَن يَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدۡ ظَلَمَ نَفۡسَهُۥۚ

And those are the set limits of Allāh. And whosoever transgresses the set limits of Allāh, then indeed he has wronged himself. (Sūrah Aṭ-Ṭalāq:1)

As we mentioned earlier, Tabarruj, which is a woman displaying herself in an impermissible manner, is forbidden in al-Islām. Among the modern manifestations we see of Tabarruj, especially during bridal showers, weddings and ʿĪd is a woman applying henna designs on her hands, palms, and feet, and she does not cover them. Many times we don’t only display ourselves in an impermissible manner, instead we go further by posting pictures far and wide on our social media platforms. Would we have done such during Ramaḍān? Most likely we wouldn’t… Is the Lord of Ramaḍān not the Lord of the other months?

All this is not to say that the woman can never beautify herself, she can do so; in fact, in some situations, it is an obligation for her to do so, but she should only do so for those who are deserving of seeing her beauty. You can beautify yourself with henna, but posting images of your beautiful hands and feet is not permissible. If you're someone who makes money from making people up or doing their henna, then it is not permissible for you to post your clients on your social media platforms… even if their faces are not showing! After all, you are a Muslim before you are a salesperson. Allāh will provide for you in ways you never imagined with the condition that you fear Him, and you are dutiful to Him, even in your business. Let’s reflect on Allāh’s statement:

‎وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ مَخۡرَجًا

And whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).

‎وَيَرۡزُقۡهُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَحۡتَسِبُۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسۡبُهُۥٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَٰلِغُ

‎أَمۡرِهِۦۚ قَدۡ جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدۡرًا

And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allâh, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allâh will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allâh has set a measure for all things. (Sūrah At-Talaq: 2-3)

So fear the day you will stand before Allāh and answer to Him for all you have done. A day where your beauty will not benefit you, nor your likes and/or your followers on social media. There is immense beauty and benefit in staying hidden. May Allāh grant us success.

Before we close, know, may Allāh aid you in being obedient to Him, that real beauty, is the beauty of the heart! Real beauty, is to decorate your heart with Tawḥīd, to strive to remove all forms of Shirk, hypocrisy, envy, and all the other sicknesses of the heart from it. Similarly, beauty is that you hold on to the Sunnah of your Messenger (‏صلى الله عليه وسلم), regardless of what others may say about you. Let’s all possess to hold this kind of beauty, this is the beauty that will benefit you in both the Dunyā (the life of this world) and the Ākhirah (the Hereafter).

And Allāh knows best.

‏و آخر دعواتنا أن الحمد لله رب العالمين

4/ Shawwāl/ 1444. هــ

24/ April/ 2023. CE