There is something that has been on my mind for 2 days now and I have held it inside long enough. I am one of those people that read pretty much most of the articles and news reports that my friends post because as I have always said, “Knowledge is power” and I always seek new knowledge. So , here I go again speaking what’s on my mind.
I keep seeing posts from friends about women in Islam shouldn’t do this, are not allowed to do that and should never participate in this or that. Wait a minute! Let’s talk about some things for a minute. The Quran says, “And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! Turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss.” [Q 24:31] The Quran is telling the woman to protect her modesty.
Modesty is…
1. The state or quality of being modest,
2. Reserve or propriety in speech, dress, or behavior,
3. Lack of pretentiousness; simplicity.
The website that lists this definition can be found at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/modesty
The Quran states that women should, “not display their beauty”.
Beauty is…
1. the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit
2. a beautiful person or thing
3. a particularly graceful, ornamental, or excellent quality
The website that lists this definition can be found at http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beauty.
Now, let’s discuss beauty in both the Quran and the websites I have listed above. We are instructed to cover our bodies, lower our gaze and guard our modesty. This is what I love about Islam and the Quran. That it is clear and precise in its meanings to all of us. In this same instance it invites us to use our own judgment that ALLAH (swt) himself has given us. So, here is my problem. It appears to me that beauty is in her ways, her speech, her behavior, her qualities and her character. So when I read articles that are stating, sisters take your pictures down as The Quran states you should hide your beauty. I want to know the person who wrote this article. Where in the Quran or any other book does it state that women are ONLY an outer appearance and that this is the only beauty she has? Mind you I completely understand the concept and clearly get the point BUT this is where I will also call the brothers out and advise you all of what The Quran tells you. “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.” [Q 24:30]”
In no place does it mention that you should hide your beauty but rather to lower your gaze and guard your modesty. So, my point in this is simple. Beauty is pleasing to the heart and not the eyes, soothing to the soul and mind. In your perception of beauty lower your gaze and see a woman for who she is and not for how she looks. Beauty is what it is. It is we the people who have made it something very different than its original meaning. In this instance the meaning of modesty for men is simple. Mind your character and morals, understand how others see you and know that you are a direct reflection of the men of Islam. Islam forces you to talk to my face and not my chest. So as you are posting pictures of female body parts and surfing Facebook to add less than modest women, know that YOU TOO should guard your modesty. Don’t always point the fingers at the sisters.
