Germany: A Muslim teacher replaced her head-scarf

A Muslim teacher who replaced her head-scarf with a beret pulled down over her ears has been fired from school.
The teacher, who tried to preserve her religious values and at the same time follow Germany’s social norms lost a lawsuit Friday against a German state which banned religious head-dress from public schools; IRNA reported.
Presiding judge Heike Menche of a labour tribunal in the western city of Dusseldorf upheld a pre-dismissal warning issued to the woman, 35, who trains children in life skills at a city school.
The woman adopted the pink beret after North Rhine-Westphalia state followed the example of Turkey and France by outlawing head scarves in public schools, saying they were a sectarian symbol.

This is while an estimated 3.2 million of the 82 million people in Germany have an Islamic heritage.
The woman denied her beret was religious and said she wore it for cultural reasons, since she felt “undressed” when bare-headed.
Eight of sixteen states in Germany including the capital have banned Islamic head scarves from public schools.

www.tebyan.net

Hijab in Law

The term “hijab—الحجاب” literally means a cover, curtain or screen.

It is not a technical term used in Islamic jurisprudence for the dress code of women.

The term used in Islamic jurisprudence that denotes the conduct of unrelated men and women towards one another, and their dress code, is “satr or s?tir—الستر، الساتر”.

In the last two decades however, the Muslims in the west, as well as the media, use the term “hijab” to define the headdress and the overall clothing of Muslim women.

Islam has strongly emphasized the concept of decency and modesty in the interaction between members of the opposite sex.

Dress code is part of that overall teaching.

(Qur'an: Chapter 24an-Nur (the Light),, Verses 30-31) says “And tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to [those relatives who fall within bounds of close relationship explained in the Qur’an]...”

This is a command to Muslim men that they should not lustfully look at women (other than their own wives); and in order to prevent any possibility of temptation, they are required to cast their glances downwards. It is also a command to Muslim Women to lower their eyes...


Extract from Islamic Laws of Ayatullah Seestani Covering required for prayer

A woman should cover her entire body while offering prayers, including her head and hair.

As a recommended precaution, she should also cover the soles of her feet.

It is not necessary for her to cover that part of her face which is washed while performing Wudhu, or the hands up to the wrists, or the upper feet up to the ankles.

Nevertheless, in order to ensure that she has covered the obligatory parts of her body adequately, she should also cover a part of the sides of her face as well as lower part of her wrists and the ankles.

It is reported that the Holy Prophet (saw) once asked his daughter: "What is the thing, which is a blessing for a woman?"

She (as) replied, "She must not see a strange man and the strange man should not see her".

The most important message of this tradition is that of Hijab.

A woman must cover herself and preserve her modesty in such a manner that neither does she come into unnecessary contact with Na-Mahram men, nor do they come into unnecessary contact with her!


Today, we find that there are three kinds of Muslim women:

1. One who do not wear Hijab at all and their most usual argument to justify their action is that: 'As long as our hearts are pure and clear, we do not have to put on any Hijab.


2. The second kind is of those who put on Hijab but not properly.

They either don't wear it properly - Or they consider Hijab as a passport to freely see and communicate to the strangers.


3. And the third kind is of those women who not only cover themselves, but they are extremely careful in their dealings with the strangers.


The answer of this has been given to us in the history of Islam and those women who call themselves as followers of Zahra (as) & Syeda Zainub (sa) , should identify themselves with these personalities.

One incident tells us that the Holy Prophet (saw) once brought along a blind person to the house of Sayyida Fatimah (as) and knocked at her door.

He also informed her about the blind person's company. Sayyida Fatimah (as) asked her father to wait so that she could cover herself.

When the Holy Prophet (saw) said, But Fatimah! This man is blind and he cannot see you".

She (as) responded by saying, "O Father! So what if he is blind? He cannot see me but I can see him – so allow me to cover myself".


Kerbala event is another lesson for hijabs importance


Many Muslim women do not wear Hijab in fear of being ridiculed by the wider society.

They should have firm faith in Allah (swt) and always pray to HIM , through the Intercession (Waseelah) of Sayyida Fatimah (as) to give them courage and protect them from every sort of mischief whilst they are observing Hijab.

By, Islamic Laws of Ayatullah Seestani
www.islamic-laws.com

What is the Philosophy of Hijab? (Part 2)

By: Grand Ayatullah Nasir Makarim Shirazi


Criticisms Levelled by the Opponents of Hijab

At this point we come to the objections which are levelled by those opposing the veil and which need to be discussed, albeit concisely:

1. The most important thing which all of them support in unanimity and which they propound as the fundamental objection with respect to the issue of Hijab is that women constitute one half of the society but the Hijab pushes this multitude into seclusion thereby causing them to lag behind culturally and intellectually.
Especially during the period of economic thriving, when there is a greater need for active human participation, this large female force would remain totally unutilized in the path of economic progress, not to speak of their lack of presence in social and cultural centres.
Thus, they are transformed into a mere consumer that is a burden for the society.

But those who have resorted to this logic have either been totally oblivious of certain points, or have probably feigned lack of knowledge about them:

Firstly: Who says that the Islamic Hijab isolates a woman and distances her from the social arena? If, in the past, it had been necessary for us to exhaust ourselves in order to present proofs and arguments in defence of this issue, now, after the Islamic Revolution, there does not exist the slightest need for them, for with our own eyes we observe groups of women, in the Islamic Hijab, presenting themselves in all places - in offices, workstations, political rallies and demonstrations, on the radio and television, in cultural and educational institutes, in hospitals and medical centres, especially for nursing those injured in war, and even in the battlefield against the enemies.

In short, the present state (of the Islamic society) is a fitting riposte to all these objections; if previously we spoke of the 'possibility' of such a state, today we find ourselves facing the 'occurrence' of it and philosophers have stated that the best proof for the 'possibility (of occurrence)' of a thing is the (actual) 'occurrence' of that thing, and this is something, which is too evident and manifest to require any explanation.

Secondly: Is managing the house, training and educating the youthful children and transforming them into individuals not a task? After all, through their strength and ability, the youths are able to set the gigantic wheels of the society into motion.

People who do not view this great mission of women positively are ill-informed of the role played by family and training in constructing a healthy, prosperous and dynamic society.
They imagine that the (correct) manner is that our men and women, like those of the West should, at the first sign of daybreak, leave their houses for their places of work, either leaving their children in nurseries or locking them up in a room thereby making them taste the bitterness of imprisonment at a time when they are blooming buds.
-They are totally oblivious of the fact that this approach not only shatters their personalities but also moulds them into soulless children, who are found to be lacking in human sentiments and affections, and who will eventually jeopardize the future of society.

Secondly: Another of their objections is that the Hijab is a cumbersome dress, which is not well suited for social activities, especially in the modern automobile age.
What should a veiled woman look after - herself, her chador, her children or her work?

But these critics do not realise the fact that the Hijab does not always mean a chador, but rather it refers to a woman's covering.
If the Hijab is possible by means of the chador, so much the better, but if not, then a covering is quite sufficient.

The womenfolk of our country, who engage in farming and live in villages - especially those who work in the rice-fields and perform the most important and difficult work of cultivating and harvesting the crop, have answered this objection, practically.
They have shown that in numerous places a village-woman, while observing the Islamic Hijab, can work more than a man and better too - without the Hijab hampering or obstructing her work in the slightest.

Thirdly: Another objection which they level is that since Hijab establishes separation between men and women, it amplifies the greedy nature of man and instead of extinguishing it, only serves to inflame his covetousness, since:

أِلإِِنْسَانُ حَرِيصٌ عَلىَ ماَ مُنِعَ


“People covet that which is forbidden for them.”

A comparison of our present society in which the Hijab is prevalent in all places - without exception - with the one that prevailed during the period of the satanic regime, which used to force the women to take off their Hijab will provide the answer to this objection, or more correctly, this sophism and fallacy.

Those days, every alley and neighbourhood was a centre of wickedness and depravity, and an ambience of incredible immorality prevailed within the households.
Divorces were rampant, the number of illegitimate children was staggering and there were a thousand other curses.

We do not claim that all of these have been eradicated, but they have undoubtedly been greatly reduced and our society, in this regard, has regained its well-being.
And if, Allah Willing, the state of affairs continues its course and all the other tangles come to order, our society, with respect to pureness of the households, and preservation of the merit and worth of women, shall come to achieve a desired and ideal state.

www.imamreza.net

What is the Philosophy of Hijab?

By Grand Ayatullah Nasir Makarim Shirazi

Undoubtedly, in this age of ours - which some have named as the 'age of nudity and sexual freedom' and in which, West-stricken individuals regard wantonness of women as being part of this freedom - the mention of Hijab is very disconcerting for this group of people and at times is even looked upon as a myth associated with the ancient times!

However, the innumerable evils and the ever-increasing problems arising out of this unconditioned freedom have gradually resulted in the concept of Hijab being viewed with a greater interest.

Of course, in the Islamic and religious environments - especially in Iran after the revolution - a great number of issues have been clarified and satisfactory answers to most of these questions have been provided.
Nevertheless, the significance of the topic demands this issue to be discussed more comprehensively.

The issue under discussion is: Should women (with due apologies) be placed at the disposal of all men for the purpose of being exploited by them by way of sight, hearing and touch (excepting sexual intercourse), or should these benefits be the sole prerogative of their respective husbands?

The point of debate is about whether women should continue to remain entangled in a never-ending competition in flaunting their bodies and stirring up the physical and carnal desires of men, or whether these issues should be uprooted from the social environment and restricted to the familial and matrimonial milieu.
Islam advocates the latter plan and Hijab can be looked upon as a part of this agenda, whereas the Westerners support the former plan!

Islam avers that all such physical pleasures - sexual intercourse as well as those derived by means of sight, hearing and touch - are specific to the husbands, and anything beyond this is a sin which leads to pollution and impurity within the society.


The philosophy behind Hijab is indeed evident since:

1. Nudity of women, which is quite naturally accompanied by adornment and coquettishness puts men, especially the youths, in a state of perpetual stimulation - a stimulation which affects their nerves, generates within them pathological nervous excitement and at times even brings about psychological disorders.
There is a limit to the burden of excitement which the human nerves can endure.
Don't all the psychologists caution that perpetual excitement leads to disorders and diseases?

This is especially in view of the fact that the sexual impulse is the strongest and the most profound of all impulses within man and, all through the ages, has been the cause of destructive events and horrendous offences, to the extent that people have gone on to say:
You shall not come across any important event (in history), except that a woman has played a part in it!

Is the continuous provocation of this impulse by means of nudity, and intensifying it, not tantamount to playing with fire?
Is this act wise and prudent?

Islam desires that Muslim men and women should possess a soul that is calm, nerves that are composed, and eyes and ears that are pure, and this is one of the philosophies of Hijab.


2. Substantiated and conclusive statistics reveal that with the rise in nudity, the world has correspondingly witnessed a continuous rise in divorces and matrimonial separations.
This is because “whatever the eyes see, the heart covets”; and whatever the heart (which here means the errant and wild desires) covets, it seeks to obtain it at any cost.
Therefore, every new day the heart gets attracted to one and bids farewell to another.

In an environment where Hijab is prevalent (together with adherence to the other Islamic conditions), the husband and wife belong to each other and their sentiments, love and feelings are exclusively for one another.

But in the 'free market of nudity' wherein women have been practically transformed into a commodity of mutual use - (at least in issues other than sexual intercourse) - the sanctity of a matrimonial alliance becomes meaningless, and families, similar to a spider's web, swiftly break apart and the children are left without guardians.


3. The increase in indecency and obscenity, and the escalation in the number of illegitimate children are the most painful consequences of non-observance of Hijab - a fact which, in our opinion, does not require any figures and statistics; and the reasons for this, especially in the Western society, are so very apparent so as to eliminate the need for any mention.

We do not say that non-observance of Hijab is the sole and fundamental cause of obscenities and illegitimate children, nor do we say that colonialism and destructive political issues have not had any contribution to it; rather, what we wish to state is that the issue of nudity and non-observance of Hijab is as one of the instrumental and effective factors for those evils.

In view of the fact that 'indecency', and worse than this, 'illegitimate children' were and are amongst the sources of various crimes in human societies, the dangerous dimension of this issue becomes all the more clear.

We perceive the gravity of the matter when we hear that, according to statistics[94], in the United Kingdom five hundred thousand illegitimate children are born every year and then when we hear that a group of British intellectuals has issued a warning to those in the echelons of power with respect to this ongoing trend.
The warning is not motivated out of ethical or religious concerns but rather out of concern for the dangers these illegitimate children pose to the safety of the society, to the extent that their involvement is observed in numerous criminal dossiers.
We (also) come to realize that even those who possess scant respect for religion or ethical issues consider the issue of the spread of indecency to be catastrophic.
Thus, everything that serves to increase the sphere of physical immorality in human societies is a threat for their security, and the consequences - in whatever manner we may compute them - shall always be to their detriment.

Studies by educated scholars reveal that reduction of work, backwardness and lack of responsibility are most noticeably perceived in schools, which are co-educational in nature and in centres where males and females work together in an ambience of licentiousness and complete freedom.


4. The issue of 'obscenity of women' and 'humiliation of their personalities' also holds great importance and requires no statistics to prove it. When a society desires a woman with a bare body, it is quite obvious that day by day, it would demand increased beautification and augmented ostentation from her.
In a society wherein a woman, due to her physical attraction, is utilized for promotion and publicity of products, as a decoration for the reception rooms, or as a tool for attracting tourists, her personality is reduced to that of a doll or a trivial and insignificant item, and her lofty human values are totally thrust into oblivion; ultimately, her only distinction and glory lies in her youth, beauty and self-exhibition.

Thus, she is transformed into a device for satisfying the carnal desires of a handful of individuals, who are polluted, deceptive and possess satanic attributes!

In such a society, how is it possible for a woman to manifest herself in the light of her knowledge, awareness, sagacity and moral traits, and to occupy a lofty rank and status?

It is indeed painful that in the Western and West-stricken countries, and in our country (too) before the Islamic Revolution, the maximum prominence, fame, repute, money, income and standing had been for the polluted and promiscuous women, who had come to acquire renown as 'artists and performers'.
Wherever they went, the management of this polluted environment would scramble after them to welcome their presence!

Praise be to Allah that the entire apparatus was annihilated and the female sex emerged from her previous triteness or her erstwhile standing as a cultural doll and an insignificant item, and salvaged her personality.
She took for herself the veil without being secluded and isolated, presenting herself in every expedient and constructive arena of the society - even the battlefield - with the same veil and Hijab.

www.imamreza.net

The Real Visage of the Hijab (modest dress)

The fact is that the covering or its new expression, hijab, is not concerned with whether or not it is good for a woman to appear in society covered or uncovered .
The point is whether or not a woman and a man's need of her should be a limitless, free association or not.

Should a man have the right to satisfy his needs with every woman and in every place short of committing adultery?

Islam, which looks at the spirit of the problem, answers:
No.
Men are only allowed to satisfy their sexual desires with their legal wives within a marital situation based upon the laws of marriage which establish a series of heavy commitments.
It is forbidden for men to have any physical relations with women they are not related to by marriage.

It is true that the question externally appears to be, "What should a woman do?"
Must she leave her home covered or uncovered?
That is, the person about whom the question is raised is a woman and the question is often expressed in very heart-rending tones, "Is it better for a woman to be free or condemned and imprisoned in the modest dress?"
But something else lies at the root of the question.
That is, should men be free to take sexual benefit from women in any way they choose short of committing adultery or not?
That is, the one who benefits here is a man and not a woman or at least a man benefits more than a woman does.
As Will Durant has said, "The mini-skirt is a blessing for everyone in the world except cloth merchants."

So the depth of the question is whether or not the seeking of sexual pleasure should be limited to the family environment and legal wives or is the freedom of seeking sexual fulfillment something that should be satisfied in society at large?
Islam defends the first theory.
According to Islamic precepts, limiting sexual desires to the family environment and legal wives helps to maintain the mental health of the society.
It strengthens the relationships between the members of the family and fosters the development of a perfect harmony between a husband and wife.
As far as society is concerned, it keeps and preserves energies to be then used for social activities and it causes a woman to attain a higher position in the eyes of man.

The philosophy of the Islamic 'covering' depends on several things.
Some of them are psychological and some relate to the home and the family.
Others have sociological roots and some of them relate to raising the dignity of a woman and preventing her debasement.

The modest dress in Islam is rooted in a more general and basic issue.

That is, Islamic precepts aim at limiting all kinds of sexual enjoyment to the family and the marital environment within the bounds of marriage so that society is only a place for work and activity.

It is opposite of the Western system of the present era which mixes work with sexual enjoyment. Islam separates these two environments completely.

By: Martyr Ayatollah Murtuda Mutahhari
www.tebyan.net

Cute Hijab Styles

A hijab is the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women, and it is an Arabic word which means "cover." The Qur'an, the religious text followed by Muslims, says male and female followers to be modest in their dress.


Wrapping a Shawl or Full Scarf

Wrapping a shawl basically means that the hijab has been created using a full scarf.
First, an under scarf (often a solid color) is used to wrap the hair.
Then a bigger scarf is placed on top of it, creating a very long hijab style.
This is good for cold weather and also when you want to accessorize using one solid and one print scarf.
Wrapping a shawl is going to give a lot of coverage to the woman wearing it.


Wearing it Long on One Side

A cute hijab style is wearing the scarf longer on one side.
When this style is worn, it is important to cover the hair completely with an under scarf, as this style does not offer the complete coverage of others.
A slim scarf can be used on top of the under scarf and tied behind the neck.
The ends of the scarf can be braided and worn to the side.
This style should be worn with a turtleneck or full under scarf, as it would leave the neck exposed otherwise.


Securing it with Pins and Other Accessories

Another cute hijab style is wearing them with fancy hijab pins and other accessories, such as scrunchies and colorful ponytail holders.
Hijab pins are fancy pins that can be attached to a hijab, almost like a bobby pin with a rhinestone pendant on one end.
They come in a variety of colors and shapes, such as flowers, hearts and stars.


One Print and One Solid Scarf

Wearing a hijab with one print and one solid scarf is a popular style.
Many times, the under scarf is a solid, but women can mix it up by doing the opposite.
Black and white under scarves are very basic colors, but this rule can be switched up for a fresh look, and the print scarf can be worn as the under scarf.
Other colors can be used for the under scarf, as long as it matches the print.

Ref: By, Nia Stanley.
www.ahlulbaytportal.com

Hijab in Islam

By Mahboubeh Gandom Abaadi (A Seminary Graduate and Lecturer)
Through an analytical approach, the present research is an attempt to find fair answers to such questions, investigating the issue of “hijab”? in Islamic community and among other peoples and nations in the past as well as analyzing its philosophy by benefiting from the original sources of Islamic school of thought, thereby achieving a clear vision for the status of implementing this stable and firm value within the contemporary Iranian society.

‘Hijab’ is an Arabic word which literally means to put on, to cover, curtain, veil or covering (noun); however, among all these meanings, curtain or veil is more common and as a result it has led many people to suppose that Islam wants women to always stay at home behind the curtains and not to go out.

In this regard, the great scholar, Martyr Morteza Motahhari states: “Covering for women in Islam means that in their interactions with men, women cover their bodies and don’t try to exhibit themselves or have coquettish behavior”?. (1)
The related verses in Qur’an as well as jurists’ Fatwa in this regard refer to and highlight this principle.
The module for covering in Islam can be achieved via Qur’an and tradition sources.
In related verses, the term ‘hijab’ is not directly used.
In other words, the verses in this regard, in holy chapters of either Noor or Al-Ahzaab indirectly refer to the limitations with regard to dress code and the interaction between men and women without using the word ‘hijab’. (2)

Considering the abovementioned words, ‘Islamic hijab’ or ‘Islamic covering’ will be succinctly explained and described in the next parts of this article.


Notes:

(1) Motahhari, Morteza, 1996. Hijab.Sadra Publishing Center , 43th Edition, P. 28

(2) Ibid

www.ahlulbaytportal.com

Hijab-wearing Girls Banned from School in Azerbaijan

A female Al Jazeera correspondent, who is covering the terrorist activities from different cities in Syria for months, was quickly moved to Qatar, after one of the commanders of Al Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda affiliated Wahabi-Deobandi terrorist group, raped her in Aleppo.
Egyptian daily Al-Nahar reported that Ghada Oweis, Al Jazeera correspondent, has long been working alongside terrorist groups Al-Nusra opposed to Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo to send reports to Qatari network.

A few days ago on the invitation of one of the commanders of this Salafist Wahabi-Deobandi militant group, she went to his office.
Surprisingly however, the Al-Nusra militias did not allow her camera crews to enter the office. And they took Ms. Oweis by force and told the crews to come back for interview tomorrow.

Al Jazeera correspondent was rushed out of Syria via Turkey, when it was discovered she was raped by the commander of Wahabi-Deobandi Al-Nusra Front of Al-qaeeda in Aleppo.
She was transferred to Qatar later in critical situation becuase of raped by the so-called Saudi funded Islamist militants, she is emotionally in shock.

Returning to Qatar, Ghada Oweis demanded justice and asked the senior leaders of Al-Nusra group to punish this commander.
Reportedly Al Jazeera is trying to prevent the reporter from affirming the news by ways of pressure and payments of huge amount of money to maintain the good image of the terrorists fighting in Syria However, Al-Nursa front officials claimed that the Ms Ghada Oweis was not raped by the ring leader of terrorists group and termed that she presented herself for Jihad ul Nikah (Sexual Jihad) in front of Wahabi-Deobandi leader.

The terrorist militias in Syria have been committing numerous acts of violence and shameless atrocities against the civilians, by using a Fatwa; issued by one of the Muftis of Salafists, that militias fighting in Syria can force women to ‘Jihad al Nikah’ (Girls must participate in "marriage" to fulfill their Jihad obligations in Syria).

www.shiitenews.com

Boys Keeping a Beard and the Importance of Hijab for Girls

Boys - Keeping a Beard
A beard is considered a feature of beauty and a symbol of manliness. Men should be conscious of, and cultivate, their masculinity, and women should be conscious of, and cultivate, their femininity; no sex should imitate the other, because it means an inferiority complex with respect to the other. For this reason, it is forbidden to shave the beard, but it is not necessary that the beard should be very long. It is permitted for a man to keep the beard trimmed but not such that people would say he shaved, or he had just neglected to shave : a medium beard is recommended. a moustache should not be allowed to grow too long, it should be clipped so that it does not cover the lips. This may be part of Islam's concern for hygiene and neatness.
A beard distinguishes Muslim men from others. The Prophet commanded Muslims to keep themselves distinct from, and not imitate, other communities.
Fatwa 2920 :
It is unlawful on the basis of obligatory precaution to shave one?'?s beard, and it is also unlawful to get wages for shaving the beard of another person. However, if a person who does not shave his beard is made a target of ridicule and has to suffer humiliation which is intolerable in the eyes of the wise persons, it is permissible for him to shave his beard.
Article of Islamic Acts (Khui)
The Fatwa of our present Mujtahid, Ayatullah al Uzama Syed Ali al-Husaini Seestani, is similar on this issue.
[The rest of the lesson to be utilised for discussion with the youth as to the pressures that cause them to disobey the command of keeping the beard]
GIRLS - IMPORTANCE OF HIJAB
The importance of Hijab will be briefly discussed in the light of the verses of the Holy Qur'an on the subject. Allah says:
"Say unto the believer men to cast down their gaze and guard their private parts; that is purer for them. Verily Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.
And say unto the believing women that they cast down their gaze and guard their private parts; and not to display their adornment (Zeenat) except what becomes apparent of it; and to draw their headcovers (Khumur) over their neck slits (Juyoob); and not to display their "Zeenat" except to their husbands… (an Noor, 24:31,32 part)
The verse first informs men of their duty in Hijab and then the women. Some important words in the second verse are:
Zeenat: This is something we use to beautify ourselves like clothes, ornaments, jewellery, etc.
Khumur: These are head covers or scarves.
Juyoob: The neck slit was usually low in Arab dress and the women did not cover their necks. So in this verse they were ordered to cover their exposed necks with the head covers.
In another verse Allah says:
O Prophet! Say unto your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon themselves a robe (Jilbab); so that they may be distinguished, so that they will not be troubled; Allah is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. (al Ahzab, 33:59)
Here the word Jilbab refers to a covering that is bigger than a headcover and shorter than a shawl and is designed to cover the head and shoulders.
According to the command of Allah, the coverings for women that form their Hijab is Wajib, and disobedience of this command earns Allah's anger.
The entire body of the woman except hands and face should be covered. The overall appearance of the dress is that it must be loose so it does not reveal the form of the woman, and it should not be attractive in a way that it draws the eyes of the people to the wearer.
Reference: ImamReza.net

Psychological Tranquility

Without limits being established for relations between men and women or with unlimited free associations, sexual excitement and stimulation increase and demands become unquenchable and insatiable.
The sexual instinct is a powerful, deep-rooted instinct which resembles the fathomless ocean .
Although one thinks that by obeying it, one will have tamed it, its rebellious nature continues to show forth.
It is like a fire: the more fuel is added to it, the greater would be its flame.
In order to comprehend this, two points should be noted.

Firstly, just as history recalls those who coveted wealth, who were continuously seeking to add to what they already had and however much more they gained, they were still greedy for more, it also mentions those who were covetous for sexual pleasures.
In no way were they satisfied by possessing beautiful women and dominating over them.
This was the situation of all of those who had harems and, in truth, all those who had the power to possess women.

Christensen writes about the Sassanian rulers:
The women we see carved into stone at Taq-i-Bustan are only a few of the 3000 women Khosrow Parviz possessed in his harem.
This king was never satisfied sexually.
Whenever girls, widows or women with children were presented to him for their beauty, he would order that they be sent to his harem.
Whenever he desired to replenish his harem, he would write letters to his governors wherein he would describe the perfect and beautiful women he wanted.
They then would send him any women who fit his description."

Stories like this are endless in history.
In most recent times, this greed does not take the form of harems but exists in another form with the difference that today it is not necessary for a person to have the wealth and possibilities that Khosrow Parviz or Harun alRashid had.
Today, with the blessing of contemporary culture, it is possible for a man who only has one-thousandth of the possibilities of Parviz or Harun to take advantage of women.

Secondly, have you ever considered what the desire to serenade or write love poems stems from in humanity?
A large part of world literature is filled with love poems. In this type of literature, a man praises his beloved, asks for his needs to be satisfied by the beloved, raises the position of the beloved as he lowers his own status and suffers greatly from separation.
What is this?
Why does humanity not behave in the same way towards other needs?
Have you ever seen a person who worships money or a person who is ambitious for higher material positions, writing love poems on money or on ambition?
Has anyone ever written a love poem asking for bread? Why is it that people enjoy listening to or reading the love poems of another?
Why is it that so many people receive such pleasure from Hafiz's love poems?
Is it not because each person senses that it conforms to some very deep instinct which possesses their whole being?
How mistaken are those who say that the one and only reason which forms the basis for human activity is an economic one!

Human beings have developed special literary rhythmic forms to express sexual love just as they have done with spiritualities whereas no special literary rhythmic forms have been developed for things which are essentially material like bread and water.
We do not want to insinuate that all loves are sexual nor do we mean to imply that all of Hafiz's or Sa'adi's poems stem from their sexual instinct.
This is something which needs to be discussed separately at another time.

But what is clear is that many of the love poems are ones written by men in devotion to women.
It is sufficient for us to recognize that a man's attention towards a woman is not based on bread and water so that it can be satiated when the stomach is full.
Rather, it either takes the form of greed and worship of variety and multiplicity or the form of love and love poems.
We will later discuss under what conditions the state of greed and sexual covetousness is strengthened and under what conditions love and love poems assume a spiritual quality.

At any rate, Islam has placed special emphasis upon the amazing power of this fiery instinct.
There are traditions which speak of the danger of a 'look', the danger of a man and woman being alone together and, finally, the danger of the instinct which unites a man and a woman.

Islam has established ways of controlling, balancing and taming the instinct.
Duties have been given to both men and women in this area.
One duty which is the responsibility of both men and women relates to looking at each other.
"Say to the believing men to cast down their glance and guard their private parts..." (24:30).
And, "Say to the believing women to cast down their glance and guard their private parts." (24:31).
In summary, the command is that a man and a woman should not fix their eyes upon each other; they should not flirt with each other; they should not look at each other with lust or with the intention of seeking sexual pleasure (unless it is within the sacred bounds of marriage).

Islam has established a particular command for a woman which is that she covers her body from a man with whom she is not mahram and that she should not flaunt herself or put her body on display in society.
She is asked not to stimulate the attention of men by any means.

The human soul readily accepts stimulation.
It is great error to think that the sexual desires of humanity are limited in extent and that after a certain point, are naturally satisfied.
Just as the human being, man or woman, is never satiated with wealth or position and is continuously seeking more, in the area of sexual desires, it is the same.
No man is ever naturally satisfied by beauty and no woman is ever naturally satisfied by a man's attention and the conquest of his heart.
Clearly the desires of the heart are never satiated.

On the other hand, unlimited demands are never fulfilled and a sense of deprivation is continuously felt.
Not achieving one's desires results in psychological illnesses and complexes.
Why is it that in the West psychological illnesses have increased?
The reason is freedom of sexual ethics and continuous sexual stimulation through the newspapers, magazines, cinemas, theaters and official and unofficial parties and even the streets and alleys.

The reason why the Islamic command to cover is exclusive to women is because the desire to show off and display one's self is a particular trait of women.
She is the hunter in the domination of the hearts of men and man is the prey, whereas man is the hunter in the domination of the body of women and she is the prey.
A woman's desire to display herself comes from this essence of the hunter.
It is the female instinct which, because of its particular nature, wishes to capture hearts and imprison the male.
Thus, the deviation begins with the female instinct and therefore the command to cover was issued.

by Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari, The Islamic Modest Dress

www.ahlulbaytportal.com