Islam places utmost importance on decency and modesty in interactions between opposite genders. The dress code is part of the teachings regulating interactions between men and women. There are two verses in the Holy Quran in which Allah speaks of hijab, pride, and dignity of women.
Islam places utmost importance on decency and modesty in interactions between opposite genders. The dress code is part of the teachings regulating interactions between men and women. There are two verses in the Holy Quran in which Allah speaks of hijab, pride, and dignity of women. In chapter 24, verse 30, Allah commands the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) as follows,
Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guide their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all they do.1
This is a command to Muslim men that they should not lustfully look at women other than their wives, and in order to protect any possibility of temptation, they are required to cast their glances downwards. The rule of modesty applies to men as well as women. A brazen stare by a man at a woman is a breach of refined manners. Modesty is required not only to guard the weaker sex but also to guard the spiritual good of the stronger sex.
Following the previous verse in the same chapter, i.e. in verse 31, Allah commands Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) to address women as follows,
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 and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s 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.2
A short glance at these verses indicates that modesty is compulsory upon both men and women and that both genders must cast their glances down. Having said that, on account of natural differences between men and women and their different temperaments, social life requires a greater amount of privacy for women compared to men, especially regarding the dress code, since immodest covering of the body of the opposite gender is more attractive to men than women.
Zinat means both natural beauty and artificial ornaments. I think both are implied here, but chiefly the former. The woman is asked not to make a display of her figure except to the following classes of people:
- Her husband
- Her near relatives whom a certain amount of negligence is permissible
- Other women
- Slaves, male and female, as they would be in constant attendance; but this item would now be blank, with the abolition of slavery
- Men who are free from sexual desire and who usually frequent the houses; and
- Young children before they get a sense of sexual behavior.
It is one of the tricks of showy or unchaste women to tinkle their ankle ornaments, to draw attention to themselves. Therefore, the Quran ordains that women should be modest even in walking and going about in public so that they do not attract attention to themselves.
While all these details of the purity and good form of domestic life are being brought to our attention, we are clearly reminded that the chief object we should hold in view is our spiritual welfare. All our brief life on this earth is probation, and we must make our individual, domestic, and social life all contribute to our holiness so that we can get the real success and bliss which is the aim of our spiritual endeavor.
Moreover, by studying the teachings of other divine religions, it will become clear that it is not only Islam that vigorously emphasizes the concept of Hijab as preserving the pride and dignity of women. Other divine religions, like Christianity, also advise modesty and chastity. There are about 45 verses or more in the Bible that speaks of importance of hijab (veil). In the following, some of these verses will be reviewed,
1. GENESIS 24:65
She said to the servant, who is that man walking in the field to meet us, and the servant said: "He is my master"; then she took veil and covered herself.3
2. GENESIS 38:14-15
So she removed her widow's garments and covered herself with the veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw Shelah grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife and when Juddah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face.4
3. CORINTHIANS 11:6
A woman should wear something on her head. It is a disgrace for a woman to shave her head or cut her hair, but if she refuses to wear something on her head, let her cut off her hair.5
4. CORINTHIANS 11:5-6
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head; for that is even all one as if she were shaven.6
5. Lastly, in Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus (PBUH) says,
You have heard that it was said by them of old time, you shall not commit adultery. But I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.7
Based on the above verses from the Bible, we are to derive that the views of both the Bible and Quran are very similar on this issue. They both strongly call to decency and modesty and abstention from indecency to the extent that, looking on a strange woman to lust after her, is considered an act of "ADULTERY".
So with the above shreds of evidence from the holy Quran and the Bible, if we see a Muslim being modest, decent, and casting his or her eyes downwards when he or she is talking to the opposite gender when interacting with them and he or she refuses to shake hands with the opposite sex, this should not be considered as rude or arrogant behavior or an indication of lack of confidence. He or she is simply abiding by the teachings of all divine religions.
References:
1. Quran, 24:30.
2. Quran, 24:31.
3. GENESIS 24:65, 21 Century King James Version (KJ21).
4. Ibid.
5. Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing.
6. Ibid.
7. Matthew 5:27-28, 21 Century King James Version (KJ21).