As usual of this column, which considers it a matter of responsibility to call on those treading the devil’s path to repent and embrace righteousness, this week’s piece focuses on ‘un-civilized’ Nigerian women particularly of the educated class who erroneously think that a woman’s honour or prestige lies in the street display of nudity. The scenario you come across these days during a short drive or street walk within any urban town or city in contemporary Nigeria is almost as offensive as watching porn. Wa iyazu Bi-llah! Could this is part of the modern evil called fashion?
I equally wonder whether women, mostly young (married and unmarried) in their reproductive age who take pride in exposing what ought to be concealed, come from homes where there is someone called husband, father or guardian. It is unfortunate that, sometimes, you find some of these indecently dressed women in company of their husbands (if married) or father/guardian (if unmarried); implying an approval of such public appearances of their wife/wives or children/ wards as the case may be.
Islam and Christianity both condemn this profligate act. It constitutes sexual harassment (to men); and a key that opens the door to fornication and adultery (zinah). Allah (SWT) warns women against indecent dressing and states in Qur’an 33:33 “…and make not a dazzling display like that of the former times of ignorance...”
It is most disgusting when married women dress indecently, interact and mingle without restriction with those who are not precluded from marrying them. Islam defines the entire body of a woman as naked except her face and her two palms. Any deliberate attempt by a woman to expose any part of her body other than her face and palms is tantamount to an abuse of the virtue, honour, purity, respect and dignity which Allah (SWT) has naturally conferred on all women.
Allah (SWT) enjoins women in Qur’an 24:31 “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; hat they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty 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 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. O ye Believers! Repent that you may attain bliss”. with these details of how a woman should dress, walk and relate with others, we are reminded of the sense of privacy with which a woman is handled in Islam.
Another bizarre angle to indecency among young women is when they dress to look like men. Does such idiosyncrasy mean that God made a mistake to have created you a woman, which is why you need to wear men’s attire to look like men? There are certain things that Allah (SWT) alone reserves the right to decide for us; and that is called fate. No one chooses his parents, gender or tribe for him/herself. According to the Holy Bible in Deuteronomy 22:5 “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God”. Let us strive therefore to perfect God’s wish by playing the roles naturally required of us as men or women. Allah (SWT) mentions in Qur’an 33:36 “It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Apostle , to have any option about their decision: If anyone disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he is indeed on a clearly wrong path”.
Family heads as husbands and as fathers must not abdicate the task of responsible parenting as it concerns decent dressing. It is their duty to sanction any deviation from what religion and ethical values define as decent dressing. The nature of the dresses worn by parents must also be exemplary and decent enough for their children/wards to emulate and become responsible. Parents have a duty to educate female members of their families about the virtues of decent dressing as well as the off-putting consequences of indecent dressing. They should also train their children/wards to understand that decent dressing should not be limited to when going for worship or other religious activities but rather a requirement for all occasions. It should also be remembered that decency in dress is not limited to covering naked parts of the body but also involves keeping the dresses neat.
This column recognizes and commends the exemplary character of the wife of Nigeria’s Vice President Namadi Sambo, Hajiya Amina, who in all her public appearances is seen to be decently and modestly dressed in Jallabiyyah (a loose garment for Muslim women) and hijab (veil). She is known to be popular with this form of dressing since her days as Kaduna State First Lady. It is worth extolling that her elevation to becoming “(Vice) First Lady of Nigeria” neither altered her religious thoughts or mode of dressing. She is a woman who expectedly has enough to sew and wear any design or colour of dress she desired. Yet, she is not bothered about displaying the designs or colour of her dresses to the public. Instead, she covers with Jallabiyyah what others take pride in parading.
The Honourable Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafiya, is another public figure to be commended for her mode of dressing. This is what we expect of all women. We urge other female public figures including those in the Federal Executive Council, the national and state houses of assembly, the civil service, banks and other corporate organizations, and indeed all Muslim women to take their queue behind Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo and hajiya Hadiza Mailafiya. Decent dressing is the beginning of a woman’s honour.
The idea of dress code in tertiary institutions few years ago is commendable even though the initiative seems to have fizzled out earlier than expected. In many institutions today, dress code does not go beyond bill board slogans with little or no compliance from students. Authorities in the institutions are encouraged to renew their efforts in enforcing the code. May Allah (SWT) guide us against all temptations, amin.
As usual of this column, which considers it a matter of responsibility to call on those treading the devil’s path to repent and embrace righteousness, this week’s piece focuses on ‘un-civilized’ Nigerian women particularly of the educated class who erroneously think that a woman’s honour or prestige lies in the street display of nudity. The scenario you come across these days during a short drive or street walk within any urban town or city in contemporary Nigeria is almost as offensive as watching porn. Wa iyazu Bi-llah! Could this is part of the modern evil called fashion?
I equally wonder whether women, mostly young (married and unmarried) in their reproductive age who take pride in exposing what ought to be concealed, come from homes where there is someone called husband, father or guardian. It is unfortunate that, sometimes, you find some of these indecently dressed women in company of their husbands (if married) or father/guardian (if unmarried); implying an approval of such public appearances of their wife/wives or children/ wards as the case may be.
Islam and Christianity both condemn this profligate act. It constitutes sexual harassment (to men); and a key that opens the door to fornication and adultery (zinah). Allah (SWT) warns women against indecent dressing and states in Qur’an 33:33 “…and make not a dazzling display like that of the former times of ignorance...”
It is most disgusting when married women dress indecently, interact and mingle without restriction with those who are not precluded from marrying them. Islam defines the entire body of a woman as naked except her face and her two palms. Any deliberate attempt by a woman to expose any part of her body other than her face and palms is tantamount to an abuse of the virtue, honour, purity, respect and dignity which Allah (SWT) has naturally conferred on all women.
Allah (SWT) enjoins women in Qur’an 24:31 “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; hat they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty 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 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. O ye Believers! Repent that you may attain bliss”. with these details of how a woman should dress, walk and relate with others, we are reminded of the sense of privacy with which a woman is handled in Islam.
Another bizarre angle to indecency among young women is when they dress to look like men. Does such idiosyncrasy mean that God made a mistake to have created you a woman, which is why you need to wear men’s attire to look like men? There are certain things that Allah (SWT) alone reserves the right to decide for us; and that is called fate. No one chooses his parents, gender or tribe for him/herself. According to the Holy Bible in Deuteronomy 22:5 “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God”. Let us strive therefore to perfect God’s wish by playing the roles naturally required of us as men or women. Allah (SWT) mentions in Qur’an 33:36 “It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Apostle , to have any option about their decision: If anyone disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he is indeed on a clearly wrong path”.
Family heads as husbands and as fathers must not abdicate the task of responsible parenting as it concerns decent dressing. It is their duty to sanction any deviation from what religion and ethical values define as decent dressing. The nature of the dresses worn by parents must also be exemplary and decent enough for their children/wards to emulate and become responsible. Parents have a duty to educate female members of their families about the virtues of decent dressing as well as the off-putting consequences of indecent dressing. They should also train their children/wards to understand that decent dressing should not be limited to when going for worship or other religious activities but rather a requirement for all occasions. It should also be remembered that decency in dress is not limited to covering naked parts of the body but also involves keeping the dresses neat.
This column recognizes and commends the exemplary character of the wife of Nigeria’s Vice President Namadi Sambo, Hajiya Amina, who in all her public appearances is seen to be decently and modestly dressed in Jallabiyyah (a loose garment for Muslim women) and hijab (veil). She is known to be popular with this form of dressing since her days as Kaduna State First Lady. It is worth extolling that her elevation to becoming “(Vice) First Lady of Nigeria” neither altered her religious thoughts or mode of dressing. She is a woman who expectedly has enough to sew and wear any design or colour of dress she desired. Yet, she is not bothered about displaying the designs or colour of her dresses to the public. Instead, she covers with Jallabiyyah what others take pride in parading.
The Honourable Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafiya, is another public figure to be commended for her mode of dressing. This is what we expect of all women. We urge other female public figures including those in the Federal Executive Council, the national and state houses of assembly, the civil service, banks and other corporate organizations, and indeed all Muslim women to take their queue behind Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo and hajiya Hadiza Mailafiya. Decent dressing is the beginning of a woman’s honour.
The idea of dress code in tertiary institutions few years ago is commendable even though the initiative seems to have fizzled out earlier than expected. In many institutions today, dress code does not go beyond bill board slogans with little or no compliance from students. Authorities in the institutions are encouraged to renew their efforts in enforcing the code. May Allah (SWT) guide us against all temptations, amin.
