The Dress Code for Women in the Quran

Naturally the Quran is not the only source of law that is authorised by God. In that book is clearly also referred to the previous letters of men of God, like the books of Moses and the minor and major prophets.

It is good to see how certain people of the Muslim faith want to mix the writings of those prophets with the writings of ordinary beings who lived after Muhammad and brought their own rules into books they say all Muslims have to follow.
As such we do have to know and Muslims also should have to know, that what happened in Judaism and in Christendom also happened in Islam. Also in that religion human thought for many became more important than the Words of God Himself.

The niqab has become a symbol of the Muslim faith. It is worn by many Muslim women in public areas and in front of non related males. Worn mainly in the Arab world and in the Muslim countries of Africa and Asia it has become part of our streetview as well the last ten years.

Everybody should see that many Muslim scholars have invented extreme rules for women’s dress which are not found in the Quran. In our previous article we showed that some say that women should be totally covered except for their face, while others who are even more extreme, say that all women must be covered from head to toe except for two holes for the eyes to see! They should know if they want to dress accordingly they should take into account the dress-code of the country where they are willing to live in. In many European countries we may not walk naked on the streets, so we do have to respect that limitation of freedom, but also the opposite people may not be dressed so that nobody can recognise who is behind the outer garments.

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To remember

1- Quran source of law that is authorised by God (6:114).

2- Quran complete + fully detailed (6:38, 6:114, 6:89 and 12:111).

3- God calls on His true believers to make sure not to fall in the trap of idol worship by following the words of the scholars instead of the words of God (9:31).

4- God calls those who prohibit what He did not prohibit, aggressors, liars and idol worshippers (5:87, 6:140, 7:32, 10:59).

The command to follow the Quran alone is given very clearly in the Quran, see: Dozen Reasons

Quranic guidelines for women’s dress

First Rule: The Best Garment

“O children of Adam, We have brought down to you garments to cover your private parts, as well as for adornment, yet the garment of reverence is the best. These are some of God’s signs, perhaps they will remember.” 7:26

To revere God + know that He is always watching us = basic rule for dress code in Quran

Any woman knows quite well what is decent + what is revealing => not need to be told <= know how to maintain righteousness + how not to

Second Rule: Cover your Bosoms

in 24:31 = God commands women to cover their bosoms = crucial words mentioned in connection to this topic, namely the ‘hijab [Any partition which separates two things (e.g. that which separates God from creation)]’ + the ‘khimar’.

The word ‘hijab’ in the Quran

Hijab = term used by many Muslim women to describe their head cover

‘hijab’ = veil or yashmak + screen, cover(ing), mantle, curtain, drapes, partition, division, divider.

in the Quran:

 7 times: 5 of them as ‘hijab’ + 2 times as ‘hijaban’ => verses: 7:46, 33:53, 38:32, 41:5, 42:51, 17:45 & 19:17.

None used in Quran in reference to what traditional Muslims call today ‘hijab’ = head cover for Muslim woman!

‘hijab’ = old Jewish tradition =>  infiltrated into hadith

Religious Jewish women still cover their heads most of the time + especially in the synagogues, at weddings + religious festivities = cultural =/= religious

Some Christian women cover their heads in many religious occasions while nuns some years ago also covered their heads all the time, though that seems long forgotten

‘hijab’ = traditional dress + has nothing to do with Islam or religion

Mixing religion with tradition =  form of idol-worship = implies setting up other sources of religious laws besides law of God.

‘khimar’ in Quran:

in 24:31 While the 1 basic rule of Dress Code for Muslim women can be found in 7:26, 2nd rule of dress code for women can be found in 24:31.

Some Muslims quote verse 31 of sura 24 as containing the ‘hijab’, or head cover, by pointing to the word, khomoorihinna, (their khimars), forgetting that God already used the word ‘hijab’, several times in the Quran.

the words of God – 24:31 are:

“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and to guard their private parts and not to show their adornments except that of it which normally shows. They shall cover their cleavage with their ‘khimar’. They shall not show their adornments except in the presence of their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons, the sons of their husbands, their brothers, the sons of their brothers, the sons of their sisters, other women, their slaves, the male attendants who have no sexual desire and the children who are yet to attain awareness of women’s nakedness. They shall not strike their feet so as to reveal details of their hidden ornaments. You shall repent to God all you believers, so that you may succeed.” 24:31

Arabic word khimar = cover => Any cover such as a curtain, a dress, table cloth, blanket, a coat, a shawl, a shirt, a blouse, a scarf etc.

Third Rule: Not to reveal any of their adornments

found in 24:31 = God commands women not to reveal their adornments (beauty spots) except what is normally apparent (face, hair, lower arms and lower legs .. etc).

” …. not to show their adornments except that of it which normally shows.”

 very general term = to allow women freedom to decide on what is shown of her body.

Righteous women = make correct decision so as to conform to general code of morality, + also according to time, place +  occasion.

word ‘zeenatahunna’ (adornments) in this verse refers to woman’s beauty spots which carry a sexual connotation, examples are “thighs, breasts, back side … etc) > expose details of certain parts of body.

For more detailed analysis of 24:31 please go to: Corruption of 24:31

Fourth Rule : Lengthen your Garments

“O prophet, tell your wives, your daughters and the wives of the believers that they shall lengthen their garments. This is better so that they will be recognized and not molested. God is Forgiver, Merciful.” 33:59

not say how long is long => God knows we will be living in different communities + have different cultures => insists that  minor details of this dress code will be left for the people of every community to decide for themselves, as long as righteousness is always maintained.

Many Muslim scholars have invented extreme rules for women’s dress which are not found in the Quran < => There are no words anywhere in the Quran which command women to cover all their bodies

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Preceding article:

Meditating Muslimah on “hijab to be a religious obligation”

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Additional reading

1. Scripture words written for our learning, given by inspiration of God for edification

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Further reading

1. In the Name of Religious Freedom
2. Hijab, Chador, Niqab and Burqa…Oh my…
3. NP Explainer: What’s the difference between a hijab, a niqab and a burka?
4. Reverting to Islam: Part Three; Hijab
5. 5 On: The Abaya
6. Is banning Niqab need of the modern western society or is it the dogma of a feudal symbolism which is creating inconvenience to others
7. 2nd afflication : the behavior towards woman
8. What’s the point?
9. bring on the burka
10. Missing niqab point
11. Wherein lies the beauty…
12. Odd logic for wearing the Burka
13. The ethics behind banning the burqa
14. Al Queda Leader Captured Dressed As Woman. Should The U.S. Ban Burqas?
15. S.A.S v France: Towards a General Prohibition of the Full-Face Veil in Europe?
16. France’s Burqa Ban: A Brave Step That We Muslims Should Welcome
17. China is using the Paris attacks to tout its anti-terror efforts at home
18. A new law in China may make it illegal for men to force women to wear a burqa
19. Most Canadians say faces shouldn’t be covered at citizenship ceremonies: poll
20. Lucky to be in Canada
21. Senegal Bans Burqa to Stop Terrorists Disguising In Islamic Dress
22. Senegal considers burqa ban to stop terrorists disguising in Islamic dress
23. Why we wear  burka – Story of Two Pakistani muslim Sisters
24. Are ‘Burkas’ The New Bandanas?
25. Watford, UK.
26. 16-year-old boy arrested over murder of woman in Burka (Nahid Almanea) and young father (James Attfield) stabbed more than 100 times
27. “18 Year-Old Burqa Wearing Alcoholic Abortionists Public Enemy Number 1”: Fred Nile
28. Ban The Burka – An Excellent Idea – And Here’s Why!
29. Face Veil: Why The Ban?
30. Quebec’s opposition parties want chador banned from public sector
31. Dutch Cabinet Backs Partial Burqa Ban
32. Dutch Partial Ban on Islamic Veil in Public Spaces
33. Character Study: the most interesting woman in the world
34. Racist or not…
35. Rampant Sexism
36. My Thoughts On Religious Headscarves
37. Chastity.
38. International Women’s Day 2015: Afghan men wear burqas to campaign for women’s rights
39. The hypocrisy of modern feminists
40. Liberals Are Hypocrites On Women’s Rights
41. The walk to freedom
42. Spice Bazaar–Istanbul
43. Savior Complex?
44. Like it here or leave
45. You imagine anyway…
46. Afghanistan
47. Dinilai Sudah Usang, Wanita Iran Ramai-ramai Lepas Jilbab
48. Logika Islam Mengenai Perempuan

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