Modesty is supposed to be a very important part of Islamic faith.
How is it determined what act is within the limits of modesty or not? Who determines it?
Re: Modesty in Islam
In the Quran, Surah 24 Verse 30](http://www.usc.edu/org/cmje/religious-texts/quran/verses/024-qmt.php) covers modesty for men and Surah 24 Verse 31](http://www.usc.edu/org/cmje/religious-texts/quran/verses/024-qmt.php) focuses on modesty for women.
For Men
YUSUFALI: 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.
PICKTHAL: Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is aware of what they do.
SHAKIR: Say to the believing men that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do.
**For Women
**
YUSUFALI: 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…
**PICKTHAL: **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…
**SHAKIR: **And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms…
How one defines modesty in Islam is open to interpretation. For example, Yusuf Ali and Pickthall’s interpretations (of the above Quranic verses) indicate that both men and women should “lower their gazes”, whereas Shakir’s interpretations indicate that both men and women should “cast down their looks”. If not taken literally, the verses could simply mean that one should not (or try not to) look at the opposite sex in a lustful way while conversing with them and/or in their company.
Also, both Yusuf Ali and Pickthall state that women “… should draw their veils over their bosoms”, whereas Shakir speaks of how women should wear head-coverings. Because the former belief is silent on whether or not one should cover their hair (unlike the latter view), some people believe that the verse is basically instructing women to especially cover their “front areas” (through a shirt, scarf and/or shawl etc.).
Re: Modesty in Islam
^ Would it be immodest, for example, for a husband and wife to hold hands in public?
Re: Modesty in Islam
We read into these verses too much. If hair was meant to be covered, then hair would be mentioned along with the anatomical body part “bosoms”. Allah defines the body part for us, very clearly, we look to make additions and complicate things.
I really don’t think showing hair is going to be Immodest in any way. Not in today’s culture for sure, I mean if you wanna be immodest, then there are plenty of other ways to accomplish that.
Public signs of infection. Jeez. If you don’t wanna do it, out of sharam or shyness, then don’t. Others who want to enjoy each others company while walking in a nice garden, let them, will ya.
Re: Modesty in Islam
Surely, showing off your bronchitis in public would be immodest.
I have seen some fatwas that go like this: “since doing xyz is immodest and islam disallow immodesty, therefore xyz is not allowed in Islam.”
My question is where is the line between modesty and immodesty and who draws that line? Also, if that line is fluid, varying between different cultures?
Re: Modesty in Islam
In al-Turayhi in Majma‘u ’l-Bahrayn (which is a dictionary of Qur’anic and hadith terms) defines al-khimar as “scarf, and it is known as such because the head is covered with it.”
So the word khimar, by definition, means a piece of cloth that covers the head.
Then what does the clause “placing the khumur over the bosoms” mean?
According to the commentators of the Qur’an, the women of Medina in the pre-Islamic era used to put their khumur over the head with the two ends tucked behind and tied at the back of the neck, in the process exposing their ears and neck. By saying that, “place the khumur over the bosoms,” Almighty Allah ordered the women to let the two ends of their headgear extend onto their bosoms so that they conceal their ears, the neck, and the upper part of the bosom also.3
This is confirmed by the way the Muslim women of the Prophet’s era understood this commandment of Almighty Allah. The Sunni sources quote Ummu ’l-mu’minin ‘A’isha, the Prophet’s wife, as follows: “I have not seen women better than those of al-Ansar (the inhabitants of Medina): when this verse was revealed, all of them got hold of their aprons, tore them apart, and used them to cover their heads…”
The meaning of khimar and the context in which the verse was revealed clearly talks about concealing the head and then using the loose ends of the scarf to conceal the neck and the bosom. It is absurd to believe that the Qur’an would use the word khimar (which, by definition, means a cloth that covers the head) only to conceal the bosom with the exclusion of the head. It would be like saying to put on your shirt only around the belly or the waist without covering the chest.
So basically the hair or head should be covered according to Allah’s commandment. All scholars agree on hijab.
Re: Modesty in Islam
The prophets sunnah shows is what is modest or immodest. Whatever he did with wives whether it was holding hands or missing them he always did in private and not in front of others. All cultures have carrying degrees of modesty, Muslims measure their modesty and have their guide to modesty from Qur’an and sunnah.