The Islamic Community
Some may ask: How is it possible for the woman to undertake all the responsibilities that the Shar’a has permitted her such as being a government employee, or a judge settling disputes, or a member of the Majlis al-Ummah remonstrating with rulers and accounting them, bearing in mind the restrictions which have been placed on her in terms of the absence of Khalwa, non display of her charms, and the spending of her private life with women and Mahrams?
It may occur to others to inquire as to how the morals are to be protected? Also how are the morals to be safeguarded if women are allowed to frequent the marketplace, talk to men and undertake their activities in the public life and in the society.
These two questions and others like them are borne out of scepticism and incertitude, which often occur to such people when you present to them the Shari’ah rules of the social system. This is because they see the reality of the life in which they live, under the capitalist system and in the shadow of the banner of Kufr. Hence it becomes difficult for them to conceive the implementation of Islam.
The response to such questions is: that the social system in Islam is a set of diverse Shari’ah rules linked with each other. The requirement to follow one of its rules does not mean the abandonment of another. Rather, the Muslim man and woman should adhere to all of the Shari’ah rules so that there are no contradictions within a single person, otherwise discrepancies would appear in the Ahkam.
Islam does not intend by permitting the woman certain activities that she should go to a government building and work as an employee, after she has adorned herself with ornaments and dressed in a manner as if she is a bride in procession.
Islam certainly does not intend any of those things. Indeed what Islam intends is that the Muslim implements all the rules of Islam on him/herself. Hence when Islam permitted women to buy and sell in the marketplace, it prohibited her from going out displaying her charms and ordered her to adopt both rulings concurrently. So the belief in Islam obliges the Muslim to apply all its rules on him/herself. Islam has legislated rules, which include the undertaking of some actions and abstaining from others, which protects the Muslim, whether man or woman, from deviating from the path to moral virtue. They will act as a defence for the Muslim, preventing him from sliding into a sex-orientated outlook whilst living in the community.
These rules number many.
- Both the man and the woman have been ordered to lower their gaze and protect their private parts.
"Tell the believing men to lower from their gaze, and protect their private parts. That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower from their gaze and protect their private parts"
The lowering of the gaze by every man and woman is the true protection for each of them. That intrinsic protection prevents a person from involving in haram, because the sight is the effective means to fall in haram. When the gaze is lowered then the Munkar is prevented.
- Islam ordered the man and the woman to fear Allah(swt)
"Oh you who believe! Fear Allah and speak (always) the truth".
When the Muslim is characterised by the fear of Allah (swt) and he fears His punishment, desires His Paradise and wishes to attain His good pleasure, then this fear will deter him from committing a Munkar and deter him from disobeying Allah I. This is the intrinsic deterrent beyond which there is no deterrent and when the Muslim fears Allah (swt) then he is characterised by the sublimest attributes of perfection.
- Islam ordered the man and the woman to keep away from areas of uncertainty, and to be careful with regards to that, lest they fall into disobeying Allah I. The Muslim has been ordered not to frequent any place nor do any action, nor be drawn into any situation in which there is uncertainty, lest they commit haram.
If the man and woman stay away from these suspicions which the Shar’a has forbidden then it will protect them from disobedience to Allah (swt) and enable them to be characterised by moral excellence.
Islam encourages marriage at an early age so that it begins to restrict the sexual activity of a man and a woman to marriage from an early age. Thus one is brought up in this atmosphere and one is protected by restricting the sexual activity to marriage when the sexual instinct begins to be agitated. He said: “Oh you who are young. Whoever amongst you who can afford to marry should marry". Marriage has been made exceptionally easy by urging the reduction of the bridal dower (Mahr). He said: “The one (amongst you, women) who receives the least amount of mahr is the most blessed (Baraka)".
Those men whose specific circumstances do not allow them to get married, they have been commanded that they should be characterised by chastity and self control.
"And let those who find not the financial means for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah enriches them of His Bounty"
And they have been ordered to fast as a treatment for the sexual or procreation instinct so that they seek recourse to the worship of fasting in order to overcome it and occupy themselves with that which is more sublime and noble i.e. the strengthening of their relationship with Allah (swt) by way of pious deeds.
- Women have been instructed to act modestly by wearing the complete attire in the public life. In addition Islam restricts the private life to women and non-marriageable men (Mahram). There is no doubt that the appearance of a modest woman will act as a barrier between her and thus guarding herself against the unscrupulous gazes of those who do not fear Allah I. The Qur’an has described this dress in a precise, complete and comprehensive manner. When the woman wears this complete dress which is when she draws her Khimar over her bosom and wraps her head-covering around her neck and chest, and when she drapes her Jilbab over her body and lowers it towards the floor such that her whole body is concealed even to the feet, then she can be said to have worn the complete dress, taken protection in her attire and manifested her modesty. Wearing this complete dress, she can go out into the public life in order to pursue her activities in the most modest and dignified manner, which, will thus guard herself against the unscrupulous gazes of those who do not fear Allah (swt) .
These are the divine rules which include the performance of affirmative actions. As for the Shari’ah rules which include the abstention from actions they are:
The private meeting between a man and a woman alone is prohibited. Khalwa is the meeting of a man and a woman in a place where no one is able to enter, except by their permission. An example such as their getting together in a house or in an open space remote from public access. So the Khalwa is the meeting of two people in isolation, secure from the presence of others. This Khalwa is corruption itself, therefore Islam has categorically prohibited it between a man and woman who are not Mahram to each other, whoever these two persons may be and whatever this Khalwa may be. The Prophet said: “Whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day (Al-yawm al-akhir) let him not be alone with a woman who has not a mahram with her. Indeed, the third (person) is al-Shaytan!". By preventing Khalwa the Shar’a took the necessary safeguards between the men and women. The reality of Khalwa is that it makes the man and woman more sexually agitated. And by prohibiting this solitary privacy (Khalwa fardiyya) the causes of corruption are eliminated, because the Khalwa is one of the direct means to corruption.
The woman has been forbidden from displaying her charms (Tabarruj) from the time when Allah (swt) prohibits it. He (swt) said:
"And as for women past childbearing who do not expect wed-lock, it is no sin on them, if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show their charms" [An- Nur: 60]
Thus, Allah (swt) has forbidden women past child-bearing age from displaying their charms (Tabarruj), allowing the discarding of the dress, without displaying their charms (Tabarruj). Implicit in this, is the prohibition of Tabarruj. Since women past the age of childbirth have been prohibited from displaying their charms (Tabarruj) then by greater reason women who have not reached such an age should not make Tabarruj.
"And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their charms".
Islam has prohibited every man and woman from pursuing occupations which endanger morals and cause corruption in society. Hence the woman is prohibited from performing jobs which aim to exploit her femininity. Rafi b. Rifaa (ra) narrates: “The Prophet forbade us from the earnings of the slave-girl except that which she earned with her own two hands". And He said indicating with his fingers to mean baking, spinning yarn, and engraving. So the woman has been forbidden from working in shops where the aim is to attract customers because of her sex or to work in embassies, consulates and other such places in order to use her femininity to realise political objectives. She is also prohibited from working as an airhostess in an aeroplane or other occupations where the woman works with the intention of using her femininity.
Islam forbade the defamation of chaste woman, i.e. accusing them of fornication.
"And those who accuse chaste women, and produce not four witnesses, flog them eighty stripes, and reject their testimony forever, they indeed are the Fasiqun (transgressors)".
- some original text been emitted
Social System of Islam *
