The
Verse
of
Covering

Here's a question,

How come so much is said about the way that women dress,

compared to all the other things there are to talk about in Islam,

especially when so little is said about it in the Qur'an

compared to everything else?

Well, the Qur'an is our first port of call when we need guidance,

so let's see what started things.

What was the situation that existed at the time

when the verses concerning believing women covering themselves descended?

What did people wear?

Well, specifically the women and girls,

as that's who we are talking about covering.

No one seems to care too much about the men.

We know women wore very different clothing,

depending on how wealthy they were,

and we know that with the heat and poverty

there would have been a lot of nakedness,

with slaves wearing little more than chains.

And clearly

at least one muslim woman

didn't feel out of place

walking in the streets bare-breasted,

did she?

For was it not her breasts that attracted the attention

and then harassment

of those local loudmouths,

which Ibn Sa'd offers as the cause of the revelation of the relevant verse of the Qur'an?

And as I understand it, because she was bare-breasted

she was mistaken for a slave and received some harassment.

Now at the time,

it seems some slaves were being put out for prostitution on the streets,

so you can understand that the streets

might not be the best place to be mistaken for a slave,

can't you?

So covering the breasts might not be such a bad idea

in the circumstances.

But cover them with what?

Well, what were they wearing at the time?

Do you think being naked would feel like freedom

in the baking heat of the Makkan sun?

Do you not think that if you could afford a bit of cloth

you would probably have been grateful to cover yourself?

In Makkah a free woman might wear a simple shift

to cover the absolute basics,

with an open front that exposed the breasts,

and perhaps a 'Jalbab',

a sewn garment which would fall from her shoulders like a cape.

The Jalbab was also a sign that

a woman was under the protection of her family or clan,

and at this time,

when believing women could be disowned

from the protection of their clan,

the words of the Qur'an told women

to wrap their jalbab around them

to cover their breasts

and distinguish themselves from the tribal clans in this way,

showing themselves to be part of the community of muslims.

So with this act

a woman could claim the protection of the family of muslims,

and carry that strength out into the wider community,

using her muslim identity as a shield

against harassment by non-believers.

And when Umar chided Sawdah for leaving the house,

and the verse concerning the jalbab was revealed,

it was made clear that she was allowed to go out,

otherwise what would be the point of the protection of the covering?

So here's a question,

what if the covering draws abuse

rather than affording protection?

Do the original guidelines still hold?

And what if you couldn't afford a jalbab?

perhaps you were a believing slave

And what about the men?

Are they not involved in this?

Well,

the section of the Qur'an that deals with

using fabric other than a jalbab

also deals with believing men.

It is in the Surah named Light,

and begins by addressing men and women

in exactly the same way,

telling both to 'lower their gaze',

putting the responsibility for modest behaviour

on the one who looks,

not the one who is looked at.

And both are told to guard their private parts.

But then the Qur'an continues to address the women

saying that they should not display their 'zinat',

their adornment,

but with very little precision of definition,

and even then immediately easing that suggestion,

leaving them to decide what would be acceptable appearance.

After which God again tells the Messenger

to tell the believing women to cover their breasts,

but this time talking not of the jalbab,

but the khumur.

The khimar was a piece of fabric,

certainly in many cases little more than a rag,

that could be used as a kind of shawl,

and in the heat of the sun women would wear their khumur

over their heads and hanging down over their backs.

Now, by drawing their khumur over their breasts,

these women also shared the communal protection

against harassment from non-believers.

Isn't there a report from Aisha

that when the verse of the khumur was revealed,

women with no more than the cloth draped around their waist,

were tearing pieces off the length

to use as khumur wrapped around their breasts,

eager to show they were equal members of this new ummah,

sharing its protection?

But then again, there is no suggestion that muslim women were compelled to dress this way,

and the Qur'an said that the khumur was to cover the breasts,

with no mention being made of hair, or face,

or arms or legs,

and we know that women prayed behind the Messenger

in the mosque at Madinah with their heads uncovered.

That's in Lisan Al-Arab isn't it?

Someone will have to look it up.

So how come this approach to women's clothing could transform so much?

More than 250 years after Muhammad,

didn't al-Tabari hold that both women and men

could show parts of the body that were not pudendal?

And yet in less than 400 years

al-Baydawi required women to cover all but face and hands?

All that for the protection of the sensibilities of their muslim brothers?

And in another 400 years we find al-Khafifi

ruling that no part of a woman

should be visible outside the walls of her home,

no face, hands or feet?

Which didn't leave far to go over the next 400 years.

But here we are 400 years later, and according to the Islamic Centre of Edinburgh

“For proper veiling it is not enough to wear a scarf, face veil, headcover or an outer garment.”

What then?

Can it really now be true what they say about veiling,

that for proper veiling

“The outer garment should be long, loose and opaque.

... It should hide the whole body of the woman

starting from her head,

hair, face, hands and bosom

down to the toe of her feet.”?

When did that happen?

And who said?

At what time did it happen

that a dress code by which muslim women

claimed the protection of their muslim brothers

against the molestations of the jahiliyya non-muslim men,

transform into muslim women being asked to treat all men

including their muslim brothers

as rapacious beasts with no self-control

and no responsibility for their actions

if shown even a glimpse of any part of any woman?

Especially when the Qur'an immediately follows the mention of covering the breasts with the khumur

with a list of exceptions

that not only includes husbands,

fathers, fathers-in-law, sons, step-sons, and nephews,

as well as other women and children,

but also male slaves and servants.

This still shows very little concern for a considerable amount of nakedness,

doesn't it?

Nowadays, what would seem to be extraordinary about the relevant Qur'anic verses

is how little clothing was needed to fulfill their requirements.

Would you find any women walking bare-breasted on the streets of any major city in the world today?

In most places they would be arrested

wouldn't they?

And do many women view that as an unwelcome restriction?

So clearly it's not just the amount of clothing, but the attitude with which it is worn,

which would also relate to the instructions not to stamp their feet

and ring the bells round their ankles

to let people know just what adornments they had hidden.

Then as now, I'm sure that

a girl with not a lot of clothing

could show off a few suggestive moves

to the rhythm of the bells on her ankles.

I guess that means

we'll have to work out how we think about that kind of issue today.

How much is the clothing and how much the come on?

How do we deal with the expression of each?

And if we look to the principles behind the words

that were relevant to the occasion,

do we not also discover the principles

that lie at the heart of behaviour for the male?

Because in matters of principle,

the Deen of course, applies to all.

Which is where the verse in the Light Surah closes,

with us all,

by returning to the body of believers, men and women,

instructing them to turn towards God

for success all together.

No talk of male or female,

just 'turn to God together'.

In the Qur'an, God speaks to all humankind,

and all the words are there for all.