بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
I don't know of any scholars who disagreed that the woman cannot show more than the face and hands to non-mahram men (men who you can potentially marry).
The vast majority of Muslim scholars and jurists, past and present, have determined the minimum requirements for Muslim women's dress. Their clothing must cover the entire body, with the exception of the face and the hands, and the attire should not be form fitting, sheer or so eye-catching as to attract undue attention or reveal the shape of the body.
In one tradition, the Prophet Muhammad, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is quoted as saying: "...When the woman reaches the age of puberty, no part of her body should be seen but this --- and he pointed to his face and hands."
So why aren't many Muslim women putting on hijabs? If they have their heads covered, their hair would be showing, or their necks would be showing, or part of their arms would be showing, or their shape would be showing, or their ankles would be showing. You see this all the time, not only outside but also during prayers. And sometimes you see the same people doing this for years as if they don't know! Some cover very nicely during prayer but not outside prayers. You would think logically speaking it should be equally or more important to cover outside because of the harmful human elements outside.
You cannot not cover and you cannot not put your hijab properly. You cannot be cavalier about this issue of covering your nakedness. You cannot do that when you know you must. This action is tantamount to belittling the majesty of Allah. This hijab is not cultural my dear friends. It is the law of Allah, your Lord, your Creator, and part of being a Muslim woman is to wear your hijab around men other than your husband and non-marriageable kin. It is for your own good and for the good of others and the society, you/your children/your husbands being a member of this society. We all don't want problems--and problems can only be avoided by obeying Allah's rules.
You may not understand why Allah makes such rule for women and it maybe inconvenient for you to put on the hijab, but that cannot be the excuse to not cover your nakedness. He is the Master--you do as told and He knows what is good for you. If you say you believe in Allah, you must obey this command, at least make a sincere intention to put on the hijab and put a good faith effort to do this and keep asking Him to help you obey this command. Allah will help you if your intention is to please Him, inshaAllah. If you are not convinced that this is Allah's command, then you are obligated to seek this knowledge. You cannot play ignorant and do the same thing for the rest of your lives.
This is not something you can wait till you are ready--when you start working at home, when you quit your job, when you are older, when you go to high school, when you finish high school, when you get married, when you have children, etc. You must obey this command now. Just like you must obey any governmental laws which are designed to protect and provide safety to her citizens now, you must put on your proper hijab now. Ignorance is no excuse. Imagine a few citizens in your locality habitually disobeyed the traffic laws and ran a red light (ignorance or deliberate), there will be accidents left and right. There will be chaos on the roads. Even if some of us follow the traffic laws, all of us are not safe on the roads at all if this happens. You won't be able to drive anywhere.
So, don't think it is your private business not to put on your hijabs. You put on your hijabs to protect our families and allow the society to function properly and so ultimately it is for your own good. We don't want to be the cause of fitna/tribulation for men and our sons, adultery or marital discord in our marriages and in others.
زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلْبَنِينَ وَٱلْقَنَٰطِيرِ ٱلْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلْفِضَّةِ وَٱلْخَيْلِ ٱلْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ وَٱلْحَرْثِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسْنُ ٱلْمَـَٔابِ
"Decked out fair to men is the love of lusts -- women, children, heaped-up heaps of gold and silver, horses of mark, cattle and tillage. That is the enjoyment of the present life; but God -- with Him is the fairest resort." Qur'an AleImran 3:14
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I have not left a tribulation after me, more harmful to men than women."
We, women, should be cognizant about this. Men love women. You can ask any sound man, if he can have more than one wife, he would say he would, if he is honest about it. But you can ask any sound woman, her heart is only for one man. She won't look at other men once her heart is attached to a man. There is nothing wrong for a man to love women, within the limits of Islam, because Allah created them this way and there are great wisdoms behind this creation which is a topic for another time, inshaAllah.
Allah command that women behave with dignity and decorum befitting a secure, self-respecting and self-aware human being rather than an insecure female who felt that her survival depends on her ability to attract or cajole those men who were interested not in her personality but only in her sexuality. One of the verses in the Qur'an protects a woman's fundamental rights.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَٰبِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا
"O Prophet, say to thy wives and daughters and the believing women, that they draw their veils close to them; so it is likelier they will be known, and not hurt. God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate." Qur'an Al-Ahzab 33:59
Certainly, women is a fitnah for men, not because women are bad but because men are created to have this physical attraction for women. Women then have a duty to help men from transgressing Allah's commands, and first and foremost is by putting on proper hijabs when you are around men. Do not allow your provocative appearance and look to be seen by any man except your husbands.
If you have been praying for years, you have no excuse not to cover yourselves or not to cover yourselves properly. Believe me, once you put it on with sincere intention to obey Allah's commands, it isn't so bad at all. In fact many sisters look much better with their hijab then without. I know many women who are fully covered even around their sons, male family members and unrelated Muslim women--i.e. they make it a default to cover and only uncover if necessary. As well, we should be more shy before Allah, Most High.
Human beings must distinguish themselves from animals by decent and disciplined behavior. But how many of us take this life with the seriousness it deserves? We originated from one father and one mother and belong to one big family, but unfortunately many of us live without any sense of collective responsibility. We are one community and the action of one person will not only reflect on other individuals but also the whole community.
Allah lays down the principle of the law of modesty. Modesty is not just for women but also for men.
قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا۟ مِنْ أَبْصَٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
"Say to the believing men, that they cast down their eyes and guard their private parts; that is purer for them. God is aware of the things they work. And say to the believing women, that they cast down their eyes' and guard their private parts, and reveal not their adornment save such as is outward; and let them cast their veils over their bosoms, and not reveal their adornment save to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husbands' fathers, or their sons, or their husbands' sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or what their right hands own, or such men as attend them, not having sexual desire, or children who have not yet attained knowledge of women's private parts; nor let them strike their feet, so that their hidden ornament may be known. And turn all together to God, O you believers; haply so you will prosper." Qur'an An-Nur 24:30-31
Allah Most High states in the Qur'an:
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَٰعِبِينَ
لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْوًۭا لَّٱتَّخَذْنَٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ إِن كُنَّا فَٰعِلِينَ
"We created not the heaven and the earth, and whatsoever between them is, as playing; had We desired to take to Us a diversion We would have taken it to Us from Ourselves, had We done aught." Qur'an Al-Anbiya' 21:16-17
The above verse is sufficient to emphasize the seriousness with which Allah created this world and everything that exists therein, including us human beings. Allah created us for a specific and important purpose and it is the duty of every Muslim to lead a disciplined life, realizing the seriousness of this purpose.
May Allah guide us and give us tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
