Thread by @IbneKhan01

WOMEN COVERING HEAD IN THE PRESENCE OF MAĤRAMS

It is claimed by some that this practice is misogyny and sexualisation, and that it has nothing to do with Islām.

We shall investigate this claim and see if such a practice has a basis.

Imām Muĥammad ibn Jarīr al-Ţabarī [224-310 AH / 839-923 CE] records in his Tafsīr:

Narrated from Ibn Ábbās regarding, ‘and not to reveal their adornment except to their own husbands’ until His saying, ‘women’s nakedness’, he said:

“The adornment that she reveals to these are her earrings, her necklace and her bangles. As for her anklets, her armlets, her upper chest and her hair, then she does not reveal this except to her husband.”

Abū Bakr Aĥmad ibn Álī al-Jaşşāş al-Rāzī al-Ĥanafī [305-370 AH / 917-981 CE] records in his Tafsīr:

“Narrated from Ĥasan [al-Başrī] regarding a woman who removes her Khimār in the presence of her brother that he said, ‘By Allāh, she cannot do that.’”

He also records:

“Narrated from Ţāwus that he disliked to look at the hair of his daughter and his sister.”

Also:

“Narrated from Shaábī that he disliked that a man look at the hair of his daughter and sister.”

Thus it is established that there were those among the Salaf who were of the opinion that a woman should not reveal her hair in front of her Maĥrams and that men should not look at the hair of the women who are their Maĥrams.

Will people now accuse these great ones of such?

Whilst it is known that the hair of a woman is not her Áwrah according to all four Madh’habs of Ahl al-Sunnah, however even then some scholars have mentioned it is better for a woman to wear a thin Khimār in the presence of her Maĥrams.

Imām Sayyid Muĥammad Amīn Ibn Áābidīn al-Ĥanafī al-Shāmī [1198-1252 AH / 1784-1836 CE] writes in Radd al-Muĥtār, quoting Qunyah al-Munyah:

“It is best for her to wear a thin Khimār, that describes what is under it, in the presence of her Maĥrams.”

This is also quoted in Fatāwā al-Hindiyyah:

The original quote from Qunyah al-Munyah by Imām Najmuddīn Mukhtār ibn Muĥammad al-Zāhidī al-Ĥanafī [d. 658 AH / 1260 CE]:

Ĥakīm al-Ummah Muftī Aĥmad Yār Khān al-Ĥanafī al-Naýīmī [d. 1391 AH / 1971 CE] writes in his Tafsīr:

“There is modesty and concealment with one’s mother, daughter etc; to see other parts of their body besides their faces, hands and feet is not appropriate.”

Therefore it can be observed that though the scholars did not consider it obligatory for a woman to cover her head in the presence of her Maĥrams, however they still considered it better to do and more appropriate.

To label the practice of modesty found in Muslim culture as being misogynistic etc is a severely ignorant thing to do and does not take into account the spirit of modesty and concealment encouraged in the religion.