News right Now: The Loss of Modesty

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakahutu. Welcome to News Right Now - The Loss Modesty

Rasul Allah (s) warned the Ummah of a time when people will be clothed, yet seem naked:

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ((صِنفان من أهل النار لم أرهما: قومٌ معهم سياط كأذناب البقر يضربون بها الناس، ونساء كاسيات عاريات، مميلات مائلات، رؤوسهن كأسنمة البخت المائلة، لا يدخُلْن الجنة، ولا يجدن ريحها، وإن ريحها ليوجد من مسيرة كذا وكذا

“There are two types of the people of Hell that I have not seen yet: people with whips like the tails of cattle, with which they strike the people, and women who are clothed yet naked, walking with an enticing gait, with something on their heads that looks like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will never enter Paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be detected from such and such a distance.”

This scholars of hadith have said that this Hadith refers to Muslim women. Muslim women will have clothes on but they will be so tight and figure hugging that all parts of their bodies will be on display. Today we see clothes marketed that are so tight that all they conceal is the color of the skin. This hadith also applies to very thin and see-through clothes.

Today there’s a burgeoning industry around hijab, fashion, beauty, makeup, and modelling amongst Muslim women. A quick view online will reveal YouTube channels with Muslim women sharing makeup tutorials, fashion tips, and beauty secrets. In addition to that are the open displays of affection between men and women, on these channels - making public what is meant to be private between husbands and wives.

Lying in wait are corporations, eagerly exploiting this trend, using it as an opportunity to enter new markets - in fact they use it to create new markets!

Beyond that are the governments that promote a liberal, secular, reformed version of Islam that celebrates and promotes the hijab as a cultural phenomenon, just similar to the sombrero, kimono, or kilt. In contrast to the “hijab ban” and “burqa ban” which openly fight adherence to the Islamic dress, the promotion of hijab as a fashion statement serves the same purpose, with albeit a softer approach.

Regardless of the tactic they use, their goal is for Muslims, and young Muslim girls in particular to stop viewing hijab as an act of obedience to Allah, but rather a fashion statement. Sydney based Hijabi fashion blogger Wiwid Howat, for example, commented: “The more common site of the Hijab on the catwalk, Instagram, etc. indicates that the Hijab is starting to be considered as an accessory more than a religious symbol.”

Ironically, just as the beauty and fashion craze is growing in the Muslim world, the West is coming to terms with the sexual exploitation of women as represented in continued sexual harassment, human trafficking, and the now famous “Me Too” movement.

Islam has detailed evidences for how men and women are to interact with each other that focuses on modesty and respect between the genders, forbidding free mixing between women and men outside of their families, promoting marriage, preventing seclusion between the women and men, and dress code in the public domain.

The chassis upon which all of the Islamic rules rest is taqwa (God consciousness), haya (modesty), and the pursuit of Allah’s pleasure.

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

الحياء لا يأتى إلا بخير

“Modesty brings nothing but good.” [Sahih Bukhari]
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Reinterpreting the hijab isn’t a random occurrence, rather, is one part of a larger plan to secularize Muslims and reform Islam. Turning the hijab into a commodity and attempting to make it a mainstream fashion accessory undermine the purpose for which it was legislated - to maintain the honor of women.

Jazakum Allahu khairan for joining us. Wassalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.