The correct dressing code for women in Quran and the Bible
This paper looks at two verses, one from the Bible and the other from the Quran, both talking about the issue of dressing in women, analyzing the literal meanings of the two scriptures and the controversies they bring about as well as their application in the lives of the believers.
The issue of dressing has for a long time been controversial both in Islam and Christianity. Most people feel their religious leaders are not interpreting the scriptures as they should be and believe these people are putting on them unnecessary burdens. Most people will prefer to be left alone to decide what to wear despite being followers of these religions. They like to believe that the interpretation given by the religious leaders does not really capture the intentions of the writers and therefore are not subject to strict obedience (Two Paths, par 2) However, there are verses in both the Bible and the Quran that attempt to give an indication of what the correct dressing code especially for women should be. The following verses will be considered in this discussion.
The Bible says,
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in Gods sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. (NIV, 1Peter 32-5)
Surah an-Nur verse 31 reads
And say to the faithful women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it, and to extend their head coverings (khimars) to cover their bosoms, and not to display their beauty except 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 womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to God together, O you the faithful, in order that you are successful.
These two verses from both the Quran and the bible attempt to give an indication of the kind of clothes women should wear. These two verses have been sources of controversy for a long time both in the Christian and Islamic religions. They have been said to be vague and ambiguous, and have been for a long time been subjected to very different kinds of interpretations. This calls for a much closer look into their meaning to understand exactly what their authors meant and whether they are applicable in todays age (Restored Church of God, par 5.)
Starting with the biblical perspective, it is clear from the verse presented above that women are discouraged from concentrating on the outward beauty but, as the bible puts it, clothe them with inward beauty. The author tells women that what is must important is the aspect of virtue and good deeds, not the physical beauty (Restored Church of God, par 6.) The statement Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes could be understood as a prohibition of wearing the said types of clothes. According to some people, the types of clothes and make-ups listed should be avoided at all costs (Herbert 213).
However, for one to appreciate the full meaning of this scripture, it is important to understand the context in which the writer was speaking. For example, fine clothes in those days were regarded as a way of showing off since they were special and very expensive. They are clothes that were made with the materials that normally make clothes today. If someone takes the scripture literally, he or she may have to look for the rough clothes that were made from skin in order to fulfill it (Two paths, par, 8).
The same case applies to the issue of the braiding hair. The author in the above verse prohibits it in this verse but many church goers have continued to braid their hair despite the prohibition. They claim that the reason for this prohibition was the fact that most women of those days used to spend a lot o time braiding one anothers hair hence forgetting their duties. Some churches however forbid it claiming that the writer of this verse meant what he said. They believe that people should take these teachings as they appear in the bible and apply as much as possible their literal meaning. This view is however strongly opposed by those churches that allow their followers to braid their hair (Two paths, par 9).
This verse has great implications on the lives of Christians today. Women do not have the autonomy to dress the way they want. It is for this reason that one can identify a Christian woman and one who is not by looking at the kind of clothes they are wearing. Many churches do not admit people in their congregations who dress in a way that is not acceptable. They insist that for a woman to confess she fears the Lord she must dress in a way that shows she is respectable, and according to the direction of the bible (Restored Church of God Par 7.)
There is a distinct way in which women should dress when they are going to church, which most of the times is different from the day to day dressing. Some Christians believe that women should dress in a plain way avoiding expensive dressing and make up. Others will however take this verse as a general advice for decent dressing according to the society in which they live. Whichever way, this verse shows that one should mind what she is wearing both when going to worship and also when carrying on daily chores. Christian societies have therefore come up with kinds of dressing that will as much as possible conform to the standards stipulated in the bible. This has turned out to be the respectable dressing even in the society. The verse has therefore dictated to the society what it should consider as good dressing and what bad dressing is (Herbert 364).
The verse above is used by many Muslims to justify the kind of dressing they have adopted. Looking at the meaning of this particular verse, one realizes there is a definite way in which Muslim women should dress (Syed, par. 4). First, they are required to lower their gazes. This means not looking at what is not allowed to be seen of men or other women. Explanations of the parts of in a man that are not to be seen as given by the Sunna include the part from the navel down to the knees. For women, the parts that are not to be seen include the upper part of the chest all the way down to the knees. When the Quran says that the private parts of woman should be guarded, it means that these parts should not be seen or touched by anybody except the spouse (Submission, par 4)
For a woman, the private parts include the parts from the upper chest to the knees. This is a confidential area to be guarded from any person who is not related to the woman, that is, anyone who can feel the sexual desire. The Arab women during the pre-Islamic era used to walk in a way that the ankle bracelets could be easily heard jangling. This is what the Prophet was warning against. In the literal sense, it means that anything hidden should not be exposed (Submission, par. 4)
Women in Islam are also commanded by the same verse not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it. The term what is apparent of it does not have a clear definition. According to the Sunna, this means hands and face. It therefore follows that when women are with unrelated men, they should cover all their body parts apart from the hands and the face. They are therefore advised to wear dresses that cover their necks, head, and going all down to the feet. They should also wear socks to conceal their feet (Ibrahim, par 5).
This verse gives a code of dressing that the Muslim women are supposed to abide by. The verse indicated above gives direction to the acceptable way in which women are supposed to dress. This is one of the most controversial verses because some of its parts are not clear. Whereas most people think that the common Muslim dressing hijab has a basis in the Quran, it appears that the main purpose of that dress is to try and fulfill the demands of the Quran with regard to dresses for women. Hijab is purely traditional and it is adopted for the simple reason that it fulfills what the Prophet required Muslim women to wear (Ibrahim, par 6).
It is therefore wrong for some Muslims to refer to hijab as a Muslim dress code. Hijab was worn by Arabs of all religions in earlier days. It is a traditional dressing and the word of Allah is not to be mixed with tradition. Even in Christianity, some women cover their heads during worship, and this is the main idea behind the hijab. This is also seen in ceremonies such as weddings where in almost all religions, the bride always covers most parts of her body, ideally using a hijab (Ibrahim, par. 8)
Syed believes that hijab is one dress that meets all the seven conditions set for the dressing of women. First, the dress that a Muslim woman should wear is supposed to cover the entire body apart from the hands and face. According to him, hijab serves this purpose perfectly well. The womens clothing should also not resemble mens. The material should be hard enough to make sure nobody sees through it. It must hang loose so as not to reveal the shape of the wearer. A womans dress should also not resemble the dress of non-believing women. These dresses should not attract attention in any way and should not be worn for the only purpose of getting standing. On considering these conditions, most Muslims find hijab the correct type of dressing for Muslim. But since it is not mentioned in the Quran in the meaning it is applied for today, some Muslims dispute its appropriateness saying it is too much of an unnecessary burden.
The verse that talks about dressing in Islam especially for women is one of the most important verses in the Quran. It has changed the face of Islam completely because Muslims are identified primarily by their dressing. The way one dresses shows the way he or she conducts himself or herself, in a respectable manner or not. This has been the case in Islam (Syed).
Bury believes that many Muslims grumble that the Hijaab that is required of the Muslim women is far too restraining and inflexible and is for the purpose of keeping women inferior to men. Lack of knowledge and misinterpretation are the basic causes of these beliefs. There is no other religion that has given homes full fortification from mistreatment from strangers apart from Islam. According to Bury, Islam guides women upon importance of purity and morality as well as upholding her status and dignity(Bury, par, 1)
Women are normally taken to be sweet creatures that attract every person who beholds them. The Islamic religion offers protection to her from this by requiring her to put on a hijab. This means that she does not have to attract every person who comes her way, whether clean or unclean. Todays woman has fallen prey to all kinds of men who admire her wherever she goes, and this is not healthy both for her and for the society at large. Hijab therefore manages to prevent this kind of evil, which Bury says it is even prohibited in the bible in the following verse, But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Mt. 528) (Bury, par. 1).
Conclusion
From the discussion above, it is evident that both Christianity and Islam have what one may consider being the correct way of dressing among women. This manner of dressing is found in the holy books used by these religions. The faithful in the said religions are supposed to follow this type of dressing since it comes from God. However, the discussion has revealed that these verses have been a cause for continued debate for a long time. Most people prefer to interpret them in their own way, mostly because they sometimes seem ambiguous. Some leaders in these religions however maintain that there is no contradiction whatsoever and the scripture is complete. According to them, those who dispute them are rebellious and their prize is eternal fire. It is therefore important that one reads the scriptures with wisdom and interprets them wisely to understand what is exactly required of him or her. This applies to both Christians and Muslims.
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