Q:

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

With learning more about Islam and understanding the deen, your website has been one of my sources which has taught me so much, so thank you so much, jazakallah khair may Allah continue to guide you 🙂

One question, I haven’t found an answer to, is why is it that women are required to cover their whole bodies except their face and their hands, and men are only required to cover from the navel to knee? I am not opposing this ruling, I would just like to understand it.

Why is there such a difference with men and women covering? I’m also asking for a sister who reverted to Islam earlier this year, and she asked me- but I don’t really know how to explain it to her, and I can’t find any sources.

May Allah continue to guide you and bless you 🙂

Assalamualaikum 🙂

A:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

The Divine Laws are intended to protect us -humans- from the weakness inherent in human nature. 

Women who cover themselves are better enabled to safeguard their dignity and honor. 

It does not need extraordinary intelligence to see women’s dehumanization in the name of women’s freedom; their bodies and beauty are used for advertising products and sell services.

No wonder then that abuse of women is at an all-time increase in today’s world. When we speak this, the number of women killed or raped, or assaulted may run into hundreds.

The women who were in the business of projecting their bodies and later recanted have spoken eloquently. The words of Sister Aminah Silmi, a former evangelical Christian who converted to Islam, said of her experience before Islam: While women were expected to appear in the board rooms and corporate offices exposing their bodies (slit here and slit there!) while men would appear in full suits!

The attire for women that Islam prescribes has been prescribed in all previous legislation; that is why you never see a picture of the Virgin Mary except covering her whole body! 

Men are to appear wearing modest attire while going out; the minimum for them is different as they may be working in the field or doing other manual jobs. However, that does not mean that they always appear in public covering only from navel to knee.

Almighty Allah knows best.