Why are Muslim women expected to cover themselves up from head to toe ???

Question

But the same requirement is not for the men ...they can walk around in whatever they please, but the women only have a little slit in their headgear to look out into the world from...It all seems very one sided to me.

Answer 1

I've read that the [Muslim] men are not required to exercise self-control, so to keep the men from sexual sin, the women must hide all trace of femininity so the men won't be tempted. I think it's sort of an insult to men; it implies that men are not capable of resisting temptation.

Answer 2

Both Muslim men and Muslim men are expected not only to dress modestly but to conduct themselves with self-respect and dignity.

There are different ways of 'covering up' according to, some say, level of piety or according to culture. I believe all forms are beautiful and should be respected.

We are not the submissive, oppressed women you would want to believve we are when we cover the beauty Allah has blessed us with. As for that man who suggested we have to walk two steps behind our men, offer your proof. I have noticed that even in the U.S. when several couples go out to dinner together, the men and women will separate and walk along talking separately..sometimes the women in front, sometimes the women behind. This is nonsense and not from the Quran or Ahadith.

And Allah knows best...

Answer 3

That's only if you look at modesty as demeaning.

Look at OUR society. Men can bare their chests, but women can't because modesty and cultural rules require them to cover their bosoms. At the same time, men who wear short, tight shorts are ridiculed or shunned; they're expected to wear longer shorts, even in hot weather - but women must wear short shorts.

It's all what society has decided is OK and not OK in terms of dress code. We have a dress code; they have a dress code; don't act like it's all oppressive because it's not.

There is another facet to this. The Islamic religion preaches modesty for women. I do admit it's one-sided that modesty for men isn't emphasized, and the Quran can be very sexist sometimes - but so can the Bible. Anyway, as I was saying, these women are following their religion and the modesty it requires in women because they respect and honor their bodies and their religion and they wish to serve their god.

IF, however, hijabs and the like are being used as instruments of oppression - as it has recently been suggested that they are - AND if the Muslim women of which you speak actually AGREE that they are being subliminally oppressed through clothing images - which is NOT always the case! - THEN it is time to do something about it. But, as I said, the latter condition isn't satisfied, so we've got no justification for anger or action.

Hope this answer isn't too long.

Reply to the person before me (actually, to the person who wrote the article which was probably copy/pasted into the answer space):

In talking about the "advanced" divorce system in Islamic countries, you forgot one thing - it appears here that the burden of actually bringing up the children falls entirely upon the woman. You actually take it for granted that the woman will take full responsibility for bringing up the children, and that their father will not be present at all, but will continue to "support the child with payments until it is no longer necessary," or something of the sort. But in the American system, often custody is given to both parents! Admittedly this is not the most integrated plan for the child, but it certainly advocates equality! You talk about the horrors of "women being forced to pay alimony to their husbands," but forget that in cases like these, the husband is sometimes actually bringing up the children, and thus needs these payments! Who's being one-sided here, you or the people you criticize?
Don't get me wrong - I think it's total sh*t that people assume they have to be all "self-righteous" and that Muslim women are being "oppressed" - but you're taking your praise of Islamic society just a bit too far.

Answer 4

Distorted Image of Muslim Women

by a former non-Muslim, Sister Naasira bint Ellison

Since the height of the feminist movement in the late 70's there has been a magnifying glass placed over the status of Muslim women. Unfortunately, the magnifying glass that has been used is an unusual one. Unusual in the sense that it is very selective about which items it will magnify; other items it will distort to such a degree that they will no longer look familiar. I remember once reading in an "in depth" article about the lives of Muslim women.

This article "explained" that at any time a man can divorce his wife by simply stating "I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you". This article can lead anyone ignorant of the Islamic ruling regarding divorce to believe that in less than five seconds the woman is left with no husband and is left to care for herself (and possibly children) by any means necessary. The question that immediately popped up in my mind was, "Did the author innocently write that out of sincere ignorance or was it another of the many attempts to degrade the religion of Islam and its followers (Muslim's)?" It may be my own paranoia, but I tend to believe it was the latter of the two.

The truth of the matter is that Islam has the most humane and most just system of divorce that exists. Firstly, many options are taken and tried before coming to the decision of the divorce. If the man and woman decide that they can no longer live together successfully as a husband and wife, the husband (in most cases, not always) pronounces the divorce by saying "I divorce you". At this point the waiting period begins. The waiting period lasts for three menstrual cycles to assure the woman is not pregnant. This period allows the couple time to think about what they are doing and if this is what they really want to do. There are no lawyers involved to antagonize an already delicate situation.

In the case that it is realized, that the woman is pregnant, the waiting period lasts the entire time she is pregnant. During the waiting period (whether the woman is pregnant or not) the man is obligated to provide food, clothing and shelter to the woman as he did before the divorce pronouncement. If the couple carries the divorce through to the birth of the child and the woman suckles the baby, the man is obligated to feed and clothe both his ex-wife for the time the woman suckles (the maximum being two years). After this weaning, the child will be provided for by the father until he/she is no longer in need of support.

It is quite ironic that in such an "advanced society" as America, there are divorce cases in which women are being forced to pay alimony to their ex-husbands. Can this and many other things we know about the American system of divorce compare to the Islamic system of divorce?

I have also read stories wherein it is stated that women are forced to marry men without their consent. This in no way resembles the marriage system in Islam. In Islam the woman marries the man of her choice. She may even marry someone that her mother and/or father objects to. The point is that it is the woman who makes the final decision as to whom she will marry. Once the man and the woman decide that they are interested in one another for marriage, a dowry is decided upon. A dowry is not a bride's price but, it is a gift from the groom to the bride. They agree upon a gift that is affordable by the groom. In the time of the Prophet (sas), often things such as livestock and money were given. This is a wise decision in the event that a woman becomes divorced or widowed, she has some financial security to fall back on even if it is for a limited amount of time. Once the man and woman are married, the man is required to clothe, feed, shelter and educate her (or allow her to be educated) in the same manner as he does himself.

The last distorted image that I will cover is that of the Muslim women's dress. The western influenced media portrays our dress to be outdated and oppressive. Needless to say however, I differ with these adjectives. Our dress code does not hinder us from doing anything productive in our lives. Muslim women maintain a variety of jobs, none of which are devalued nor hampered due to their dress code. And as for the timing of Muslims women's dress during these contemporary times, it seems most appropriate due to decreasing morals in the world today.

For those who say that Islamic dress is outdated, they speak from great ignorance. The decreasing molarity and trials of this time makes hijab even more in need. More than ever before sex crimes are rampant. Although this society tells women they can wear what they want to wear, anytime a rape occurs the woman is the one put on trial an one of the first questions is, "What were you wearing?" This concept seems as though it is a set up directed against the so called contemporary woman. Also there is a direct correlation between the respect a man has for a woman and the amount of her body her body she displays flauntingly.

In conclusion, I hope this article helped to clear up some distorted/misunderstood aspects of Islam and women. Women in Islam are respected and held in high regard. We will never find success and/or solutions to our problems until we realize that Allah knows best and that this disbelieving society will ruin itself.

Taken from Hudaa magazine, Jamaica, New York.

Answer 5

Originally speaking it was to empower them! It was to remove the sexual aspect of their being from sight so that the wife could conduct business for her husband, sons, etc. Unfortunately, that is not the case in many muslim sects these days.

Answer 6

Islam is the codification of 7th century Arabian culture, including dress codes.

Answer 7

It is their custom for females to cover their face and body and walk 2 steps behind the man because when they get married the man is supposed to marry them because of their social standing or who they are and not what they look like. only their husband is allowed to see their face.

Answer 8

why dont u study islam?
it says men are also expected to cover their bodies. islam is not one-sided, instad of that people are strting to go away from islam. they dont want to know the real spirit of islam.

Answer 9

woman are suspected of being "evil" their for they have to cover themselves so men wont be tempted like others were saying

Answer 10

Yeah, I think it is terrible too, I am not sure why other than they are being submissive by letting someone tell them to do that.