text:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Sharh Al Bulugh Al Maram
Book 2 Chapter 17 (Clothing) Pages 191
{Hadith No: 547 to 556}
March 02 2013 / 19 Rabi Al Thani 1435 Hijri
By Shaikh Abdullah Al Faisal
Edited By Abu Hafiza
باب اللباس
Chapter 17: Clothing
- Clothing is used to cover our private parts, its importance and should not be underestimated.
O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better. Such are among the Ayāt (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allāh, that they may remember (i.e. leave falsehood and follow truth).
(Al-A'raf 7:26)
- The shaitaan and his henchmen rather you don't wear any clothing.
O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes), while praying and going round (the Tawāf of) the Ka'bah, and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allāh) likes not Al-Musrifûn (those who waste by extravagance).
(Al-A'raf 7:31)
Then We said: "O Adam! Verily, this is an enemy to you and to your wife. So let him not get you both out of Paradise, so that you be distressed in misery. Verily, you have (a promise from Us) that you will never be hungry therein nor naked. And you (will) suffer not from thirst therein nor from the sun's heat.
(Ta-Ha 20:117-119)
- These ayah tell you that food, clothing and shelter are barakas from Allah (SWT) and the shaitan doesn't like clothing.
O Children of Adam! Let not Shaitān (Satan) deceive you, as he got your parents [Adam and Hawwa (Eve)] out of Paradise, stripping them of their raiment's, to show them their private parts. Verily, he and Qabīluhu (his soldiers from the jinns or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them. Verily, We made the Shayātin (devils) Auliyā' (protectors and helpers) for those who believe not.
(Al-A'raf 7:27)
And when they commit a Fāhisha (evil deed, going round the Ka'bah in naked state, every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.), they say: "We found our fathers doing it, and Allāh has commanded us of it." Say: "Nay, Allāh never commands of Fāhisha. Do you say of Allāh what you know not?
(Al-A'raf 7:28)
- He likes to look at your private parts and this is why; you make the Dua'a before entering the toilet.
وَالْخَبائِث لْخُـبْثِمِـنَ بِـكَ أَعـوذُ إِنِّـي اللّهُـمَّ
(In the name of Allah). O Allah, I take refuge with you from all evil and evil-doers.)
{Al Bukhari Vol: 1 Book 4 hadith 144 & Muslim Vol: 1 Hadith 283}
- So people with no Tawheed have no morality.
- The Arabs before Islam used to make tawaf naked.
- Clothing is very important and one of the ways to the heart of your wife.
- It is one of the best gifts you can give her.
عن أبي عامر الأشعري - رضي الله عنه - قال: قال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم: «ليكونن من أمتي أقوام يستحلون الحر والحرير». رواه أبو داود، وأصله في البخاري
547. Abu 'Amir al-Ash'ari (RAA) narrated, 'The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "There will be among my followers, some people who will make Halal (lawful) a woman's vagina (i.e. adultery) and silk (which is forbidden for men)."
[Related by Abu Dawud and Al-Bukhari]
وعن حذيفة - رضي الله عنه - قال: نهى النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - أن نشرب في آنية الذهب والفضة، وأن نأكل فيها، وعن لبس الحرير والديباج، وأن نجلس عليه. رواه البخاري
548. Abu Hudhaifah Ibn Al-Yaman (RAA) narrated, 'The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) prohibited us from eating and drinking from gold and silver vessels. He also forbade us from wearing clothes made of silk or brocade (i.e. the men but it is lawful for women) or to sit on them.'
[Related by Al-Bukhari]
- They will try to make it halal because it is haram (i.e. silk).
وعن عمر - رضي الله عنه - قال: نهى النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - عن لبس الحرير إلا موضع إصبعين، أو ثلاث، أو أربع. متفق عليه، واللفظ لمسلم
549. 'Umar (RAA) narrated, 'The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) prohibited (men) from wearing silk, except for the size of two, three or four fingers.'
[Agreed upon and the wording is from Muslim]
- When we say it is haram; it is just for males only and not for females.
- What is the meaning of 2, 3 or fingers?
- Sometimes you have a shirt and it is made of polyester but it has silk stripes in it.
- If the silk stripes is four fingers, then it is halal for men.
What is meant by the silk that is forbidden to men is natural silk that is taken from the silkworm. As for artificial silk, that is not included in the prohibition, because there is no statement that it is haraam in either the Qur'aan or Sunnah. If it is not narrated in the Qur'aan and Sunnah that a thing is forbidden, then it is permissible, because the basic principle concerning things is that they are permitted.
But some of these fabrics made from artificial silk may be very soft and like the fabric worn by women. These should be avoided by men, because what is required of men is to be tough and hard; softness is not appropriate for men.
[See al-Sharh al-Mumti', 2/207; Tawdeeh al-Ahkaam, 2/447]
وعن أنس - رضي الله عنه: أن النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - رخص لعبد الرحمن بن عوف، والزبير في قميص الحرير، في سفر، من حكة كانت بهما. متفق عليه
550. Anas (RAA) narrated, 'The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) gave permission to 'Abdur Rahman bin 'Auf and Az-Zubair to sear silk clothing on a journey, as they were suffering from a skin irritation.'
[Agreed upon]
The scholars allowed men to wear silk in certain exceptional circumstances where there is shar'i evidence to support this, such as Muslim combatants in war who are allowed to wear silk in order to show off and annoy the enemy, which is a kind of psychological warfare. People who are sick may also be permitted to wear silk to relieve their suffering, as Anas reported that the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) allowed 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf and Ibn al-Zubayr (may Allaah be pleased with them both) to wear silk because of a skin irritation that they suffered from.
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 10/295, and Muslim, 3/1646).
The scholars also allowed men to wear garments containing four fingers' width of silk, because of the hadeeth of 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said that the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) forbade the wearing of silk except for an area the width of two fingers, or three or four."
(Reported by Muslim, 3/1644).
With regard to the matters mentioned in the question, the issue is not what a thing is called but what it really is. If the item that a man is going to wear is made of natural silk, then it is not permissible for him to wear it, no matter how it looks or feels, and no matter whether it is a shirt, pants, socks, a necktie or anything else. And Allaah knows best.
-The shaikhs don't like necktie, they call it the clothing of the kufaar; however, you are allowed to wear it in cases of necessity.
-For example if it is the dress code at the school or your workplace and but it is not permissible to wear it just for the sake of it.
- However, some scholars argue that it is not haram since it is not exclusive to one group.
وعن علي - رضي الله عنه - قال: كساني النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - حلة سيراء، فخرجت فيها، فرأيت الغضب في وجهه، فشققتها بين نسائي. متفق عليه، وهذا لفظ مسلم
551. 'Ali (RAA) narrated, 'The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) sent me a garment striped with silk (or made of pure silk, which is more likely) so I went out wearing it. I saw the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and he looked very angry (when seeing me wearing it), so I cut it up (and divided it) among my female (relatives).'
[Agreed upon and the wording is from Muslim]
وعن أبي موسى - رضي الله عنه - أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قال «أحل الذهب والحرير لإناث أمتي، وحرم على ذكورهم». رواه أحمد، والنسائي، والترمذي وصححه
552. Abu Musa (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "Gold and silk are Halal (lawful) for the females among my nation, but prohibited for the males."
[Related by Ahmad, An-Nasa'i and At-Tirmidhi]
وعن عمران بن حصين رضي الله عنهما؛ أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قال: «إن الله يحب إذا أنعم على عبد أن يرى أثر نعمته عليه». رواه البيهقي
553.'Imran bin Husain (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "When Allah bestows one of His favors upon a slave, He likes to see its effect on him."
[Related by Al-Baihaqi]
- Hadith 553 means that it is not piety to be walking around in old clothing because the kufaar will
say that Islam preaches poverty and makes you a second class citizen.
- Do not drive around in an old car or clothing; the kufaar will lose respect for you.
- So always let the baraka of Allah SWT) show on you.
And proclaim the Grace of your Lord (i.e. the Prophet hood and all other Graces).
(Ad-Duha 93:11)
- Do not nag and complain about your condition; when you are around people that will stress people out.
- This is not an Islamic behaviour and will push people away from you.
- You are not allowed to beg except if you are struck by a disaster like fire outbreak or a charity working for the ummah.
- can we wear trousers and suits?
I heard some people say that wearing pants and suits is haraam because it is an imitation of the kuffaar. Is this true?
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah has forbidden the Muslim to imitate the disbelievers, and the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) spoke very sternly concerning that, as he said:
"Whoever imitates a people is one of them." Narrated by Abu Dawood (4031) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood.
The prohibition on imitating the kuffaar applies only to that which is exclusively theirs and which is not common to them and the Muslims.
What explains the meaning of exclusivity is that if the person who does that action is seen it would be said of him that he belongs to the group which we are forbidden to imitate. This can only apply to actions which are not done by anyone but that group.
As for actions which are common to them and the Muslims, it is not correct to say that doing this is regarded as the forbidden type of imitation, because this action is not exclusive to them.
Based on that, the rulings on things that are only forbidden because they are imitation of the mushrikeen vary according to time and place, and according to different traditions and customs.
If that kind of clothing in a particular country is worn only by the kuffaar, then it is haraam for the Muslim to wear it in that country, but if in another country it is worn by both Muslims and kaafirs, then it is permissible to wear it in that country.
Nowadays, wearing pants or suits is not exclusive to the kaafirs; rather they are worn by Muslims in most countries and they do not think that wearing it is imitation of the kaafirs, because it is not exclusively theirs.
Based on this, wearing it is permissible and there is nothing wrong with it.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the guideline on the issue of imitating the kuffaar?
He replied:
Imitation of the kuffaar may be in appearance, clothing, food and other things because it is a general word which refers to a person doing something that is done exclusively by the kuffaar, in such a way that whoever sees him would think that he is one of the kuffaar. This is the guideline. But if the thing has become widespread among both Muslims and kaafirs, then this imitation is permissible, even if it was originally taken from the kuffaar, so long as it is not haraam in and of itself, such as wearing silk. End quote.
[Majmoo' Duroos wa Fataawa al-Haram al-Makki (3/367)]
-The prohibition applies only to that which exclusively theirs.
-Exclusively means the clothing for example is only worn by Hindus, Buddhist etc.
- But if it is international then there is nothing wrong with that.
- Now a day wearing trousers is not exclusive to kufaar it is worn all over the world and the Muslim word too.
- So it is not haram to wear them.
This well known registered trademark, Nike, which may be the most well known of sporting brands in the world, bears the name of the Greek goddess of victory. The founders of this company who chose this name were Philip Knight and Bill Bower man. They chose this name as a symbol of good luck and hope of victory for sportsmen who wore this brand and propagate the symbol of this god.
This is something well known that is stated in encyclopaedias. See Wikipedia.org on the internet. In an article on this topic in the well-known al-Mawrid dictionary it says:
Nike was the god of victory among the ancient Greeks, who was usually presented in the form of a winged maiden, carrying a crown in one hand and a palm branch in the other. End quote.
Al-Mawrid Qamoos Ingleezi 'Arabi (p. 613)
We find the same information in a book called al-Mu'taqadaat al-Deeniyyah 'inda al-Shu'oob, ed. by Geoffrey Barrinder, which was published in Arabic in Silsilat 'Aalam al-Ma'rifah, no. 173, p. 409.
Thus it is clear that it is not permissible for the Muslim to wear this symbol or to imitate those who wear it. The Muslim believes in the Oneness of Allaah (Tawheed) and believes
that victory, help and strength come from Him alone. Wearing this symbol is contrary to his belief and faith. If he has no option but to buy the products of this company, then at least he should erase their symbol and name so that it is not on his chest, foot or neck. Thus his religious commitment will be safe as will his belief ('aqeedah).
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to images, such as images which appear on clothes for adults and children, they are the same: it is not permissible for a person to wear anything with pictures on it, or to dress his children, boys and girls alike, in anything that has pictures on it.
With regard to words written on garments, such as "I am a Christian" on a sweater, or "I am a Jew" or "Christian" or "sexual fluid" or "the gushing water of man" or writing the symbol for Venus, which is a symbol for immoral actions, and also writing "the ancient Greek god of love" or "alcoholic drink" or the name of a man and woman, or "Christmas" – all of these are unacceptable.
- So be careful of walking around with clothing promoting kufr and zandaqa.
- Nike means the 'Greek goddess of victory' and that is shirk.
- So those; if you who have Nike at home should wear it and then when it is old replace it with another brand.
Is it necessary to have your pants above ankles
We hear it very commonly that according to Islam, it is necessary for males to keep your pants (or whatever you are wearing on your lower body) above your ankles. i.e., it should not be hanging below your ankles. Is their any authentic Hadith that confirms it or is it more of a tradition thing?
Further, is there any different ruling regarding this during Salat?
Wearing one's lower garment below the ankles (for men) is known as isbal (from sa-ba-la which means to lower). There are dozens of authentic ahadith from the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) prohibiting isbal. For example, here are two well-known ones:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said "Whatever is below the ankles of the izar is in the fire."
Narrated Abdullah ibn 'Umar, the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said "Whoever trails his garment out of pride, Allah will not look at him on the Day of Judgment."
Both of these ahadith are in Sahih al-Bukhari.
Before getting to the scholarly opinions on this issue, a little bit of history to get some context to better understand this will help. In the society of the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) most people were poor. Clothing was one way the arrogant and rich among them would flaunt their wealth. They would lower their lower garments so that the bottom would get soiled, as if to say "Oh I don't care if this garment is dirtied, I have dozens more like it at home." For the Arabs of that time, their status symbol was wearing garments below the heels and letting it drag behind them in the dirt.
However, within two generations this custom was gone. Arab society grew prosperous and this practice lost its place as a status symbol. Now this is interesting because this was the time of the great imams and fuqaha. The position among the scholars at the time and since then was that pride was prohibited but not the garment itself (one that goes below the ankles).
Today there are two major opinions on the issue of isbal. There is unanimous consensus that isbal when done out of pride or arrogance is haram and in fact it is a major sin due to the explicit punishment prescribed in the Hereafter in the hadith. When it is not done due to pride, the opinions of the scholars are as follows:
Minority opinion: Practising isbal out of habit or custom is haram. This is the opinion of Imam ibn Hajr, Imam ibn al-'Arabi and a minority position among the other madhhabs.
Two of their proofs are the hadiths of ibn 'Umar (ra) and Abu Huraira (ra):
Abdullah ibn 'Umar narrated that the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said : "Whoever trails his garment out of pride Allah will not look at him on the Day of Judgment." Abu Bakr said "One of the sides of my garment drags below [the other] unless I protect myself against that." The Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said "You don't do that out of arrogance."
Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said "Whatever is below the ankles of the izār is in the Fire"
Majority opinion: Practising isbal out of habit or custom is makruh (disliked and not recommended). This the standard position of all four madhhabs as well as that of Imam ibn Taymiyya and Imam an-Nawawi.
They have 3 major proofs:
From a fiqhi standpoint, they consider the unconditional hadith (e.g. Abu Huraira's hadith above) as being conditional to 'arrogance' due to the other hadith. So it's important to put all the related hadith together and view them that way.
Some of the salaf understood that if isbal was done for a valid reason it would be permissible.
Considering the historical context above, isbal no longer holds the cultural significance it once did.
The reason why the second group of scholars still categorizes this as makruh is due to the quantity of hadith on this matter. It cannot be mubah (permissible).
- The Indians, Malaysian and Bangladeshi wear wrapper and that is izaar.
- The Rasul (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) didn't speak about trousers but the izaar.
-The Arabs knew about trousers when they conquered spain and not before that.
-The word 'PRIDE' in the hadith makes the scholars say you need to wear it for pride for it to be haram.
- Therefore Muslims living in cold countries are allowed to wear trousers below the ankles.
- There is no culture in the world where people wear trousers below the ankles for pride now.
- The Arabs used to drag their izaar to look down on the poor.
- So having the trousers below the ankle is only haram when done out of pride.
- The Saudi Salafis preach otherwise.
1. The basic principle concerning everything that is worn is that it is halaal and permissible, except for that concerning which there is a text to state that it is haraam, such as silk for males, because the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "These two [gold and silk] are forbidden for the males of my ummah and permissible for the females."
Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 3640; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
Similarly it is not permissible to wear the skin of a dead animal (one that has died of natural causes) unless it has been tanned. With regard to wearing clothes made of wool, goat hair and camel hair, these are pure and permissible.
2. It is not permissible to wear thin or see-through clothing that does not conceal the 'awrah.
3. It is haraam to imitate the mushrikeen and kuffaar in their manner of dress, so it is not permissible to wear clothing that is unique to the kuffaar.
It was narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas said: The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) saw 'Ali wearing two garments dyed with safflower and said: "These are garments of the kuffaar; do not wear them."
[Narrated by Muslim, 2077]
4. It is haraam for women to imitate men and men to imitate women in the way they dress, because the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) cursed the men who imitate women and the women who imitate men."
[Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5546]
5. It is Sunnah for a Muslim to start with the right when dressing, and to say, Bismillaah (In the name of Allaah), and to start with the left when taking clothes off.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayra said: The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "When you get dressed and when you do wudoo', start on the right."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4141; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 787.
6. It is Sunnah for the one who is putting on a new garment to thank Allaah and make du'aa'.
It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed said: When the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) put on a new garment, he would call it by its name, whether it was a turban, a shirt or a cloak, then he would say: "Allaahumma laka al-hamd anta kasawtanihi as'aluka khayrahu wa khayri ma suni'a lah wa a'oodhu bika min sharrihi wa sharri ma suni'a lah (O Allaah, to You be all praise. You have clothed me with it. I ask You for the good of it and the good for which it was made, and I seek refuge with You from the evil of it and the evil for which it was made)."
[Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1767; Abu Dawood, 4020; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 4664]
7. It is Sunnah to pay attention to keeping one's clothes clean, without feeling arrogant or exaggerating about that.
It was narrated from 'Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood that the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "No one will enter Paradise in whose heart is a mustard-seed of arrogance." A man said: "What if a man likes his clothes to look nice and his shoes to look nice?" He said: "Allaah is Beautiful and loves beauty; arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people."
[Narrated by Muslim, 91]
8. It is mustahabb to wear white clothes
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Wear white clothes, for they are the best of your clothes, and shroud your dead in them."
[Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 994, hasan saheeh. This is what the scholars regarded as mustahabb. Also narrated by Abu Dawood, 4061; Ibn Maajah, 1472]
9. It is haraam for the Muslim man to let any garment he wears hang down beneath his ankles (an action known as isbaal); the limit for any garment is the ankles.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayra (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said; "Whatever of the lower garment is beneath the ankles is in the Fire."
[Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5450]
It was narrated from Abu Dharr that the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "There are three to whom Allaah will not speak on the Day of Resurrection and will not look at them or praise them, and theirs will be a painful torment." The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) repeated it three times.
Abu Dharr said: "May they be doomed and lost; who are they, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said: "The one who lets his garment hang beneath his ankles, the one who reminds others of favours he has done, and the one who sells his product by means of false oaths."
[Narrated by Muslim, 106.]
10. It is haraam to wear garments of fame and vanity, which means a garment that stands out from others so that people will look at the wearer and he will become known for it.
It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: The Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever wears a garment of fame and vanity, Allaah will dress him in a garment like it on the Day of Resurrection."
According to another version, "…then set it ablaze." And according to a third version, "will dress him in a garment of humiliation."
[Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4029; Ibn Maajah, 3606 and 3607; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 2089]
And Allaah knows best.
- Praying with pictures of animals and humans on your shirt, the salah is valid but you did haram.
-You are allowed to wear animal skin clothiers except that made of dogs or pigs skins.
-It is haram to dress your son in hijab to see how he will look if he was a girl.
- A con artist uses his clothing to deceive you.
- The Rasul (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) will make a dua before a garment (new and old).
- You should keep clean and pure else you maybe punished in the grave to walk around in beautiful clothing is mustahab.
- White clothing is preferable for men.
- You can't get away from wearing it; but is it only halal if it doesn't promote homosexuality, kufr, racism etc
- And it should not be over expensive (e.g. a shoe cost $10,000.00).
- The one that stands out with fame and vanity is haram.
- It is haram for a Muslim man to wear tight trousers.
- If it is the norm then its halal.
- If he is seen as being effeminate, gay etc then it is haram.
-It if haram to wear a t-shirt with 'I LOVE YOU JESUS' because 'JESUS' is a false deity.
- It is haram to walk around with t-shirts with the British flag; because it has cross and it is the cross of the crusaders.
- T-shirts promoting Islam and Muslims are halal but just for men and not women.
If there is a specific benefit to be gained, there is no disagreement about wearing a garment which will bring that about. Therefore it is said that when 'Umar came to Syria and found that Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan had appointed a chamberlain, was using fine horses, wearing sumptuous clothes and acting like a king, he questioned him about it. Mu'awiya said to him, "We are in a land where this is necessary." Then 'Umar said, "I neither order you to do that nor forbid you from it." He meant, "You have the best knowledge of your state and know whether you really need to do this, thus making it a good thing, or whether it is unnecessary and so not a good thing. "This indicates that ÔUmar and others thought that the states of rulers and governors vary in different cities, times and circumstances. That is why it is necessary to institute new adornments and political systems that did not exist in the past. It could even be that they are necessary in certain cases.
(cf. Sunan al-Muhtadin by al-Mawwaq)
Umar (r.a) didn't stop Mu'awiyyah from wearing beautiful clothing; so wear what will maintain your respect from the people.
{Book 2 Chapter 17 (Clothing) page 191}
- There are many hadiths and Quranic verses that make it compulsory for a woman to
wear hijab when she leaves the house.
And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allāh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.
(An-Nur 24:31)
- Every muslimah should read and know this verse;
- In brackets is a weak hadith on one eye exposed the translator is not a hadith scholar.
- He doesn't know that the hadith is weak. this misguidance is not intentional.
- A person who translates the Quran is not an expert in these fields.
- he is only a translator.
- Sometimes they make mistakes.
- Women can take of hijab and expose their face to their father in law.
And as for women past child-bearing who do not expect wed-lock, it is no sin on them if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show their adornment. But to refrain (i.e. not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them. And Allāh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
(An-Nur 24:60)
- There are many verses in the Quran that explain the wearing of the hijab.
- It is recommended that the old woman still wear hijab, because they still have sexual
- In darul harb emphasis is placed on zina.
O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allāh is Ever Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.
(Al-Ahzab 33:59)
- The hadith in brackets about one eye is weak.
- As explained before the translator doesn't know the hadith is weak.
- The hypocrites in medina slandered Aisha (RAA).
- They would make indecent proposals to Muslim girls.
- If you propose marriage, this is decent.
- If you propose zina, this is indecent.
- The hypocrites used to say after that they didn't know that they were muslimah.
- After they had proposed indecently; after the ayat came down the hypocrites were checkmated.
- They couldn't say anymore that they didn't know they were Muslims.
O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses, except when leave is given to you for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter, and when you have taken your meal, disperse, without sitting for a talk. Verily, such (behaviour) annoys the Prophet, and he is shy of (asking) you (to go), but Allāh is not shy of (telling you) the truth. And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, asks them from behind a screen that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. And it is not (right) for you that you should annoy Allah's Messenger, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him (his death). Verily! With Allāh that shall be an enormity.
(Al-Ahzab 33:53)
- The wives of the prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) were the mothers of the believers;
so they could not marry their mothers.
- A sahabah used to say; he would marry Aisha (RAA) after the prophet died.
- The prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) didn't go at him for this.
- He overlooked this because Talha (RA) was a lion in Islam.
Asmaa said: We used to cover our faces in front of men; It was narrated that Asma' bint Abi Bakr said: We used to cover our faces in front of men.
[Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah, 4/203; al-Haakim, 1/624. He classed it as saheeh and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. It was also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Jilbaab al-Mar'ah al-Muslimah]
- The hadith means that it is mustahab and not fard for women to cover their faces.
- The scholars have great arguments about this; call each other jahil.
- Anything to do with women will call fitnah.
- The arguments will be presented.
The conditions of hijaab:
(It should cover all the body apart from whatever has been exempted)
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allaah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
This aayah clearly states that it is obligatory to cover all of a woman's beauty and adornments and not to display any part of that before non-mahram men ("strangers") except for whatever appears unintentionally, in which case there will be no sin on them if they hasten to cover it up.
Al-Haafiz ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer:
This means that they should not display any part of their adornment to non-mahrams, apart from that which it is impossible to conceal. Ibn Mas'ood said: such as the cloak and robe, i.e., what the women of the Arabs used to wear, an outer garment which covered whatever the woman was wearing, except for whatever appeared from beneath the outer garment. There is no sin on a woman with regard to this because it is impossible to conceal it.
(it should not be an adornment in and of itself)
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And not to show off their adornment"
[Al-Noor 24:31].
The general meaning of this phrase includes the outer garment, because if it is decorated it will attract men's attention to her. This is supported by the aayah in Soorat al-Ahzaab (interpretation of the meaning):
"And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance"
[Al-Ahzaab 33:33]
It is also supported by the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There are three, do not ask me about them: a man who leaves the jamaa'ah, disobeys his leader and dies disobedient; a female or male slave who runs away then dies; and a woman whose husband is absent and left her with everything she needs, and after he left she made a wanton display of herself. Do not ask about them."
(Narrated by al-Haakim, 1/119; Ahmad, 6/19; from the hadeeth of Faddaalah bint 'Ubayd. Its isnaad is saheeh and it is in al-Adab al-Mufrad).
(It should be thick and not transparent or "see-thru")
Because it cannot cover properly otherwise. Transparent or see-thru clothing makes a woman more tempting and beautiful. Concerning this the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "During the last days of my ummah there will be women who are clothed but naked, with something on their heads like the humps of camels. Curse them, for they are cursed." Another hadeeth adds: "They will not enter Paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be detected from such and such a distance."
(Narrated by Muslim from the report of Abu Horary)
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr said: what the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) meant was women who wear clothes made of light fabric which describes and does not cover. They are clothed in name but naked in reality.
[Transmitted by al-Suyooti in Tanweer al-Hawaalik, 3/103]
(It should be loose, not tight so that it describes any part of the body)
The purpose of clothing is to prevent fitnah (temptation), and this can only be achieved if clothes are wide and loose. Tight clothes, even if they conceal the colour of the skin, still describe the size and shape of the body or part of it, and create a vivid image in the minds of men. The corruption or invitation to corruption that is inherent in that is quite obvious. So the clothes must be wide.
Usaamah ibn Zayd said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) gave me a thick Egyptian garment that was one of the gifts given to him by Duhyat al-Kalbi, and I gave it to my wife to wear. He said, 'Why do I not see you wearing that Egyptian garment?' I said, 'I gave it to my wife to wear.' He said, 'Tell her to wear a gown underneath it, for I am afraid that it may describe the size of her bones.'"
(Narrated by al-Diyaa' al-Maqdisi in al-Ahaadeeth al-Mukhtaarah, 1/442, and by Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi, with a hasan isnaad).
(It should not be perfumed with bakhoor or fragrance)
There are many ahaadeeth which forbid women to wear perfume when they go out of their houses. We will quote here some of those which have saheeh isnaads:
Abu Moosa al-Ash'ari said: the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Any woman who puts on perfume then passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, is an adulteress."
Zaynab al-Thaqafiyyah reported that the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "If any one of you (women) goes out to the mosque, let her not touch any perfume."
Abu Hurayra said: the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Any woman who has scented herself with bakhoor (incense), let her not attend 'Ishaa' prayers with us."
Moosa ibn Yassaar said that a woman passed by Abu Hurayra and her scent was overpowering. He said, "O female slave of al-Jabbaar, are you going to the mosque?" She said, "Yes," He said, "And have you put on perfume because of that?" She said, "Yes." He said,
"Go back and wash yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) say: 'If a woman comes out to the mosque and her fragrance is overpowering, Allaah will not accept any prayer from her until she goes home and washes herself.'"
These ahaadeeth are general in implication. Just as the prohibition covers perfume applied to the body, it also covers perfume applied to the clothes, especially in the third hadeeth, where bakhoor (incense) is mentioned, because incense is used specifically to perfume the clothes.
The reason for this prohibition is quite clear, which is that women's fragrance may cause undue provocation of desires. The scholars also included other things under this heading of things to be avoided by women who want to go to the mosque, such as beautiful clothes, jewellery that can be seen, excessive adornments and mingling with men.
[See Fath al-Baari, 2/279]
Ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed said:
This indicates that it is forbidden for a woman who wants to go to the mosque to wear perfume, because this causes provocation of men's desires.
This was reported by al-Manaawi in Fayd al-Qadeer, in the commentary on the first hadeeth of Abu Hurayra quoted above.
(It should not resemble the clothing of men)
It was reported in the saheeh ahaadeeth that a woman who imitates men in dress or in other ways is cursed. There follow some of the ahaadeeth that we know:
Abu Hurayra said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) cursed the man who wears women's clothes, and the woman who wears men's clothes."
'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) say: 'They are not part of us, the women who imitate men and the men who imitate women.'"
Ibn 'Abbaas said: "The Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) cursed effeminate men and masculine women. He said, 'Throw them out of your houses.'" He said: "The Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) expelled So and so, and 'Umar expelled So and so." According to another version: "The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men."
'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: 'There are three who will not enter Paradise and Allaah will not even look at them on the Day of Resurrection: one who disobeys his parents, a woman who imitates men, and the duyooth (cuckold, weak man who feels no jealousy over his womenfolk)."
Ibn Abi Maleekah – whose name was 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Ubayd-Allaah – said: "It was said to 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), 'What if a woman wears (men's) sandals?' She said: 'The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) cursed women who act like men.'"
These ahaadeeth clearly indicate that it is forbidden for women to imitate men and vice versa, This usually includes dress and other matters, apart from the first hadeeth quoted above, which refers to dress only.
Abu Dawood said, in Masaa'il al-Imaam Ahmad (p. 261): "I heard Ahmad being asked about a man who dresses his slave woman in a tunic. He said, 'Do not clothe her in men's garments, do not make her look like a man." Abu Dawood said: "I said to Ahmad, Can he give her bachelor sandals to wear? He said, No, unless she wears them to do wudoo'. I said, What about for beauty? He said, No. I said, Can he cut her hair short? He said, No."
(It should not resemble the dress of kaafir women).
It is stated in sharee'ah that Muslims, men and women alike, should not resemble or imitate the kuffaar with regard to worship, festivals or clothing that is specific to them. This is an important Islamic principle which nowadays, unfortunately, is neglected by many Muslims, even those who care about religion and calling others to Islam. This is due either to ignorance of their religion, or because they are following their own whims and desires, or because of deviation, combined with modern customs and imitation of kaafir Europe. This was one of the causes of the Muslims' decline and weakness, which enabled the foreigners to overwhelm and colonize them. "…Verily, Allaah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change their state themselves …"
[al-Ra'd 13:11 – interpretation of the meaning]. If only they knew.
It should be known that there is a great deal of saheeh evidence for these important rules in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, and that the evidence in the Qur'aan is elaborated upon in the Sunnah, as is always the case.
(It should not be a garment of fame and vanity).
Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: 'Whoever wears a garment of fame and vanity in this world, Allaah will clothe him in a garment of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection, then He will cause Fire to flame up around him.'"
(Hijaab al-Mar'ah al-Muslimah, p. 54-67)
- Lesbians walk around wearing men's clothes.
- Men are not allowed to imitate women.
- Muslimah that wear the sari out is haram.
- That is the dress of the Hindus.
- Saris expose the stomach.
- The men of your household will be held responsible on that day of judgement.
- Expensive designer clothing is clothing of fame and vanity.
Ibn 'Umar (RA) said: "The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: 'Whoever wears a garment of fame and vanity in this world, Allah will clothe him in a garment of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection, then He will cause Fire to flame up around him.'"
[Sunan Ibn Majah (4/601) No. 3607, Sunan Abu Dawood (4/43) No. 4029, Musnad Ahmad (2/139) No. 6245, al-Sunan al-Kubra al-Nasa'i (8/389) No. 9487]
- Like paying $3000 for one abayah.
- You can wear designer clothing if it does not meet these prohibitions.
- It cannot have animal's pictures on it.
- Your salah is accepted but the clothing is haraam.
- So you still did something haram.
1. An act of obedience
The hijab is an act of obedience to Allah and to his prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), Allah says in the Quran:
"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His messenger have decreed a matter that they should have an option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), has indeed strayed in a plain error."
[Al-Ahzab 33:36]
Allah also said:
"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things) and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc) and not to show off their adornment except what must (ordinarily) appear thereof, that they should draw their veils over their Juyubihinnah."
[An-Nur 24:31]
Juyubihinnah: The respected scholars from As-Salaf As-Saleh (righteous predecessors) differed whether the veil cover of the body must include the hands and face or not. Today, respected scholars say that the hands and face must be covered. Other respected scholars say it is preferable for women to cover their whole bodies.
2. The Hijab is IFFAH (Modesty).
Allah made the adherence to the hijab a manifestation for chastity and modesty. Allah says:
"O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) over their bodies (when outdoors). That is most convenient that they should be known and not molested."
[Al-Ahzab 33::59]
In the above Ayah there is evidence that the recognition of the apparent beauty of the woman is harmful to her. When the cause of attraction ends, the restriction is removed. This is illustrated in the case of elderly women who may have lost every aspect of attraction. Allah made it permissible for them to lay aside their outer garments and expose their faces and hands reminding, however, that is still better for them to keep their modesty.
3. The hijab is Taharah (Purity)
Allah had shown us the hikmah (wisdom) behind the legislation of the hijab:
"And when you ask them (the Prophet's wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen that is purer for your hearts and their hearts."
[Al-Ahzab 33::53]
The hijab makes for greater purity for the hearts of believing men and women because it screens against the desire of the heart. Without the hijab, the heart may or may not desire. That is why the heart is more pure when the sight is blocked (by hijab) and thus the prevention of fitnah (evil actions is very much manifested. The hijab cuts off the ill
thoughts and the greed of the sick hearts:
"Be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy or evil desire for adultery, etc) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner."
[Al-Ahzab 33:32]
4. The hijab is a Shield
The prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Allah, Most High, is Hayie (Bashful), Sittir (Shielder). He loves Haya' (Bashfulness) and Sitr (Shielding; Covering).
"The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said: "Any woman who takes off her clothes in other than her husband's house (to show off for unlawful purposes), has broken Allah's shield upon her."
The hadith demonstrates that depending upon the kind of action committed there will be either reward (if good) or punishment (if bad).
5. The hijab is Taqwah (Righteousness)
Allah says in the Quran:
"O children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc) and as an adornment. But the raiment of righteousness, that is better."
[Al-A'raf 7:26]
The widespread forms of dresses in the world today are mostly for show off and hardly taken as a cover and shield of the woman's body. To the believing women, however the purpose is to safeguard their bodies and cover their private parts as a manifestation of the order of Allah. It is an act of Taqwah (righteousness)
6. The hijab is Eeman (Belief or Faith)
Allah did not address His words about the hijab except to the believing women, Al-Mo'minat. In many cases in the Quran Allah refers to the "the believing women". Aisha, the wife of the prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), addressed some women from the tribe of Banu Tamim who came to visit her and had light clothes on them, they were improperly dressed: "If indeed you are believing women, then truly this is not the dress of the believing women, and if you are not believing women, then enjoy it."
7. The hijab is Hayah' (Bashfulness)
There are two authentic hadith which state: "Each religion has a morality and the morality of Islam is hayah'" AND "Bashfulness is from belief, and belief is in Al-Jannah (paradise)". The hijab fits the natural bashfulness which is a part of the nature of women.
8. The hijab is Gheerah
The hijab fits the natural feeling of Gheerah, which is intrinsic in the straight man who does not like people to look at his wife or daughters. Gheerah is a driving emotion that drives the straight man to safeguard women who are related to him from strangers. The straight MUSLIM man has Gheerah for ALL MUSLIM women in response to lust and desire, men look (with desire) at other women while they do not mind that other men do the same to their wives or daughters. The mixing of sexes and absence of hijab destroys the Gheerah in men. Islam considers Gheerah an integral part of faith. The dignity of the wife or daughter or any other Muslim woman must be highly respected and defended.
It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allāh and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allāh and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error.
(Al-Ahzab 33:36)
1) If a sister wears the hijab you should give her credit.
- You should always marry the muslimah who wears the hijab over the one who doesn't.
- This shows the sister is a believer
- They believe in Allah (SWT).
ودخل نسوة من بني تميم على عائشة رضي الله عنها عليهن ثياب رقاق، فقالت عائشة: إن كنتن مؤمنات فليس هذا بلباس المؤمنات، وإن كنتن غير مؤمنات فتمتعينه
Some women from Banu Tamim came to see 'Aisha (RA) wearing transparent clothing. 'Aisha said to them: "If you are believing women, these are not the clothes of believing women."
[Tafsir al-Qurtubi (14/244)]
وأدخلت امرأة عروس على عائشة رضي الله عنها وعليها خمار قبطي معصفر، فلما رأتها قالت: لم تؤمن بسورة" النور" امرأة تلبس هذا
A bride came to see 'Aishah (RA) wearing a sheer, transparent khimaar, whereupon 'Aishah (RA) said: "A woman who wears such clothing does not believe in Soorat An-Nur."
[Tafsir al-Qurtubi (14/244)]
2) Allah (SWT) made the hijab a sign of modesty;
- To wear it in the house is extremism.
- She can uncover in front of her stepfather.
- He is her mahram for eternity.
3) When a woman displays her beauty.
- In the amazon women are basically naked.
- The men see naked women every day so many of them become impotent; this destroys the libido in
Europe also.
- Wearing hijab increases the libido. It gives suspense.
- The hijab cuts off the ill and evil thoughts of the sick hearts.
- These are those who desire zina and adultery.
4) The hijab is a statement of taqwah
- Its go for the woman who wears it.
O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better. Such are among the Ayāt (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allāh, that they may remember (i.e. leave falsehood and follow truth)
(Al-A'raf 7:26)
- The hijab is also a fitnah.
- It is a political statement.
- It says that she believes in the Shariah of Allah (SWT).
- The French president is like the king in the people of the ditch.
- French banned the hijab and the jilbab; they are Europeans.
- They believe every woman is a whore; they impose on women to leave off the clothing of taqwah.
- Democracy means freedom of religion.
- Democracy is an aristocracy that practices a vile form of hypocrisy.
- Darul harb is the land of the enemy. like UK, France, USA, Russian.
- Any country that has Muslim blood on its hands is darul harb or they imprison Muslims.
And fight in the Way of Allāh those who fight you, but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allāh likes not the transgressors. [This Verse is the first one that was revealed in connection with Jihād, but it was supplemented by another (V.9:36)]
(Al-Baqarah 2:190)
And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And Al-Fitnah is worse than killing. And fight not with them at Al-Masjid-al-Harām (the sanctuary at Makkah), unless they (first) fight you there. But if they attack you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers
(Al-Baqarah 2:191)
5) The hijab is also al walaa wa baraa.
- If you are in a big city you can tell who is who.
- You can tell a Christian by the cross they wear.
- The Hindus by the clothes they wear.
- The Muslims by the hijab.
- The hijabis looked after shaikh when he was in prison.
6) These women who leave there house like this do not believe in surah noor.
7) Belief is in Jannah
- A woman who wears hijab it is difficult for her to commit zina.
- one who doesn't it is easy because her bashfulness is gone.
8) Gheerah is jealousy
- A pure man has this over his womenfolk; and he protects them from strangers.
- He is jealous over all Muslim women.
- Whatever city you walk in to if you see a kaffir harassing a Muslim woman you will come to
her defence.
- He wants to protect every sister in the world; to be a pure Muslim and you have to have this in your heart.
- When you allow your daughters to walk to the streets without hijab you have lost the
- You have to earn the title of being a man.
- If you allow these things you are a dayouth.
- Kaffirs do wife swapping.
- The dignity of a woman must be highly respected.
From The Book Jilbaab Al-Mar'ah Al-Muslimah
Shaykh Naasir uddeen Al-Albaanee
The main errors of those who make the face veil obligatory
1. The interpretation of al-idnaa' in the verse of the Jilbaab to mean "covering the face".
This misinterpretation is contrary to the basic meaning of the word in Arabic which is "to come close", as is mentioned in authoritative dictionaries like al-Mufradaat by the well-known scholar, ar-Raaghib al-Asbahaanee. However, there is sufficient evidence in the interpretation of the leading commentator on the Quran, Ibn 'Abbaas, who explained the verse saying, "She should bring the jilbaab close to her face without covering it.
" It should be noted that none of the narrations used as evidence to contradict this interpretation are authentic.
2. The interpretation of jilbaab as "a garment which covers the face."
Like the previous misinterpretation, this interpretation has no basis linguistically. It is contrary to the interpretation of the leading scholars, past and present, who define the jilbaab as a garment which women drape over their head scarves (khimaar)
Even Shaykh at-Tuwaijree himself narrated this interpretation from Ibn Mas'ood and other Salafee scholars. Al-Baghawee mentioned it as the correct interpretation in his Tafseer (vol. 3, p. 518) saying,
"It is the garment which a woman covers herself with worn above the dress (dir ') and the headscarf." Ibn Hazm also said, "The jilbaab in the Arabic language in which the Messenger of Allaah () spoke to us is what covers the whole body and not just a part of it." (vol. 3, p. 217)
Al-Qurtubee declared this correct in his Tafseer and Ibn Katheer said, "It is the cloak worn above the headscarf." (vol. 3, p. 518)
3. The claim that the khimaar (headscarf) covers the head and the face.
In doing so "the face" has been arbitrarily added to its meaning in order to make the verse:
"Let them drape their headscarves over their bosoms"
appear to be in their favour, when, in fact it is not.
The word khimaar linguistically means only a head covering. Whenever it is mentioned in general terms, this is what is intended. For example in the hadeeths on wiping (mas-h) on the khimaar and the prophetic statement,
"The salaah of a woman past puberty will not be accepted without a khimaar." This hadeeth confirms the invalidity of their misinterpretation, because not even the extremists themselves – much less the scholars – use it as evidence that the covering of a woman's face in salaah is a condition for its validity. They only use it as proof for covering the head. Furthermore, their interpretation of the verse of the Qawaa
"to remove their clothing"
to mean "jilbaab" further confirms it. They hold that it is permissible for old women to appear before marriageable males in her headscarf with her face exposed. One of their notable scholars openly stated that. As for Shaykh at-Tuwaijree, he implied it without actually saying it.
After checking the opinions of the early and later scholars in all the specializations, I found that they unanimously hold that the khimaar is a head covering.
I have mentioned the names of more than twenty scholars, among them some of the great Imams and hadeeth scholars.
For example, Abul-Waleed al-Baajee (d. 474 AH) who further added in his explanation,
"Nothing should be seen of her besides the circle of her face."
4. The claim of a consensus (Ijmaa') on the face being considered 'awrah.
Shaykh at-Tuwaijree claimed that scholars unanimously held that the woman's face was 'awrah and many who have no knowledge, including some Ph.D. holders, have blindly followed him.
In fact, it is a false claim, which no one before him has claimed. The books of Hambalite scholars which he learned from, not to mention those of others, contain sufficient proof of its falsehood. I have mentioned many of their statements in Ar-Radd.
For example, Ibn Hubayrah al-Hambalee stated in his book, al-Ifsaah, that the face is not considered 'awrah in the three main schools of Islaamic law and he added, "It is also a narrated position of Imaam Ahmad." Many Hambalite scholars preferred this narration in their books, like Ibn Qudaamah and others.
Ibn Qudaamah in al-Mughnee explained the reason for his preference saying, "Because necessity demands that the face be uncovered for buying and selling, and the hands be uncovered for taking and giving."
Among the Hambalite scholars, is the great Ibn Muflih al-Hambalee about whom Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said, "There is no one under the dome of the sky more knowledgeable about the school of Imaam Ahmad than Ibn Muflih." And his teacher, Ibn Taymiyyah, once told him, "You aren't Ibn Muflih, you are Muflih!"
It is incumbent on me to convey Ibn Muflih's statements for the readers because of the knowledge and many benefits contained in them. Included in them is further confirmation of the falsehood of Shaykh at-Tuwaijree's claim and support for the correctness of my position on the issue of uncovering the face.
Ibn Muflih stated the following in his valuable work al-Aadaab ash-Shar'iyyah – which is among the references cited by Shaykh at-Tuwaijree (something which indicates that he is aware of it, but has deliberately hidden these crucial facts from his readers while claiming the contrary):
"Is it correct to chastise marriageable women if they uncover their faces in the street?
The answer depends on whether it is compulsory for women to cover their faces or whether it is compulsory for men to lower their gaze from her. There are two positions on this issue.
Regarding the hadeeth of Jareer in which he said, "I asked Allaah's Messenger about the sudden inadvertent glance and he instructed me to look away."
[Al-Qaadee 'Iyaad commented,]
"The scholars, May Allaah Most High have mercy on them, have said that there is proof in this hadeeth that it is not compulsory for a woman to cover her face in the street.
Instead, it is a recommended sunnah for her to do so and it is compulsory for the man to lower his gaze from her at all times, except for a legislated purpose.
Shaykh Muhyud-deen an-Nawawee mentioned that without further explanation."
Then al-Muflih mentioned Ibn Taymiyyah's statement which at-Tuwaijree relies on in his book (page 170), while feigning ignorance of the statements of the majority of scholars. Statements like those of al-Qaadee 'Iyaad and an-Nawawee's agreement with it.
Then al-Muflih said, "On the basis of that, is chastisement legal? Chastisement is not allowed in issues in where there is a difference of opinion, and the difference has already been mentioned. As regards our opinion and that of a group of Shaafi'ite scholars and others, looking at a marriageable woman without desire or in a secluded circumstance is permissible. Therefore, chastisement is not proper."
This answer is in complete agreement with Imaam Ahmad's statement, "It is not proper that a jurist oblige people to follow his opinion (math-hab)." And this is if the truth were on his side. What of the case where the jurist proudly, dishonestly misleads people and declares other Muslims to be disbelievers as at-Tuwaijree did on page 249 of his book saying,
"… Whoever permits women to expose their faces and uses the proofs of al-Albaanee has flung open the door for women to publicly flaunt their beauty and emboldened them to commit the reprehensible acts done by women who uncover their faces today." And on page 233 he said, "… and to disbelief in the verses of Allaah."
Those are his words – May Allaah reform him and guide him. What would he say about Ibn Muflih, an-Nawawee, al-Qaadee 'Iyaad and other Palestinian scholars, as well as the majority of scholars who preceded them and who are my salaf regarding my opinion on this..
5. The agreement of at-Tuwaijree and the extremists with him to explain away the authentic hadeeths which contradict their opinion.
At-Tuwaijree did this with the Khath'amiyyah hadeeth. They developed a number of comical methods to nullify its implications. I have refuted them all in ar-Radd and one of them in Jilbaab al-Mar'ah al-Muslimah. Some reputable scholars have said that the hadeeth doesn't contain a clear statement that her face was exposed.
This is among the farthest opinions from the truth. For, if her face wasn't exposed, where did the narrator or the viewer get the idea that she was beautiful? And what was al-Fadl repeatedly looking at? The truth is that this is among the strongest and most clear proofs that a woman's face is not 'awrah. In spite of that, there remains a group that insists that she was in ihraam while knowing that her ihraam does not prevent her from draping some of her clothing over her face. At-Tuwaijree does accept sometimes that her face was uncovered but he cancels its implication by saying,
"There is no evidence in it that she continuously exposed her face!" He means that the wind must have exposed her face and at that instant al-Fadl ibn 'Abbaas saw it. Is it possible for an Arab to say that after reading in the hadeeth "al-Fadl began to stare while turning towards her," and in another narration "… so he began to look at her and her beauty amazed him." Isn't this pride with two protruding horns? At other times at-Tuwaijree interprets it as al-Fadl looking at her size and stature.
6. The frequent use of inauthentic hadeeths and unreliable narrations.
For example, the hadeeth of Ibn 'Abbaas about exposing only one eye is commonly used by those who insist that women are obliged to cover their faces in spite of their knowledge of its in authenticity. In fact, one among them also declared it in authentic. Perhaps the most important of these unreliable hadeeth commonly used as evidence is the one in which the Prophet is reported to have said, "Are you both blind?"
They blindly followed at-Tuwaijree and the others in claiming that this inauthentic narration was strengthened by other supportive narrations and that it was evidence for the prohibition of women from looking at men, even if they are blind. They took this position in spite of the fact that the narration was classified inauthentic by the leading verification experts among the hadeeth scholars like, Imaam Ahmad, al-Bayhaqee and Ibn 'Abdil-Barr.
Al-Qurtubee related that the narration was not considered authentic among the scholars of hadeeth. Consequently, many Palestinian hambalite scholars made their rulings on that basis.
Furthermore, that is what the science of hadeeth and its methodology requires as was clearly stated in al-Irwaa. However, in spite of all that evidence to the contrary, Shaykh 'Abdul-Qaadir as-Sindee had the nerve to go along with Shaykh at-Tuwaijree and others and claim that its chain of narration was authentic. By doing that he exposed himself and his ignorance or feigned ignorance.
It is unfortunate that he took this position, because the hadeeth's chain contains an unknown narrator from whom only one person narrated along with its contradiction to what leading scholars have narrated. Contrary to the level of scholarship that we are used to from Shaykh as-Sindee, he has brought in support of his claim the most amazing things.
He arguments unexpectedly contain deception, misguidance, blind following, hiding knowledge and turning away from his own fundamental principles. Among the amazing positions is Shaykh as-Sindee's feigned ignorance that the narration contradicts the hadeeth of Faatimah bint Qays which contains the Prophet's permission for her to stay at the home of the blind companion, Ibn Umm al-Maktoom, whom she would be able see.
The Prophet gave the reason for that instruction in his statement to her, "For if you take off your head scarf, he won't see you." In at-Tabaraanee's narration from Faatimah, she said, "He instructed me to be at Ibn Umm Maktoom's home because he couldn't see me whenever I took my head scarf off."
There are also a number of other unreliable hadeeths gathered by at-Tuwaijree in his book. I mentioned ten of them in my response, and among them are some fabricated traditions.
7. The classification of some authentic hadeeths and confirmed narrations from the Companions as inauthentic.
The extremists have declared well-established reliable narrations as unreliable and feigned ignorance of strengthening narrations.
They have further declared some narrations extremely inauthentic, like the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah concerning the woman who reaches puberty, "Nothing should be seen of her besides her face and hands." They have persistently declared it inauthentic – the ignorant among them blindly following others devoid of knowledge. In so doing, they contradict those among the leading scholars of hadeeth who strengthen it like al-Bayhaqee and ath-Thahabee.
Most of them, including some prominent scholars, feign ignorance of its various chains of narration. In fact, at-Tuwaijree openly stated on page 236 of his book that this statement was only narrated in 'Aa'ishah's hadeeth.
Even though he has seen with his own eyes on pages 57-9 of my book two other chains: one of which is from Asmaa bint 'Umays and the other from Qataadah in the abbreviated (mursal) format with an authentic chain of narration. Many of the blind followers followed him, including some female authors as in Hijaabuki ukhtee al-muslimah [Your veil, my sister Muslim], page 33.
They also pretend to be ignorant of the leading hadeeth scholars and others who strengthened it, like al-Munthiree, az-Zayla'ee, al-'Asqlaanee and ash-Shawkaanee. Some of those who promote themselves as being among the well versed in this noble science – in their forefront Shaykh as-Sindee – claim that some of its narrations are extremely weak and unreliable in order to escape from the hadeeth science rule that 'unreliable narrations are strengthened by narrations similar to them'.
In doing that, they delude their readers into thinking that no one ruled the weak narrators, like 'Abdullah ibn Lahee'ah, trustworthy and that they cannot be used as supportive evidence. In doing that, they contradict the methodology of the hadeeth scholars in using supportive evidence.
Among them is Imaam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiyyah – may Allaah have mercy on them. Likewise, they all feign ignorance that the scholars – among them Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee –confirm the hadeeth mursal if most scholars use it as evidence, as is the case of 'Aa'ishah's hadeeth.
Other strengthening factors may be added to the above.
A) The hadeeth has been narrated by Qataadah from 'Aa'ishah.
A) It has been narrated in another chain from Asmaa.
A) All three narrators of the hadeeth ruled according to it.
Qataadah stated in his interpretation of the verse on draping,
"Allaah has placed on them the requirement to cover the eyebrows," That is, "and not on their faces"
[as stated by at-Tabaree]
'Aa'ishah said, regarding the female in ihraam, "She may drape the garment on her face, if she wishes."
This was narrated by al-Bayhaqee in an authentic chain of narrators.
There is clear evidence in 'Aa'ishah's giving the female pilgrim a choice in draping that in her opinion the face was not 'awrah. Otherwise she would have made it obligatory on them as those who contradict it do.
Because of their position, most of the extremist authors, with at-Tuwaijree in the forefront, hid this statement of Umm al-Mu'mineen, 'Aa'ishah from their readers.
The author of Faslul-khitaab [The Definitive Statement] deliberately deleted this portion of al-Bayhaqee's narration in his book. This being only one of a number of similar disreputable acts which I have exposed in my book.
The supportive evidence is that this authentic narration from her strengthens her hadeeth from the Prophet.
This is among the facts that people are unaware of or they pretend ignorance of, either choice is bitter to swallow.
As for Asmaa, it has been authentically reported from Qays ibn Abee Haazim that he saw her as a woman of white complexion with tatoos on her hands.
D) The narration of Ibn 'Abbaas earlier mentioned,
"She should pull the jilbaab (cloak) close to her face without putting it on her face."
His interpretation of the verse of adornment
"except what appears from it"
as referring to" the face and hands" was similar.
There is also a similar narration from Ibn 'Umar to the same effect.
At this point, a bitter reality must be noted due to the lessons which may be gained from it, the knowledge which it contains and is service as a reminder of the wise saying:
"The truth is not know by people, know the truth and you will know people."
At the same time that Shaykh at-Tuwaijree insists on rejecting the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah and its supporting evidences, among them Qaatadah's mursal narration, he willingly accepts another inauthentic hadeeth from her with mursal support. In that hadeeth it is mentioned "…that she wore a niqaab (face veil)…" and that she was supposed to have described the Prophet's wife Safiyyah and the Ansaar women as "… a jewess among jewesses…" which is considered by scholars to be a very erroneous statement (munkar jiddan).
The Shaykh argues on page 181, "It has mursal supportive evidence," and quotes one of the mursal hadeeths of 'Ataa contains a known liar in its chain of narration.
One should reflect on the great difference between this fabricated supportive evidence and the authentic supportive evidence of Qataadah further supported by other evidences, then ask, "Why did at-Tuwaijree accept the second hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah and not the first?"
The obvious answer is that the accepted one contains reference to wearing the niqaab – even though it does not indicate obligation – while the rejected one denies it.
Thus, in this regard, the Shaykh did not base his position on Islaamic legal principles, but on something similar to the Jewish principle: The ends justify the means. May Allaah help us.
8. Placing unreasonable conditions
Among the amazing practices of some latter day blind following hanafite scholars and others is that on one hand they agree with us regarding the permissibility of women exposing their faces, because that was the position of their Imams, but on the other hand they agree with the extremists in opposition to their Imams.
They make ijtihaad (while claiming taqleed) by adding the condition that the society be safe from fitnah to the position of the Imams. This refers to the fitnah caused by women to men. Then one of the ignorant contemporary blind followers went to the extreme of actually attributing this "condition" to the Imams themselves. Among some of those having no knowledge, this resulted in their concluding that there is essentially no difference between the position of the Imams and the extremists.
It is obvious to jurists that this condition is invalid because it implies that humans know something which the Lord missed knowing. That is, the temptation of women did not exist during the time of the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) thus we had to create a special ruling for it which did not exist previously. In fact, the fitnah did exist during the era of divine legislation and the story of al-Fadl ibn 'Abbaas' trial with the Khath'amiyyah woman and his repeated looking at her is not far from the readers' memories.
It is well known that when Allaah Most High instructed men and women to lower their gazes and instructed women to veil themselves in front of men, He did that to block the road to corruption and prevent temptation. In spite of that, He – Most Great and Glorious – did not command that they cover their faces and hands in front of them. The Prophet () further emphasized that in the story of al-Fadl by not commanding the woman to cover her face. And Allaah was truthful when He said,
"And your Lord is not forgetful"
The reality is that the condition of there not being fitnah was only mentioned by scholars regarding the man's looking at the woman's face,
[as in al-Fiqh 'alaa al-mathaahib al-arba'ah, page 12]
They said, "That [the woman's face may be uncovered] is permissible on condition that there is safety from temptation," and that is true, contrary to what the blind followers practice.
They conclude from it that the woman is obliged to cover her face, when in fact it is not a necessary consequence. They know that the condition of safety from temptation also applies to women.
For it is not permissible for them to stare at a man's face except where there is safety from temptation. Is it then a necessary consequence that men also veil their faces from women to prevent temptation as some tribes called the Tawareg do.
They would have a basis in fiqh of the Quraan and Sunnah if they said that a woman veiled in correct jilbaab who fears being harmed by some corrupt individuals due to her face being exposed is obliged to cover her face to prevent harm and temptation. In fact, it could even be said that it is obligatory on her not to leave her home if she feared that some evil authorities supported by a leader who does not rule by what Allaah revealed, as exists in some Arab countries since a few years ago, would pull her jilbaab from her head. As to making this obligation a compulsory law for all women everywhere and in all eras, even if there did not exist any harm for veiled women, No. Absolutely not. Allaah was truthful when He said,
"Do they have partners who legislated for them in the religion what Allaah did not permit??"
These are the most significant of the extremist opposition's mistakes which I thought needed brief mention due their strong link to the contents of this book.
I then closed ar-Radd al-Mufhim with a reminder that extremism in the religion – considering that the Wise Legislator forbade it will not bring any good.
And it is not possible for it to produce a generation of young Muslim women carrying Islaamic knowledge and practice moderately balanced, with neither excesses nor deficiencies.
Not like what I have heard about some young female adherents in Arab countries when they heard the Prophet's statement,
"The woman in ihraam should neither wear a niqaab nor gloves,"
they did not accept it saying instead, "We will wear our niqaabs and gloves!" No doubt, this was a direct result of the extremist views which they heard regarding the obligation of covering their faces.
I certainly cannot imagine that this type of extremism – and this is only one example from many which I have – can possibly produce for us salafee women able to do everything their religiously guided social life demands of them in a way similar to the righteous women of the Salaf.
- The narrations indicating the veil is fard are not all authentic.
- What Al Baani is saying is that kimaar is a head covering not a face covering; because when a woman prays she doesn't cover her face.
- Because when a woman who prays she doesn't cover her face.
- Abu Hanaifa (RA) Malik (RA) and Shafi (RA) are the three schools referred to in the covering of the face.
- There is a big argument about a woman being not allowed to cover her face.
- Because when a woman prays she doesn't have to cover her face.
- The argument is it compulsory for a woman to cover her face or for a man to lower his
- There is difference of opinion on niqab being fard.
- The strongest evidence is when the prophet (SAW) sent bilal (RA) to Yemen.
- Bilal (RA) was able to describe a dot on the woman's face.
- This was after all the verses on hijab had been revealed.
- This is the strongest evidence of it being sunnah.
Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: I observed prayer with the Messenger of Allah on the Eid day. He commenced with prayer before the sermon, without adhan or iqama. He then stood up leaning on Bilal and he commanded (them) to be on guard (against evil for the sake of) Allah and he exhorted (them) on obedience to Him, and he preached to the people and admonished them. He then walked on till he came to the women and preached to them and admonished them and encouraged them to give alms, for most of them are the fuel for Hell. A woman having a dark spot on her cheek stood up and said, "Why is it so, Messenger of Allah?" He said, "For you grumble often and show ingratitude to your spouses." And they began to give alms out of their ornaments such as their earrings and rings, which they threw in the cloak of Bilal.
[Sahih Muslim (2/603) No. 885]
- You go downtown in manhattan and you don't know who is a man or woman.
- Wearing the hijab defines your gender.
- You are respected with hijab.
- Even the kuffar respect hijab.
- Hijab is considered treason in the French system.
- They believe in secularism.
- Your shyness is gone when you take off hijab'


text:
- source
- Samantha Lee/Business Insider
- We've compiled 13 of the best places to visit for your February vacation.
- The destinations include tropical beaches and winter havens around the world.
From extravagant Carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro to Chinese New Year in Beijing, February is one of the best months to explore the world. Business Insider looked at airfare trends, climate data, and peak travel times to figure out which vacation spots should be on your radar.
Read on to find 13 destinations you won't want to skip in February:
New Orleans, Louisiana
- source
- Flickr Creative Commons
If you're looking for one of the best places to visit this winter that offers great weather, food, and entertainment, it's hard to beat New Orleans.
Of course, the main draw for the Big Easy in February is its epic Mardi Gras celebrations. Often called "the greatest free show on Earth," Mardi Gras draws hundreds of thousands of visitors for days of parades and revelry. The biggest celebrations occur the weekend before Fat Tuesday itself, which falls on Feb. 13 in 2018.
If big crowds aren't your thing, there are endless things to do in New Orleans. Bars and restaurants on Frenchman Street offer live jazz in a cozier setting, while Jackson Square provides for world-class people-watching. Be sure to grab a poboy and some beignets before you go.
Park City, Utah
- source
- Shutterstock
There is a reason the United States Ski Team calls Park City, Utah home.
Simply put, Park City is a winter sports lover's paradise. The town offers more than 400 downhill trails for skiing and snowboarding covering 3,300 acres. It also hosted events in bobsledding, skeleton, and luge during the 2002 Winter Olympics.
After you hit the slopes, you can take a stroll through the quaint, Old West-style Main Street or catch a show at the famous Egyptian Theater, the site of the Sundance Film Festival in January. Conveniently, a town lift can transport you directly from the mountains to the center of town.
Maui, Hawaii
- source
- Flickr Creative Commons/Joe Parks
No list of winter travel destinations would be complete without mention of Hawaii, but February is an especially good time of the year to visit the Aloha State.
That's the cheapest month of the year for airfare to Hawaii, coming off the heels of the holiday travel season, according to the airfare analysis site Hopper. Hotel rates also settle down after the holidays, making a budget vacation within reason.
For nature lovers, February is the peak of humpback whale-watching season. Maui offers its annual Whale Festival from Feb. 10-24, 2018.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- source
- Flickr Creative Commons
February seems like the best time to visit Puerto Vallarta, one of Mexico's premier beach towns. The weather is perfect – mid-70s and 80s on average – and hordes of spring breakers have yet to descend, giving you a little more room to breathe than you'd get in March.
- source
- Wikimedia Commons
Curaçao is a veritable gem of a winter vacation spot, and according to Lonely Planet, it's one of the most affordable Caribbean destinations.
Apart from having some of the finest beaches in the Caribbean, the island boasts a diverse history that is manifested in its music, food, and arts scene. Willemstad, the capital city, is filled with brightly-colored Dutch colonial buildings and has countless authentic restaurants and bars tucked along winding streets. The town's floating market is another favorite of locals and visitors alike.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro is home to the granddaddy of all Carnival celebrations. More than 1 million tourists flocked to the city in 2017 to take in the samba parades, music, and street parties.
In 2018, Carnival runs from Feb. 9 to Feb. 14. The flagship parades take place at the Sambadrome, where samba schools compete for the championship crown, but you're likely to find a party no matter which part of the city you end up in.
- source
- Spanish World Gallery
February marks the end of the summertime in the Southern Hemisphere, making it the perfect time to visit the beautiful Patagonia region of Argentina and Chile.
The season is ideal for hiking and trekking through the region's stunning mountain landscape. Highlights include the town of Bariloche in Argentina and Torre del Paines National Park in Chile. February is also a fine month for kayaking, horseback riding, and camping in Patagonia.
Abisko, Sweden
- source
- Visit Abisko
For the traveler with extreme tastes, try a visit to Abisko, Sweden in the dead of winter, where nighttime temperatures often dip below zero.
Situated 150 miles into the Arctic Circle, Abisko is practically the farthest north you can get in Europe. The town is known for its breathtaking views of the Northern Lights, which you'll have good odds of seeing in the winter, when there are only a few hours of sunlight a day.
When you're not skygazing in Abisko, you can enjoy the area's majestic national parks, hike, and even go dogsledding. And if you're willing to splurge a bit, a stay in the Icehotel provides a truly unique sleeping experience.
Venice, Italy
- source
- Marco Secchi/Getty Images
Venice is a renowned vacation hotspot in the summer, but travelers say it's the winter months that showcase the charm, elegance, and serenity of Italy's Floating City.
Unpredictable spells of rain often leave Venice's winding canals shrouded in mist, adding a layer of enchantment to the city's signature mode of transportation. Tourist attractions like Saint Mark's Basilica often sit "blissfully empty," as Fodor's Travel described. And even if it's below freezing outside, you can warm up with a hot cocoa at Caffè Florian, where the likes of Charles Dickens and Marcel Proust often visited.
For a unique experience, time your visit to coincide with Venice's Carnevale, which fills the city with music, street performances, and ballgoers in dazzling costumes. Carnevale runs from Jan. 27 to Feb. 13 in 2018.
Beijing, China
- source
- Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
What better place to bring in the Lunar New Year than China's capital city? Beijing goes all out for New Year's celebrations, and visitors can expect plenty of fireworks, food, and entertainment.
The Year of the Dog kicks off on Feb. 16 in 2018, but residents get at least a week off to prepare and enjoy the holiday. The holiday period traditionally ends with the Lantern Festival, slated for March 2.
- source
- Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images
One of the biggest Chinese New Year celebrations outside of China takes place in Singapore. Festivities pour outside of homes and temples and into the streets, where locals throw lavish parades and enjoy breathtaking fireworks displays over the River Hongbao.
During the day, you can take advantage of Singapore's cultural diversity with strolls through Indian, Malay, and Chinese neighborhoods. Temple-hopping and food sampling are highly encouraged.
Goa, India
- source
- Matjoe/Shutterstock
For a relaxing escape, try visiting Goa at the tail end of its peak season in February, when crowds start to thin out and tourist prices come down. The state's pristine beaches and gorgeous weather make for the perfect winter getaway.
For a glimpse of local history, head to the Old Goa district, site of centuries-old Catholic churches from the early days of Portuguese rule.
Cape Town, South Africa
- source
- Travel Cape Town
Cape Town in February is ideal for wine lovers. Enjoy wine tastings or a picnic under the sun in Constantia Valley, the region that's dotted with wine farms and has oak-lined streets.
The area is also home to some of the best beaches in Africa, where you can surf, sunbathe, and admire the wildlife. At nearby Boulders Beach, you can even get a close-up view of an African penguin colony – its called the shore its home since 1983.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The number of government special advisers has declined since 2015
The overall number of special advisers in government has declined, from 95 in December 2015 to 83 in December 2016. However, the number of Conservative spads remains higher than it was in the final year of the Coalition Government.
In 2010, the Conservative Party promised to reduce the cost of politics by cutting the number of spads, but the politics of the Coalition Government led them to reverse that commitment and increase the number employed in every year up to 2015.
The Prime Minister's Office has the most special advisers
The Prime Minister's Office employs far more special advisers than any other department. Theresa May has 32 spads, the same number as David Cameron had in 2015.
The majority of secretaries of state have two spads, typically with one focused on media and one on policy. This pattern remained largely unchanged in 2016, except for the Chancellor of the Exchequer. George Osborne's prominent role in Cameron's Cabinet meant that he had nine special advisers in 2015. His successor Philip Hammond has only five.
Most special advisers earn between £53,000 and £70,000 a year
Spads earn between £53,000 and £70,000, significantly above the national average, which means their salaries often draw criticism, despite the important work they perform.
The distribution of salaries has increased slightly since 2015, meaning more spads earn above £70,000 relative to other salary bands, but this is largely because the total number of spads has decreased. Comparison with earlier years is not currently possible because the paygrades used before 2015 are different to those used since.
Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy, the joint Chiefs of Staff to the Prime Ministers, are the top earners on £140,000 each. We cannot say who earns the least because the Government does not report salaries for spads earning under £53,000.
The proportion of female special advisers has declined significantly
The number of women employed as special advisers has decreased since Theresa May took office. Between 2010 and 2015, the proportion of female spads hovered around 35-40%, hitting 38% in December 2015. In December 2016, this number had fallen to 28%, the steepest decline since 2010. The decline in female spads is most pronounced in the Prime Minister's Office. In 2015, 44% of the Prime Minister's spads were women; in 2016 this fell to 28%.
50% of senior ministers have no female special advisers.
Some 50% of ministers have no female special advisers, including the new Secretaries of State for BEIS (Greg Clark), DExEU (David Davis) and FCO (Boris Johnson). In contrast, DWP and Scot have only female spads whereas in 2015, they both had at least one male spad.
More female spads are in higher pay bands
Although there are fewer female special advisers in Theresa May's government, they are earning more than previously. In 2015, six spads (17%) earned between £70,000 and £95,000. By December 2016, this had risen to eight spads, now 35% of the total. Because of this, female special advisers earn more than their male counterparts, on average, though they are significantly fewer in number. However, only four of the top ten spads by salary in 2016 are female.
It's about more than money
The Prime Minister pledged to cut the cost of politics through reducing the number of spads, and scrapped rules allowing ministers to create 'Extended Ministerial Offices' through direct appointments. So, it is unsurprising that the overall number of special advisers in government has dropped from 95 in December 2015 to 83 in December 2016.
But the debate about spads is often too focused on numbers and cost, and not enough on quality: good spads have an important function in offering personal and political advice to ministers and helping departments to get things done.


text:
We are pleased to announce our Bolton branch (North West Gun Centre)
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How To Rework A Small Bathroom — The Household Handyman
In case you are trying to change your present home into a up to date look you can start with a bathroom renovation. Stuff rags into open drain traces to maintain sewer fuel out of the house. If you are all set for a comprehensive lavatory upgrade, try some dazzling bevy of backsplash beauties that will safeguard your toilet walls and improve the overall look of your rest room. Tip: make certain they are in the correct place earlier than you drill into your tiles.\n\nThe important thing to great lavatory design is to design it with the individuals that are going to use it in mind. Take into account installing a walk in bathtub if safety with a tub is of concern. This required us to redo a few of the tile flooring, but tiling is a complete other story and a bit of a nightmare as a result of I was certain that I might do it on my own.\n\nMany families are foregoing that dream trip, and opting to put their cash into remodeling their house. Removing the tiny tub made way for an additional-giant shower house. Finally, in your lavatory fixtures, select pieces that have smaller measurement to complement your area.\n\nCelia Visser of Celia Visser Design has more than 25 years experience in toilet renovations. In a bathroom remodel, like in every other renovation work, the buildings should be thought of highly. Choosing the proper home equipment and fixtures for the toilet is crucial.


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The readers of this portal by now are familiar with the project called "People Called Ahmedabad", if not please check this link: http://thereaderscosmos.blogspot.in/2017/04/people-called-ahmedabad-creators.html.
Since we could write only about a few very talented individuals who have been involved in the project in the last article, I am writing about a few more in this article. Lets hear their story in their own voices...
is a 22 year old, final year architecture student, studying currently in the KamlaRahejaVidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies, Mumbai. Her internship at Sangath, under Balkrishna Doshi brought her to Ahmedabad for six months. She loved writing and so began to pen stories that were around her waiting to be told, here is hers: "People called Ahmedabad happened during the six months I was in the city and got me interested instantly because I have always enjoyed writing. Exploring a new city not only through photographs or sketches, but understanding it through conversations with people seemed like a concept too beautiful to miss.
There were no stories I actually went in search for. I don't think I really felt the need even to do that because I was surrounded by so many all this while. I just came across so many interesting stories during visits to exhibitions or heard about them from being part of conversations with colleagues,that it became even more exciting then to discover more about Ahmedabad from people whose stories they were.In 'Khaman : A tradition', almost a century old shop talks about the love for food that the city has. The story on a family in Ganesh Galli, titled 'The Limbodicolouredbasti' delayers life in an informal settlement in the city and brought out aspects beyond just their livelihood.'Weaving heritage' is a story about Shahidhusain Ansari, a zardoshi artist and his unusual way of capturing the heritage of the old city.
It surprised me how much I could learn every time I happened to have a five minute conversation with people I didn't know and might not meet again. Heritage, the food culture, occupations of people, might be regular ways of describing the city of Ahmedabad. But having met people who have actually had parts to play in forming this description, only deepened my understanding of the city, made me feel closer to the people who reside here, but more importantly made me realize there is just so much more to explore."
Abhishek Jain (The world's a Stage… or Screen), is considered by many to be one of the pioneers of modern Gujarati cinema, yet he hardly takes any credit for that. All he knows is that he wants to bring people home, to Amdavad, through cinema, and empower others to do so...not riding the waves of Bollywood. Films are big budget- audiences for regional cinemas are small, especially in Gujarat. But his hard work and commitment meant one of Cineman's latest productions, Wrong Side Raju, was co sponsored by AnuragKashyap's Phantom films.
At Seva café, there was passion and compassion in subtle service. It was homely, welcoming and warm. Service is not just defined by the scale of acts, but also by the love it brings out. One really desires to wash dishes, clean the floor, cook food, serve food, without any expectations, but out of love and joy, and Seva café offers such a space
At Clay Club, what inspired me was the organic way creativity flowed from being a passionate college club to full-fledged business. Again, art is a hard niche to sell in, but unfazed by college credits and career prospects, the artists pushed on, now creating stuff out of clay and in another initiative, banana leaf paper.
With theatre artists such as Aditi Desai (The World's a Stage.. or Screen) and DakxinChhara(Finding a New Identity), there was confidence in the change that they could bring. Both had quite different upbringings, and different styles of theatre. Yet both believed that no obstacle is too great that it can stop the effort on bringing out social equality and awareness. I remember the fierce energy in their eyes, the belief that people need to experience theatre as a form of self-empowerment, of social awareness, of helping victims of abuse, of activism. Lack of money, social stigma, etc could not faze them."
Pramada Jagtap is a final year student of KRVIA, an architecture school in Mumbai. She did her Internship in February 2016, with professorNeelkanthChhaya that got her toAhmedabad. Herbachelors thesis that I am currently working on revolves around the inner city ahmedabad, for which she was out studying the area during most of my free time which she incorporates into the book lovingly. In her words it is all a work of passion:
"I came across the project and seemed very interesting because unlike the mapping methods that I have adopted in school, this involved mapping through people's stories. It was a newer exercise for me, that didn't involve documenting through drawings, which was something that i was comfortable with. Since I wasn't from the city, it was an opportunity to know it better through these interactions.
Each story allowed me to understand the city a little better. Professor Chhaya gave me leads to a lot of stories, some which couldn't be included in the book, but have left a lasting impression on me. The interview with Kartikeya Sarabhai was one such encounter. His stories and observations about the city were particularly interesting, especially a magazine he had curated during the 90s called 'Amdavad Ma' which was similar to the people place project, but during a different decade. Each story led me onto my next and yet another. The best part of being a writer for PCA was undoubtedly my interactions with the interviewees."
Pray Bavishi is an "amdavadi" (hails from Ahmedabad) and holds a Masters degree in economics and is currently pursuing second Masters in Public Administration. His journey with Ahmedabad and its story has been more intense and began much before the book. He has many to tell, his own to begin with, "Writing has always been my passion so somewhere about a year ago I decided to put my writing into a good use and started the blog called Humans of Amdavad on Facebook where I started to document the stories of Ahmedabad city. I decided to write about unsung heroes of the city and so far I have covered more than 100 stories for my page and have more than 10,000 followers and my stories have been published at national as well as International media platforms.
When Nisha approached me with the idea of the People Called Ahmedabad, I was thrilled and excited to be part of the book as a co-author. For me it was an honor to be a part of this project where I could write about the people of my city. It has been an amazing experience and so far the journey has been beautiful. People Called Ahmedabad made me realize that Ahmedabad isn't just a city but it a feeling in itself and it made me show that Ahmedabad too has a big heart.
The stories which I have covered show how beautiful the people are in the city. While covering stories for my own blog I come across number of stories but these stories were something which had a huge impact on me and they were close to my heart. These people made me realize that people are much more than their outer appearance and it's their work that speaks out loud."