المحراب

المحراب — Page 158

3360); in the verse under comment يضربن بخمر من على the words used are te۔they should cast their head-coverings over their bosoms۔It is clear that in the former case the garment will cover the head, the face and the bosom while in the latter case only the head and the bosom will become covered and the face may remain uncovered۔It may also be noted in passing that the shape and form of the outer-garment which, as mentioned above, a woman must wear when she goes out and which coers her whole body including the face will vary according to the cust- oms, habits, social status, family tradi- tions and usages of various classes of the Muslim community۔The command- ment with regard to "purdah" within the four walls of the house will also apply to shops, fields, etc۔, where women of certain sections of Muslim society have to work to earn their living۔There a woman will not be required to veil her face۔She will have only to restrain her eyes and to cover her L۔e۔her ornaments and other embellishments, as women within the house have to do when their relatives visit them۔The third commandment requires women to behave with dignity bordering on austerity when talking to stranger men; and they are also required to give their full attention to the discharge of their serious and important duties in regard to the affairs connected with the well-being of their own sex and the man- agement of the house hold affairs and to looking after and bringing up of children and kindred matters۔The fourth com- mandment enjoins husband and wife to have, as far as possible, sleeping apart- ments separate from those of other members of the family which even minor boys are not allowed to enter at stated hours۔لا يبدين زينتهن In the expression i۔e۔they display not their (beauty)۔the word includes both natural and artificial beauty۔It signifies the beauty of person, and includes the beauty of dress and ornaments which women wear on their hands, feet, ears, arms, necks, bosoms, etc۔The expres- sion, "except that which is apparent thereof," contains all those things which it is not possible for a woman to cover such as her voice, gait or stature and also certain parts of her body which remain uncovered according to her social status, her family traditions, her avocation and the customs of the society۔The permission to keep certain parts of the body uncovered will be subject to certain variations۔Thus the words, "they display not their beauty "will have different connotations with regard to women belonging to different sections and grades of society and the connotation will change with the change in the cutoms and modes of living and professions of the people۔The words "and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may become known," show that public dancing which is so much in vogue in certain countries is definitely not allowed by Islam۔This is the Islamic conception of "purdah"۔According to it Muslim women may go out as often as it is legitimately necessary for them to do so, but their primary and principal functions are con- fined to their homes which are as impor- tant and serious, if not more, as the avocations of men are۔If women take to men's avocations they seek to defy nature and nature does not allow its laws۔to be defied with impunity۔If would be noticed that the inci- dent about Aisha which forms one of the principal subjects of this Sura sheds a flood of light on the form of "purdah" which Islam enjoins its followers to observe۔According to tradition when Safwan came to the place where Aisha was lying asleep with her face uncovered, he recognized her because he had seen her, as he himself afterwards said, be- fore the verse about "purdah" was re- vealed (Bukhari, Kitab al-Tafsir)۔11