Hijab — Page 18
18 to make eye contact with another, you go on staring at them. Hazrat Umme Salma ra relates that she was with the Holy Prophet sa along with Hazrat Maimunah ra when Ibn Umm Maktum ra came. This was after the commandment of Purda had been revealed. The Holy Prophet sa said: ‘Veil yourselves from him. ’ We said, ‘Messenger of Allah, he is blind. He cannot see us or recognize us,’ whereupon the Holy Prophet sa said, ‘Are you both also blind and not seeing him?’ (Tirmidhi, Kitabal Adab) Look at the sheer extent to which Purda is to be observed; not only are men commanded to lower their gaze, women too are commanded not to look at men unnecessarily. Hazrat Jarair ra relates that he enquired from the Holy Prophet sa about a ‘sudden involuntary glance. ’ The Holy Prophet sa said, ‘Avert your eyes. ’ (Abu Da’ud, Kitabun Nikah) Such is the beauty of Islamic Purda. Sometimes, an occasional involuntary glance may occur. This is natural. However, in order to establish a righteous society, Islam—on the one hand— permits women to go out [of the home] on the condition that they observe Purda, not displaying their outer beauties or embellishments, except that which is apparent; and on the other hand, it instructs men to keep their eyes lowered. If they have to remain in a public space, they must lower their eyes. If there is an involuntary glance, they should immediately avert their eyes. Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas ra narrates that Fazl (bin Abbas) was mounted [on an animal] behind the Holy Prophet sa when a woman from the tribe of Khas‘am came. Fazl and the woman both started staring at each other. Seeing this, the Holy Prophet sa turned Fazl’s face the other away (Bukhari, Kitabul Hajj).