The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 413
IX - Repeated Treachery of the Jews, Compilation and Sequence of the Holy Qur ’ā n, Marriage of Ḥaḍrat Zainab ra , the Great Calumny and Mischief of the Hypocrites 413 However, she is not permitted to walk about unveiled and sit with such men who are beyond the permissible bounds in seclusion, because this entails the risk of evil. Even in certain European countries, where all limitations of the veil have been broken, among the noble class, at least this much caution is exercised that normally, young ladies do not move about in public without a male member of the household or an elderly lady, nor do they sit freely with outside men in seclusion. Those girls who exhibit more freedom in this regard are generally frowned upon in noble societies. This proves that even in a free society like Europe, the completely unrestricted and open freedom of women is looked down upon. It is this very principle which has been taught by Islām more comprehensively and with greater quality; and it has instituted the injunctions of Pardah along with the principle of concealing a woman’s beauty. In this regard, Islām has broken away from a course of extremity and paved a way for moderation. In actuality, if one reflects, all of the allegations levelled against Pardah are due to the practical method in which it is applied among the Muslims today in Islāmic countries, and especially in India; which was a practice that Muslims were compelled to adopt for political reasons during a time when the Islāmic States had fallen weak, but then took on a permanent and more rigid form as a tradition. In this respect, no sensible individual can raise an objection against the actual Islāmic teaching which is derived from the Qur’ān and Aḥādīth , and was actually practiced by the early Muslims, as proven by history and Aḥādīth. As a matter of fact, every such person who is accustomed to contemplation cannot remain without being convinced of its merit. The summary of the Islāmic Pardah is only that: firstly, those men and women who are beyond the permissible bounds for one another should keep their gaze low before one another, and a woman should not exhibit the beauty of her face, body or clothing to any man outside the permissible bounds by way of sight, touch, etc; 1 secondly, those men and women who are beyond the permissible bounds for one another should not meet each other in seclusion at such a place which is hidden from the sights of others. 2 Taking these two 1 * An-Nūr (24:32) * Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tafsīr, Tafsīru Sūratil-Mumtaḥinah, Bābu Qaulihī Idhā Jā’akumul- Mu’mināt Yubāyi‘naka, Ḥadīth No. 4891 2 * Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābun-Nikāḥ, Bābu Lā Yakhluwanna Rajulun Bimra’atin Illā Dhū Maḥramin. . . . . , Ḥadīth No. 5232-5233 * Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābun-Nikāḥ, Bābu Mā Yajūzu Ann Yakhluwar-Rajulu Bi-Imra’ati ‘Indan-Nās, Ḥadīth No. 4234