The awrah of young women
Sidi Ustadh Mohammed Daniel,
I sometimes read and post on a popular forum on
the internet and yesterday I was shocked to find that a person had posted a
link to a sport video that should not only showed a man in shorts above the
knee, but also young women dressed in short skirts and t-shirts. I wrote a polite note telling the brother
that he should not post such links that show the ‘awrah’. My post was deleted and these were some of
the comments that were posted which I found fairly sad because they are
responsible people in their communities and one is even a translator of Islamic
texts.
You have to look
pretty hard to find the awrah of women in that picture. Plus you forgot to
mention the male batter who's shorts are at least an inch above his knees!
Khalid
Muneer
Are they not
children, apart from the coach (who's covered)?
Khalid
Williams
They are all
children which is why I find the naseeha somewhat freaky.
Haroon
Ravat
They were children
but some people are easily excited so maybe that's why you recieved the
naseeha.
Ali
Zahoor
Very strange. Plus
the critical post has mysteriously disappeared.
Khalid
Muneer
Can you please look
at the link I sent you privately and tell me if I was right or not in what I
said as I am confused how these people can disagree.
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحيم
First of all, I
would like to thank you for the gheera (honourable jealousy) you have
shown in preserving this deen. Many
people would see such a thing and let it go by which is contrary to the principles
of forbidding the evil. May Allah
increase your zeal and obedience in this deen.
Secondly, rather
than view the link, I had a sister view it and she confirmed that the
ostensible children had qualities that are synonymous with puberty in young
women such as breasts. She also added
that it was clearly stated that one of the players is 15 years old.
Now, if this is the
case and I have no reason to doubt the sister’s honesty, then to view this clip
is haraam and the person who posted it is accountable not only for their
actions, but for the actions of everyone who views the clip after them. The proof for this is in the authentic hadith
collected by Imam Muslim (RA) in his Sahih:
Our Beloved and the
Most Blessed (salahu alayhi wasalam) said,
“"Whoever, commences a
good deed in Islam gets its reward and the reward granted to anyone who commits
it after him without any reduction in the reward of the doer himself. And
anyone who commences a bad deed in Islam he bears its sin and the sin of anyone
who does it after him, without any reduction in the sin of the doer himself."
Finally, it is
worthwhile pointing out an issue that many people are ignorant of the correct definition
of an adult in Islam and when it becomes incumbent upon a guardian to ensure
that their children cover their awrah.
In Islam, a person
becomes an adult when they reach the age of bulugh (puberty). It then becomes incumbent upon them to
observe all fardh (obligatory) actions that they have the ability to
observe. They become responsible for
their actions and are also required to ensure that their awrah is covered
at all times, except from those from whom it is permissible to view. Of course reaching puberty varies from
child-to-child but there is Ijma (consensus) that the age of 15 lunar years (14yrs
7mths) is the maximum age. However, the
Fuqaha have also stated that a female murahiq (child nearing puberty)
must be requested by her parents to wear Hijab and cover her awrah before she
reaches bulugh.
Anyone who believes
that young women who have developed breasts and are aged 15 solar years have
not reached the age of puberty are either very naïve, ignorant of basic Islamic
Fiqh or from another planet. Yes, there
is the argument that the age of puberty differs from region to region depending
on various socio-economic factors and I am fully aware of this having been born
and brought up in England, however, and so that nobody can dismiss my anecdotal
evidence, I have provided you with this link in
order for these people to read the definition of puberty according to the
National Health Service of England (officially and politically responsible to
the government). It states clearly,
“Most girls will begin puberty at 8-14
years of age, with the average age being 11.
Girls develop more quickly than boys. Most girls reach full sexual maturity
within four years of beginning puberty.”
In closing, I would advise you to continue
defending the true teachings of Islam even if others perceive you as ghareeb
(strange) because our Beloved (salahu alayhi wasalam) has given glad tidings
for people like you. Do not become discontented
by the asinine comments of people who obviously lack basic Islamic knowledge and
who may also benefit from picking up an English dictionary to view the
definition of the word children.
And Allah knows best.
MD
This is the link to original post.
-ummuhummud
The post has now been deleted so there is no need to direct there.
Thank you Sidi for the wise answer. I tried to post it back on the same forum with my own notes but was banned so I got a sister to help me and she posted but they still kept making excuses and saying that it was 'pragmatic' and 'we should get used to looking if we live in the West'.
Allah guide us all
