Clothes are used to cover the body; it also protects one from the cold or heat. Clothes are a ne’mat of Allah. Deenul-Islaam has given us permission to wear beautiful clothing. However one must not be wasteful and extravagant. We must not wear clothes to show-off and it should not be such clothes which are the styles of other people (various fashion). It has been stated in a Hadith that Rasulullah Sallalalu Alaihi Wasalam said, “Eat, drink, dress, give Sadqah, but do not waste and do not do it to show-off.” However in today’s times many wrong methods have entered in the dressing of Muslim women which we will point out: The first wrong is that women wear clothes which are very see-through, it is such that whether she is wearing clothing or not it is all the same. Once Hazrat Ayesha Radhiallahu anha niece came to visit her and she was wearing a very see-through head gear. Hazrat Ayesha Radhiallahu anha tore it off her and gave her a thicker one to wear. Rasulullah Sallalalu Alaihi Wasalam said, “After me two groups of jahannamis will be born. I will not see them. One will be walking around with whips like the tails of oxen and they will hit people with it. The second group will be women, they will be dressed yet they will be naked. They will tempt and allure men towards them and they will incline towards men. Their heads will be like the humps of camels. These women will not enter Jannah, nor will they get the fragrance of Jannah.” What a grave warning, forget Jannah they will not even smell the fragrance of Jannah. The various ways of wearing one’s clothes inappropriately is, the clothes are very thin and see-through, the woman is dressed very skimpily that is, she is wearing very little clothing and most of her body is exposed eg. She wears short sleeves, sleeveless, short tops where her stomach and back is exposed, skirts and dresses that are very short or above the knee and she exposes her legs, her clothes are so tight that the shape of her body can be seen. All these types of clothing are the style and ways of the non-Muslim women. To wear such clothing is a very severe sin. If one dresses in this manner then she will be imitating the unbelieving woman. Rasulullah Sallalalu Alaihi Wasalam said, “One who imitates a nation is one of them.” Another way of dressing is that we wear clothes to show-off our wealth and status. Rasulullah Sallalalu Alaihi Wasalam said, “Whoever wore clothes to show-off, Allah will dress them with clothes of disgrace on the day of Qiyamah.” Another evil is the buying and sewing of clothing unnecessarily ie. One does not have a need for extra clothes. As soon as a new style is invented by the dress designers, they must have it at all costs. They will go to the extreme of borrowing money and purchasing these clothes. This is the sin of extravagance. We should be content with a few sets of clothes that are made according to the Shariat. The type of clothing which will protect one from the heat and cold. It is very bad to burden one’s husband for new clothes all the time. Another evil is that many women have a cupboard full of clothing yet she feels she is wearing the same clothes all the time. Therefore she demands new more fashionable clothes to show her status. If her husband does not fulfil her demand she buys it without his consent by using his money (this money could have been kept aside by him for another more important need.) Be warned we must never do this. A burqa is the best way for a woman to cover herself fully from top to toe. Nowadays a burqa is decorated with ribbons and lace. The manner in which it is worn will attract those who had no intention of looking at her and now it will attract them. Tawbah, tawbah, is this called a burqa? This is not a burqa but it is a dressing to attract others. In some countries the burqa is worn so short that their shalwar which is very colourful is exposed. Many women expose their hands which, in some cases are decorated with mehndi and jewellery. Is this called purdah, where people get attracted to a person? In Islam great emphasis is laid on purdah and it is given much importance. Nowadays many women are leaving the beautiful dressing of purdah due to either ignorance or being unmindful (negligent) of the laws of purdah and the Ahadith with regard to its importance. Therefore it will be appropriate to discuss the Masalahs and the Ahadith concerning the purdah. May Allah give us Tawfeeq to fully understand and practise. MASALA: A woman is commanded to cover her entire body from her head to her toes. It is not permissible for a woman to expose herself to strange men. Women who are very old may expose only their face, their hands up to the wrists and their feet up to the ankles. It will not be permissible for her to expose any other part of her body to strange men. MASALA: A woman is not allowed to expose even a strand of her hair to strange men. (Non-Mahram) that person whom she can marry. MASALA: A woman’s back and stomach is not allowed to be exposed even to those men who are her Mahrams (One who cannot marry her, e.g. uncles, brothers, father, grand-father, son, grand-son, etc.). If she exposes these parts then she has committed a great sin. MASALA: A woman should not expose her body from her navel to above the knee to another woman. MASALA: A woman should not allow her body parts to be touched by other females, not her mother nor her sister. A woman should not stand at places where strangers can see her. Rasulullah Sallalalu Alaihi Wasalam said, “May Allah curse the one who sees or shows herself.” Today many women are careless in the matter of purdah, they do not take precaution in keeping the curtains down or closing doors, they stand by uncovered windows to view or peep at others outside (Inquisitive). Many women frequent the malls, parks and public places without hijab or purdah. In some cases if she is covered she exposes her face to the shopkeepers in order to check or fit certain items. From the Hadith above we learn that such women are accursed. Muslim women of today take pride in exhibiting themselves in public places and thus think they are being progressive by imitating the western woman, thus becoming great sinners. To watch movies and television is a great sin in itself and a far greater sin is when a Muslim woman attends these public places. The sin is doubled on her. (This would apply to men too but we are discussing women) The Muslim woman of today have regarded the pure lifestyle of the “Umahatul-Mu’mineen (mothers of the believers),” the wives of Rasulullah Sallalalu Alaihi Wasalam,  the daughters of Nabi Sallalalu Alaihi Wasalam, the Sahabiyat Radhiallahu anhuma, we have regarded them as backwards and have left their pure ways and have adopted the styles and fashion of the womenfolk of the enemies of Islaam. The Muslim parents of today are dressing their little daughters with figure hugging dresses and leggings which are the invention of the kuffaar and we have become satisfied that, with this type of covering we think our daughters legs are covered but in fact their legs are still exposed because the shape of it can be seen by all. When our daughters grow up then they look for partners who are also fashionable and enjoy the western style of dressing, so our daughters continue dressing in this shameful style even after they are married. Women were told to make purdah from blind men but in today’s era women frequent all public places like the malls, parks, fairs, etc. without covering their hair or faces. They wear tight fitting clothes in all public places and show themselves off to everyone without a care. Inna-lillahi-wa-inna-ilaihi-rajioon. Women are half-brained (Naaqisatul Aql) imperfect brained but they have made men who are supposed to be full brained, they have made them love the ways of the Western styles and fashions thus they are hurling their daughters, daughters-in-law, wives, nieces, etc. into the blazing fire of Jahannam. Hazrat Akbar Ilahabadi Rahmatullah alaih said, “Yesterday, when I saw a few women without purdah. Akbar got stuck in the ground, in shame of the nation. I asked them, what happened to your purdah (veil)? They said, “It has fallen upon the brains of our men (intelligence).”    Al Balagh Karachi Raihan Ali Hashimi