Kategorier kvinnor i relation till en man

Kvinnor i förhållande till en man kan delas in i tre kategorier:

1. Hon kan vara hustru:

I detta fall är han tillåten att njuta hennes sällskap på det som han önskar, på samma sätt som hon är tillåten att njuta hans sällskap. Med en fantastisk illustration av en fulländad fysisk, emotionell och mental förening beskriver Gud dem som ”klädnader” för varandra. I Koranen sägs: …De är en klädnad för er och ni är en klädnad för dem...(Sura al-Baqarah, 2:187) (se sida 213)

2. Hon kan vara en släkting med vilken han aldrig kommer att vara tillåten att ingå äktenskap med, och han blir då en maḥram till henne.

I denna kategori ingår följande:

3. Hon kan vara en kvinna med vilken han är tillåten att gifta sig (ajnabiyyah, som betyder främling, eller inte släkt med):

En sådan kvinna är en som inte tillhör någon av de kategorier som nämnts ovan och som kallas maḥram. Hon kan ha släktband som kusin eller svägerska eller inte alls ingå i släkten. För denna kategori kvinnor har islam fastställt en uppsättning regler som styr en mans förhållande till dem. På det sättet vill islam skydda människors heder och blockera vägar som leder till ont. Gud l som har skapat människan vet också vad som är bäst för henne. I Koranen sägs: Skulle inte Han, Skaparen, känna det som Han har skapat, Han, den Allunderrättade som genomskådar allt, som är underrättad om allt? (Sura al-Mulk, 67:14)

Varje dag läser vi nyheter och statistik om våldtäkt och otillåtna sexuella relationer som har ödelagt otaliga familjer och samhällen som inte tillämpar Guds lagar.

Rules Governing the Relationship between a Man and Women he Is Allowed to Marry

1. Lowering the Gaze
   

Lowering the gaze to avoid looking at things Allah has forbidden leads to modesty and protects one’s honour.

A Muslim man must not look at other women or at anything for that matter which is bound to sexually arouse him, nor should he unnecessarily look at women.
Allah ﷻ commands both men and women to lower their gaze, for doing so leads to modesty and serves to safeguard one’s honour, while lustful looks generally pave the way to sins, as the Qur’an states, “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty. That will make for greater purity for them. Allah is aware of what they do. Say to believing women that they should lower their gaze and remain chaste.” (Soorat An-Noor, 24:30-31)
However, if a Muslim accidentally sees a woman, he must divert his eyes from her. In fact, the order to lower the gaze applies to anything that is bound to lead to sexual arousal, including those scenes that are presented in the media and on the Internet.

2. Observing Modesty in Speech
   

Islam has laid down rules which govern the relationship between men and women.

When talking to a woman who is not related to him,he must observe politeness and modesty and avoid any words or gestures which may lead to sexual stimulation. It is for this reason that:

• Allah ﷻ warns women against speaking in a coquettish and too soft a manner when addressing men, as the Qur’an states, “Do not be too soft-spoken in your speech lest someone with sickness in his heart becomes desirous. Speak correct and courteous words.” (Soorat Al-Ahzaab, 33:32)
  
• Allah ﷻ warns them against using suggestive gestures and manner of walking or displaying their charms and some of their ornaments: “They should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments .” (Soorat An-Noor, 24:31)
  

3. Avoiding Private Seclusion with Non-MahramWomen Altogether (Khalwah)
   

The Arabic word khalwah means the state of being alone with a non-mahram woman in a place where no one can see them. Islam strictly prohibits this as it could, through Satan’s temptations, lead to illicit sexual relationships. The prophet ﷺ once said, “Never is a man alone with a woman except that Satan is the third.” (Sunan At-Tirmidhee: 2165)

4. Wearing the Hijaab (the Modest Muslim Style of Dress)
   

Allah ﷻ commands women, but not men, to wear the hijaab because women in particular enjoy a natural beauty and attraction that could easily tempt men into sinful acts.
Islam commands women to wear the hijaab for a number of reasons, including the following:

• So that they could carry out their mission in life and society in scientific and academic fields in the best possible manner while at the same time guarding their modesty.
  
• So that they would reduce chances of temptation in order to purify society, on the one hand, and safeguard women’s honour, on the other.
  
• So that they would help male onlookers control themselves even more and thus treat them as civilised and educated human beings and not as sex objects that only serve to tempt men and stimulate them.
  

What Must the Hijaab Cover?

Allah ﷻ commands women to cover all their bodies except the face and the hands, as the Qur’an states, “They should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof.” (Soorat An-Noor, 24:31)However, in cases of likely temptation due to their striking beauty, they may have to cover their faces and hands as well.

The hijaab safeguards women’s honour and affords them the chance to carry out their mission in society in the most modest manner mankind has ever witnessed.

Criteria of Proper Hijaab

A woman may choose any design or colour she likes for her hijaab as long as the following conditions are met:

1. It must appropriately cover the parts of the body which must be covered in public.
   
2. It must hang loose and must not fit very closely to the body, so that the shape of the body is not revealed.
   
3. It must not allow the wearer’s body to be seen through its fabric.