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What is Zina?
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Compiled from the works of various scholars
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al-Baghawi
(d.516h) says in Ma'alim al-Tanzil (vol.VI, p.34, Dar Tayyibah
edition, 1994):
His
saying "... they should not show their
zinah (beauty/decoration)" means that they should not
show their zinah to other than their mahram. By this what is
meant is the hidden zinah, for there are two zinahs: hidden and
open. The hidden type is things like the anklets, dye on the
feet, bracelets on the wrist, earrings and necklaces. These it is
not permissible for her to show, nor for the foreing man to look
at. But what is meant by zinah is the place of zinah (in other
words, where these jewels are placed).
His
saying "... except what is apparent
thereof" refers to the open zinah. The people of
knowledge have diferred regarding this open zinah which Allaah
the exalted made an exception for. Sa'id b. Jubayr, al-Dahhak and
al-Auza'i said: it is the face and the hands. Ibn Mas'ud said: it
is the clothes, as indicated by Allaah's saying
"... take hold of your zinah in every place
of worship" (al-A'raf 31), and what was meant by that
was the clothing.
al-Hasan
said: the face and the clothes. Ibn 'Abbas said: kohl (eyeshadow),
and rings and dye (henna) on the hand. That which is from the
open zinah is permissible for a man to look at if he does not
fear trouble and desire. But if he fears any of that he should
lower his eyes. And it has only been made permissible for the
woman to display this much for it is not 'aurah (private parts)
and she is ordered to uncover this much in prayer. But the rest
of her body is 'aurah (private parts) which she must cover. His -
exalted and mighty - saying "... and
that they beat their khimars" means that they throw
their veils "... over their breasts"
and their chests so that they may cover their hair, their chests,
their necks and their earrings. 'A'isha said: May Allaah bestow
His mercy on the first migrating women, who when Allaah the
mighty and exalted revealed "and that
they beat their khimars over their breasts" tore their
garments and used them to cover themselves.
Ibn
al-Jauzi (d.597h) said in Zad al-Masir (vol.V, pp.355-356, Dar
al-Fikr, 1987):
His
saying "they should not show their zinah"
means they should not to other than their mahram. Their zinah is
of two types: hidden, like the bracelets, earrings, bangles,
necklaces and the like. And open, which is what is pointed to in
His - the Most High's - saying "except
what is apparent thereof". Regarding it there are
seven opinions:
The first: that it is the clothing. Abul-Ahwas narrated it
from Ibn Mas'ud, and in another wording he said: it is the
loose outer garment.
The second: that it is the hands, the rings and the face.
The third: kuhl (eyeshadow) and rings. Sa'id b. Jubayr
narrated both from Ibn 'Abbas.
The fourth: the two types of bracelet, which are bracelets
and rings, and kuhl. This was said by al-Miswar b. Makhramah.
The fifth: kuhl, rings and die. This was said by Mujahid.
The sixth: rings and bracelets. This was said by al-Hasan.
The seventh: the face and hands. This was said by al-Dahhak.
The
Qadi Abu Ya'la said: the first saying is most similar [to what is
intended by the verse], and there's textual evidence from Ahmad
for it. He said: the open zinah is the clothing, and every part
of her is 'aurah (private parts), even the fingernail. This is
supported by the prohibition of looking to any part of the
foreign women with no excuse, like that he wants to marry her or
that he witnesses against her, in which case he looks at her face
particularly. But as regards looking at her with no excuse, it is
not permissible whether with desire or for some other reason, and
regardless of whether that is the face and the hands or any other
part of the body. And if it is said: so why is the prayer not
invalidated by uncovering the face? The answer is that there is
difficulty for her in covering it, so she is excused.
al-Nasafi
(d.710h) says in Madarik al-Tanzil (vol.II, p.500, Dar Ibn Kathir,
1998):
"They should not show their zinah"
zinah is what the woman uses to decorate herself in jewellery, or
kuhl or dye. And the meaning: they should not show the places of
zinah, for showing the zinah itself - which is jewellery and the
like - is permissible. And what is intended by it is its place,
or showing [the jewellery]. And the [jewels] are placed there to
show off those places, not for showing of [the jewellery] in
itself. And its places are the head, the ears, the neck, the
chest, the upper arms, the lower arms, the shin, which are for
the diadem, the earrings, the necklaces, the sash worn over the
shoulder, the bracelet, the armlet and the anklet.
"Except what is apparent thereof"
Except what has become customary and is the nature to show, and
that is the face, the hands and the feet, for in covering them is
clear difficulty, as the woman has no way of getting around doing
things with her hands. Also, there is the necessity of uncovering
the face, particularly in the issue of witnessing, or trials, or
marriage. It is also inevitable when walking the streets, as well
as the showing of the feet, and particularly for poor women.
al-Shawkani
(d.1250h) says in Fath al-Qadir (vol.IV, p.29, al-Maktabah al-'Asriyyah,
1995): "They should not show their zinah"
meaning what they use to adorn themselves, like jewellery and the
like. In forbidding the showing of the zinah there is a
prohibition of showing where the zinah is worn on their bodies
even more so. Then He -may He be glorified- made an exception
from this prohibition and said "except
what is apparent thereof" The people have disagreed
regarding the open zinah and what it is.
Ibn
Mas'ud and Sa'id b. Jubayr said: the open zinah is the clothing,
and Sa'id b. Jubayr added: the face. 'Ata and al-Awza'i said: the
face and the hands. Ibn 'Abbas, Qatadah and al-Miswar b.
Makhramah said: the open zinah is the kuhl, the toothpick, the
dye till halfway up the shin, and the like, which it is
permissible for the woman to show. Ibn 'Atiyyah said: the woman
should not show any part of her zinah and hides all of her zinah,
and the exception refers to those things which become apparent by
the rule of necessity.
It
does not remain hidden that the clear meaning of the Qur'anic
view is the prohibition of showing the zinah except that which
appears of it, such as the jilbab, the khimar and the like -e.g.
the jewels and similar things which are on the hand and the foot.
If the meaning of zinah was the places [where the zinah is
placed], the exception would go back to those things which it is
difficult for the woman to cover, like her hands, feet and the
like. And that is if the prohibition of showing the zinah
necessitated prohibiting the showing of its place by sense of the
discourse. However, it is possible that the exception refers to
the two places we have mentioned (the face and hands). But if the
zinah includes the places [where the zinah is worn] and what the
women use to decorate themselves, then the issue is clear, and
the exception is for all of it.
(This
bit was quite difficult to understand. I think what he's trying
to say is that if you take the Qur'an literally, it's prohibiting
showing the decorations that women use and nothing more, except
that which is seen by necessity, but if you take it to mean the
places where the women wear these objects, then the exception is
the hands and the face. And if zinah means both the actual
decorations and the parts where they are worn, then it means that
both are prohibited to show except what appears normally).
He
continues, giving the references for the opinions (vol.IV, p.33):
'Abdul Razzaq, al-Firyabi, Sa'id b. Mansur, Ibn Abi Shaybah, 'Abd
b. Humayd, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, al-Tabarani,
al-Hakim (who authenticated it) and Ibn Marduwayhi narrate from
Ibn Mas'ud regarding His saying "they do
not show their zinah" he said: zinah is armlets,
bracelets, anklets, earrings and necklaces.
"except what appears thereof" he
said: the garment and the jilbab. Ibn Abi Shaybah, Ibn Jarir and
Ibn al-Mundhir narrate from him that he said: zinah is of two
types - the open zinah and the hidden one which only the husband
sees. As for the open zinah, it is the garment, and as for the
hidden zinah, it is kuhl, the armlets (incomplete...)
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