Development of Woman's Character
The social activity paves the way for participation and presence in various arenas, the factor causing development of dimensions of existence and blossoming of talents and aptitudes.
"Whoever gives up merchandise, two thirds of his mind "brain" will be lost." 139
From all this, it becomes clear for us that staying at home or seclusion and separation from society and people results in nothing but abatement and torpidity.
And if the sought slogan or best rule "religion" of the Prophet of Islam"S" being abandoning Rahbaniyyah "monasticism, single life",140 but this fact can never be distinguished to men
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135. Tareekh Dimashq ( Taraajum An-NIsa), p, 537.
136. Usd Al-Ghaabah, vol. V, p, 477; Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabeer, vol. XXIV, p. 427.
137. Al-Muffassal Fi Taareekh Al-Arab Qabl Al-Islam, vol. IV, p. 620.
138. Usd Al-Ghaabah, vol. V, p. 535; Tabaqaat Ibn Sa'd, vol. VIII, p. 311.
139. Wasa'il As-Shi'ah, vol. XII, p8, Ha 10.
140. Refer to Bu'd Ijtimaa'i Islam, pp. 35-52.
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only, and it includes all followers of this religion, whether being women or men. Further, Rahbaniyyah never means forsaking the society and seeking refuge in caves or dens, but confining the women inside the house and driving them out of arena of life and society being in fact some kind of monasticism.
Also education and learning can only be attained through presence and activity within the society and among people. Besides, through this social presence the ground can be prepared for doing service to other human beings, which in itself being a step toward perfection and maturity. More than this, through social participation man can attain to political cognisance and full knowledge of the age, which being among prerequisite for every and each man.
"That who has full awareness of his time, will not be attacked by vicissitudes of time "mischiefs"."141
And thanks to the social activity, the duty of enjoining to good and forbidding from evil can be put to practice, and through this participation guiding the ignorant, which being a human duty, can be fulfilled, beside jihad and immigration.
Therefore, one of incentives and motives for inviting to social life for women, being to sublimate the scientific, theoretical and social character of them, without which they can never attain to such a position or can with exerting much toil.
Easy living
To live a joyful and pure life, needs easiness and comfort, without which life would be stagnant and lose its brightness and joy. Taking easy and be lenient being one of principles of the Islamic Law. Many evidences supporting this fact can be found in the holy Quran and Prophetic Sunnah. Allah, in many verses on position of legislating some rule or precept, point out ease and leniency, as in the following verse:
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141. Al-Hayaat, vol. II, p. 296.
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"Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you." "2:185"
The holy Prophet too has described his Shari'ah as plain and tolerant law. It is reported from him to have said:
"The Messenger of Allah"S" was not given the option between two alternatives, but he chose the easier one, unless he being sinful as in that case he would be the farthest man from it."142
On this basis, preventing the women from social presence and cooperation is certainly contrary to principle of easiness. If the women are bound to inquire about the questions and ambiguities facing them from Mahram "consanguine" men "with whom marriage is prohibited" and fulfil their duties through a medium, then their lives will not be free from hardship and difficulty. During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah"S" the women used to inquire from the Prophet about the questions and problems they face, the act from which the Prophet never prohibited them. Association and supervision on part of the Prophet and Imams with the women in presence of men, used to be an ordinary matter. I draw the attention of readers to the following old quotations:
1. Ali Ibn Hamzah and AbuBaseer are reported to have said: We have had an appointment with AlImaam AlBaaqir "peace be upon him". So we betook ourselves to his house. On entering it he loudly called: O Sukaynah, bring me the lantern. When she brought the lantern, he said to her: Bring me now the skin that is kept in so and so place. She brought it, when he opened it and extracted from it some yellowlike writing.143
2. AshShaykh AtToosi, in his book Tahdheeb, reports from Safwan Ibn Mehran "who was a courier" that he said: I have offered AlImaam AsSaadiq for view the following: A
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142. Saheeh Al-Bukhaari. Kitaab Al-Adab vol. VIII, p. 37.
143. Bihaar Al-Anwaar, vol. XIVI, p. 266.
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Muslim woman, who has full knowledge of my profession and whom I know to be a Muslim, calls on me to take her with the caravan, but with no Mahram "man" accompanying her, what should I do? He"S" replied: The believing man is Mahram with the believing woman, citing then the verse: "And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another..." 144
These two quotations explicitly indicate that the human relations between Muslim men & women is something natural & normal.
Manners of Social Cooperation
Women's social cooperation has, in view of Islam, certain etiquette, the observation of which leads to permission and persuasion to social presence. Some of these manners being common between men and women, which both groups should observe and abide by. Some of them belong to women distinctively.
Common Manners
Lowering the Gaze
The holy Quran commands the believing men and women to lower their eyes and be modest:
"Say thou "O Our Apostle Mohammed!" unto the believing men that they cast down their gaze and guard their private parts; that is pure for them; Verily God is AllAware of what "all" ye do. And say unto the believing women that they lower their gaze and guard their private parts..." "24:30, 31"
Lowering the gaze never means closing the eyes totally, but means abstaining from seductive and alluring look. Restraining dazzling looks is called in Arabic language "Ghazz". In other words, in these two verses no
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144. Al-Mizaan, vol. XIX, p. 347.
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prevention on sense of sighting is ordered, as God didn't say: Do not look "la tanzura", but He gave His orders to do something positive, i.e. lowering the eyes.
AbuSa'id AlKhudri, reporting a hadeeth in this context from the Prophet"S", said: "The Messenger of Allah"S" said: Abstain from sitting on the "sidewalk of" roads. People said to him: We have no other alternative but to sit and talk to each other. The Prophet said: Now if it be so, you should fulfil the rights of roads. They questioned: What are rights of roads? He replied: lowering the eyes, abstaining from harming the others, responding to greeting, and enjoining to good and forbidding from evil." 145
Examples of impudence can be found in some of the traditions, like the following:
Ibn Abbas is reported to have said: The Prophet made AlFadl Ibn Abbas ride the mount behind him on Id AlAzha "Greater Bairam". AlFadl was of good and wellcut figure. Once upon a time, the Prophet made a halt for giving answers to people's questions regarding religious ambiguities. A goodlooking woman from Khatham Tribe came near the Prophet to inquire him about some matters. When AlFadl was dazzled with her beauty and kept on gazing her with open eyes. Thereat the Prophet put his hand before his "AlFadl's" face and turned it to the other side.
In this hadeeth a good example and true application of principle of lowering the gaze can be clearly seen.
Abstention from Shaking Hands with Women
Another sample of manners of partnership being abstention from shaking hands with women. In the same
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145. Saheeh Muslim, vol. VII, p. 3.
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way as seductive looking and dazzling being an indecent and reprehensible act, that paving the way for inhuman and illegal relations, shaking and extending hands to women "on part of men" comes under the same category.
Many traditions are there concerning prohibiting and preventing this habit, and it is reported that the Prophet has never shaken hands with any woman during process of swearing allegiance to him.
A hadeeth is narrated thus:
"By God his "Prophet's" hand has never touched any woman's hand during acknowledgement of allegiance "mubaya'ah": 146
Prohibiting Crowding of Women with Men
UmmSalamah is reported to have said: The Messenger of Allah"S" used to wait and linger in the mosque after finishing congregational prayers, so as that the women could depart before him.< br>
147 Also, the Messenger of Allah"S" has presented a proposal in regard of manners of coming and going of women. 148It is reported too that when the Prophet came out of the mosque once upon a day, he witnessed women and men crowded and gathered in one place. Then he addressed the women saying: You have to keep aside and move on the sidewalks.149
To sum up, we are recommended and commanded to abstain from any act or practice entailing intermingling and crowding, nearness and closeness of bodies and
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146. Saheeh Al-Bukhaari, vol. X, p. 261.
147. ibid., vol. II, p. 467.
148. Al-Jami' As-Sagheer, issue no 5134.
149. Silsilat Al-Ahaadeeth As-Saheehah, issue no 856.
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interception of breaths "between men and women".
Abstention from Privacy "with women"
One of the manners upon which so much emphasis is made, being prohibition of seclusion to the woman with a foreign "unconsanguine" man "with whom marriage is allowable", in a way that nobody else be present and no room before others to come and go.
In many traditions this practice was prohibited with the following expression:
Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet"S" said: "No man should sit alone and seclusively with any "foreign" woman but only with presence of a consanguine man "with whom marriage is prohibited".150
Abstention from Conversation "with women"
Forbidden is every conversation "between men and women" that entails, with it, sport and entertainment, or some kind of flirtation and seduction or excitement. This subject is indicated in numerous Ahadith.
Khuwat Ibn Jubayr is reported to have said: We have landed one day, with the Prophet, in Zahran "a place outside Mecca". When going out of my tent I noticed some women sitting and conferring with each other. This scene pleased me, so I returned to the tent, put on my best garment and betook myself toward them, sitting beside them for taking part in their conversation.
At that time the Messenger of Allah"S" came out of his tent and summoned me. I became so upset and worried, saying to him: My camel has fled away and I came out in its search "to find it"! The Prophet then passed beside me and I followed him. Then he gave me his cloak and went away. He performed his ablutions and addressed
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150. Saheeh Al-Bukhaari, vol. XI, p. 246.
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me: Tell me what did your fugitive camel do?! The Prophet kept on reiterating this sentence every time he coming near me. 151
