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Some think that Muslim women must cover their whole body, including face when in public. Women's dress code in Islam is one of the most focussed upon subjects not only in the Western media but also in Muslim countries, yet it remains one of the most distorted and misunderstood.
Firstly, according to The Quran, the most important rule of the dress code for both men and women is as follows:
O children of Adam, we have provided you with garments to cover your
bodies, as well as to adorn you. But the best garment is the garment of
piety/righteousness. These are some of God's signs, so that they may be
mindful. [7:26]
The garment of righteousness/piety could either refer to choosing a garment that reflects this quality or enveloping oneself in righteous/pious conduct is best, or both.
The following verses tells women to guard their private parts (i.e. genitalia) and cover their chests:
Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private
parts, for that is purer for them. God is fully aware of what you do.
And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private
parts, and that they should not reveal their beauty except what is
apparent of it, and let them draw with their covers over their chests.
And let them not reveal their beauty except to their husbands, or their
fathers, or fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of
their husbands, or their brothers, or the sons of their brothers, or the
sons of their sisters, or their women, or those committed to them by
oath, or the male servants who are without need, or the child who has
not yet understood the composition of women. And let them not strike
with their feet that reveals what they are keeping hidden of their
beauty. And repent to God, all of you believers, that you may succeed.
[24:30-31]
From the above verse it can be deduced that for the purposes of women's dress code two types of beauty are described:
1) What is apparent (this can be revealed in public)
2) What is hidden (this type must be covered in public, but could be revealed by a striking of feet or walk/stride which is revealing)
Such a striking of feet or walk could only reveal a limited number of parts of the body, e.g. the private parts, buttocks, thighs, breasts, hips, thus any part not revealed by such an action should not be considered part of hidden beauty and therefore part of apparent beauty. Of course, this means such things as face, hair, hands, feet etc would not clearly fall into the category of beauty that is meant to be hidden. Furthermore, the verse clearly brackets what beauty it is referring to by saying "...the child who has not yet understood the composition of women" implying it is relating to what is specific to a woman (i.e. what is different between man and woman) nothing else.
This understanding would also fit with The Quran's instruction on the body parts that are to be cleansed during daily ablution (hands, arms, face, head and feet), see 5:6, 4:43.
A headscarf (commonly called "hijab") is often worn by Muslim women, however this word is not used like this in The Quran. In fact, the word "hijab" is not even used to mean an item of clothing and simply means something which intervenes between two things, e.g. barrier, screen, seclusion. All verses where this word occurs are as follows: 7:46, 33:53, 38:32, 41:5, 42:51, 17:45, 19:17, 83:15. It should also be noted that believing men and women are free to eat in each other's company, whether family or friends [24:61], thus a veil covering the face (commonly called "niqab", or the full veil "burqa") would obviously be impractical. Again, such an item of clothing is nowhere to be found in The Quran.
Another common mistake regarding dress code is when the following situation-specific verse is applied to all situations:
And those who harm the believing men and the believing women, with no just reason, they have brought upon themselves a slander and a gross sin.
O prophet, tell your wives, your daughters, and the wives of the believers that they shall lengthen (or draw near) their outer-garments. Thus, they will be recognized and avoid being harmed. God is Forgiver, Merciful.
If the hypocrites and those with disease in their hearts and those who spread lies in the city do not refrain*, then We will let you overpower them, then they will not be able to remain as your neighbours except for a short while. [33:58-60]
As far as Islamic Shari`ah is concerned, a Muslim woman is not allowed to wear perfume in public with the intention of attracting others. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “If a woman wears perfume and then passes by people who smelled her perfume, she is then considered an adulteress. And every eye is liable to commit adultery.” This hadith does not mean that a woman who does that will be considered as having fornicated or committed adultery; rather, it is a forewarning for women not to wear perfume in public.
The hadith contains a warning and a strong-toned statement for any attempt to cause moral corruption in the Islamic society.
In Surat An-Nur, the Qur’an laid down many protective measures to safeguard morals and prevent adultery and fornication in society. These measures have been implemented and translated into practice by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
With regard to perfume, make-up, and so on, they are sources of temptation that can open the gate to illicit behavior and relationships outside the framework of marriage, thereby spreading illegal sexual intercourse in society. Therefore, the hadith does not speak about the woman as having committed illegal sexual intercourse, but doing something that might lead to it, namely temptation.
