Islamic Reminders - 1

Reminder#152

◇بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم◇

" Tell the believing men to cast down their looks and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely Allah is aware of what they do. "
           [ Quran 24:30 ]

Indeed, before addressing women and telling them to conceal their bodies, Allah first addresses the believing men and tells them to lower their gaze. :)

When discussing the issue of Hijab for men, it is essential to keep in mind the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Islamic teachings on Hijab for men can be divided into three categories:

- Hijab of the Eye

In today's hypersexualized Western society, many of us would rather just ignore the concept of lowering the gaze and avoiding inappropriate glances at females all together. And there is no harm in "just looking", right?

Yet one minor glance can have a spiritually disastrous effect on the human being. Even Prophet Isa (a.s) once said to his disciples: "Beware of looking at forbidden things, for that is the seed of desire and leads to deviant behavior." (Lantern of the Path)

Many of us might believe in "lowering the gaze", but this is an aspect of our Hijab that most of us still need to perfect. In addition to not looking at non-Mahrams, prudence dictates that we should avoid looking at pictures, billboards, magazines, as well as television programs and movies with images of non-Mahram women.

Even a few inappropriate glances at non-Mahrams can over time cause one to abandon his modesty and openly start "checking out" girls. From a psychological point of view, the things we perceive with our eyes during the course of the day are stored in our memory. These images then subconsciously "accumulate" and slowly lead a person to physically manifest them.

For those who still find this obligation a bit cumbersome, let's get down to the core of the matter and recall the Golden Rule: how would you feel if someone entertained lewd thoughts or glanced inappropriately at your own mother, sister, wife, or daughter? Exactly.

- The Social Hijab

In addition to the Hijab of the eye, Islam has clear teachings about social Hijab. An alarming number of otherwise religious and pious boys these days think it is perfectly acceptable to have female "friends" and to openly socialize and hang out with them, "as long as we don't do anything Haram" and "as long as she is wearing a scarf"!

It is one thing that Islam permits us to meet with non-Mahrams for school-/work-related or otherwise unavoidable reasons - and even then, complete modesty should be observed - but these days it is a common sight to see boys and girls mingling so freely and casually in the pretense of youth groups, student organizations, camps, retreats, conferences, and "meet-and-greet" programs.

However, confident we may be in our ability to avoid Haram, let us not forget that Shaitan always try to misguide us.

Indeed, Shaitan works slowly and patiently. It all starts innocently enough: a social gathering where boys and girls are sitting and "respectfully" talking to each other. That is, until someone cracks a joke, and then someone else makes a somewhat crass remark, and very soon this "Islamic" discussion devolves into an unspoken flirt-fest.
So, beware.

- The Physical Hijab

Let's face it - if it wasn't for those skin-tight t-shirts, many brothers would not spend hours working the dumbbells every day.(not everyone is being discussed here, because all the fingers aren't equal in length) Yet although it may not be obligatory on men to completely conceal bodies like it is for women, the issue of modesty and humility cannot be neglected. Pride and boastfulness are among the greatest sins in Islam, and attempting to impress others (both males and females) using our physique and attracting attention to ourselves in such a manner certainly falls into this category. But keep it in your mind here no one is stopping you from going gymnasium but few things need to be concealed.

Again, the Golden Rule comes into play here: next time you go out in public wearing clothes that reveal your chest and biceps so that girls can check you out, imagine how you would feel if your own sister or wife was checking out other men who were dressed in a similar manner. The answer should be obvious.

Brothers, hijab is modesty in all matters..so think and reflect.. Also,don't forget Hijab was at first made fardh for you before your sisters. :)

May Allah(swt) make our emaan strong and stronger & may He guide us all to the correct path. Ameen

                   ___________________

Ps: this reminder basically focuses on the issue of 'lowering the gaze' , but other forms of hijab for men are also being discussed just to spread the knowledge.
Moreover, sorry if this reminder is too long .. But few things need to be discussed in detail. (:
Remember me in your duas.