Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

ASSALAM O ALAIKUM MR. BURHAN

I HAVE BEEN VISITING YOUR WEB SITE REGULARLY AND HAD WRITTEN TO YOU EARLIER AS WELL FOR FULL PRAYERS.  NOW I WOULD LIKE TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TOWARDS THE DRESS CODE OBLIGATORY FOR WOMEN.

YOU HAVE REPLIED TO A QUESTION THAT A WOMEN SHALL COVER HERSELF FROM HER CHEST TILL HER KNEES INFRONT OF HER MEHRAM (Here I am precisely talking about the Mehrams explained in the Aayat 31 of Surah-e-Noor except for her  Husband) & CAN EVEN WEAR A SLEEVELESS DRESS. THIS MEANS THAT SHE CAN WEAR A STRAPLESS DRESS AS WELL (Covering herself from Chest to Knees) IN FRONT OF HER FATHER, BROTHER, MOTHER & FATHER' BROTHER etc.... IN THIS CASE HOW CAN SHE OFFER HER PRAYERS AS ALLAH IS HER MEHRAM TOO AND SHE ONLY HAS TO SHOW HER PALMS, FACE & FEET WHILE IN PRAYERS......... DO YOU THINK A WOMAN CAN OFFER HER PRAYERS IN STRAPLESS BLOUSE AND SKIRT COVERING HER TOP & LEGS TILL KNEES????? PLS. COMMENT......

PLS. REPLY T THE FOLLOWING ADDRESSES:

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Dress code for women

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: IN THIS CASE HOW CAN SHE OFFER HER PRAYERS AS ALLAH IS HER MEHRAM TOO AND SHE ONLY HAS TO SHOW HER PALMS, FACE & FEET WHILE IN PRAYERS......... DO YOU THINK A WOMAN CAN OFFER HER PRAYERS IN STRAPLESS BLOUSE AND SKIRT COVERING HER TOP & LEGS TILL KNEES????? PLS. COMMENT......

Beloved sister in Islam, the ‘satr’ of the believing woman in front of her fellow woman and mehrams is the covering of her breast until her knees inclusive. That is the minimum legal requirement for a believing woman’s ‘satr’, and if a woman does not cover these parts of her ‘satr’ in front of other women or her mehrams, she will be in violation of her ‘satr’.

‘Mehram’ is one with whom it is ‘haraam’ to marry because of a direct blood-relationship, or some relationships developed because of marriage. Allah Subhanah is One, Alone, and Unique and is not related by kinship or marriage to absolutely anyone of His creation; thus it would be absolutely incorrect to say that Allah Tabarak wa Taala is a ‘mehram’ of anyone!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 112 Surah Ikhlaas verses 1-4:

1 Say: He is Allah the One and Only;

2 Allah the Eternal Absolute;

3 He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;

4 And there is none like unto Him.

It is a condition of the believing woman’s prayer, that she must cover herself completely as she would when in the presence of non-mehrams. A believing woman, when she stands to offer her prayers to her Lord, must cover herself Islamically; whereby the only permissible parts of her body which may remain uncovered are her hands, her feet below the ankles, and her face. If a woman offers her prayers in a strapless blouse and skirt covering her top and knees inclusive, she would not be Islamically covered and her prayers will be considered invalid and void.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan