Thursday, February 23, 2006

Is The Women's Voice Awra?

The matter or whether the female voice is awrah and should not be heard in public is a problem that has been discussed at length by scholars throughout the ages. As a Muslimah, I have sought guidance from the writings of scholars who have debated this point, but I have also studied this problem, both from a theological point of view, and also from a practical aspect.After a lot of research on the voice, I have found that both sides have VERY strong arguments. But I have come to the conclusion that it is best to have taqwa and not converse with non-mahram men (Allah (swt) knows best), and here are the daleels which enabled me to reach that conclusion......
Bismillah wa salaatu wa salaamu 'ala nabiyyinaa Muhammad, wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallam, wa ba'd.......

First and foremost is the ayah from the Quran"Be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery, etc.) should be moved with desire" (Sura Al-Ahzab Ayat #32)

From this ayah we can clearly see that the voice of a woman CAN in fact cause fitna and, if a corrupt man hears it, can cause evil desires in his heart to grow. And when is says 'be not soft in speech', I have to see accept women have very soft voices naturally. I know that I do.Second is the Hadith found in "Sahih Al-Bukhari" Narrated Abu Huraira (RAA)

'The Prophet (SAW) said, "The saying 'Sub Han Allah' is for men and clapping is for women." (If something happens in the prayer, the men can invite the attention of the Imam by saying "Sub Han Allah". And women, by clapping their hands). Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol #2, Book #22, Hadith #295.Support for this can be found in the book of Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani "Bulugh Al-Maram" in the tafseer of this Hadith it mentions the clapping is for woman because the men should not hear the woman's voice. (Bulugh Al-Maram : Arabic/English Page # 81 Hadith # 174)
So, having read those points, it is surely clear that we can now see this is one of the strong daleels. For, if the female voice was to be heard, then why would women clap?

The next is in the fatwa by Shaikh Ibn Jibreen, in the book "Islamic Fatawa Regarding Women" where the Shaikh mentions that the voice of the woman is Awrah and he quotes his proofs and then quotes that in shariyya a woman is also not allowed to give a general adhaan where men can hear her. Nor may she lead salah where men can hear her. Even in Hajj she is not supposed to raise her voice during the talbiyah, except only so that her companion can hear it. So based on this, The Shaikh gave the fatwa that the female is awrah and can only be heard by men in case of extreme need or when she is forced too. Even then it should not be soft and flirtatious.

More generally, I would return back to the Qur'aan again. Sura Al-Ahzab ayah#53 ........"And when you ask them, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts"

And finally from Hadith....... Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Hadith Number 159: and Agreed Upon by Imaam Muslim. (This also can be found in the book Islamic Hijab from the Jamiatul Ulama Junubi Africa, page #9)
Narrated 'Uqba bin 'Amir:
'Allah's Apostle said, "Beware of entering upon the ladies (mingling with them)."
So what do we learn from all this?

First, we know that "Women are a place for fulfilment of desire for men. They are inclined to them by natural impulses for men. They are inclined to them by natural impulses that make them desire and appreciate them." (The Standing Committee in a written reply to a question about the relationship between men and women) For this reason and others, Allah (swt) has ordered the believers that, when they ask anything of women, that they ask from behind a curtain.

Even allowing for that, Allah (swt) has also prohibited women, when they speak with men, to be flirtatious or soft in their speech in order that those hearing them may not be moved by desire.If that was the situation at a time when the believers were strong in their faith, what must be the situation in a time like now when faith has been weakened and so few genuinely adhere to the precepts of religion?

Clearly, we Muslimahs must mix with non-mahram men as little as possible and speak to them only if it is essential.

I hope I can keep any flirtatious tone out of my voice, but what about it being 'soft'? Here I come up against a very real problem. As I said earlier, my voice is naturally soft and I can't harden it as an actor might. So I am faced with the problem of disobeying the words of Allah (swt) if I speak to a non-mahram man at all BECAUSE I am bound to speak in a soft voice. Some people might say that I am splitting hairs in raising this point. But, to me at least, it is the bedrock on which I based my views on this subjects. I (and the majority of women, I believe) naturally speak softly. So I should NOT speak to non-mahram men.

For me this is simple and plain. With my academic background, I like things to be logical and for problems to be resolved as neatly as 'A+B=C QED C-A=B'

Here I have such a logical answer. This time the equation is:
'If you are a woman and speak softly, you must not speak to non-mahram men. I am a woman and I speak softly; QED I must not speak to non-mahram men.'
To me, that makes perfect sense and removes my doubts, even if the writing in Hadith did not support this view.

On a purely practical note, surely it is silly (to say the least) for us to wear hijaab and proper hijaab, and for many of us women to veil fully, to observe 'hijaab of the eyes', and then to talk freely to non-mahram men? We try to dress and cover-up in a modest manner, concealing our charms from the opposite sex, so why spoil all that by flirting or even speaking with non mahram men? Sadly, many of us have witnessed women who do just that, and it grieves me deeply when I see such behavior. So insha'Allah this article may convince those ladies who still talk openly with non mahram men that such behavior is both undesirable and against the teaching of The Holy Quran and of Hadith - that much I hope I have successfully argued in this article.
Note from VEILED BUT NOT HIDING: The above article is not my own, but by a Sister named Amina H, the author of her own site, May Allaah reward her.. A'aameen - http://hijabsahih.tripod.com/1989.htm
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Our Da'wah (Invitation) - Summarized

All praise is due to Allaah, we praise Him and seek His aid
and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah from the evils
of our souls and the evils of our actions. Whomsoever
Allaah guides there is none to misguide and whomsoever
Allaah misguides there is none to guide. I bear witness
that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah,
alone, without any partners and I bear witness that
Muhammad is His servant and messenger.

1. We worship Allaah by way of Tawheed. So we do not supplicate to anyone besides Allaah nor do we seek refuge in anyone besides Him in matters of bringing about good or repelling some harm. We perform worship by having hatred and enmity for the polytheists. However, we are obligated to call them to Tawheed first and clarify to them that there is no Islaam without Tawheed and that whoever calls unto other than Allaah has committed disbelief. So whoever persists after that, then at that point we are obligated to distance ourselves from him and hate him for the sake of Allaah.
2. The Creed of the Salaf is established upon the principle that "Allaah is described with what He has described himself with in His Book and upon the tongue of His Messenger (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), without resorting to tahreef, tamtheel, tashbeeh, ta’teel
or ta’weel." [1] \
3. We affirm for Allaah the best of Names, which He has affirmed for Himself and which He has praised Himself with, whether they are mentioned in the Qur’aan or the Sunnah.
4. We believe that there is no path towards achieving Allaah’s contentment, or a way towards Paradise, except through the Way of Allaah’s Messenger (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). And whoever seeks a way towards gaining Allaah’s contentment through other than the Way of Allaah’s Messenger, then he has gone astray and been blinded from the truth. And he has lost in this world and the next. 5. We believe that the Legislation of Allaah is what has been brought down through the two revelations: The Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). This is what our Lord has indicated in his saying: "Then we placed you on a Sharee'ah (Legislated System) based on Our Command, so follow it, and do not follow the desires of those who have no knowledge." [Surah Al-Jaathiyah: 18] 6. We believe that the Qur’aan is the Speech of Allaah, which was revealed and not created, and that the Sunnah is what explains and clarifies it. The Qur’aan is interpreted by the Sunnah and by the interpretations of the Sahaabah (Companions) and those who followed them in goodness. So the interpretation of the Qur’aan is by way of the narration, meaning by way of the Sahaabah, the Taabi’een and the Ahaadeeth concerning it. And the books that contain these interpretations are the ones we are obligated to acquire and read, such as the Tafseer of Ibn Jareer, the Tafseer of Ibn Katheer, the Tafseer of Al-Baghawee, the Tafseer "Ad-Durr Al-Manthoor" of As-Suyootee and so on.
7. We are obligated to take the Sunnah according to the way of the Muhadditheen - in terms of their authenticity or weakness. So we take what is found to be authentic and leave off what is weak.
8. We worship Allaah by obeying the rulers, as long as they are Muslims who seek judgement through Allaah’s Legislation and who establish the prescribed punishments, and as long as they establish the prayer. Obeying them is an obligation even if they commit oppression. And whoever says something contrary to this and makes it permissible to revolt against the Muslim leader, even if he may be oppressive, then he is an innovator and a deviant. And it is obligatory on the Muslim scholars to refute this statement of his and to expose his deviance. 9. We hold that it is not permissible to spread the faults of the leaders, because doing this influences and brings about trials and afflictions (fitan), and causes them to spread.

10. We are obligated to worship Allaah through the Sunnah, by following it and by loathing innovations and the innovators. This is based on the Prophet’s saying:
"Whoever does a deed, which is not in accordance to our
affair (i.e. the Sunnah) is rejected." And in another
narration: "Whoever introduces into our affair (Sunnah)
that which isn’t part of it is rejected." This is a summary
and some brief words on the Creed of the Salaf, which we are obligated to accept and follow if we truly want salvation and the truth. And we must renounce those opinions of men, which cannot be traced back to any source of evidence, since men are known by way of the truth and the truth is not known by way of men. Lastly, we must beg and implore Allaah to show us the truth as true and enable us to follow it, and to show us the falsehood as false and enable us to avoid it. Indeed Allaah is Responsible for that and Able to make it happen. And may the peace and blessings of Allaah be on Muhammad - the best, most dutiful, most pious and purest of creation - and on his family and his Companions. Footnotes: [1]
Translator’s Note: These are forbidden acts committed
against Allaah’s Names and Attributes. Tahreef means to
change or distort the wording of Allaah’s name or
attribute. Tamtheel and tashbeeh means to give a like
resemblance to a name or an attribute. Ta’teel means
total denial of a name or an attribute. Ta’weel means to
misinterpret a name or an attribute, thus changing it’s
meaning. Taken from the works by Shaikh Ahmad bin Yahyaa An-Najmee, Rahimahullaah originally entitled "10 Points on the Salafee Manhaj" from Al-Fataawaa
al-Jaliyyah ‘anil-Manaahij Ad-Da’wiyyah (pg. 56-57)
compiled by Hasan Ibn Mahmood Ibn Mansoor ad-Daghreeri and originally translated by the staff at al-Ibaanah.