What it means to be Modest (Women Society and a Virtuous Conduct)

8/14/2019 What it means to be Modest (Women Society and a Virtuous Conduct)

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WOMEN, SOCIETY AND A VIRTUOUS CONDUCT

Being part of the society in which we are existing, the expression/thought of

modesty and righteousness may appear to be outmoded. Todays woman, though

modern, cultured and unshackled, is more oppressed than any woman in the most

culturally oppressive village in Afghanistan. The oppression does not mean an

inability to choose ones clothing, ones life style or ones friends. The oppression

is our inability to see the ingresses being made in the peace and tranquillity of a

chaste society and unearth the real face of the crumbling society. The oppression

is an idea that a womans beauty is public and that beauty admiration is equal to

respect.

If one can step out of this society/circle in which he/she lives one may be

able to see the reality, which, being part of the society/circle, one cannot see. One

cannot analyse that the highest paid woman are those who expose themselves to

the public display, like actresses, models and even strip-tease dancers. If some

how it becomes possible to detach oneself from the society/circle for some time,

one will be able to see that the relationship between men and women is unfairlystacked in the mens direction. A woman dresses to attract man and lives in a false

state of living according to her own wishes, or living the way she feels like. It is a

painful reality, even if one does not believe in it, that the woman feels pleased

when she is admired by a man, and a man admires a woman who exposes herself

to him, in keeping with his impious needs. It is not liberty, it can, however, be

termed as exploitation of women by men, the exploitation taken by women as

approbation. There is no way for a person to know that he is dirty if he has never

been clean, similarly the oppressed person will never know about oppression till

he/ she comes out of the darkness of that oppression. It is not oppression to protect

yourself and society; instead oppression is to voluntarily throw yourself into the

quagmire while denying it is dirty. A woman should be judged by society for her

mind, soul and heart instead of loveliness and hype. A woman can make people

respect herself by her self-respecting attitude, by refusing to become a source of

hilarity and pleasure for the lewd men. A thinking mind, an insightful heart and an

untainted soul should be able to analyse the events and adopt a suitable life style

rather than following what is happening in the society or what is in vogue. The


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(metaphorically) ignorant, deaf, dumb, blind and void of wisdom, insist on doing

what their forefathers had been doing even though their fathers were void of

wisdom and guidance1. Ask the prettiness and loveliness saga from the women

who have crossed the age of being stunning, pretty or appealing, a woman who

has crossed the age of having an attractive body, irrespective of beauty of her

character and spirit.

A woman should be able to carry out an in-depth analysis of the dress, outfit

and interaction with the men, in vogue in the society and assess the genesis of the

attire, costume and relation with men. She may discover certain sneaky facts,

which were, perhaps, not known to her. Why a woman is lured to put on dresses

wherein she is exposed to the men? The modern women may deny the fact and

claim these dresses as their own choice out of their own free will etc. but the truth

remains unchanged, that, it is only to quench the immodest desires of the male.

Man has duped woman by ensnaring them in a magnificence/approbation

syndrome. Has, ever, a man praised a good heart a clean soul and a chaste

character of a woman; conversely, beauty of a woman is admired because it suits

the lecherous desires of a man. Its time for us, the members of society, to take an

account of our deeds and re-establish the forgotten principles concerning the good

and the bad and adopt a way of life which will take us out of the quagmire in

which the society is sinking at the moment.

The virtuous women are advised to lower their gaze, guard their modesty

and they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must

ordinarily appear thereof. They should cover themselves well (with care), cast

their outer garments over their persons (when outside): that is most convenient

that they should be known as such and not molested. They should not be seen

(without a careful covering of themselves) except to their husbands their fathers

their husbands' fathers their sons their husbands' sons their brothers or their

brothers' sons or their sisters' sons or small children who have no sense of the

shame of sex. They should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to theirhidden ornaments2. Such elderly women who have passed the prospect of

marriage there is no blame on them if they lay aside their (outer) garments

provided they make not a wanton display of their beauty: but it is best for them to

be modest3. Such women will attain bliss. Impure women are for impure men


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and impure men are for impure women; and women of purity are for men of

purity and men of purity are for women of purity4. The most reverential women

are the ones who believe in God, devout, true, patient, constant, humble, who

give charity, who fast (and deny themselves), who guard their chastity and who

engage much in God's praise for them has God prepared forgiveness and great

reward5. A reward much valuable than few dollars.

For a sterilized society, the most valuable object is chastity, of men and

women, at all times, before marriage, during marriage and after the dissolution of

marriage. Those guilty of illicit practices must be shutout of the marriage circle of

chaste men and women. A woman deserves to be protected with great care; the

worst are the ones who humiliate women through putting forward slanders or

scandalous suggestions about them without adequate sanity. If anything is said

against a woman's chastity, it should be supported by evidence twice as strong as

would ordinarily be required for business transactions, or even in murder cases.

Failing such preponderating evidence, the slanderer should himself be treated as a

wicked transgressor and punished severely6. Slandering "chaste women and

chaste men, must be punished, however slandering women is more abhorrent.

As mothers, best of the women are the one who, instead of doing what is

done in society, can teach their child (the future of society/mankind):- "O my

child!" if there be the weight of a mustard-seed and it were hidden in a rock or

anywhere in the heavens or on earth it will be brought forth one day, so take an

account of your deeds. "O my child enjoin what is just and forbid what is wrong:

and bear with patient constancy whatever happens to you; for this is firmness of

purpose in the conduct of affairs. "And swell not your cheek (for pride) at human

beings nor walk in insolence through the earth; because arrogance is detrimental

and you can neither split the earth asunder nor reach the mountains in height.

"And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; for the harshest of sounds,

without doubt, is the braying of the ass. Do you not see that all things in the skies

and on earth flow to you in exceeding measure (both) seen and unseen? Yet there

are among the people who do not understand and deny the facts, in arrogance,

without knowledge and without guidance 7. You must understand that there is

only one reality and whatever else is invoked besides that, is falsehood 8. That


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reality is most high, most great, exalted in power, full of wisdom and if all the

trees on earth were pens and the ocean were ink with seven oceans behind it to

add to its supply, yet that reality would not be exalted (in the writing) 9. That

reality is the one who speaks to one of his beloved humans, son of a chosen

woman (chosen above the women of all nations), O Jesus the son of Mary!

Recount my favor to you and to your mother. Behold! I strengthened you with the

Holy Spirit so that you speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I

taught you the Book and Wisdom the Law and the Gospel. And behold! You make

out of clay as it were the figure of a bird by My permission and your breath into it

and it become a bird by My permission and you heal those born blind and the

lepers by My permission. And behold! You bring forth the dead by My

permission10.

The most honorable members of a society are the ones who (instead of

admiration hunt) humble themselves, avoid vain talk and are active in deeds of

kindness. These are the ones who abstain from sex, except with those joined to

them in the marriage bond (but those whose desires exceed those limits are

transgressors). These are the ones who faithfully observe their trust and their

covenants11. These are the ones who walk on the earth in humility and when the

ignorant address them they honorably avoid them. These are the ones who spend

(complete or portion of) the night in adoration, in thinking and in a positive

meditation. These are the ones who wish and strive to avert, from them, the wrath

of grievous affliction (which is) evil indeed as an abode and as a place to rest in.

These are the ones who, when spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly but

they hold a just balance between those extremes. These are the ones who do not

slay life as it has been made sacred except for just cause. These are the ones who

do not commit fornication (and anyone that does this not only meets punishment

but he dwell in ignominy. unless one repents, believes and works righteous deeds.

Some day evil of such persons may be chanced into good). These are the ones

who witness no falsehood and if they pass by futility they pass by it with

honorable avoidance. These are the ones who when are advised with the truth,

droop not down as if they were deaf or blind 12. These are the people who, when

listen to the truth, you will see their eyes overflowing with tears for they recognize


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the truth: they pray: "Our Lord! We believe; write us down among the

witnesses13. These are the ones who wish to be granted unto them offspring who

will be the comfort of their eyes and they desire to lead the righteous. These are

the ones who will be rewarded with the highest place because of their patient

constancy; therein shall they be met with salutations and peace 14. Salutations and

peace from someone, there is none other like him. He knows (all things) both

secret and open; he is most gracious and most merciful. There is someone, there is

none other like him the sovereign the holy one the source of peace and perfection.

The guardian the preserver of safety the exalted in might the irresistible the

supreme: glory to him! (High is he). There is someone, there is none other like

him the creator the evolver the bestower of forms or colors. To him belong the

most beautiful names: whatever is in the skies and on earth declares his praises

and glory: and he is the exalted in might the wise15.

We may find our lost direction if we are aware of establishing a contact

with God and the heartfelt approach of making a yearning, let all the human

beings make a supplication that, praise be to the one who is the cherisher and

sustainer of the worlds, most gracious most merciful, and master of the day of

judgment. Only you we adore and only your aid we seek. Show us the straight

way. The way of those on whom you have bestowed your grace those whose

(portion) is not wrath and who go not astray16. Blessed are you, who made

constellations in the skies and placed therein a light and a moon giving light. And

it is you who made the night and the day to follow each other for such as they

have the will to celebrate your praises or to show their gratitude17. You are the

light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of your light is as if there were a

niche and within it a light: the light enclosed in glass: the glass as it were a

brilliant star: lit from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the east nor of the west

whose oil is well-nigh luminous though fire scarce touched it: light upon light!

You guide whom you will, to your light18. "O lord of power and rule you give

power to whom you please and you strip off power from whom you please. You

provide with honor whom you please and you bring low whom you please. In

your hand is all good. Verily over all things you have power. You cause the night

to gain on the day and you cause the day to gain on the night. You bring the living


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out of the dead and you bring the dead out of the living; and you give sustenance

to whom you please without measure19. On no soul you place a burden greater

than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns and it suffers every ill that it

earns. "Our Lord! Dont condemn us if we forget or fall into error; our Lord!

Dont lay on us a burden like that which you did lay on those before us; Our Lord!

Dont lay on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins

and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Protector; help us

against those who stand against faith20.

What has been happening to the women in the past is nothing but absurdity.

Whenever news of the birth of a female child used to be brought to one of the

fathers, his face would darken and he would be filled with inward grief. With

shame he used to hide himself from people because of the bad news he has had!

Shall he retain it on sufferance and contempt or bury it in the dust? Ah! What an

evil choice they would decide on21. Surely your place is not what a man of today

decides for you or what an ignorant father of dark ages used to do. O, woman

come back, find and insist on your right place in society, a place of respect dignity

and security. O, woman you should be respected for your mind, your heart, your

soul and your dignity. You are the nucleus of the society around which everything

orbits, a scarlet thread of the social fabric. You are not for looking good to men,

therefore, dont be a slave to a mans desires. Think and rethink you will see the

light at the end of the tunnel.

You can still come back, as someone assures you, when people ask

concerning me I am indeed close to them, I listen to the yearning of every

suppliant when he calls me22. O human being! What has seduced you from your

lord most beneficent? He who created you, fashioned you in due proportion and

gave you a just bias; in whatever form he wills does he put you together 23.

Remember a day is ordained to appear when the evildoer will say "It was God

who gave you a promise of truth: I too promised but I failed in my promise to

you. I had no authority over you except to call you but you listened to me: then

reproach not me but reproach your own souls. I cannot listen to your cries nor

can you listen to mine24.

By Ehsan [email protected]


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Notes

1. Quran 2:170

2. Quran 24:31

3. Quran 24:60

4. Quran 24:26

5. Quran 33:35

6. Quran 24:4

7. Quran 31:16 20

8. Quran 22:62

9. Quran 31:27

10.Quran 5:110

11.Quran 23:2 8

12.Quran 25:63 73

13.Quran 5:83

14.Quran 25:74 75

15.Quran 59:22 23

16.Quran 1:1 7

17.Quran 25:61 62

18.Quran 24:35

19.Quran 3:26 27

20.Quran 2:286

21.Quran 16:58 59

22.Quran 2:186

23.Quran 82:6 8

24.Quran 14:22

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What it means to be Modest (Women Society and a Virtuous Conduct)