Tuesday, July 24, 2007

The New Swim Gear for Women?


I honestly find it a bit difficult to understand how one can be "playing games with Allah" if one is trying to enjoy God's earth in the most respectful manner of maintaining the modesty that is prescribed? I think this strain of thought is really about Gender roles prescribed by culture then it is about Religion. Religion- Islam at least- is not a means to restrict your life so that you exist in a mud hut, its about being able to do things- live- in the way prescribed by God. That might mean coming up with ways to best regulate that in a given environment- like water sports.

So when I hear about women and the gender wars that it creates I cringe because many Muslims use CULTURE to present religious doctrine. I agree with my fellow blogger Naveed- it don't matter whether you cover or not but the fact is its about how you go about trying to live your life with God in mind- these sisters who created this swim wear are doing Muslims a GREAT service!

I agree with the Imam in the article- can we please discuss ways to make it so that those who are the activist are the leaders, unlike how things are these days, where men who sit at home, complain and do not bother to be involved with the Mosques run the Mosque's. This attitude of leadership for the sake of funds provided is suffocating our community and its wiping its potential growth. That is the issue. Lets allow sisters to enjoy the creation of God, and please brothers shut up or put up something more then just talk- maybe they can create women only indoor pools and lakes and beaches or islands?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Assalamu 'alaikum

I want to comment on this article, not because I like to stick my nose in everyone's business and give my opinion, but because you are spreading a very haram opinion and I would like to correct you by Allah's permission. You can even delete this comment if you don't want people to see it, I don't mind.

Those 'Islamic' women swimsuits are a major joke. There is no single scholar in the Muslim Ummah who would consider that halal. And I'm an American Muslim, born and raised here in America so don't think I'm some 'back home mentality' person that isn't used to seeing half-naked filthy kaafir women in the streets on a daily basis.

But there is no doubt whatsoever that these swimsuits are haram. When a Muslim man or women covers up like Allah told us to, we don't play games with Allah (like you said). We don't wear a see-thru shirt and say "hey, we covered up!" And we don't do like the jewish women, who when they were told to cover their hair...what did they do?

Some jewish women wear a tiny napkin on their head covering only a portion of their hair. Others SHAVE THEIR HEAD (yes they do, can you believe it) and wear a wig so they can say "hey we don't have hair anymore so technically I'm not showing my hair to people."
And others don't shave their hair, they just cover it up with a wig when they go outside. So they say "Hey, it's not my real hair...my real hair is covered just like God said...so I am good."

SubhanAllah, now we have these fake 'Islamic' swimsuits for women, which are SKINTIGHT and show the entire body pretty much, and we actually have some confused individuals who consider it halal? It's the same thing as when you go to the masjid during Ramadan (since there'll be a lot of people) and the young sisters have a headscarf that covers their hair alhamdulilah, but then what is this? The t-shirt is so skintight you wonder if she painted it on or if that is actually another layer of clothes.
And then the jeans are so tight you wonder how she walks in that.

Fear Allah. I'm not trying to sound arrogant or better than anyone else. Like I said, you can delete this comment if you like. It is the same as the brothers today who follow the fad of the kuffar, it used to be big baggy jeans and 'gangsta' clothes last year, but this year tight jeans is the new fad. So we see many many brothers wearing SKINTIGHT jeans, and a skintight t-shirt as well, and they do this on purpose. Who are they fooling? Yes your skin is covered, but this isn't the point of Islamic dress. The point is MODESTY and obedience to Allah.

I'll give you an example. If a brother were to come in dressed in a very loose and respectable traditional thobe or salwar kameez or something...but there is a drawing on it of a naked woman and there are various curse words written on it, would that be halal? He is covering correctly, and it is loose and he would be respectable, if not for the design. So now he is not being modest whatsoever.

The same thing is for those who simply think Islamic dress only means 'cover the skin by any means necessary.' And the same goes for the brothers who are under the illusion that Islamic modesty only applies to sisters.

Now moving on to the next point. You were advising brothers to keep quiet unless they can find a better solution such as building private pools for sisters, etc. By Allah, I won't be quiet. Allah and His Messenger (sallaAllahu 'alayhi wassalam) have commanded us to forbid the evil and enjoin the good, as much as we are able to. Whether we have a better solution or not. If you see your brother or sister doing evil, you should try your best to advise them in a way which wouldn't hurt their feelings, etc. You don't say "Well, my friend smokes but I don't have anything else to give him as a substitute, so I won't advise him not to smoke."

As for the second part about building private/indoor pools for sisters. SubhanAllah!! Prophet Muhammad (sallaAllahu 'alayhi wassalam) advised us to teach our SONS swimming and riding the horse and archery, he didn't say DAUGHTERS. To some, this is discrimination but those are the ignorant ones. He advised us this because the sons go out for jihad and fighting for the sake of Allah and they need those skills to do so. Not just so brothers can have fun and sisters can't.

Also, yes we know there are many many many wealthy Muslims in the west and even back in our Muslim countries, who are spending their wealth not for the sake of Allah at all. But for the sake of luxury and dunya.
But I'm talking about the sincere Muslims who are trying to do good. I think our wealth is better off sent to the many many many many poor Muslims who can't even get a full loaf of bread for their family to break their fast on. So the entire family shares half a loaf of bread, or less than that. And these same Muslims sleep outside because they have no roof over their head. Instead of spending thousands and even millions to make our mosques here in the west beautiful and extrvagant, and instead of building indoor pools for sisters, we can spend our money where it is needed, and where it will please Allah subhanahu wa taa'ala.

Sorry if I came off sounding arrogant or harsh, it wasn't intended. I really didn't think I would find people defending this 'islamic swimgear' which is a complete joke and no scholar with any sense of Islam whatsoever would EVER consider that halal for even one second.

Assalamu 'alaikum

Dina B. said...

To the comment above:
It is upsetting to read posts like yours. It's pretty sad that you find nothing wrong with what you've written, especially when what you've written contains offensive language like the follwing -
"...half-naked filthy kaafir women in the streets on a daily basis." These words were never uttered by the prophet (pbuh), and if our generation is suffering from the lack of character, your posting has definitely demonstrated that.

There are lots of things wrong with this posting and unfortunately, there are many other bloggers out there with this mentality, as well as people offline. May Allah show us the best path to Him and His Mercy, Compassion, and Acceptance. Amen

Anonymous said...

You guys are hilarious.

Anonymous said...

Gods come and go. From the beginning of mankind we have tried to reason the unexplainable by superstition. I am so glad to be an autonome. It means that I can do as I like within the legal boundaries of our seculair society. I have the freedom to doubt, to reach out and explore the objective birds-eye view. I think believers commit the greatest sin. Not living life as nature meant and finding out that it was for nothing after all. But hey.. it's your life. I'm off to the beach.

Unknown said...

That would be considered "straight up Shirk" and I do not much care for this idea of "nature" and "intention based on personal desire".

In the end ethics is a process of rational endeavor that finds roots not only in the natural, but for the West very much in the morals (social norms) found in the Abrahamic tradition.

So lets toss out that aspect of "Secular law" and then talk about whims of nature and desire. I am sure we can legalize the Man/Boy love people under that "natural secular law" concept along with all else a human might desire up at one moment or another.

Anonymous said...

Muslim women are not allowed to wear tight, Men and women alike must wear modestly as not to cause "fitna". One of the many rulings of womens clothing is that they cannot wear tight clothing that shapes the body. You cannot call other people kafir, this decision is up to Allah (subhanna'h wa ta'alah)
Islam makes it easy for you to reach the state of easy (yoyasirak lilyosr) but you must not take this to create excuses brother, Islam is a way of life and submission to Allah (swt)

alsallamu allaykum wara'hmat
allahi wabarakatoh.