458. What is meant by adornment.
Veres (24:31, 33:59) of the Quran say women are not to expose their adornments except those apparent.
The original Arabic word we have translated into English is ‘Zeenath’.
The word adornment does not denote a naturally occurring beauty but is used to refer to beautification by externally added objects.
Acts like applying colors to lips, enhancing oneself with wearing jewelry, and applying make-up to the exposed parts of the body etc. under the category of adornment or ‘Zeenath’.
This means women other than those mentioned in this verse are not to appear adorning themselves in front of men.
Some misunderstand this verse as conveying, beauty should be concealed and not be exposed, and argue since face takes the first place in beautifying a women it needs to be concealed from the specific men, And they also argue even the hands and legs need to be covered from public gaze to since these parts are also beautiful.
Their argument is totally wrong.
The word ‘Zeenat’ is being found used in many parts of the Quran, when carefully analyzed it can be understood to mean referring to adornments and not body parts, without doubt.
We placed the stars in the sky, to look beautiful to those looking at them.
The Quran 15:16
We have adorned first heaven with stars.
The Quran 37:6
And He completed them as seven heavens within two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And we adorned the nearest heaven with lamps and as protection. This is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.
The Quran 41:12.
Have they not looked at the heaven above them – how We structured it and adorned it (how) it has no flaws.
The Quran 50:6
We have decorated the first heaven with lamps. We made them objects to be thrown at the Shaitans, and we have created for them the torments in hell.
The Quran 67:5
In the above verses of the Quran we find the Almighty talking about the stars as decorating the heavens.
The Almighty declares the stars as not part of the heavens but are objects that add glamour to the sky. He refers to this by using the word ‘Zeenat’ as an adornment.
We have made what (is) on the earth adornment for it, that We may test (them) which of them (is) best (in) deed.
The Quran 18:7
Allah refers to the vegetation on earth as an adornment to it (Earth) in this verse.
Oh! Children (of) Adam take your adornment to every place of worship and eat and drink but (do) not be extravagant. Indeed , He (does) not love the extravagant ones. The phrase ‘take your adornment to every place of worship” refers to the beauty of the body, and if that is the meaning alluded to, then people who are not beautiful visiting places of worship would be considered a crime. This verse points out about the clothing of persons to be neat and clean.
We have presented this explanation for people to understand the meaning of the word Zeenat from verse 24:31.
Women are prohibited from appearing in front of inappropriate men adorning lip colors, makeup, and jewelry, while they are allowed to do so in the case of people deemed appropriate in their normal looks, is the message conveyed in the above verse of the Quran.
In this verse of the Quran we do not find it saying anything about women having to conceal their face and their hands.
What does it mean by saying not to expose one’s adornment, except those that are apparent.
As we have already pointed out earlier, adornments in women include ornaments, talcum powders, lip colors, and also their dress. The dress worn by a person, man or woman is also an adornment, in this case if the term adornment is generally taken as to also mean the dress worn by men, it would translate to there is no need to wear clothes.
We can conceal or avoid all other adornments, but dresses as adornments cannot be abandoned at all, neither can dresses be concealed. If another dress is worn over the existing one, it also becomes another adornment.
An adornment known as dress remains always to be viewed by others. Hence it has been made clear in this phrase not to expose one’s adornments other than that are permitted. The phrase ‘Not to expose one’s adornment except those that are apparent’, is used to drive home the message not to expose one’s self all their adornments to strangers.
We vouch for the authenticity of the direct meaning of the word ‘Zeenat’ based on the usage of the word in other places of the Quran.
To the question whether it is necessary to cover the faces and arms of women, we need not cite the above phrase as proof.
Women are not required to conceal their face and hands is the correct message. We have explained about the same in point no 472 of this compilation with adequate proof.
The reason why women are required to conceal their adornments, their face and some other parts of their body is clearly explained in point no 300 of this compilation.
