Islam's Reformers .pdf

eginning not to let the nafs move and to close the waystempting it. The veiling of women is a measure closing theseways most decisively and most easily.It is not correct, either, to think of co-education to form thefamiliarity between girls and boys which will in future help themto protect their chastity and honesty. If the youngsters get usedto mixed life, it will cause the danger of regarding its evilconsequences most normal. Women’s exposing themselves tomen is a natural state indicating natural attraction between manand woman. Any man, let alone Muslim, will not believe in themendacious, silly words denying this reality. In beaches, wherewomen exhibit their arms, shoulders, necks and legs to menand where they divert together, do men no longer look at them?Women, seeing that exposing their arms, necks and legs wasbeing natural, began to expose their breasts, back andshoulders and to use miniskirts. This piecemeal indulgence,with its destination untold, is symptomatic of a forceful instinctinnate in women. In other words, as women feel that exposingcertain parts of their body is being something observed withindifference, they begin to expose their other parts as well. Inprocess of time their former immodesty turns into a degree ofmodesty looked on as unnaturally conventional. This coactivespreading of the gradual slackening in the measures ofdressing among women is evidently for reasons other than theprofessed purposes such as physical convenience and airing.Any degree of unveiling, whether suddenly or slowly, may be astep taken towards moral corruption. Even this immodesty, withwhich men partly satisfy voyeuristic desires with women, isdissipation itself. The examples showing that women’sexhibiting themselves to men and living in mixed societies giveway to fornication, immorality, home ruining, family disastersand deaths, are encountered frequently.Islam does not say, “Do not talk with women or girls! Do notamuse yourselves with them! Live without women like priests.”Islam says, “Do not seduce your neighbor’s wife or daughter; donot tear their modesty veils; do not ruin homes; marry the girlyou like; amuse yourself with her freely, comfortably and as youwish.” In order to make a girl happy, it commands to work, earnand marry early when young.It is seen with regret that women’s dancing with other men,or being exchanged as partners in balls, does not bring her to- 106 -