Women clothing and adornment

Q: I would like to know the answers and the legal rulings concerning: 1- Wearing tight clothes 2 - the zipper on the back, sides, and sleeves of a dress; 3 - lipstick used by women on their lips and powder used on their cheeks; 4 - having stylish haircuts and wrapping the hair in the shape of a turban, or letting it loose on the back; 5 - Fasta (decorations put on the sides of the underpants); 6 - shortening the sleeves of a garment to halfway down the arms so as to show bracelets, 7 - and listening to the Radio and television.

A: Your inquiry includes seven questions; the first six, have to do with women's clothes and adornments, while the seventh is related to the issue of listening to the radio and television. As for the first six questions, the basic ruling is to act upon the texts that forbid exposing `Awrah (parts of the body that must be covered in public) or wearing tight clothes that show the shape of the body. These texts also warn against changing the creation of Allah, imitating men and non-Muslim women, or displaying charms and adornments before non-mahrams. As for wearing Karta (tight clothes) and putting a zipper on the back, sides, or sleeves of the dress, this would often lead to determine the woman's body as well as being a kind of tempting ornament to those who look at her. The same applies to wearing what is called Dal`ah and shortening the sleeves of a dress so as to display the bracelets a woman wears, this also involves exposing the `Awrah and (Part No. 24; Page No. 33) inward ornaments before non-mahrams. The decorations sewn to embellish the front part and the bottom of a dress might tempt those who look at the woman. These five things and others that might come under the same ruling, are impermissible on the part of a woman to display or expose, unless it is to those whom Allah mentions in His saying: ...and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islâm), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. Likewise, it is not permissible for a woman to go out with such clothes or to appear wearing them before anyone other than those mentioned in the Ayah (Qur'anic verse). Similarly, she should not appear in general gatherings, such as in Masjids (Mosques), rituals of Hajj and `Umrah, wedding ceremonies, markets, and similar places where women mix with men, whether they are mahrams or non-mahrams. However, if she wears a kind of `Aba'ah (a loose outer garment) or loose clothes that cover her whole body, not showing what is beneath or tempting in itself, this is permissible. This is all for the sake of warding off suspicion, temptation, protecting against transgression of people's honors, and blocking the means leading to sin and corruption. (Part No. 24; Page No. 34) May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.