Women's adornments
16-6-2004 | IslamWeb
Question:
We know that perfume is profane and forbidden. What about the sound of earrings and bracelets- these are jewels those women wears. I am waiting for an answer.
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Perfumes are not forbidden for a woman at all. It is forbidden for her to use perfume and go out of her home as this incites men's desire when she passed by them, and the latter look at her.
Looking a woman is considered as one type of fornication and adultery.
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "If a woman uses perfume and passes the people so that they may get her odour, she is a Zaniyah (a fornicator/ adulteress).” Reported by Nasa'i
As to whether perfume is impure or not, please refer to fatwas 81246 and 83627.
As regards, to bracelets and earrings they are among the permissible ornaments with which a woman beautifies her provided she does not reveal them except to whom that Allah has permitted draw attention to herself. Allah says: "and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex." (An-Nur 24:31)
Allah also prohibited women to stamp their feet in order to make noise with the adornment they have around their lower legs (ankle bracelets), Allah says: "And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment." (An-Nur 24:31)
The reason why women are prohibited to stamp their feet is to make them avoid revealing their hidden beauty.
Any ruling is decreed depending to a reason, and if this reason is absent, then the ruling does not apply. The ruling about the sound of arm bracelets and earrings is the same as that of ankle bracelets.
Ibn Kathir says: "women in Jahiliyah (Dark Age, before Islam) who used to walk in the street while wearing ankle bracelets, which did not produce any sound, used to stamp their feet as to attract men by the sound of the bracelets", so Allah forbade the believing Muslim woman from doing so.
The same thing applies if she has anything of her beauty which is hidden, and moves in a way that reveals what is hidden. Doing so is forbidden as well, as Allah says:" And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment." (An-Nur 24:31)
Qurtubi said: "It is disliked for a woman to do if her purpose is just to show satisfaction with her ornaments. And if a woman does so in order to reveal her body and expose herself to men, then this is an abominable and forbidden act.
It is also forbidden for a man to stamp his feet because of pride; as pride is a major sin. And if he does so to show off out of arrogance, then this is not allowed.
Allah knows best.