Islamic Sexual Ethics

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their modesty…draw their khimar over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husband” (Quran 24:31). Although El-Kathiri denies her dress code to “exempt a man from his responsibility from behaving in a morally befitting manner,” this cannot be entirely true. She reflects the Quranic passage 33:59 which suggest that women wear a jilbab, a long loose fitting garment that covers the entire body except the hands, head and face, to distinguish themselves and presumably their sexual values and morals from others and thus prevent harassment. The Quran teaches “they [men] should cast down their glance” (Quran 24:30) which highlights the importance of one’s eyes in establishing modest intentions. Hence both El-Kathiri and Hussein reinforce the purpose of the Niqab and the Hijab to discourage lustful gazes of men and reinforce the Quran’s teaching of modest interaction between opposite genders through guarding their gaze. Furthermore, the Hijab and Niqab are a physical ...

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reserving her “beauty” for the future, intimate relationship with her husband. Hussein and El-Kathiri both share similar views on the purpose of their covering to be a statement of not only their faith to Allah, but also to the public to judge rather than their appearance, their character and contributions to society which they claim is a self-honouring act. Despite the efforts of the Muslim women reinforcing the gender equality in the Islamic faith, it is evident from the teachings of the Quran that men are considered to “have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other… Good women are obedient” (Quran 4:34). Furthermore, although the sexual relationship ...

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