Is it Haram in Islam to be a Designer?
C.J Ahmed-14.06.2023
It is not haram to be a designer in Islam because fashion designing involves designing clothes and accessories. The basic argument against fashion designing is that both males and females mingle and that the awrah of a man and a woman can be exposed. These are lame arguments by puritants who will try to create a mountain out of a mole hill.
The two main arguments against men and women working as fashion designers is that he/she is exposing th awrah and the other is that fashion designing involves mixing with non related males and female. Below are the answers to these arguments.
The Awrah Argument
The word "awrah" generally means nakedness and every form of society has some rule or regulation with regards to nakedness. The awrah mentioned in Islam is the area that needs to be covered and it differs among men and women according to the situation or whether the person is a Muslim or not.
Like all the other issues pertaining to religious rulings, scholars are divided on how much a man should cover in front of a man and how much a woman should cover in front of a woman. In the teaching of Islam according to the Quran and authentic hadiths, the awrah for a man in front of a man is only his private parts and the awrah for a woman in front of a woman is also her private parts only and anything else can be uncovered.
Lets examing in detail how and when the awrah differs among men and women.
Awrah for women in front of women is only the private parts. A girl who has attained puberty need not cover any other area apart from the private parts. The evidence for this is in the below hadiths.
Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:
The Prophet (sal) said: A man should not look at the private parts of another man, and a woman should not look at the private parts of another woman. A man should not lie with another man without wearing lower garment under one cover; and a woman should not be lie with another woman without wearing lower garment under one cover.
(Abu Dawud-authenticaged by albani Albani)
Abd al-Rahman, the son of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, reported from his father:
The Messenger of Allah (sal) said: A man should not see the private parts of another man, and a woman should not see the private parts of another woman, and a man should not lie with another man under one covering, and a woman should not lie with another woman under one covering.
(Sahih Muslim)
Some scholars say by using the above hadiths that the awrah of a woman is between the naval and the knee but this is not what is mentioned in these hadiths. Its only the private parts that are mentioned. Sheikh Salih Al Uthaymin said:
"With regard to her mahrams what she may uncover is the same as that which she may uncover in front of other women, so she may uncover her head, neck, feet, hands, forearms and calves, etc. But she should not make her clothes short".
(Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 12/276, 277)
The above fatwa of Imam Uthaymin is only his opinion and there is no evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah to prove that a woman cannot wear a short dress in front of other women.
The awrah for men in front of men is the same as that of women and that is the private parts. It’s based on the same hadiths as mentioned above for women. Some scholars are of the view that the awrah for men is what is between the navel and the knees. This argument could be accepted if there are no opposing evidences but the truth is there are many hadiths stating otherwise. The hadiths proving that the Thigh is not an awrah is as follows.
Narrated by Aisha (rali):
"The Prophet was sitting with his thigh exposed when Abu Bakr asked, and received permission to enter. The same thing happened with 'Umar. However, when Uthman sought permission to enter, the Prophet covered himself with his clothes. When they left, I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, you permitted Abu Bakr and 'Umar to enter while your thigh was exposed. When 'Uthman asked permission to enter, you covered yourself with your clothes.' He said, 'O 'Aishah, should I not be shy of a man who, by Allah, even the angels are shy of'?"
(Bukhari,Muslim and others)
Some argue that in the above hadith, the narrator was not shure whether the prophet (sal) uncovered his thigh or his shank But the below hadiths clearly mention that the prophet (sal) uncovered his thigh to everyone implying the thigh is not an awrah.
Anas (Rali) Narrates:
"During the battle of Khaibar, the Prophet's gown was withdrawn from his thigh until I could see its whiteness."
(Bukhari)
If the thigh was an awrah the prophet (sal) would have never exposed his awrah like this. Muslim men and women can definitely do modelling by covering the awrah.
Men and Women Mixing is Not Haram
The scholars who have given the fatwa that mixing of sexes is haram have made a mistake as human beings and it is a duty of every Muslim to learn Islam based on evidence and this will help the Muslim differentiate what are facts, half-truths, lies, hypothesis, theories are. Amr bin al Aas (rali) narrated the prophet (sal) saying,
“If a judge makes a ruling, striving to apply his reasoning and he is correct, he will have two rewards. If a judge makes a ruling, striving to apply his reasoning and he is mistaken, he will have one reward.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Allah says in the Quran
"For anything you want, ask them from before a screen: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs"
(Al-Quran-33:53)
the above verse is been given by some to prove that men and women mixing is haram. When we look at the above verse it is very clear that the verse was sent down by Allah (swt) specifically to the wives of the prophet (sal) and not all the women in general. Allah says
the reason for the above verse been revealed was mentioned in the below hadith,
Anas bin Malik said: "The Prophet married Zaynab bint Jahsh with (a wedding feast of) meat and bread. I sent someone to invite people to the feast, and some people came and ate, then left. Then another group came and ate, and left. I invited people until there was no one left to invite. I said, `O Messenger of Allah, I cannot find anyone else to invite.' He said, ‘Take away the food’. There were three people left who were talking in the house. The Prophet went out until he came to the apartment of `A’ishah, May Allah is pleased with her, and he said,
May peace be upon you, members of the household, and the mercy and blessings of Allah’? She said, `And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah. How did you find your (new) wife, O Messenger of Allah May Allah bless you.' He went round to the apartments of all his wives, and spoke with them as he had spoken with `A’ishah and they spoke as `A’ishah had spoken. Then the Prophet came back, and those three people were still talking in the house. The Prophet was extremely shy, so he went out and headed towards `A'ishah's apartment. I do not know whether I told him or someone else told him when the people had left, so he came back, and when he was standing with one foot over the threshold and the other foot outside, he placed the curtain between me and him, and the Ayah of Hijab was revealed.''
"For anything ye want, ask them from before a screen: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs..."
(Bukhari)
Using the above verse proves nothing at all to say that men and women mixing is haram. This verse was only revealed to the wives of the prophet (sal) and not others.
Abu Asid al-Sa'di invited the Prophet and his Companions to his wedding and it was Abu Asid's wife who prepared the food and served it to them herself"
(Recorded in the Sahih of Imam Bukhari and the Sahih of Imam Muslim. Bukhari included the hadith in a chapter entitled "A woman Serving Food to Men at Weddings").
The above hadith clearly proves that men and women mixing is not haram. If it was haram then the companion Abu Asid's wife would have been prevented from serving the male guests by the prophet (sal). The above hadith is clear proof for those who who use their intellect and seek the truth through evidence and not from the wrong fatwas of scholars who are themselves human that men and women mixing is not at all haram in Islam.
Designing is not haram for Muslim men and women.
It is not haram to be a designer in Islam because fashion designing involves designing clothes and accessories. The basic argument against fashion designing is that both males and females mingle and that the awrah of a man and a woman can be exposed. These are lame arguments by puritants who will try to create a mountain out of a mole hill.
The two main arguments against men and women working as fashion designers is that he/she is exposing th awrah and the other is that fashion designing involves mixing with non related males and female. Below are the answers to these arguments.
The Awrah Argument
The word "awrah" generally means nakedness and every form of society has some rule or regulation with regards to nakedness. The awrah mentioned in Islam is the area that needs to be covered and it differs among men and women according to the situation or whether the person is a Muslim or not.
Like all the other issues pertaining to religious rulings, scholars are divided on how much a man should cover in front of a man and how much a woman should cover in front of a woman. In the teaching of Islam according to the Quran and authentic hadiths, the awrah for a man in front of a man is only his private parts and the awrah for a woman in front of a woman is also her private parts only and anything else can be uncovered.
Lets examing in detail how and when the awrah differs among men and women.
Awrah for women in front of women is only the private parts. A girl who has attained puberty need not cover any other area apart from the private parts. The evidence for this is in the below hadiths.
Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:
The Prophet (sal) said: A man should not look at the private parts of another man, and a woman should not look at the private parts of another woman. A man should not lie with another man without wearing lower garment under one cover; and a woman should not be lie with another woman without wearing lower garment under one cover.
(Abu Dawud-authenticaged by albani Albani)
Abd al-Rahman, the son of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, reported from his father:
The Messenger of Allah (sal) said: A man should not see the private parts of another man, and a woman should not see the private parts of another woman, and a man should not lie with another man under one covering, and a woman should not lie with another woman under one covering.
(Sahih Muslim)
Some scholars say by using the above hadiths that the awrah of a woman is between the naval and the knee but this is not what is mentioned in these hadiths. Its only the private parts that are mentioned. Sheikh Salih Al Uthaymin said:
"With regard to her mahrams what she may uncover is the same as that which she may uncover in front of other women, so she may uncover her head, neck, feet, hands, forearms and calves, etc. But she should not make her clothes short".
(Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 12/276, 277)
The above fatwa of Imam Uthaymin is only his opinion and there is no evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah to prove that a woman cannot wear a short dress in front of other women.
The awrah for men in front of men is the same as that of women and that is the private parts. It’s based on the same hadiths as mentioned above for women. Some scholars are of the view that the awrah for men is what is between the navel and the knees. This argument could be accepted if there are no opposing evidences but the truth is there are many hadiths stating otherwise. The hadiths proving that the Thigh is not an awrah is as follows.
Narrated by Aisha (rali):
"The Prophet was sitting with his thigh exposed when Abu Bakr asked, and received permission to enter. The same thing happened with 'Umar. However, when Uthman sought permission to enter, the Prophet covered himself with his clothes. When they left, I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, you permitted Abu Bakr and 'Umar to enter while your thigh was exposed. When 'Uthman asked permission to enter, you covered yourself with your clothes.' He said, 'O 'Aishah, should I not be shy of a man who, by Allah, even the angels are shy of'?"
(Bukhari,Muslim and others)
Some argue that in the above hadith, the narrator was not shure whether the prophet (sal) uncovered his thigh or his shank But the below hadiths clearly mention that the prophet (sal) uncovered his thigh to everyone implying the thigh is not an awrah.
Anas (Rali) Narrates:
"During the battle of Khaibar, the Prophet's gown was withdrawn from his thigh until I could see its whiteness."
(Bukhari)
If the thigh was an awrah the prophet (sal) would have never exposed his awrah like this. Muslim men and women can definitely do modelling by covering the awrah.
Men and Women Mixing is Not Haram
The scholars who have given the fatwa that mixing of sexes is haram have made a mistake as human beings and it is a duty of every Muslim to learn Islam based on evidence and this will help the Muslim differentiate what are facts, half-truths, lies, hypothesis, theories are. Amr bin al Aas (rali) narrated the prophet (sal) saying,
“If a judge makes a ruling, striving to apply his reasoning and he is correct, he will have two rewards. If a judge makes a ruling, striving to apply his reasoning and he is mistaken, he will have one reward.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Allah says in the Quran
"For anything you want, ask them from before a screen: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs"
(Al-Quran-33:53)
the above verse is been given by some to prove that men and women mixing is haram. When we look at the above verse it is very clear that the verse was sent down by Allah (swt) specifically to the wives of the prophet (sal) and not all the women in general. Allah says
the reason for the above verse been revealed was mentioned in the below hadith,
Anas bin Malik said: "The Prophet married Zaynab bint Jahsh with (a wedding feast of) meat and bread. I sent someone to invite people to the feast, and some people came and ate, then left. Then another group came and ate, and left. I invited people until there was no one left to invite. I said, `O Messenger of Allah, I cannot find anyone else to invite.' He said, ‘Take away the food’. There were three people left who were talking in the house. The Prophet went out until he came to the apartment of `A’ishah, May Allah is pleased with her, and he said,
May peace be upon you, members of the household, and the mercy and blessings of Allah’? She said, `And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah. How did you find your (new) wife, O Messenger of Allah May Allah bless you.' He went round to the apartments of all his wives, and spoke with them as he had spoken with `A’ishah and they spoke as `A’ishah had spoken. Then the Prophet came back, and those three people were still talking in the house. The Prophet was extremely shy, so he went out and headed towards `A'ishah's apartment. I do not know whether I told him or someone else told him when the people had left, so he came back, and when he was standing with one foot over the threshold and the other foot outside, he placed the curtain between me and him, and the Ayah of Hijab was revealed.''
"For anything ye want, ask them from before a screen: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs..."
(Bukhari)
Using the above verse proves nothing at all to say that men and women mixing is haram. This verse was only revealed to the wives of the prophet (sal) and not others.
Abu Asid al-Sa'di invited the Prophet and his Companions to his wedding and it was Abu Asid's wife who prepared the food and served it to them herself"
(Recorded in the Sahih of Imam Bukhari and the Sahih of Imam Muslim. Bukhari included the hadith in a chapter entitled "A woman Serving Food to Men at Weddings").
The above hadith clearly proves that men and women mixing is not haram. If it was haram then the companion Abu Asid's wife would have been prevented from serving the male guests by the prophet (sal). The above hadith is clear proof for those who who use their intellect and seek the truth through evidence and not from the wrong fatwas of scholars who are themselves human that men and women mixing is not at all haram in Islam.
Designing is not haram for Muslim men and women.