O Muslim women, Allah The Almighty has honored you, made high your esteem and position, and maintained your rights. So, give thanks for the favor and remember His grace. The Hijab was only enjoined, the outer garment only imposed, and the veil (face-cover) only prescribed to guard your honor, preserve your souls, purify your hearts, and protect you from the means of seduction and ways of dissipation and deterioration. So, abide by veiling and screening, reduce your vision (lower your gaze), guard your chastity, and beware of anything that may draw attention to you and seduce these evil men who have malicious hearts. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance.} [Quran 33:33] Furthermore, screen your faces, adornment and the beautiful parts of your bodies from men who are non-Mahram (marriageable) to you.

　　Let a Muslim woman also avoid translucent clothes that reveal what is beneath it and tight clothes that depict the details and size of her body parts. It is narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, said: "The woman is ‘Awrah (i.e. should not be exposed); and when she goes out, Satan receives her, and she is closest to her Lord when she is in the farthest point of her house." [Ibn Hibbaan]

　　Muslim women must not pass by men while wearing perfume or incense. In this respect, the Messenger of Guidance said: "A woman who wears perfume and passes by men who smell her fragrance is an adulteress." [Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi]

　　It is further narrated on the authority of ‘Ubayd, the freed slave of Abu Ruhm, that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, saw a perfumed woman who wanted to go to the mosque. He asked her, "O slave of the Compeller! Where are you going?" She said, "To the mosque." He said, "Have you perfumed yourself for this?" She answered in the affirmative. Thereupon he said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Any woman who wears perfume and goes out to the mosque, no prayer would be accepted from her until she bathes (to eliminate the traces of perfume from her body).’" [Ibn Maajah]

　　It is narrated on the authority of ‘Amrah Bint ‘Abd Ar-Rahmaan that ‘Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Had the Messenger of Allah seen what women had done after him, he would have prevented them from going to the mosque, just as the women of the Children of Israel were prevented." ‘Amrah was asked, "Were the women of the Children of Israel prevented from going to places of worship?" She answered in the affirmative. [Muslim]

　　A Muslim woman must avoid being soft in speech, yielding in words, tender in voice or lithe in talk to men, tempting, thereby, men whose faith is weak:{Do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech.} [Quran 33:32]

　　A noble, chaste woman would never accept to be a means of sexual stimulation or seduction for anyone, especially those whose eyes are treacherous, whose souls are lowly, and whose mouths are foul. Allah The Exalted, The Almighty, Says (what means):

　　• {And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment.} [Quran 24:31]

　　• {O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 33:59]

　　Where is your compliance with this? Where is your immediate response? It is narrated on the authority of Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said, "When the verse (that means): {…to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments} [Quran 33:59] was revealed, the women of the Ansaar (helpers) came out as if crows were on their heads due to the garments [they were wearing]." [Abu Daawood]

　　It is narrated on the authority of ‘Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said, "[Some] believing women would attend the Fajr prayer with the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, wrapped in their shawls, then they would return to their houses when they finished the prayer without being recognized due to the darkness." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

　　O Muslim woman, adorn yourself with the noblest crown, follow the most guided way, and join the best of tribes. Adorn yourself with piety, faith, fear and shyness of Allah The Most Merciful. O Muslim woman, be careful of every prostitute displaying her beauty, every partially exposed woman, and every immoral female disbeliever. Give your attention to the statement of the Messenger of Allah : “There are two types of the dwellers of the Hellfire whom I have not seen: men having lashes like the tails of cows, with which they beat the people; and women who are dressed yet naked who incline (from the truth towards mischief) and prompt others to incline [as such], whose heads are like the inclined humps of camels; they would not enter Paradise nor smell its fragrance even though its fragrance can be smelt from such and such a distance.” [Muslim; and At-Tabaraani adding: "So, curse them, for they are cursed."]

　　This is the destiny of any naked woman, because a woman who does not cover up properly is actually naked of fear of Allah, stripped of gratitude for the favors of Allah, and deprived of all noble manners. This is the destiny of the woman who displays her beauty, imitates men and mixes with them, shows herself, is exposed, tempts others and is tempted herself. So, beware of the evil end, and let not the advocates of companionship between men and women, the enemies of honor, the supporters of dissolution, decadence and deterioration impede you from reaching the good end and the pleasant abode in the high Gardens of Paradise.

　　O Muslims, whatever leads to a forbidden thing is, in itself, forbidden under the Sharee‘ah. One of the greatest causes of corruption and deviation from the way of chastity and the right direction is a woman who travels alone without being accompanied by a Mahram man and her meeting alone with a man who is a non-Mahram to her. In this respect, it is narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with them, that he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah addressing the people saying: ‘No man should be alone with a woman unless she is accompanied by a Mahram; and no woman should set out on a journey except with a Mahram.’ A man stood up, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my wife has set out on a journey for Hajj, and I have been enlisted [to fight] in such and such a battle.’ On that the Prophet said to him: ‘Go and perform Hajj with your wife.’" [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

　　It is narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that once ’Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, addressed the people in Al-Jaabiyah, and said, "The Messenger of Allah stood to address us as I am now addressing you, and said: ‘None of you should be alone with a woman for Satan will be their third.’" [Ahmad]

　　All of this is to eliminate the causes that may lead to undesirable results, and exterminate the means resulting in immorality.

　　O fathers and guardians, maintain your women, guard your honor and lineage, avoid negligence and do not be too busy to take care of your women. Beware of negligence that may lead to incurable outcomes. Do not let yourselves become victims of such perdition. rebuff dishonor and protect your household fiercely. Be like a heedful vigilant sentinel, and keep in mind that the noblest of people is he who has the greatest protective jealousy over himself, his family and his honor; and whoever lacks such jealousy, then, the inside of the earth is more suitable to have him than its surface. It is narrated on the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said, “The Messenger of Allah said:‘Indeed Allah will question every guardian about his trust, whether he has maintained or wasted it, until He asks a man about his household (i.e. if he observed his duties towards them).’" [Ibn Hibbaan]

　　The Prophet said: "And a man is the guardian of his household and is responsible for his trust; and the woman is a guardian in the house of her husband and is responsible for her trust."

　　Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.} [Quran 66:6]

　　May Allah The Almighty make all of us among those who guide and those who are rightly-guided, who follow the Sunnah of the Master of the Messengers .

　　A Message to Chaste Women - I