Islam encourages people to live with some moral ethics and standards. Those law are very beneficial to all Muslim, that it can help them throughout the life and hereafter. Being a Muslim Women doesn’t make us having no moral ethics and standards to follow. We still have to implement certain kind of rules of behavior to be blessed with the mercy from Allah. Therefore, now we are going to find out how women should behave in Islam.
- Eat in a Moderation
Eating in a moderation not only prevents us to be overweight, yet also prevents us from sickness and laziness (see also: eating habits in Islam). Consuming the right amount of foods will maintain our energy and health, and overeating will give us more harm than good. The hadith below told us:
“There is no worse vessel for the son of Adam to fill than his stomach, but if he must fill it, the let him allow one-third for food, one-third for drink, and one-third for air.” (Ahmad & Tirmidhi)
Besides that, in the Qur’an was also mentioned the important to eat in moderation.
“Eat and drink: but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not the wasters.” (Qur’an 7:31)
2. Exercise to Maintain Healthiness
Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) promotes exercise as a healthy lifestyle. Exercising gives us more energy to do so many tasks and chores. With high amount of energy, we can be more productive. You may want to read about importance of health in Islam.
Aisha, the wife of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) enjoyed exercising to maintain her health as told in the hadith below:
“I raced with the Prophet and I beat him. Later when I had put on some weight, we raced again and he won. Then he said, ‘this cancels that (referring to the previous race).’” (Bukhari)
You may want to read about Cleanliness in Islam.
3. Take Care of Teeth
Good Muslim women maintain the cleanliness of their teeth. The importance is to prevent the unpleasant odor coming from it. Maintaining cleanliness of our teeth also makes it stronger. Aisha, the wife of our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) also took a good care of her teeth as told by Bukhari from `Urwah (May Allah be pleased with her):
“We heard Aisha, the mother of the believers cleaning her teeth in the room” (Bukhari)
4. Don’t Travel Without Mahrams
Muslim women are prohibited to travel without their mahrams. Either their father, husband, or son. Out Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) said:
“It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to travel one day’s distance without a mahram.” (Muslim)
Read more about Rights of Travelers in Islam
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5. Talk With a Stranger Man For a Necessary Purpose
It is not allowed for Muslims women to talk with a stranger man in desire, or vice-versa. However, they are only allowed to speak with necessity. It is written in the ayah below:
“If you are God-fearing, do not talk in a soft voice, lest the man with an unhealthy heart should cherish false hopes from you.” (Qur’an, 33:32)
6. Keep The Cleanliness of Body and Clothes
Muslim women, as well as men, should follow the clear teachings of Islam to take a good care for cleanliness. To keep the cleanliness of our body and clothes, we can follow what our Prophet persuaded in the hadith below:
“Have a bath on Fridays and wash your heads, even if you are not in a state of janabah (impurity, e.g. following marital relations), and wear perfume.” (Fath Al-Bari)
The importance of wearing clean clothes were also advised by the Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him). Imam Ahmad and al-Nisa’i report that Jabir (RAA) said:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) came to visit us and saw a man who was wearing dirty clothes. He said, “could this person not find anything with which to wash his clothes?”
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7. Concern to a Good Appearance
Muslims women need to take a good care of their appearance. However, it is persuaded not to be too much extravagant and displaying ourselves. Just concern to have a good and pleasing appearance either to our mahrams, children, and relatives around. You may want to read about Akhlaq of Prophet Muhammad SAW
“Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just [balance] between those [extremes].” (Qur’an 25:67)
8. Purify The Self Properly After Period
Purifying ourselves after having period is obligated. Whenever Muslim women have finished their periods, they should perform ghusl. Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) once told:
“You should take your water and purify yourself with it properly, and clean yourself all over, then pour water on your head and rub it so that the water reaches the roots of the hair, then pour water all over yourself.” (Fath Al-Bari)
9. Seek Knowledge
Muslim women should be keen in seeking knowledge. Islam, the guidance of all humankind, persuades us to keep aspiring more knowledge for our own welfare. Gaining knowledge in Islam is so beneficial either as a part of our devotion, or as a guidance for the day of judgement. Aisha, the mother of believers, was the greatest Muslim woman intellectual that we need to follow. You may want to read about Importance of Gaining Knowledge In Islam
Due to her knowledge and intelligence, the companion of our prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) would ask her for advice and answer. The hadith once told about that:
مَا أَشْكَلَ عَلَيْنَا أَصْحَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَدِيثٌ قَطُّ فَسَأَلْنَا عَائِشَةَ إِلَّا وَجَدْنَا عِنْدَهَا مِنْهُ عِلْمًا
“We never had a new problem occur to us as the companions of the Messenger of Allah except that we would ask Aisha and find with her some knowledge concerning it.” (At-Tirmidhi)
10. Dress Properly
Muslim women should dress properly in moderation. They should not wear neither tight, nor transparent clothes. The dressing should cover her body properly. Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah may be be upon him) told us,
“among the dwellers of hell are such women as are clothed yet naked, seducing and being seduced. These shall not enter the Garden, nor shall (even) its fragrance reach them.”
11. Talk With Manner
As good Muslim women, we should be aware of talking with manner, neither too loud, nor seductive. The ayah in Qur’an once told us:
“They should not strike their feet in order to make known what they hide of their adornment…” (Qur’an, 24: 31)
12. Be Cheerful
Either Muslim men or women should acquire the cheerfulness among their mahrams, children, and relatives around. Being cheerful can be so heart-warming and can help us maintain such a good relationship with other people as well. The ayah below told:
“The truthful men and the truthful women, the patient men and the patient women, the humble men and the humble women, the charitable men and the charitable women, the fasting men and the fasting women, the men who guard their chastity and the women who guard their chastity, the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember Allah much – for all these Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” (Qur’an, 33:35)
13. Avoid Sitting in Privacy with Men
It is not allowed for Muslim women to sit or spend time with stranger men privately as it will bring more harm than good. Satan will provoke temptation among the two of them, and indeed, it is a way better to avoid the evil. Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) once said:
“When a man and a woman are alone then Shaitaan is the third person.” (Bukhari)
14. Avoid Shaking Hand with None of Your Mahrams
It is not permitted for Muslim women to shake hands with none of her mahrams whether they old or young. It is told by our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) in the hadith below:
“The one who touches the hand of a woman without having a lawful relation with her, will have an ember (hot coal) placed on his palm on the Day of Judgement.” (Fath-al-Qadir)
15. Avoid Looking at Stranger Men in Desire
Muslim women are only allowed to look at stranger men in the face for necessity. For example, while they are having transaction, studying, or witnessing. The same rule also applies to men not to look stranger women in desire. Indeed, the unnecessary staring will only lead to evil doings.
16. Be Honest
Muslim women need to be honest in whatever they do and confess. Honesty is the main key of our life, it becomes the fundamental aspect to treasure as Muslims. The ayah below told us:
“Do not swallow up your property among yourselves by false means, nor offer it as a bribe to the officials so that you may swallow up other people’s property unlawfully while you know.” (Qur’an, 2:188)
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17. Make a Good Companion
Muslim women need to gather with good companion. Good companion will help them to achieve better life, indeed. Being surrounded by good companion will motivate you to make yourselves a way better each day. And how could we, as Muslim women, find food companion? Finding good companion can easily be done through religious gathering.
“Do not ask about a man: ask about his friends, or every friend follows his friends.” (Adiyy ibn Zayd al-‘Ibadi )
Others
Besides those 15 way to behave as Muslims women, we still have some left to figure out on how women should behave in Islam. Here there are:
- Repeats Du’a frequently (see also dua for hardship in Islam)
- Don’t laugh too loud
- Don’t travel without mahrams
- Avoid gosipping
- Be forgiving
- Don’t bath in front of stranger
- Don’t receive male visitors without mahrams
- Endure more patient each day
- Treat guest with kindness and pleasant
- Join more religious gatherings
That’s all the 27 explanations on how women should behave in Islam. Wish all of us will wholeheartedly value the teaching of Islam and be blessed with mercy by Allah The Almighty!