By nature, men do not feel any lust towards those within the stipulated degrees of kinship like their sisters, because, since such relatives’ faces induce kindness and licit love due to their  close kinship, it nullifies any sexual or lusty inclinations. But to leave uncovered parts of the body which according to the Shari‘a it is not permissible to expose to close relatives like the legs, may awaken extremely ugly feelings in men of low character. For the face of a close  relative reminds the man of their close kinship and does not resemble the face of someone outside the degrees of kinship, but a  bare  leg  is  the  same  as  that  of  canonical  strangers.  The  leg  does  bear  any distinguishing mark to recall the close kinship of its owner, so  may  arouse carnal feelings in the man. To look on such things is so degenerate as to make one’s hair stand on end.

FOURTH INSTANCE OF WISDOM

It is clear that everyone wants lots of children. There is no nation or government that does not support an increase in population. In fact, God’s Most Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said: “Marry and increase, for at the Last Day I

shall take pride in your large numbers.”2  However, the abandoning of Islamic dress

for women does not increase marriage, it decreases it significantly. For even the most lay-about and modern youth wants his wife to be chaste. He does not want her to be modern, that is, careless in questions of dress and morals like himself, and so remains single, and even frequents prostitutes.

Women are not like that, they cannot restrict their husbands’ behaviour to the same  extent.  Women’s  most  basic  characteristics  are  loyalty and  trustworthiness, since being the director of all the matters to do with the home, the woman is charged with  protecting  and  preserving  her  husband’s  property  and  possessions,  and  his children. Carelessness in dress  and morality destroys that loyalty, and her husband loses confidence in her and makes her suffer pangs of conscience. In fact, if the two qualities of courage and generosity, which are desirable in men, are found in women, it damages this loyalty and confidence and so are  undesirable for women and are considered  to  be  bad  qualities.  But  since  the  husband’s  duty  is  not  loyalty and stewardship, but protection, kindness, and respect, he cannot be restricted and refined, and may marry other women as well.

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2   al-Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir, iii, 269, No: 3366; al-‘Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa’, No: 1021; al-Suyuti,

Jami‘ al-Saghir, No: 3366.