What is meant by "zeenah" (adornments) in the Quranic verse 24:31?

April 13, 2021

In verse 24:31 of the Quran, the word "zeenah" encompasses both (1) her natural physical beauty and (2) any adornments she might choose to wear. This includes things like jewelry, makeup, and clothing. Essentially, "zeenah" refers to anything that accentuates a woman's attractiveness.

Natural zeenah

The natural zeenah includes features like her hair, face, and neck, along with areas like the collarbone, chest, breasts, and cleavage. Her arms, stomach, back, and legs are also considered part of her natural zeenah, including aspects like a slender waist, broad hips, and full buttocks. Smooth, soft skin, fair complexion, and even height and body shape with its curves and angles all contribute to this concept.

The attractive parts of a woman which constitutes her natural zeenah are her hair, face, neck, collarbone, chest, breasts, cleavage, arms. stomach, back, slender waist, broad hips, buttocks,, thighs, calves, smooth and soft skin, fair complexion, height, body shape, curves and angles of body. She can only reveal her natural zeenah to her husband, Mahram males, Muslim women, her male and female slaves, children and very old servants of her house who no longer have any sexual vigour.

The apparent zeenah in the verse 24:31 refers to skin complexion, height, eyes, hands, feet etc. Hidden zeenah refers to a woman's bodily charms which are typically concealed by clothing. This includes her breasts and buttock. The verse discourages actions that might draw unnecessary attention to these areas. The phrase "striking of feet" can be interpreted to mean activities like running or jogging which might cause movement in the breasts and buttocks, potentially attracting unwanted attention from non-Mahram men.

Places of adornment:

Head: Hair (adorned by hair pins, crown, flowers etc.)

Face: Eyes (adorned by surma, contact lens etc.),

Nose (adorned by nose-ring)

Ears: (adorned by earrings)

Neck: (adorned by necklaces)

Chest and breasts: (adorned by necklace and bra)

Ankles: (adorned by anklets),

Feet: (adorned by shoes)

Calves: (adorned by stockings)

These are permissible areas of display only in front of a limited group of people: Mahram males, Muslim women, male slaves, aged servants and young prepubescent boys.

Clothes and shoes

Bra or Brassiere, tight-fitted shirts, tight-fitted payjama, tank-top, jeans, skirt, leggings or yoga pants, see-through chador/scarf, midriff baring blouse, nightgown, stockings, long socks etc are considered as zeenah of a woman as it enhances her beauty and attractiveness. She should not appear in these clothes in front of non-mahram males and non-Muslim women.

High-heels are also zeenah, as it increases the attractiveness of woman's gait and accentuates her curves. It is not permissible for a Muslim woman to walk in high heels in front of non-Mahram males and non-Muslim women.

The concept of "zeenah" in Islamic dress code extends to certain types of clothing that can be seen as accentuating a woman's physical beauty and curves. These garments include:

Undergarments: Bras or brassieres are considered to enhance a woman's figure and are thus classified as zeenah.

Form-fitting clothing: Tight-fitting shirts, pajamas, tank tops, jeans, and leggings or yoga pants are viewed as revealing a woman's bodily form and are therefore considered zeenah.

Revealing clothing: Skirts with high slits or that are very short, see-through chadors or scarves, and midriff-baring blouses are considered zeenah.

Sleepwear: nightgowns, designed for sleep and privacy, enhance a woman's physical beauty and therefore fall under the category of adornment (zeenah).

Leg coverings: Stockings and long socks accentuates the legs and are considered zeenah.

A Muslim woman should avoid wearing these garments in front of any males who are not close relatives (mahrams) and non-Muslim women.

Additionally, high-heeled shoes are considered zeenah because they can alter a woman's gait in a way that accentuates her curves and contribute to her overall physical attractiveness. It not permissible for a Muslim woman to wear high heels in front of non-mahram males and non-Muslim women.

Jewellery

The places of a woman's body which she adorns with jewelry, also constitutes her zeenah.

Bangle, bracelet, ring, nose-ring, earring, necklace, anklet, bellychain etc.Necklace adorns the woman's neck, chest and breasts. Kamarband or belly chain is worn around the waist.

Make-up

Surma to eyes, henna on hands and feet, shaped eye-brows, nail-polish on fingernails, face makeup, hair extensions etc. also constitutes zeenah of a woman.