Well, this has turned out to be more difficult than I thought. Talking about something you see in your head is easy but actually bringing it out in a way that is very clear in context and also brief proved to be a challenge. So many texts from different sources being crosschecked to elicit the relevant parts takes a lot of time so I don’t think I will be submitting the future installments this frequent. Once a week or even once a month, depending on the context.

Before I start, I want to thank to all who gave feedback to my first installment. Even though some admitted to not having read it at all, it is good to be welcomed :)

-----------------

As the simplest way to present the comparisons (Al-Muwatta, Quran, Other Hadith sources and when necessary Zoroastrianism), I decided to categorize it under topics like ‘covering of the women’, ‘prayers’ or more specific like ‘times of the prayers, descriptions of the prayers’ etc.

I picked the most prominent feature of Islam as the first topic to be introduced:

-----------------

THE VEILING OR COVERING OF THE WOMEN

In the Quran, 3 verses are shown as the commandment to veiling/covering of women. Some translators add opinions in parenthesis that leave no room to misunderstandings. But in fact it is the hadiths regarding covering that finalizes the issue. But if there were no hadiths and no added opinions, one would find it hard to understand some parts. That is because those “verses” are nothing but jumbled information selected from different Al-Muwatta stories. After presenting and discussing the original texts that were used to inspire those verses, it will be much clearer that they invented two Sahih hadith collectors to turn them into something that pleased them more. The following question of course would be “Why”. But that part seems to remain a mystery for now.

I will first present the Al-Muwatta stories about head coverings (I left out the names that are unnecessary for the context. WOP: wife of the prophet):

The following 4 are listed under the strange title “Permission for a Woman to Pray in a Shift and Head-Covering”. Odd don’t you think? We are used to hear obligation or mandatory when it comes to head cover of a woman!

1- … said that A'isha (wop) used to pray in a shift and head-covering. (Book 8, Number 8.10.36)

2- … asked Umm Salama (wop), "What clothes can a woman wear in prayer?" She said, "She can pray in a shift that reaches down and covers the top of her feet." (Book 8, Number 8.10.37)

3- When … was in the room of Maimuna (wop), she used to pray in a shift and head-covering, without a waist-wrapper*. (Book 8, Number 8.10.38)

4- … a woman asked Hisham’s father for a decision, saying, "Waist-wrappers* are painful to me. Can I pray in a shift and head-covering?" He replied, "Yes, if the shift is long." (Book 8, Number 8.10.39)

These are the stories that directly discusses head-covering and none of them are linked to either the God or the Prophet or even a law in any book. More like personal choice probably with knowledge about the Torah. The long dress and head-covering is only expressed in relation with prayers and nothing else.

Some other stories with ambiguous purpose;

5- ... visited A'isha (wop), and Hafsa was wearing a long thin head scarf. A'isha tore it in two and made a wide one for her." (Book 48, Number 48.4.6)

6- … that Abu Hurayra said, "Women who are naked even though they are wearing clothes, go astray and make others go astray, and they will not enter the Garden and they will not find its scent, and its scent is experienced from as far as the distance travelled in five hundred years." (Book 48, Number 48.4.7)

7- … that A'isha (wop) said, "The Messenger used to pray subh and the women would leave wrapped in their garments and they could not yet be recognized in the darkness." (Book 1, Number 1.1.4)

First one could be due to tons of reasons. Also let’s not forget that people in that area used various head coverings for protection against the sun as well as the sandstorms.

The second one is obviously a respected person’s opinion and has nothing to do with any sort of law. Also what he means sounds like very short or transparent clothing. I couldn’t find any “prophetic” remark about this example.

Third one is mentioned under the title “the times of prayer”. It has nothing to do with covering as in burqa style but just wrapping for who knows what reason. Well maybe the “subh” has something to do with it but it is for another time. What I can say about it is that the subh prayer is a mysterious one that seems to have no sense of time.

8- ... said that the Messenger stood up in the night and looked at the horizon of the sky. He said, "What treasures has the night opened? What trials have occurred? How many are dressed in this world and will be naked on the Day of Rising. Warn the women in their rooms." (Book 48, Number 48.4.8)

This one is very strange. It is obvious that he is in his prophetic phase and his words are a bit mysterious. Maybe at the time it happened, it made sense to the person witnessing this. But it is not really clear for us. But what I noticed was that, although they put this right after the “dressed but naked women”, it says the opposite. It is not about being dressed or covered that will ensure safety on the other side. But why he mentions “the rooms” I have no idea. Maybe prostitution or something else but it has nothing to do with the way women dress. It will make sense that the prophet was not concerned with clothing so much when the critical stories are analyzed.

The following ones are veiling in Ihram.
(I don’t want to explain Ihram, because the only explanation I would offer would be from the current Islamic perspective which I found out are truths twisted into something else by Sahih hadiths. I found out that a lot of things mentioned in Al-Muwatta are not the same with what they have been presented to us . Later, if or when I can.)

Title: “Veiling the Face while in Ihram”

9- … saw Uthman ibn Affan at al-Arj, and he was covering his face while in ihram. (Book 20, Number 20.5.13a)

10- … used to say that a man in ihram should not veil anything above his chin. (Book 20, Number 20.5.13b)

11- … shrouded his son Waqid ibn Abdullah, who had died at al-Juhfa while in ihram, and he veiled his head and face and said, "If we had not been in ihram we would have perfumed him.” (Book 20, Number 20.5.14)

12- … used to say that a woman in ihram should wear neither a veil nor gloves. (Book 20, Number 20.5.15)

13- ... (a woman) said, "We used to veil our faces when we were in ihram in the company of Asma bint Abi Bakr as-Siddiq." (Book 20, Number 20.5.16)

This face veiling thing seems like it is not a gender specific issue but more like a tradition most of them conformed, which even they themselves are not in agreement with. This veiling examples especially in prayer reminds me of Moses. I cannot recall the exact story but I think Moses used to veil his face when he would meet the God but he wouldn’t wear veil when among people. So it could be a tradition they derived from that story since while praying they are in a way facing God.

14- … that A'isha (wop) informed her that the Messenger was with her and she heard the voice of a man asking permission to enter the room of Hafsa. A'isha said that she had said, "Messenger of Allah! There is a man asking permission to enter your house!" The Messenger said, "I think it is so-and-so" (referring to a paternal uncle of Hafsa by suckling). A'isha said, "Messenger of Allah! If so-and-so were alive (referring to her paternal uncle by suckling) could he enter where I am?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Yes. Suckling makes haram as birth makes haram." (Book 30, Number 30.1.1)

This one is about men who are allowed to enter the house or room of a woman when she is alone. I think this is about married women mostly. Haram in this context means, persons not allowed to have sexual contact with each other. For example a father is Haram so it is not wrong to be alone with father just like with brother, brother in law and any close relative through marriage as well as blood.

15- ... that A'isha (wop) said, "My paternal uncle by suckling came to me and I refused to give him permission to enter until I had asked the Messenger about it. The Messenger, came and I asked him about it. He said, 'He is your paternal uncle, so give him permission.' So I said, 'Messenger of Allah! The woman nursed me not the man.' He said, 'He is your paternal uncle, so let him enter.' " A'isha said, "That was after the veil had been imposed on us." A'isha added, "What is haram by birth is made haram by suckling." (Book 30, Number 30.1.2)

Now, this is the story which one of the Quranic verses was derived from. ‘The veil had been imposed on us’ has been twisted as the face covering veil while it is clearly about strange men being restricted to have contact with women while they are alone in their homes.

16- … that A'isha (wop) told him that Aflah came and asked permission to visit her after the veil had been lowered, and he was her paternal uncle by suckling. She said, "I refused to give him permission to enter. When the Messenger came, I told him about what I had done, and he ordered me to give him permission to enter." (Book 30, Number 30.1.3)

Well, since a man cannot enter someone’s face, it is much clearer with this story that lowering veil is imposing a restriction to men to enter the house of a woman. Mind you, not interacting or communicating but the permission or right to enter a place of residence/private room of a woman.

My theory about the veil and it being lowered is that, they probably used to have all the doors open back then and this might have caused uninvited people to pop in unexpectedly walking on people in compromising positions. The veil might have been used as a symbol to ask permission before entering.

Title: “Asking Permission to Enter”

17- … that the Messenger was questioned by a man who said, "Messenger of Allah, shall I ask permission of my mother to enter?" He said, "Yes “The man said, "I live with her in the house". The Messenger said "Ask her permission." The man said, "I am her servant." The Messenger said, "Ask her permission. Do you want to see her naked?" He said, "No." He said, "Then ask her permission." (Book 54, Number 54.1.1)

This one actually gives a new direction to the story. The prophet is teaching the men some manners to be honest. The veil in this context may not only be about strange men not being allowed inside a house of a woman but also about men generally asking permission from women to enter their house or room. I will not copy them, but some stories were about women being uncomfortable because some male child would enter when she was uncovered. Being uncovered in Al-Muwatta is about the real private parts being exposed or very close to that. Probably because they used to wear loose garments that they wound around themselves outside and once inside got rid of them which left them pretty much naked.

Also, let me point out that the imposing of the veil is not mentioned in relation with a book, verse, deity or person. Although we can take a guess it had something to do with the prophet, It is not clear who and why imposed such a rule. But the way it was practiced is beyond doubt.

18- … said, "The Messenger said, 'One asks permission three times. If you are given permission, then enter. If not, go away.' " (Book 54, Number 54.1.2)

Again, teaching manners. And it really starts to give a different perspective, especially considering the uncivilized manners of men and the lack of privacy women had then, a more positive (or at least not so negative) one towards this veiling/permission rule compared to the message conveyed in the Quranic verse and the Sahih hadiths. The Al-Muwatta stories in this context are not about disciplining and restricting women but about teaching men to show respect for women’s privacy and also reputation.

Now the most critical ones:

19- … said, "I asked Abu Said al-Khudri about the lower garment. He said that he would inform me with knowledge and that he had heard the Messenger of Allah say, 'The lower garment of the Mumin should reach to the middle of his calves. There is no harm in what is between that and the ankles. What is lower than that is in the Fire. What is lower than that is in the Fire. On the Day of Rising, Allah will not look at a person who trails his lower garment in arrogance.' " (Book 48, Number 48.5.12)

The prophet has something against trailing garments, the long clothes that touch the ground or maybe flutter in the wind. I have not focused on this one but there are a few strange remarks and incidents regarding, especially men trailing their garments.

20- … informed him that Umm Salama (wop) said that when the lower garment of women was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, he said, "She lets it down a handspan." Umm Salama said, "If it leaves her uncovered?" He said, "Then the length of a forearm and let her not increase it." (Book 48, Number 48.6.13)

Yep, they were wearing sort of midi skirts. No wonder the long dresses and head covering during prayer were especially mentioned. It makes sense when finding out that they normally were quite “normal”. Again, pay attention to the word “uncovered”. Now when we know the length of the lover garment, it becomes clear that “uncovered” in Al-Muwatt does not mean something like “without burqa or head-covering” but leaving the actual private parts to display. Again, the Prophet is disapproving about the "longer than knee" level. Really curious.

Now how all these have been twisted in the Quran and further violated by Sahih hadiths. I will use the numbers of the listed stories as reference.

--------

* Quran 33:59. “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e.screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft­Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

* (Hadith) Narrated `Aisha: Allah's Messenger used to offer the Fajr prayer and some believing women covered with their veiling sheets used to attend the Fajr prayer with him and then they would return to their homes unrecognized . (Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol. 1, Book 8, Hadith 368)

* (Hadith) The wives of the Prophet used to go to Al-Manasi, a vast open place (near Baqi` at Medina) to answer the call of nature at night. `Umar used to say to the Prophet "Let your wives be veiled," but Allah's Apostle did not do so. One night Sauda bint Zam`a the wife of the Prophet went out at `Isha' time and she was a tall lady. `Umar addressed her and said, "I have recognized you, O Sauda." He said so, as he desired eagerly that the verses of Al-Hijab (the observing of veils by the Muslim women) may be revealed. So Allah revealed the verses of "Al-Hijab" (A complete body cover excluding the eyes). (Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol. 1, Book 4, Hadith 148)

Number 7 twisted in both. Especially in the 1st hadith. Because subh is something they don’t want to mention so they turned it into fajr (dawn) prayer. But subh is prayed anytime of the day or evening! And the women wrapped in cloaks gave them the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

2nd hadith: The “unrecognized” part in 7 has been twisted into being modest.

--------

* Quran 33:53. O ye who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses, - until leave is given you, - for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation: but when ye are invited, enter; and when ye have taken your meal, disperse, without seeking familiar talk. Such (behavior) annoys the Prophet: he is shy to dismiss you, but Allah is not shy (to tell you) the truth. And when ye ask (his ladies) for anything ye want, ask them from before a screen: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs. Nor is it right for you that ye should annoy Allah's Messenger, or that ye should marry his widows after him at any time. Truly such a thing is in Allah's sight an enormity.

* 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Aflah, the brother of Abu'l-Qu'ais, who was her uncle by reason of fosterage, came, and asked her permission (to enter the house) after seclusion (Hijab) was instituted. I refused to admit him. When Allah's Messenger came, I informed him what I had done. He commanded me to grant him permission (as the brother of her foster-father was also her uncle). (Sahih Muslim Book 8, Hadith 3397)

14 to 19 have been used in mixed form. The word “screen” in the verse is sometimes translated as “curtain” or “veil”. But most insist this means face cover, some think it as talking behind a real curtain but with the same intention of preventing their faces and bodies from being seen. The Sahih hadith is there again, completely reversed form of the original narration (15-16)

--------

* Quran 24:31. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male attendants free of sexual desires, or small children who have no carnal of women; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! Turn ye all together towards Allah in repentance, that ye may be successful.

A lot of snippets have been used here but it is mainly 20 becoming something else. Ok, how did the lower garment’s length turn into bosom level head-covering? Yes making up is one answer, the other is twisting the meaning of a word: bosom.

Now, I don’t claim to have any knowledge in Arabic but I find it curious that after google translating “bosom” into Arabic, I saw the word “lap” among the alternative meanings. I clicked on “lap” and the translation of that word showed again the exact Arabic word that it showed for “bosom”. This time “knee” also appeared among the alternative meanings although written differently. If I hadn’t discovered that, I would claim complete made up verse because the writer liked the head-covered part in praying more. Because there is not a single indication in Al-Muwatta that the God or the Prophet had any intention to cover up the women. In fact, that he didn’t approve any longer lower garment for both men and women than the knee is curiously the opposite like he was trying to have them in a more free style clothing although not immodest by displaying certain body parts. That detail is actually worth a study but I don't think Al-Muwatta transcript alone would be enough. Most likely along with many, that detail too must have been lost with the erased Saudi history.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

That’s all for today, which was still a lot but it just couldn’t be presented with comparing two hadiths or verses. It had to cover all possible aspects for readers who are not familiar with Al-Muwatta.

To be continued..