Q: To what extent do women have to lower their gaze with and towards other women if they do (when there’s no fitnah)? I know that you can’t see from below the navel to the knee and including the knees, back and stomach.
Now in a normal setting among other women, everyone is fully covered but not always in “modest” clothing since it’s females. So in some areas clothes are tight like when wearing a t-shirt for example or trousers. When they wear clothes like this for example, the shape of their body is shown. Are we sinful if we look at their body? Or if we see the shape of things that are apparent or showing (when there is no fitnah)?
Are we supposed to be lowering our gaze as females to other females too? Because when they move etc. even then things naturally show, so what do we do? Are we sinful if we’ve looked or if we’ve seen anything?
A: Dressing up in this manner before other women while wearing tight fitting clothing which reveals the shape of the body is not the way of Islam. This is part of the kuffaar culture and is against shame and modesty which Islam commands a woman to uphold in her life.
A believer should firmly hold onto the way of Islam and totally shun every other way that is against Islam.
The Islamic dress of a woman is one of modesty and shame. The garments should be long loose fitting garments which cover the entire body. Similarly, the hair should also be covered with a scarf.
For a Muslim woman to look at another Muslim woman's body (i.e. besides the satr area which is below the navel up to and including the knee) is permissible on condition that there are no feelings of lust perceived by either side and on condition that this will not lead to any type of fitnah taking place.
Though this amount of a Muslim woman's body is not satr for another Muslim woman, it does not mean that a woman should come before other woman exposing her body before them or dressing inappropriately before them.
Even when coming before Muslim women, Islam encourages that hayaa and modesty be upheld in one's dressing and that a woman does not emulate the kuffaar way and culture. Therefore, dressing in this manner in a gathering is against the teachings of Islam.
Apart from this, due to the abundant fitnah found everywhere, it is best for a woman not to be present in such an environment where other Muslim women are not dressed Islamically and they are not committed to practicing upon the Islamic teachings of hayaa and modesty.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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