In some of my previous discussions, I’ve touched upon the challenges of maintaining modesty in controlling our gaze in contemporary society. The drastically changing norms of today have made this an increasingly demanding feat.
Perhaps one of the primary factors contributing to this challenge is the evolution of fashion. A glance at the last 200 years of fashion reveals a trend in women’s fashion that leans heavily towards less coverage and clothing that is more revealing in nature. This significant shift appears to be the foremost hurdle for young people striving to maintain their modesty in public.
In places where women predominantly wear the niqab (face veil), such as in many areas of Saudi Arabia, excluding the more tourist-frequented cities like Makkah and Madinah, the issue of guarding one’s gaze is considerably reduced.
Many men have noted how living in such environments aids in protecting their gaze.
However, upon returning to Western societies, the contrast becomes extremely stark, highlighting the effect and prevalence of immodesty.
Going back to around two centuries ago, before the waves of colonization swept through various parts of the Muslim world, the landscape of female attire was markedly different.
In those times, it was commonplace in many regions for Muslim women to wear the niqab and veil their faces. This practice was not a mere cultural norm but something with deep roots in the values and traditions of Islamic modesty.
The prevalence of the niqab across diverse Muslim communities served as a testament to the Muslim commitment to modesty and piety, which was a vital cornerstone of the society.
RELATED: Explaining Modesty in Islām: An Important Branch of Īmān
The shift from this norm in the post-colonial era has been quite significant, marking a departure from the traditional attire that once symbolized a key aspect of the Islamic identity.
This historical perspective sheds light on the dramatic change in fashion trends within the Muslim world over the past two centuries, contributing to the current challenges in maintaining modesty in accordance with traditional Islamic values.
Another significant contributor to this challenge is the current state of advertising. Gone are the days when nudity in public advertising was a great taboo.
Now, it’s commonplace to encounter provocative imagery in every conceivable public space, from billboards to public transport, making it harder than ever for us to protect our eyes.
The internet exacerbates this issue even further.
RELATED: From Make-up to Niqab: The Journey of a Muslim Woman
It’s almost impossible to avoid inappropriate and even explicit content. Whether it’s an ad on YouTube, a post on Twitter, or pop-ups on various websites, the exposure to such content is immense, making even the most unintentional of glances a challenge to one’s virtue and purity.
Despite all of these major challenges, I have personally been able to safeguard my gaze and modesty in public.
The internet, on the other hand, is a far more formidable battleground.
Thankfully, there’s a ray of hope with the development of HaramBlur, an AI extension designed to blur out inappropriate content online. Though it’s still in the early stages and has its quirks, like occasionally misidentifying images, it represents a significant step towards creating a more wholesome online environment, one that aligns with our values.
I encourage everyone to consider using HaramBlur browser extension.
There’s also the Tahir browser extension, that others have recommended, which blurs images and videos online. Description:
Avoid haram images & videos on the Internet.
As modesty standards have deteriorated, it has become impossible to avoid impermissible images when browsing the web. Tahir (def: “to purify”) chrome extension is your shield. Automatically blur out images & videos on each website you visit to prevent accidentally seeing anything impermissible. If there is an image/video you would like to see, temporarily turn Tahir off by pressing “Alt+L” or hover your mouse over an image & press “Alt+K” to selectively reveal. You can also permanently whitelist safe websites.
These browser extensions are also completely free to use, so there’s absolutely no reason for you to miss out. Simply download, and start shielding yourself from today. It’s that simple.
Disclaimer: my endorsement is solely for the sake of advocating for a more modest, pure, and virtuous lifestyle. I have no personal affiliations with either of these tools or their developers.
RELATED: Lowering the Gaze: A Vital Islamic Command for Both Men and Women
There are books and memoirs by European explorers who explored the muslim world in the 1800s and before. One example is “British Travellers to Morocco and their Accounts, from mid-16th to mid-20th Centuries”. In these memoirs they mention how the women dressed exactly the same as in the image of algerian women in this article.
And you don’t have to go that far back in time, just type on Google images “Sarajevo 1940s veiled women”, you would think that the images are from a city in north Africa or the near East during the same period, but no it’s almost in central Europe, in the Bosnian city, Sarajevo prior to the communist rule.
This is proof that we are currently living in the period of fitnah that the prophet Muhammad(saw) said would happen at the end of time.
The problem with the Web is that Muslims should really create their own.
We should have a more limited Web, based on just a few hundred websites, heavily moderated.
But this Web would be of quality, just news, Arabic/Islamic learning ressources, maybe a few forums.
And ideally people should use computers only to read/write/send each other TEXTUAL content, the rest is useless and haraam distraction.
Not to bash on this website but a picture is a picture even if it’s from a screen.
And the problem with pictures is not just that it’s almost impossible to prevent fahisha to be pictured but also that pictures are almost impervious to critical thinking.
The human mind is not made by Allah to be bombarded by pictures which fools the brain.
Pictures of even simple things can implant into someone’s mind ideas that are contrary to Islam, without even realizing, because we don’t look at pictures one by one, analyzing the message in it, we just get bombarded with them.
JAZAKA ALLAHU KHAYRA FOR THE EXTENSIONS THAT BLURS HARAM OUT.
Brother, that is so crucial. May Allah reward you.
If you know an app on phone that also does this, then please share it brother.
If you don’t use social media an Ad blocker should be enough (In YouTube, for example). But if you browse such unrestricted feeds you are at risk of encountering this content.
Assalamu’alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh! Thank you for this! May Allah Most High reward you and the extensions’ developers for sharing this. Additionally, it would be great to utilize an AdBlocker too. There’s a lot of garbage spurred through advertisements.
Also, there are people who follow the opinion that all images, including drawings,videos and photographs, are haram. It is best to avoid images overall. They are pyschologically deceiving . Truly, an idolatrous image is an idol.
Shukran Kathiran. Jazakum Allahu Khayran Ahsan Al Jaza.
Everyone is obligated to use and share Tahir with their communities. Still, the world would be much better without the Internet. A great, traditionalist and traditionalist-led civilization.