Did they forget the next verse?

Source: SaqibSaab

Written by Ayesha Siddique of www.anightingale.com

Imagine a group of Muslim boys sitting together on a Friday night at a friend’s place. They’re making plans to go to the local Blockbuster and rent a movie to watch later that evening. The following conversation ensues:

BOne: What do you guys want to watch?

BTwo: Nothing in particular

BThree: Dude, I’ve haven’t seen Transformers yet, do you want to get that?

BOne: Yea, dude! I heard they made Optimus Prime look sick!

BTwo: Who cares about the robot, the girl in that movie has a slamming body. I would watch just for her.

BOne: Haha, so wrong, yet so right!

BThree: But foreal, let’s rent it.

Disgusting, right? How could Muslim boys have no shame and talk about women in such a way? Why aren’t they embarrassed admitting in front of their friends that they don’t lower their gaze, and that they want to watch something solely for the purposes of checking out girls?

Fortunately, I’m under the impression that conversations like this don’t usually happen with practicing Muslim boys. Even if the reality is that they watch movies and don’t mind seeing girls in them, they’re still likely to be embarrassed to openly discuss the “eye-candy” on screen with one another. Because it’s an unspoken understanding that it just isn’t Islamically correct and one should be embarrassed about not having any modest.

Unfortunately, however, I’m under the impression that conversations like this DO happen with practicing Muslim girls. In fact, I’ve heard a conversation similar to this, except in this case it was a debate to watch Troy. One girl made a point that although it was another typically lame action movie, it would be acceptable to just watch it on mute because of Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Brad Pitt, and small leather outfits.

So why do girls think it’s okay to talk this way? Why don’t they have any modesty, or feel any embarrassment about discussing “eye-candy” on screen?

Is it because girls often forget that modesty is not only in dress, or in manners, but it’s also in speech, which includes their voices and what they’re saying?

Or is it because they forget that verse 30 in Surat an’Nur, “Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision…,” is followed by verse 31 that states, “And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision…” ?

Or is it just because there’s a double standard? Most people, Muslim or not, admit that talking about women like they are pieces of meat is generally unacceptable and very “sexist” or “pig-headed.” But hardly ever do you hear anyone complain about the reverse conversations that happen almost everyday between girls. Whether they’re talking about a new co-worker, classmate, lab partner, professor, cashier, actor, etc, girls talk about boys all the time with their friends, and without any modesty at all.

I think it’s time for girls to be more critical of themselves and their friends. If practicing Muslim boys can refrain from this type of talk, then so should practicing girls. After all, the commandments from Allah were sent for both, so they should be followed by both.

May Allah increase us all in our modesty.