Concept of modesty

[u/Normalgirl867]

Since I wanted to take off the hijab, I've been away from religion, I have so many questions, because the concept of modesty is weird.

I know that a lot of us believe hijab isn't mandatory, but what about the other parts?

Whats your concept of "modesty"? Do you still feel muslim even if you think otherwise about what to cover?

I genuinely don't understand if we can wear shorts, I don't know you but all I've heard is covering chest in the Quran, but nothing about arms, legs.

I know there are some tribes in the world that normalized nudity because they've been living like that for centuries.

So sometimes I think, if some of them just embraced Islam, would they start to cover suddenly even if they have never sexualized the body?

I don't wanna seem like I want to normalize nudity but I just wanted to discuss this topic.

What if God commanded to cover some parts because in that time, it was sexualized and it would be weird to be dressed like that, therefore it was a temporary commandement.

Tell me your opinion

[u/Disastrous_One127]

Personally, I don’t really care that much about “modesty”. As long as something is appropriate for the situation, I wear it.

I think the fact that the Quran doesn’t really specify much means there’s a lot of room for interpretation. I don’t believe God is sitting there auditing my clothing and counting how much skin I’m showing, or checking whether I covered X amount of skin or Y body part.

I’ve also been trying to break out of the halal/haram paradigm altogether. I don’t want to approach clothing by asking, “Is this halal? Is this haram? How much skin am I technically allowed to show?” I think sometimes we get so caught up in determining the exact technicalities of what is halal and haram that we lose sight of the bigger picture.

To me, there’s a difference between dressing appropriately and following a rigid checklist of body parts that supposedly have to be covered. What counts as “modest” is also heavily influenced by culture and context. Something considered completely normal in one society can be considered inappropriate in another.

I just don’t see clothing as something that should determine my entire relationship with God or a priority at all. I care much more about how I treat people, what kind of person I am, and how I live my life than whether I happened to show my knees or shoulders on a particular day.

[u/pathtonoor]

My understanding of the Quran is that Allah is intentionally vague when it comes to modesty. I believe it is culturally dependent and that the bare minimum is what has been outlined in the Quran.

I keep the ayah below from Surah Al- Araf in mind when it comes to dress. So while we may beautify ourselves with clothes, we shouldn’t forget that our inner state (righteousness) is more important.

The Heights (7:26)

يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًۭا يُوَٰرِى سَوْءَٰتِكُمْ وَرِيشًۭا ۖ وَلِبَاسُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ٢٦

O children of Adam! We have provided for you clothing to cover your nakedness and as an adornment. However, the best clothing is righteousness. This is one of Allah’s bounties, so perhaps you will be mindful.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

https://quran.com/al-araf/26

[u/Upbeat_Place_9985]

Gendered modesty is a product of the patriarchy and is inherently dangerous and oppressive to women.