In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Purdah: External or of the Heart? (In the light of Quran and Hadith)

”The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Women who are clothed yet appear naked, who attract others and are themselves attracted, and who walk with swaying necks like Bactrian camels, will never enter Jannah nor even perceive its fragrance.“ (Sahih Muslim)

اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ یُحِبُّوْنَ اَنْ تَشِیْعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِی الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِیْمٌۙ فِی الدُّنْیَا وَ الْاٰخِرَةِؕ وَ اللّٰهُ یَعْلَمُ وَ اَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ۝

Transliteration: Inna alladhīna yuḥibbūna an tashī‘a al-fāḥishatu fī alladhīna āmanū lahum ‘adhābun alīm, fid-dunyā wal-ākhirah; wallāhu ya‘lamu wa antum lā ta‘lamūn

Translation: “Indeed, those who love that immorality should spread among the believers — for them is a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter; and Allah knows, while you do not know.” (An-Nur 19)

Nowadays, one of the most common arguments used to spread immodesty is the claim that purdah is only of the heart. It has become a slogan among unveiled women that purdah is of the heart. But the heart was already concealed. Where did this notion come from that purdah is only of the heart? Purdah is of the eyes; purdah is of the face. The heart is already veiled within.

‘Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum رضي الله عنه once came to the house of the Prophet ﷺ. ‘A’ishah رضي الله عنها and Hafsah رضي الله عنها — the Mothers of the Believers — were present, and the Companion who had arrived was blind. The Prophet ﷺ said: Go inside, go inside. They said: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! He is blind. He ﷺ replied: You are not blind — he is blind. Go inside.

Purity of Both the Outer and the Inner

The wives of the Prophet ﷺ — whose purity was affirmed by the Quran from above the heavens — were instructed to observe purdah even from a blind man. Then who are the people today who say that purdah is only of the heart? They say: the heart should be pure; the outward does not matter.

If that were true, then why do you remove a shirt when it becomes dirty? Why change it, when inwardly you are clean? Why change clothes if only the outward is soiled while the inner self remains pure? This shows that for oneself, both outward and inward cleanliness are considered important.

If someone brings you a glass of water that is smeared on the outside with food, flour, salt, or dirt — would a person of sound nature drink it? He would refuse and say: What is this? Why was it brought in such a state? If told: the inside is clean, only the outside is dirty — would you drink it?

For yourself, you want both the outward and inward to be clean and beautiful. Yet only in relation to Allah do people accept outward impurity, claiming inward purity alone is sufficient. But how can the inward be pure when the outward is corrupt? If the channel is filthy, how can the water flowing through it remain pure?

When bed sheets, covers, or garments become dirty, they are immediately replaced — not because they are impure in a legal sense, but because they appear dirty. If outward impurity is unacceptable in daily life, how can it be acceptable before Allah?

We pray that Allah grants all Muslim men and women the ability to purify both their outward and inward selves, and to observe both the inner modesty and the external purdah. Ameen.