Three Areas of Privacy

In every society, the perception of privacy is shaped by the influence of religion. Although human laws have defined where privacy begins and where it ends within the framework of legal boundaries, the religion one follows determines the real limits with rules that are binding for the adherents of the religion. The perception of privacy may change over time depending on how committed society is to upholding religious norms. Sadly, today's widespread perception of privacy is incongruent with the system created by either the distorted, falsified religions or Islam.

Privacy is a crucial element of human nature. Its origins go back to our creation. When our ancestors ate from the forbidden tree, their private parts were revealed. Deeply ashamed, they tried covering themselves with the leaves of the trees in Jannah; however, they were then expelled from there because they followed shaytan and went against Allah’s (jalla jalaluhu) prohibition.

As it is mentioned in surah Al-Araf, Allah the Exalted had warned them. He also warned us, their children, throughout the ages with the prophets He sent to us and the revelations He gave them. He informed us that shaytan deceived Adam (alayhissalam) and our mother Hawwa (rahmatullahi alayha) and robbed them of their peaceful existence in Jannah and that he would try to deceive their descendants in the same way as well. He repeatedly stated that the ardent struggle of shaytan will never end, and that the children of Adam must be vigilant against his treacherous ways.

Shaytan’s Area of Expertise

Exposure is shaytan’s way, whereas privacy is the fard Allah requires of us. The first of shaytan’s tricks, and one of the fields where he is most experienced, is privacy. Allah’s enemy, shaytan, is also the enemy of mankind. For this, he works to violate privacy and tear open the veils that protect our modesty.

In our time, he continues to play his devious tricks and deceive Adam's children. He especially makes a point of derailing the lives of those who do not surrender to Allah and Islam. He wrecks their families and tears down their communities. But for nearly a century, he has been tricking a significant part of Muslims in terms of privacy. Now, he easily strips Muslims, whom he had not been able to bring to shed their traditional clothes for thirteen centuries, of both their physical and mental garbs of modesty.

So, what has changed? Of course, one can offer many explanations. But it is clear where every single explanation will lead to: Surrender...

To be a Muslim is to surrender to what Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) has sent and what the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has revealed. However, some of those who say they believe, have a Muslim appearance, and are known as believers, no longer display the attitude enshrined in the words “we heard and obeyed” (Al-Baqarah, 285; An-Nur, 51). In everyday situations, they choose to ignore the commands of Allah and His Messenger.

Some Muslims learn about Islam, hear about mahram, and see what hijab is like, but despite that, looking at their lives leaves little room for interpretation that, instead of saying, “we heard and obeyed,” they are engrossed in a divergent lifestyle, almost as if to say, “we heard and rebelled.” They either knowingly sin or pretend to believe.

In the 30th verse of surah An-Nur, Allah the Most High says, “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity…” In the 31st verse, with the command, “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity,” He clearly states that it is haram for a believing man to look at a non-mahram woman and for a believing woman to look at a non-mahram man.

If looking alone is haram, can it be permissible to display one’s body? The ayah is incontrovertibly clear:

“And tell the believing women to lower their gazes and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which (necessarily) appears thereof and to wrap (a portion of) their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment (beauty) except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess (i.e., slaves), or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.” (An-Nur, 31)

While it is forbidden to so much as look at strangers outside of the exceptions in the ayah (such as parents, children, siblings), today, Muslims go far beyond looking at haram, due to mixed education, business life, house meetings, and holiday practices. Men and women talk, joke around, and mingle freely. While there is an adab of covering one’s body even when alone in the bathroom, some Muslims have no problems undressing on public beaches. They even showcase their bodies on social media to reach more people.

Of course, a woman should study, but not in a mixed environment. She can work if necessary, but not in a setting that is insensitive to the principles of Islam guarding her modesty. It is possible to take a vacation or go to the beach without violating the limits of privacy. However, men and women, whom Islam considers strangers without nikah, cannot mingle or live together. These are the tenets of the shariah.

Despite this, most people today do not abide by the laws of Allah but rather blindly follow the trends of the time. The limits of privacy set by Islam are being openly disregarded in most places around the world. People neither respect the bodies that have been entrusted to them nor that of anyone else. As the walls of privacy collapse, societies become corrupt. Families are torn apart. Child abuse becomes increasingly common. Those who offer the Islamic principles of privacy as a remedy and those who speak unreservedly in favor of preserving the natural order ordained by Allah are silenced. Sometimes they can be accused of being “stuck playing back outdated and clichéd arguments.” Some people can even attempt to give legitimacy to ideologies and mentalities churned out by the machinations of the nafs and shaytan. They conveniently pick up perfectly sensible elements of the rules of Islam and warp them beyond recognition. They make outlandish claims such as, “what you have been practicing is not the real religion,” as if there had been no competent Islamic scholar to shed light on the matter in question before their so-called eye opener was revealed.

And yet, privacy is a fard set down by Allah, expressly required by Islam and the Qur'an. Even if it doesn’t seem adaptable to the style of the times and current cultural norms, that is the ruling. Moving from a free-mixing life to a life of privacy depends only on the sincerity of Muslims.

What Is Mahram?

Generally speaking, mahram is one's own private space. It is one’s inviolable field where they are the sole determinant of the place, time, and conditions when communicating with others. It is the common right of all people regardless of age, color, race, religion, or gender. It is a right that should be protected and respected both in relations between people and in legal regulations.

Although mahram is first understood as the covering of private places, it is not limited to this definition. It’s a multidimensional concept that encompasses the body, home, family, and certain times and locations. In this sense, there are three types of privacy. These are the privacies of body, space, and information.

The perception of privacy is shaped by the influence of religion. Although human laws have defined where privacy begins and where it ends within the framework of legal boundaries, the religion they are followers of determines the real limits with rules that are binding for the adherents of the religion. The perception of privacy may change over time depending on how committed society is to upholding religious norms. As a matter of fact, today's widespread perception of privacy is incongruent with the system created by either the distorted, falsified religions or Islam. Just seventy to eighty years ago, there was almost no society in the world where both men and women dressed openly and exhibited their bodies like they do today.

Privacy of One’s Body

The concept of body privacy comes naturally. Human beings begin to realize themselves and get to know their bodies at an early age. From that point onwards, the example set and the education given by adults shape their perception of privacy.

In our understanding, the issue of privacy is directly set by the limits ordained by Allah (jalla jalaluhu). The word mahram comes from the root word “haram.” Haram is what Allah has strictly forbidden. Then, mahram is “the state of being haram.” What we call sins are the things by which one trespasses the boundaries set by Allah. Mahram is one such boundary, and violating it is a major sin.

The concept of "mahram" is also used for close relatives whose marriage to one another is eternally forbidden. “Non-mahram,” on the other hand, refers to the situation of women and men who do not have eternal marriage prohibition against each other.

When we say “the mahrams of our body,” we mean the parts of our body that we are forbidden to show, according to Islam. It is obligatory to cover mahram areas. It is haram to show these parts, and it is similarly haram for someone else to look at and touch them. In this context, it is haram for women to go out on the street with their heads, hair, arms, and legs uncovered. In addition, it is the same with being seen by others in thin or transparent clothing or clothes that wrap themselves tightly enough around the curves of the body to show its outlines, revealing their body or showing skin, with the exception of those for whom Islam has made it permissible to see one another in simple clothing. Just like in salah, it is obligatory for women to cover their whole body except for the hands and face in the presence of male strangers. It is haram to do what is prohibited and not to fulfill the fards.

For men, covering between the navel and the kneecaps is obligatory. There are no mahram parts for babies. According to Hanafi mujtahids, the mahram parts of children between the ages of four and ten are only the front and back private areas called “primary private parts.” After the age of ten, they are subject to the same privacy criteria as adults. According to some scholars, adults -including parents- cannot look at their children's private parts from the age of seven. Other scholars assert this rule comes into effect at the age of ten.

In essence, mahram refers to the state of these prohibitions being haram. People who dress as previously specified, revealingly, tightly, or thinly are sinful because they violate the ruling in Islamic fiqh, which unequivocally proclaims these as haram.

Whom Does the Body Belong To?

A Muslim cannot say, “My body belongs to me; I can do whatever I want with it.” On the contrary, they should have an unwavering consciousness in line with the thought, “my body is entrusted to me; therefore, I can do only as much as my creator allows me.” This preconceived acceptance is the basis of our understanding of privacy.

Let's unpack the concepts of keeping a trust and being entrusted with something further, because the prevalent un derstanding today suggests that our bodies belong to us. Through these obtrusive impositions designed to warp our perspective, we are condemned to a gigantic industry that responds to every desire of our nafs while dulling our minds to the transience of our tenure in our physical forms.

Everything in the world is entrusted to us, including our bodies and limbs. The true owner is Allah the Exalted. It is He who determines the shape and appearance of the body.

“He is the one who composes you in any form He wills” (Al-Infitar, 8).

Our heart, sensory organs, and circulatory and nervous systems do not work according to our will. Even if we tell our heart, "Don't stop, keep going," it will stop once Azrael (alayhissalam) arrives to claim our lives. It listens to its owner, not us. And man returns to his Lord. In the ayah,“Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will (all) return” (al-Baqarah 156), it is clearly stated to whom we belong.

The owner of this trust has determined how we are to use it. Allah has drawn the boundaries we must comply with regarding our bodies. A person who does not cover their body, although its owner demands that it remains covered, in a way, says, “Allah has no say in how I live my life,” and becomes a prisoner of their nafs and shaytan while rebelling against their creator.

The details of mahram in Islam are explained in Islamic books specifically authored to guide believers in managing their day-to-day affairs. It is necessary for every Muslim to read and learn against whom and to what extent they must protect their privacy, and act accordingly.

The Wall of Hijab

There are walls, trenches, and fortresses that protect our mahram. These prevent the violation of privacy. “Hijab,” which is mentioned in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, forms the bulwarks of this fortress. The walls of hijab are built with iman, then get stronger with modesty and chastity. Those who abandon hijab violate the limits of mahram set by Islam.

The ayahs about hijab are clear. While the details of the five daily prayers we perform are explained in hadiths, even the form of the hijab is specified by Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) Himself in the Qur'an. In other words, the ayah regarding hijab gives more detailed information than even the ayah of salah.

However, in the last century, some so-called scholars have claimed that there is no such thing as hijab as we know it in Islam and that the ayahs regarding the hijab were only intended for the wives of the Prophet. As we most regrettably have come to witness in the Islamic world, the social engineering spinning its web around the globe is working tirelessly behind the scenes to foist the shameful ideology of "close the Qur'an, open the woman" on unsuspecting Muslims. Worse yet, some of those who orchestrate these malignant ideals go further and dare to say, "open both the Qur'an and the woman.” Thus, it would not be an exaggeration to say that some intend to serve the shaytan’s agenda, alienating people from Islam under the guise of reading and interpreting the Qur’an.

The Companions did not discuss the hijab,as is the proclivity of the masses today, but exercised it in their lives. Before the hijab ayah, women covered half of their heads. They tied their headscarves from behind, leaving their necks and collars exposed. Men and women sat together whether they were at home or outside. Finally, ayahs regarding hijab, such as, “O Prophet! Tell your wives, daughters, and women of the believers to draw their cloaks over their bodies (when they go out for their needs)..." (al-Ahzab, 59) began to be revealed. Thus, as it was forbidden to look at haram, women were now ordered to cover their necks and collars in the presence of male strangers and wear an additional layer of clothing that concealed their skin and form when they went out.

In addition, as outlined at the end of the 31st ayah of surah An-Nur, with the order “...Let them not stomp their feet, drawing attention to their hidden adornments,” women were commanded to walk without attracting attention.

When our Prophet conveyed these ayahs, men informed their wives about these orders. The female Companions immediately covered their heads with the covers they found as described in the ayah. Until the last century, the hijab was an inseparable part of the Muslim woman and represented her dignity, chastity, and nobility. It became the symbol of the measure and limits determined by Allah Almighty in the life of society. For this reason, the kufr who occupied Muslim lands wanted to destroy the hijab first.

Now for a century, the hijab has been relegated to the bottom of the cultural hierarchy. Exhibitionism, flashy displays of the human body, and flaunting physicality have been granted the apex position in this twisted pyramid that supplies the demands of the masses at the expense of tradition, belief, and identity. Islamic cities have changed. In the 19th century, Western ambassadors in Istanbul were ashamed to go out on the streets because their clothing did not conform to the modest norms of the country. Today, many Muslim women have become ashamed of their hijabs. On the other hand, women who appear to be wearing hijab but, in reality, use it as a fashion statement  have become a disturbingly common sight. We have abandoned hijab and descended to the concept of tabarruj, that is, trying to become as alluring as possible. There are many who do not apply the hijab properly. Few people who follow the Qur’an remain, and those who follow the rules of their own books have increased. The golden age of Islam, with its reverent observance of hijab, is long gone, and the age of shameless unveiling has begun. Even the ayahs regarding hijab sent down by Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, came to be viewed as controversial.

The first group of people responsible for the preservation of mahram is Muslims. This is due to the fact that non-Muslims are responsible for accepting the one true faith of Islam before they can be considered accountable for its laws and regulations, whereas believers are obliged to prove their iman by doing what is asked of them. For this reason, a Muslim who believes in Allah and the religion He has revealed cannot violate the limits of mahram. A believer is one who surrenders to the conditions of iman and Islam, not to the trends and prevailing sensations of the time. The proof that a believer’s loyalties lie with their beliefs can only be embodied by a life lived according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

The Privacy of Space

The private sphere of a person is not only limited to his body. Like the body, a person’s garden, home, and even their room is a private space. And like the body, one’s personal space and home should be protected from haram as well.

Protecting the privacy of the body is related to the protection of the home. For this reason, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) forbade entering other people's houses without permission. He has forbidden behaviors aimed at learning about the private states of others. He implemented these principles meticulously in his own private life. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had double layered curtains drawn throughout his window and had his door made of thick wood. Furthermore, he expelled someone from Medina for trying to look inside his house.

Home privacy is not just about protecting the house from the outside. Even those living in the same household should respect each other's privacy; For example, domestic workers and children should ask permission when entering the parent's room at certain times, as clearly commanded in the Qur'an:

“O you who have believed, let those whom your right hands possess (slaves) and those who have not (yet) reached puberty among you ask permission of you (before entering) at three times: before the dawn prayer and when you put aside your clothing [for rest] at noon and after the night prayer. (These are) three times of privacy (being uncovered) for you. There is no blame upon you nor upon them beyond these (periods), for they continually circulate among you - some of you, among others. Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses (i.e., His ordinances); and Allah is Knowing and Wise. And when the children among you reach puberty, let them ask permission (at all times) as those before them have done. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses; and Allah is Knowing and Wise. And when the children among you reach puberty, let them ask permission (at all times) as those before them have done. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses; and Allah is Knowing and Wise.” ( An-Nur, 58-59)

As understood from the ayah, even people in the same house ask for permission when entering each other's rooms. Children ask for permission when entering the rooms of their parents and vice versa. Siblings also get permission from each other. Privacy begins with a feeling of respect for those closest to oneself.

Body, home, and room privacy apply to everyone, everywhere. The measures that a person should take to avoid having the eyes of strangers peer into their personal living space is the hijab of the house. This goes to show that privacy is a holistic concept; it is not only about the privacy of the body, but also about the privacy of where one lives.

There are other adabs about home privacy. When the person who knocks on the door to enter is asked who it is, a clear answer should be given to introduce themselves instead of vague statements such as “Me” or “It’s me.” Also, “When the Messenger of Allah came to someone's door, he would not turn his face to the door, he would turn his right or left shoulder. Then he would say, 'assalamu alaikum, assalamu alaikum.’” (Abu Dawud, Adab, 138)

In Ottoman architecture, they would pay great attention to the privacy of space. The houses were specifically designed for privacy. In fact, it started at the door. There were two knockers on the outer door: one thick and one thinner. The thick one was used by male visitors, and the other by female visitors. Thus, it would be clear whether the visitor was a lady or a gentleman.

The Privacy of Information

It is haram to talk about one’s private affairs at home when talking to people outside one’s home who are not part of the same household. This falls under information privacy, and it covers a wide area. It is valid in different places, from the protection of state-owned information to the confidentiality of private matters between peers and commercial partners. The most basic expression of information privacy is “observance of confidentiality.”

Imam Ghazali (rahmatullahi alayh) tells a beautiful story about the privacy between spouses:

One of the righteous people had a falling out with his wife. Situations that he could not tolerate appeared in the woman, and they ended up in court. On the way there, he met a friend. His friend asked where he was going, and he told him he went to court to get divorced. When his friend asked about his wife, wondering why he was getting a divorce, he responded:

“It is not appropriate for a man to say anything but good about his wife under his nikah.”

Even after the divorce happened, people wondered and asked him about the reason. This time he said:

“She is a woman who separated from me. How can I talk about someone who is not under my nikah and my responsibility!”

Today, such a taciturn understanding of family privacy may seem strange to most and might even be disapproved by many because we are in the age of social media, where family secrets are spilled onto digital streets and avenues for the perusal of total strangers just so that one can garner more “likes” and have more “followers.” Most of our houses have lost the blessing of abundance and prosperity we once enjoyed as the adherents of the Islamic sense of privacy and our once-great family structure has long disintegrated. There is no peace at home, and most children are depressed. Because the curtains and veils of the house and the family have opened, there are no longer veils in houses, bodies, hearts, or tongues.

The chastity of love is in secrecy. The chastity of the eye is in the eyelids. It is to not look at haram. The chastity of the tongue is to not speak haram. Shame and haya are from iman. Haya starts in the eye. Therefore, it is important both to protect the eye from haram and to control the things that appeal to it. Some who pay attention to privacy at home do not do the same on the internet. Many people share their bodies, homes, and what they eat and drink on social media. Non-mahram people see these things. In short, the principle of separation is being violated on the internet. When that happens, privacy becomes something only vaguely spoken about and not practiced as it should be.

If we believe in Islam, it means we believe in the rules of privacy it puts in place as well. Opening this field to discussion today is a clear opposition to both the ayahs of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. It also means that we are claiming that Islam has been misunderstood and practiced falsely for fourteen centuries, which is to suggest that Islam is an incomprehensible religion. We seek refuge in Allah from such deviations.

Abdülhamid Eşmeli