Dear Sister in Islam
You are beautiful, and you know that Allah has honored you in so many ways through preserving your modesty and dignity. And you are aware that part of Islam’s code of modesty is that you refrain from displaying your beauty in front of strange men.
So what happens when you decide to upload your profile photo on Facebook. Aren’t you doing exactly contrary of what the code of modesty is calling you towards?
By uploading your picture on Facebook, you are inviting strange men to stare at your picture. You are giving them a free pass to gaze at your face and scan your facial features and body. Is that what you really want?
Imagine if a strange man walked up to you in the streets and began staring at your face and observing you, wouldn’t that make you feel uncomfortable? So how can you not mind when thousands of men start to browse your page and gaze at your photos?
Yes, it is a duty upon every man to lower his gaze. Allah (SWT) said:
“(O Prophet!) Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity. That is purer for them. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what they do.” (24:30)
And yes, what these men are doing is definitely an act of disobedience to Allah which they will be accounted for; but think about it for a second sister, who is facilitating it for them?
What’s even worse, when you display your pictures to the world, you are taking a risk by being a possible target of having men upload your picture and use it for their own sick agenda.
Remember sister, modesty is a branch of Iman (faith), so if you don’t feel shy knowing that the whole world can see your pics, then what does that say about your level of faith?
Think about the sin you can be reaping for every man who looks at you with desire and lust. Think about every sister that admires your display of beauty and she imitates it by putting up her own pics thinking it’s okay to do so. Think about the rippling effect you may cause ….it only starts with one sister to follow your example. We all know about sadaqah jariyah (continuous charity), but we seem to forget that there is also such a thing as a continuous state of bad deeds
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: And whoever calls others to misguidance will have a burden of sin like that of those who follow it, without it detracting from their burden in the slightest.” (Muslim 2674).
Wearing our hijab is reminder for ourselves that we need to behave and conduct ourselves in a way that pleases Allah alone, and no one else.
Sister, none of us desire to be recipients of bad deeds. None of us desires to bear the burden of something that can have easily be avoided.
Uploading your pictures on FB is not permissible, so please sister, remove your picture. Remember, when you give up something for the sake of Allah, He will give you better in return.
