Title: Does Al-Noor 24: 32-33 Provide an Exhaustive List? Question: Again, Jazak Alllah for answering my previous questions. They did clear up a lot of my queries. My question here relates to Ch 24 verses 32-33: And say to the believing women that they restrain their looks and guard their private parts, and that they display not their beauty or their embellishment except that which is apparent thereof, and that they draw their head-coverings over their bosoms, and that they display not their beauty or their embellishment save to their husbands, or to their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers or the sons of their brothers, or the sons of their sisters, or women who are their companions, or those that their right hands possess, or such of male attendants as have no desire for women, or young children who have not yet attained knowledge of the hidden parts of women. And that they strike not their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may become known. And turn ye to Allah all together, O believers, that you may prosper. My question is, is this an exhaustive list? Meaning: Can we add to this list people whom a woman does not have to like cover her head in front of? For example, take my own situation, where my sister-in-law is living in the same house as me. Now if we are strict and only look at these verses, a brother-in-law is not mentioned as a person whom she can 'display her beauty or embellishment'. So technically she must cover her head in front of me. Is this the case? If so, then my sister-in-law might as well live in a prison, as it would make her life hell to do so in her own home, where I live too. This, I cannot accept to be the case, but cannot strictly explain these verses. How do you see them? Or interpret them? Are there any examples during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) that certain women did not cover there heads in front of their cousins, or brother-in-laws? If so, can you please provide some references? Jazak Allah Mashhood United Kingdom Answer: The Holy Qur'an has explicitly mentioned the relations before which a woman must refrain from displaying her ornaments she adorns herself with. The style and pattern of the verse does not leave us with any possibility of adding to this list. The words 'that they should not display their ornaments except what inevitably shows' need special consideration. The verse itself contains the possible exceptions and leaves no rooms for deriving further exceptions. Therefore, the clear and explicitly expressed directive can no way be overlooked. The purpose of the directive is not to create any difficulty for the believers. On the contrary, like all the other Qur'anic decrees it serves the purpose of purifying the heart and soul of such inclinations, which might blight it. We do not find any incident where the Prophet (sws) endorsed any violation of this directive. I hope this helps. Tariq Mahmood Hashmi February 10, 2003