Etiquette for Women While Walking Outside: Islamic Guidelines and Modesty

Islamic Etiquette for Women Walking Outside: Key Guidelines for Modesty and Conduct

Etiquettes for Women While Walking Outside  

A sister sent a question asking what a woman should keep in mind while walking outside, and how she should walk—whether she should walk slowly or briskly, and whether she should keep her posture straight or slightly bent. What else should she keep in mind while walking?  

I found this question quite significant, so I thought of compiling important information on this topic to benefit not only the questioner but also other Muslim sisters. Based on this question, I have summarized the guidance from Shari’ah in the following lines:  

1. A Woman Should Primarily Stay in Her Home Unless Necessary

When a woman intends to step out of her home, she should primarily keep three things in mind:  

1) Allah has commanded women to reside in their homes, so a woman should adhere to her home and should not step out unnecessarily. Only when there is a need should she step out of the house. Allah says:  

"And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance." (Al-Ahzab: 33)  

This verse instructs women to stay at home, but it also implies that a woman can leave her home for a necessity, provided she does not display adornments like in the days of ignorance and ensures she is properly covered.  

Once, Umar (RA) found it displeasing for women to leave their homes. There is an incident where Umm al-Mu’minin Saudah (RA) went out to relieve herself after the command of hijab had been revealed. Umar (RA) recognized her due to her physique and asked, “How are you stepping out like this?” She returned home and mentioned the incident to the Prophet (ﷺ). At that moment, revelation came down, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said:  

 “You have been granted permission (by Allah) to go out for your needs.”_(Sahih al-Bukhari: 4795)  

This hadith shows that women can step out for genuine needs, such as seeking medical treatment, necessary meetings, prayer, purchasing necessities, engaging in permissible actions within the bounds of Shari’ah, and other unavoidable needs.  

Why is unnecessary outing discouraged? The Prophet (ﷺ) said:  

 “A woman is (like) a concealed thing. When she goes out, the devil seeks to tempt her.” (Sahih al-Tirmidhi: 1173)  

Another narration states:  

 “A woman is an object of concealment. When she goes out, the devil uses her to tempt others. A woman is closest to her Lord when she is in the innermost part of her home.”(Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 1685)  

This highlights that a woman is a means through which Satan can lead her and others to sin. For this reason, Islam discourages unnecessary outings for women to prevent avenues of sin. A woman who stays at home is safe, secure, and closer to her Lord, whereas a woman who steps out unnecessarily may cause fitnah.  

2. Observing Complete Hijab

When stepping out of her home for a need, a woman must observe complete hijab. This is evident from the previously mentioned verse of Surah Al-Ahzab, which prohibits women from displaying adornments when stepping out.  

What does “adornment” (tabarruj) include?

Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani (RA) explains that “tabarruj” means attempting to display one’s beauty, physical features, or makeup to others, especially men. This includes five things:  

• 1. Displaying physical features  
• 2. Exhibiting jewelry or its sound  
• 3. Flaunting clothing  
• 4. Walking in a flirtatious or enticing manner  
• 5. Using fragrances to attract others  

This is further emphasized in the hadith where the Prophet (ﷺ) instructed women to attend Eid prayers. Umm Atiyyah (RA) asked what a woman should do if she does not have a large outer garment. The Prophet (ﷺ) replied:  

 “Her sister should lend her a garment to wear.”(Sahih al-Bukhari: 324)  

This indicates that a woman must be fully covered in hijab before stepping out, even if she has to borrow a garment to do so.  

The women during the Prophet’s time would fully cover their faces, hands, and feet, ensuring their garments touched the ground. Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) narrated:  

 “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave licence to the Mothers of the believers (i.e. the wives of the Prophet) to hang down their lower garment a span. Then they asked him to increase it, and he increased one span for them. They would send (the garment) to us and we would measure it one forearm’s length for them.” (Sunan Abi Dawood: 4119)  

Here, one handspan refers to the distance from mid-calf to one handspan lower, and this permission was given to ensure modesty. The Sahabiyat even requested additional coverage for their garments, which the Prophet (ﷺ) granted.  

A woman once asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about walking on dirty roads during rain. He replied:  

 “Doesn’t a cleaner path follow after that?” (Sunan Abi Dawood: 384)  

This hadith further shows that the clothing of women during that time would trail on the ground for modesty. Today’s women should take inspiration from these examples to reform themselves.  

3. Avoiding Fragrances While Going Out

Women should not apply perfume when stepping out. Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (RA) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:  

 “Every eye commits adultery, and when the woman uses perfume and she passes by a gathering, then she is like this and that,” Meaning an adulteress. (Sahih al-Tirmidhi: 2786)  

This hadith contains a severe warning for women who wear perfume when stepping out, as it attracts people and leads to sin. For this reason, a woman is not allowed to come to the mosque if she has applied perfume. Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:  

 “If a woman fumigates herself with perfume, she must not attend the night prayer (isha prayer) with us. “(Sunan Abi Dawood: 4175)  

Similarly, women should avoid wearing items like anklets or bangles that produce sound, as these attract attention. The Prophet (ﷺ) said regarding women who tempt others or are tempted:  

 “They will not enter Paradise, nor will they even smell its fragrance, even though its fragrance can be smelled from a great distance.” (Sahih Muslim: 2128)  

Keeping the following key points in mind, a woman should observe the following etiquettes while walking:  

1. Walk on the Side of the Road

The first point is that a woman should walk on the side of the road because the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ forbade women from walking in the middle of the road.  

Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:  

“It is not proper for women to walk in the middle of the road.”  

(Silsilah As-Saheehah: 856)

Nowadays, due to vehicles, walking in the middle of the road is difficult for everyone. However, there are still places where people walk across the entire road. In such cases, women should make an effort to walk on the side of the road.  

Abu Usaid Al-Ansari (RA) reported:  

“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say while leaving the mosque when men were mixing with women in the street, ‘Move back, for it is not appropriate for you to walk in the middle of the street. You should walk along the sides.’ After that, women would walk so close to the walls that their garments would sometimes stick to the walls.”  

(Sunan Abi Dawood: 5272, authenticated by Albani)

Reflect on how enthusiastically the female companions (RA) would follow the commandments of the Prophet ﷺ. SubhanAllah!  

2. Lowering the Gaze  

While walking, it is an important Islamic injunction for women to lower their gaze. Both men and women are instructed to do so, but women are specifically commanded to observe this. Allah says:  

"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.)"  

(Surah An-Nur: 31)  

This verse applies universally, whether in public, while walking, or traveling. A woman should lower her gaze, conceal her adornment, and wear her veil over her chest.  

Based on this verse, it becomes evident that women should avoid looking around unnecessarily or staring at everything while walking. Instead, they should walk with their head lowered, gaze lowered, and focus on the path ahead. Only when necessary should they look up.  

Abu Hurairah (RA) described the walking habits of the Prophet ﷺ:  

“I followed the Prophet ﷺ as he went to relieve himself, and he did not look around while walking. I moved closer to him.”  

(Sahih Bukhari: 155)

Similarly, Jabir bin Abdullah (RA) reported:  

“When the Prophet ﷺ walked, he would not look behind him.”  

(Sahih Al-Jami’: 4870)  

If this was the walking habit of the Prophet ﷺ as a man, a woman, who is naturally more modest, should be even more cautious in this regard.  

3. Avoid Stomping the Feet

Allah commands women:  

"And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment."  

(Surah An-Nur: 31)  

This verse prohibits women from walking in a manner that reveals their hidden adornments, such as anklet sounds or any other decoration. A woman should walk with dignity and decorum, avoiding ostentation or drawing unnecessary attention.  

4. Modesty is a Woman’s Ornament

A woman’s adornment lies in her modesty. When leaving the house, she should walk with a sense of humility, avoiding a flirtatious or provocative gait. This is evident from the story of Prophet Musa (AS) in which one of the daughters of the old man approached him with modesty:  

"Then there came to him one of the two women, walking shyly."  

(Surah Al-Qasas: 25)

Prophet Musa (AS) had prayed to Allah for goodness, and Allah responded by sending one of the daughters with modesty and shyness to invite him to her father.  

5. Avoid Walking with Arrogance

Neither men nor women are allowed to walk with pride or arrogance. Women, being naturally delicate, should walk with even more humility. Allah dislikes arrogance, as highlighted by the example of a man from Bani Israel:  

Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:  

“A man was walking in arrogance, pleased with himself, with his hair well-combed, and wearing fine garments, when Allah caused the earth to swallow him, and he will continue sinking until the Day of Judgment.”  

(Sahih Bukhari: 5789) 

6. Greeting Men and Women

Regarding whether a woman can greet a man or vice versa, Sahih narrations suggest that men can greet women and women can greet men when there is no fear of temptation.  

For example, the Prophet ﷺ passed by a group of women and greeted them:  

“The Prophet ﷺ passed by us while we were sitting and greeted (salaam) us.”  

(Sahih Abi Dawood: 5204)

Similarly, women greeted the Prophet ﷺ, such as Umm Hani bint Abi Talib during the conquest of Makkah.  

The summary is that greeting (salaam) is permissible when there is no fear of temptation, such as with elderly individuals or in a group setting. However, if there is a risk of temptation, it is better to avoid greetings. Additionally, it should be noted that greeting is a Sunnah, not obligatory (wajib)

Final Words  

Allah has created women with a structure and characteristics entirely different from men. For this reason, a woman is considered a symbol of modesty and her life should consistently reflect this modesty. This modesty should be evident not only in clothing and attire but also in her conduct, dealings, and speech.  

In the above lines, a few key points regarding a woman’s behavior while walking in public have been mentioned. Besides these, there may be other related matters, but the foundational aspects have been covered. Alongside this, women should also be aware of the following:  

• They should not step out wearing fashionable, revealing, or provocative clothing, or the type of attire associated with fame or immoral women. Such clothing can lead to mischief and render the woman sinful.  
• Women should not wear high-heeled shoes when stepping out.  
• Laughing aloud, talking unnecessarily in a loud voice, walking while conversing on a mobile phone, unnecessarily stopping in crowds to greet or converse, or lifting their gaze without necessity towards men are all inappropriate behaviors for women.  
• Women must not imitate men, as this is a cause of curse.  

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:  

“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed those men who imitate women and those women who imitate men.”  

(Sahih al-Bukhari: 5885)  

Moreover, a Muslim woman must not imitate the shameful or immoral traits or practices of disbelieving or immoral women. It should also be noted that a woman may travel alone for short distances, but for longer journeys, it is not permissible for her to travel without a Mahram. Even for nearby places, she should avoid going alone to unsafe locations unless absolutely necessary.  

In modern times, even short distances are often covered by vehicles. In such cases, a woman should sit separately from men while traveling. Regrettably, some women are seen sitting behind non-Mahram men on motorcycles, which is not permissible.  

I pray to Allah Almighty to grant Muslim mothers and sisters the ability to follow the path of Islam, to adopt the Islamic veil, and to conduct their travel within the boundaries of Shariah. Ameen.