❞ كتاب Like a Garment ❝ ⏤ أبو عمار ياسر القاضي

 As- Salaam Alaikum!
I welcome you to our ‘Like A Garment’ e-book, an initiative that seeks to educate Muslims to find
conjugal bliss in their marriages.
The name of this project came from one of the most beautiful, poetic and profound metaphors
of the Qur’aan. Allah states, “Permitted for you, during the night of the fast, that you approach
your wives. They are your garments, and you are their garments”
[al-Baqarah; 187].
In this verse, each spouse is described as a ‘garment’ to the other. The famous exegete Ibn Jarir
al-Tabari (d. 311) stated that this description most aptly described the act of intimacy between
the spouses, for during that act, each spouse sheds his or her other garments and then wraps

around the other, taking the place of clothes. Al-Qurtubi (d. 671) also comments on this meta-
phor, and adds that just as clothes protect their wearer from the external elements, similarly each

spouse protects the other from external passions that would harm
a marriage.
Combining between the various explanations of this beautiful metaphor found in the books of
tafseer, we can derive many meanings from it:
- The act of procreation is so intimate that it is literally as if one of the spouses covers up the other,
just as clothing covers up one’s body. Another euphemism that the Qur’aan uses for the sexual
act is the verb ghashsha, which means ‘to cover up, to envelop’.
- One primary purpose of clothing is to conceal one’s nakedness, since this nakedness (or `awrah)
is embarrassing to display, and should be hidden from the eyes of others. Similarly, each spouse
conceals the other spouse’s faults, and does not reveal them to others.

- Clothing protects one from the external elements, such as heat and cold. Similarly, spouses pro-
tect one another from external desires that originate from many different sources. By satisfying

these desires within the confines of marriage, external passions are removed.
- Clothing is the primary method through which humans beautify themselves. Without clothing,
one is incomplete and naked. Similarly, spouses beautify and complete one another; when a
person is not married, he or she is not yet complete and has not reached his or her full potential.
Marriage is an essential part of being fully human, just like clothes are an essential part of being
fully civilized.
- Clothes are only worn in front of others, and are not necessary in front of spouses. It is only in front
of one’s spouse that the other spouse can discard his or her garments.
- Clothes are the closest thing to one’s body. Nothing comes between a person and his or her
clothes. So the analogy of spouses being ‘like clothes to one another’ implies such a closeness –
there is nothing, literally and metaphorically, that should come between spouses.

1

The Hadith

of

Jabir

Jabir b. Abdillah was the son of a famous warrior, Abdullah b. Haram. Jabir was from the Ansar,
and accepted Islam as a young boy. He was blessed to participate in the Treaty of Aqaba, and
lived an extremely long life. Because of this, Jabir became one of the most profuse narrators of
hadith, earning his name in the top five companions in terms of quantity of hadith narrated.
Jabir married young – he was probably seventeen when he got married. His marriage occurred
shortly after his father died a martyr in the Battle of Uhud. His story is mentioned in most books of
hadith, including the two Sahihs:
Jabir b. Abdillah reported that once he was on an expedition with the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi
wa sallam, and when they were close to the city of Madinah, he sped on his mount. The Prophet
salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked him why he was in such a hurry to return home. Jabir replied,
“I am recently married!” The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked, “To an older lady or a
younger one?” [the Arabic could also read: “To a widow or a virgin?”], to which he replied, “A
widow.” The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “But why didn’t you marry a younger girl,
so that you could play with her, and she could play with you, and you could make her laugh, and
she could make you laugh?” He said, “O Messenger of Allah! My father died a martyr at Uhud,
leaving behind daughters, so I did not wish to marry a young girl like them, but rather an older one
who could take care of them and look after them.” The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa salam
replied, “You have made the correct choice...”
[hadith to be continued in the following section]

This is part of a much larger hadith, known as the ‘hadith of Jabir’. It is a hadith full of benefits, and
in fact separate treatises have been written by our scholars just on this one hadith. Some of the
benefits we can derive from the portion cited above include:
- The frankness of the Prophet’s salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam question. He is encouraging Jabir to
find a playful wife, and wants the both of them to enjoy each other. This clearly shows that it is one
of the primary goals of a marriage that each party find satisfaction in the other.
- The connotation of being sexually playful is clearly implied, without any direct reference. From
this, and many other references, we see that the Qur’aan and Sunnah are frank about sexuality,
but never vulgar. This should be our attitude and tone as well.
The Hadith of Jabir: Part 1

In our previous section we mentioned the famous hadith of Jabir b. Abdillah, in which the Prophet
salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked Jabir if he had married a young girl,
“...so that you can play with her and she can play with you, and you could make her laugh, and
she could make you laugh.”
The famous commentator of Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr, mentioned that this hadith also

occurs with other wordings as well. In one authentic version, the hadith states, after Jabir men-
tioned that he had married an older lady,

“Why did you turn away from a young girl and her saliva?”

Benefits:

- Once again, we are struck with the frankness of the prophetic words. Clearly, the words ‘ playful-
ness’ and ‘laughter’ indicate that what is being encouraged is the couple’s romance, foreplay,

and generally ‘having fun’ with one other. It would do us well to contrast this straightforwardness
of our Prophet with the ultra-reserved Muslim culture that we find around us, where ‘love’ and
‘romance’ are considered filthy words that should never be uttered in public!
- This understanding is further reinforced by examining the life of our Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa
sallam. In every sense of the term, he was a loving, caring, gentle, and compassionate husband
to his wives. It is even correct and proper to say that he was romantic with his wives in the most
ideal and noble of ways. Some of these hadiths will be mentioned in the later sections of this
e-book.
- The variant wording that occurs (which mentions the saliva of a young girl) is explained by Ibn
Hajr and al-Qurtubi as a reference to kissing the lips and licking the tongue. In other words, what
is being referenced is passionate kissing – the perfect foreplay!
- The Islamic attitude towards sex is completely at odds with those of many Christian thinkers. St.
Augustine (d. 430), who is perhaps the single most influential theologian of early Christianity,
viewed sexual desire as something foul to be guilty and ashamed of. His writings had a
profound impact on all future Christian notions of sex (and were also used to justify the prohibition
of priests getting married). That is why, to this day, even many non-religious Christians are baffled
by Islam’s attitude towards sex. It is mainly due to such notions that Islam has been viewed by
many Westerners as being a ‘licentious’ religion. Such hadiths, like this one of Jabir, are mocked
and ridiculed (one website comments, “How can a prophet of God command his followers to
enjoy their wives?”). This shock stems from the basic Augustinian notion of sex being inherently
evil. We must be aware of these psychological underpinnings when discussing Islam with others.
For us as Muslims, sexual desire in and of itself is never associated with evil; it is only the misuse and

abuse of such desire that is evil. Rather, sex is quite clearly implied in the Qur’aan as being a bless-
ing from Allah, to be thoroughly enjoyed between spouses.

The Hadith of Jabir: Part 2

The final phrase of the hadith of Jabir that is relevant to us is:
Jabir said, “So when we were about to enter the city, the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam
said to me, ‘Slow down, and enter at night, so that she who has not combed may comb her hair,
and she who has not shaved may shave her private area.’ Then he said to me, ‘When you enter
upon her, then be wise and gentle.’”
[Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Benefits:
- The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not want Jabir to surprise his wife. At a time when
there were no cell phones or other means of informing the family when a traveler would return,
the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam would send a crier into the city, announcing that the
caravan was returning. Hence, he told Jabir to wait for this crier before proceeding into the city.
- We learn that spouses should physically beautify themselves for one another. Combing the hair
is but one way to beautify; anything that increases the beauty and handsomeness of one spouse
in front of the other is something to be encouraged. The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam told

the impatient Jabir that it was better for him to delay his arrival in order that his wife prepare her-
self for him.

- The explicit command to shave the pubes is an amazing phrase! We all know that a part of our

Islamic tradition is that one must shave one’s pubes; in this hadith, this command is put in the con-
text of the sexual act. In other words, the husband is told to be patient so that his wife may beau-
tify her private area in order to increase the aesthetic pleasure and gratification of sex. A hus-
band and wife should make sure that even around their private areas, they look attractive to

each other!
- Again and again, we see the frankness of the prophetic traditions, and the encouragement to
enjoy intimacy in marriage. Contrast this to the ultra-conservative attitudes predominant in many
Muslim cultures. It is as if some Muslims wish to be ‘more strict’ than the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi
wa sallam himself!
The Hadith of Jabir: Part 3

The concluding part of the hadith of Jabir raises many other benefits, which we continue
discussing below.
Benefits:
- The last phrase of the hadith is translated as ‘...then be wise and gentle’. The Arabic is ‘fa-l-kayyis
al-kayyis’, which is an emphasis on this word. The word ‘kayyis’ primarily means wisdom, but it also
has the connotation of gentleness. Scholars have understood this phrase to mean that Jabir
should approach his wife in a gentle and wise manner.
- The fact that the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam is instructing Jabir what to do at this time
shows that he instructed his Ummah even about such personal matters. In one hadith, which
deals with the etiquette of the restroom, the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “I am to
you like a father, and I teach you like a father does...” [Reported by Abu Dawud]. Since Jabir did
not have any older brothers, and since his father had passed away, the Prophet salla Allahu
alayhi wa sallam took on this responsibility, and even advised him about sexual conduct. From
this, we may extrapolate that people of knowledge should likewise not be shy when it comes to
teaching Muslims conjugal etiquette when the need arises.

- Imam al-Bukhari, Ibn Khuzayma, and Ibn Hibban all narrated this wording, and they all under-
stood the reference here to be an indirect reference to the act of intimacy. Once again, the

wording is frank without being vulgar.
-What is meant by ‘al-kayyis’ is that Jabir should act in a wise manner; he has been gone for some
time, and is newly married. Therefore, both parties are missing each other, and it is a sign of

wisdom that they gratify themselves and do not delay this unnecessarily. Also, there is a connota-
tion of gentleness as well; Jabir should realize that he is a young man, and therefore he should not

act in a manner that might be painful to his wife.
The hadith of Jabir has many other benefits in other areas of fiqh. However, for our purposes, this
is the last part regarding this beautiful hadith and how we can benefit from it in the context of
Islamic sexuality.
The Hadith of Jabir: Part 4

Besides the hadith of Jabir which we discussed, there are many other traditions that state the
importance of finding conjugal happiness within the folds of marriage. The Prophet salla Allahu
alayhi wa sallam himself said, “From this world, women and perfume have been made beloved
to me, but the coolness of my eyes comes from prayer” [al-Bukhari]. In one hadith we learn, “This
whole world is an enjoyment, and its best enjoyment is a righteous wife” [Muslim]. Another hadith
states “I advise you to marry young women, for they have sweeter lips...and are more passionate
in their embrace” [Reported by Ibn Majah, al-Tabarani, and others, and it is hasan].
And finally, we are advised in the traditions, “If one of you approaches his wife, and then wishes
to repeat, let him do wudhu, for it will make the recurrence more energetic” [Abu Dawud].
Benefits:
- In all of these hadiths, we see once again the clear encouragement to engage in passionate
and fulfilling intimate relations with one’s spouse.

- Even the blessed Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam found comfort in his wives, but the com-
fort that prayer and turning to Allah gave him was obviously the most sweet and pure.

- In another hadith, the Companion is told that a woman of his age would be better because her
passion would be more. Better kissing is explicitly mentioned, and more passionate sex is hinted
at.
- A righteous wife (and, by analogy, a good husband) is the best enjoyment of this world. Pure,
halal, encouraged enjoyment.

- The frank advice given in the last tradition makes it crystal clear that we should aim to have pas-
sionate sex lives. No less a figure than our beloved Prophet informed us of ways to increase that

passion. Washing oneself after a first act invigorates the body and rejuvenates the soul, and thus
helps in repeating the act again.
- In this last tradition, one method of increasing passion is mentioned. This shows that other
methods may also be studied and taught.
- Notice that while the message is crystal clear in each and every one of these traditions, never is
the wording vulgar, nor is the language crude. Similarly, we should be frank in our teachings, but
there is no need to employ unbefitting language.

I welcome you to our ‘Like A Garment’ ebook, an initiative that seeks to educate Muslims to find conjugal bliss in their marriages. The initiative is called ‘Like A Garment’, from the famous Quranic phrase of spouses being like garments to one another. The website has two aims: to disseminate information about this topic which will, Insha Allah, be beneficial to all Muslims, single and married , and to garner, via anonymous questionnaires, the problems and concerns that the Muslims of our times are facing in this area which will help me better prepare future lectures .