Is Imprisonment in Concealment or Exposure?

Some people say that keeping at home is imprisoning. I say that this is not imprisoning. In fact, going out is imprisoning because the reality of imprisoning is to confine against a person’s wishes. Therefore, it would be imprisoning if they wanted to go out and you grab hold of their hands and force them inside.

If the temperament is sound, then for a woman to go out is like death for her. Thus, bê pardagi (exposure) is imprisonment; staying concealed is not imprisonment.

Some women gave their lives but never emerge from their homes. In A’zamghar, a person’s home caught on fire. His wife stayed in the house and burnt to death, but she could not bear revealing her face to others. I am not giving the Fatwa that she did something good; I am only pointing out her natural aversion for revealing herself.

Then again, Aurat means something to be concealed.

(Al’aaqilaatul Ghaafilaat)