High Heels CAN Negate One's Hijab

All of the scholars of the four madhabs are pretty much together on this one. That the wearing of high heels is haraam. Alot of my sets feature high heels. In my daily life, I think high heels look pretty but I end up wearing flat sandals and flats. I don't own sneakers. Now that this winter has passed though, I have decided to give up wearing any ridiculously high heeled shoe when I return my winter boots to the winter storage since I read this hadith and it got me being cautious since I had never known before where the scholars had come up with their ruling from [now I do]:
Narrated by Abu Sa’eed Al Khudri, Allah’s Apostle said :"A Jewish women used to put two wooden legs to lengthen her shoes, so that no one could recognise her, for she was very short.”

The Prophet forbade this action that is a kind of cheating others with the same intensity that he cursed plucking the eyebrows. My sets will still include high heeled shoes but know that I myself, will buy heightless shoes (still sylin'). I am short. That is how Allah S.W.T made me and it isn't a bad thing. Please forgive me when I slip of and gently remind me sisters I know IRL:D The sets will continue to contain crazy heels, but only cuz I liked the colour or them. Please find a more halal shoe in the same colour where you live:This shoe I won't wear anymore, even though I could always walk in it without making a sound. It was the height issue, not the sound people, that was actually cursed. The sound thing came from wearing anklets and making loud noises with them in times of jalaliya, and some highheels do the same thing today so women USUALLY are pretty good about staying away from those. But any shoe that makes you considerably taller also counts.
Here is a heeled shoe that I am comfortable with so long as it doesn't make a clicking rat-ta-tat sound when I walk. All shoes make some kind of noise but we all know what kind of noise makes everyone in the mall turn around to stare at us. This heel "called a kitten heel" and always under two inches (some runners out there make you three inches taller) doesn't make me noticeably taller and doesn't have the health drawbacks of the heel pictured above. Still cute, still pretty, still sassy, but nothing overboard ya know?
This, albeit more folksy, would have been what that Jewish woman's shoe looked like that the Prophet allahi wa salaam cursed.
Here is a halal wedge size. Nothing incredibly high. Modest, but still styling and beautiful, oui?
Flats--- you can't even tell they aren't heels when you're wearing an abaya.
And an always halal option is flat sandals. They aren't boring at all.

Comments

A said…
Sis just to be clear, is it still haraam regardless of where one wears 'really' high heels (let say 3 inchs and above) ... like at all women party, in one's home, etc.?

I personally stick to flats, keds/converse, and occasional wedge sandals. Btw, the pink wedge and the purple flat are beautiful!
Jaz said…
Ooh the first shoes are so cool :O Stripper heels maybe but they are fabulous!
I'm short too so I'm always wearing heels but thanks for sharing your knowledge on this!
Fatou Thioune said…
as salamu alaykum alhamdoulilah never been able to wear high heelsssss hahhahaha so clumsy
Rasa said…
salam sisters
hamdulileh, i am tall so heels never were necessarry accessory of mine... But scholars agree that all believing women should be modest, avoid making noise with their bracelets or high heels therefore. All of us wants to let it go a bit sometimes, but just think what is better jennah or dunya?
Iman said…
Erghghgh that first picture disgusts me! It makes me want to cradle my feet and rub my heels!

I have a question that I hope you can answer. I always thought that the feet are part of what should be covered in a woman's body... only the hands and face should show. Is this right? I've been dying to wear sandals and flip flops, the only thing holding me back is this.

Jazakallahu Khair :)
Meera said…
Walaikum salam wa rahmatullah, sister!
I have another question regarding footwear, and I would love to see a post about it! What about covering the feet? I noticed you said that you wore sandals (I looove sandals!), but do your feet become uncovered? That is an issue I keep going back and forth on...I love to wear flats and sandals with no socks (they are so uncomfortable, to me), and my feet are always covered when i am standing still, as my abayas reach the ground, but when I walk my feet become uncovered, simply because they reach out further than my abaya when I am stepping forward.
I know you are a not a scholar, but you are so good at putting together various sources and coming up with a conclusion!
I would love to hear what you do about this, and what your opinion is, as well as what scholars say (and possibly what the sahaba did!).
socal muslimah said…
Asalamalaikum Sister,
Jazakallah for this post. I was wondering if I could get the source of the hadith regaurding the jewish lady wearing heels. Its not for me, but when I want to pass on the message people ask me where I got the hadith from. It would be really helpful of you to give the source. Jazakallah once again.
Saba.
Yasmin said…
Assalamu alaikum sisters, after having read the 'shoe' article and reaching the bottom, i did have to disagree with your halal option of wearing sandals, as wearing sandals does often mean that more of your foot is exposed compared to if you're wearing normal shoes, and from my understanding, your garments should be worn long to cover your feet as well. Having said that i am weak in this case as i can't wait for summer to come to get my sandals out! But if ma sha Allah you cover your feet, then don't be tempted to wear sandals.. you should be encouraging those like me to become stronger and start to wear more covering garments!
Majda said…
Can you post the full hadith (including book and number) and several reliable links saying it's haram?

I've always worn heels, even in front of sheikhs and religious folk and have gotten nothing.

I wear heels because they're pretty. For some reason I've never felt comfortable or found flats appealing. If anyone asks me my height, I'll tell them my exact height. I'm not aiming to look taller. I'm weird, I actually find heels comfortable.
Pixie said…
Majda: Sure, I'll look it up. But it is Sahih.
Pixie said…
And no Sheikh will ever correct your appearence in ageneral situation:D #1 that'd be rude and #2 he'd be embarrassed to.
Pixie said…
Yasmin: when i wear sandals I either wear tights or socks with them or I wear a garment long enough to cover my feet. Feet are awrah in every madhab but one.
Pixie said…
I think peep toes look cute with cool tights:D But I'll do a post on the feet being awrah inshaAllah in a few days. But do understand, there is one valid school of thought that says the feet do not have to be covered. But I think the most correct opinion is that they do. Not necessarily by socks, but by a garment long enough to cover the feet.
Fatou Thioune said…
i was wearing sandals with socks just now. it doesnt look as bad as people think. it is cute depending on the kind of socks. i know i will have to buy lot of new socks different colours. anyways i dont have sandals i wore my sisters lmao
Fatou Thioune said…
do you know some shop where they sell sporty jilbabs. i want them but i want them sold from usa or canada not from the uk
bellyache said…
Assalamu3alaikum,

I've never posted a comment on any of your blogs before, but I've been randomly viewing your posts since Fall 2008.

Here's why I always keep coming back. I'm impressed by your consciousness of the deen, that this isn't just one of those random "fashion" blogs that feature "hijab-friendly" styles. This is more than hijab-friendly, in my opinion. You're always so mindful of the limits, and you remind others of that too. Al7amdulillah, and jazaakillah for that.

First was how you discouraged extravagance, by not featuring items that are expensive. Second was when you propagated the niqab. And now you just got me with this nice and true reminder of the Heels.

Mabrook sis, I just thought I'd let you know I really like what's going on here :)
Amina said…
I so love the wedge and the yellow slippers. Soooo nice and modern.
I will admit, I love sandals and heels and I love high heeled sandals, Iam like Majda, I find them comfortable and girly and also I am sure, only 5'0 so I have always like the added inches....just be honest. and I DO NOT LIKE sandals with socks. I just cant get with it.LOL
Yu-no Hoo Ayam ;-) said…
Asalaamu `alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato :-D

Thnx for taking down the post about u-know-what!! Aaaaand looks like your succeeding pretty well, masha'Allah wa alhamdulillah!!
ras said…
i remember, you Pixie posted some time ago that in Prophet times there were no socks or gloves available... I have also seen in Ethiopia people wearing clothing that closest remenicent of what would have been worn in those days. Covering your legs is normal ar needed for muslims, but the question is how and to what lengths one has to go to do it. I have been wearing closed shoes for 5 years and in the summer it left my feet unhealthy, if you know what I mean. I believe that sunna tells us to be modest and that is the main point.
washi said…
Jazakallah khair for this post...I mostly wear flats, sneakers and the occasional wedgies like your pink one so I guess I'm ok then :-)

Ma'asalaama from a wet and cold Cape Town
Anonymous said…
Thanks Pixie. ;D As I am currently non-Muslim, I appreciate any Islamic info I can get. I'm at a sort of in-between stage where I believe that Islam is the straight path, but am afraid of the parent reactions and lifestyle changes involved.
Please make du'a for me to be strong enough to revert.
~V.R.
Anonymous said…
salam my sis!!

i love the yellow flats cute
!!!!

jen
Maryam said…
I personally think that your interpretation of the hadith is very pedestrian.

I ask you all a simple question: will you honestly tell me that people do not recognise when you wear heels as opposed to flats??

The hadith could just as easily be understood to mean that: (as we know) Jewish women often veiled their faces, and this woman has particularly short and hence was disctinctive and easily recognised even when veiled. So the hadith, if you read it carefully, puts the emphasis on not letting other people recognise who you are (perhaps because its easier to gett away with things you shouldn't be doing when no one knows who you are!)

Again, lets look in a little depth at the issue and not get carried away with simplistic arguments. Wearing flat shoes is medically proven to be unhealthy for you; the ideal height is 3/4 to one inch.
Samerah said…
jus letting u know ur a great blogger.. better than many other hijab blogs i visit ( hegab rehab)
that heel in first pik looks painful
Pixie said…
Maryam: As salaam alaykom.

First: ha ha ha. Cute. My view is "pedestrian" because we walk in shoes and pedestrains walk, and shoes are the topic of the day:D. I really did find it to be cute, the word choice, and without-any-malignant regard even though I disagree with your understanding, let me say I like your word selection. It made me smile.

Second: You asked 'I ask you all a simple question: will you honestly tell me that people do not recognise when you wear heels as opposed to flats??' My answer is yes. People DO recognize when I am wearing HIGH heels opposed to wearing flats. Note, I said HIGH heels, not simply heels. I don't know if you looked at the pictures in the post [my experiences on blogger have been that sometimes people don't read a blog in entirely and thus misunderstandings are born] but I don't think all shoes with a heel make us noticeably taller. Kitten heels, two, and even three inch heels or wedges often don't make a considerable difference in my day. People won't comment if I am wearing a pair of heels like the pink plaid ones on monday, and then the flat yellow slides on tuesday. But they will if I am wearing the black and gold wedges on wednesday, and then the more minute pink wedges on thursday.

Third: your understanding of the hadith is "The hadith could just as easily be understood to mean that: (as we know) Jewish women often veiled their faces, and this woman has particularly short and hence was disctinctive and easily recognised even when veiled. So the hadith, if you read it carefully, puts the emphasis on not letting other people recognise who you are (perhaps because its easier to gett away with things you shouldn't be doing when no one knows who you are!)" but this is not compatible with the hadith connected to the one I mentioned, which say clearly the reason this was an issue is that it was a deception and changing Allah S.W.T's creation in the same way that filing the teeth, tatooing, wearing wigs/rags in the hair, and plucking the eyebrows considerbly beyond in their natural form were cursed. Which is why none of the scholars have come to the same conclusion as you have. They also conclude that this is something that we are to be different from the Jews and the Christians and pagans in, so increasing height in a noticable manner with high heeled shoes is considered most uniformly to be haraam, and in the very least to be makruh (disliked by the ulema's consensus). And Allah subhanhu wa ta'ala and His Messenger know best.

Fourth: Agreeing with you '...again, lets look in a little depth at the issue and not get carried away with simplistic arguments'. Yes, please understand the reasons the scholars have come to these conclusions and not just come up with an interpretation that has nothing to do with the context of the hadith and other relevent to the subject, and then change the subject with information outside of an Islamic base.

Fifth: You provided the medical information that 'Wearing flat shoes is medically proven to be unhealthy for you; the ideal height is 3/4 to one inch.' I said nothing to the contrary. I said heeled shoes or wedges/platforms are the type of shoes I was addressing as being held to be makruh by the scholars and I illustrated with pictures to make my point. Eve Glicksman, Staff Writer of, myOptumHealth [link here:http://www.myoptumhealth.com/portal/Health+Hubs/item/Flat+Facts+About+High+Heels] says "Heels over two inches affect the natural way you walk. A heel higher than three inches puts seven times the pressure on the ball of your foot and can harm the bones." Health conditions blamed on HIGH HEELS by doctors: Blisters, corns or calluses can develop when high heels throw weight into the ball of your foot.
Lower back pain can result when your spine bends backwards to compensate the forward push of your body when you walk in heels.
Pain in the ball of your foot, a condition called metatarsalgia, can stem from high heels.
Ankle sprains are more likely because your foot position in heels and the often-narrow heel width can make ankles unstable.
Achilles tendonitis is a risk. Frequent wearing of heels shortens and tightens calf muscles. This can lead to painful inflammation of the Achilles tendon at the back of your heel.
Benign tumors of nerves, called neuromas, can grow between toes. Symptoms may include sharp pain and tingling or numbness of the toes.
"Pump bump," or Hagland's deformity, has been linked to women who often wear high heels. This painful bump on the back of the heel bone occurs when the bone rubs against the shoe or a narrow, pointed shoe makes toes curl up.
Wearing heels all the time can even make wearing flats impossible if your foot becomes used to the position of heels. This can lead to more serious problems, like bone spurs or Achilles tendon tears.

Brenden Brown is a podiatrist who sees about 500 women every year with problems caused by wearing heels.

He says that damage can be inflicted by high heels over a period of one day or 40 years. Each person is different and the effects of wearing heels will differ on everybody.

He says the reason high heel wearers suffer back pain is your body's centre of gravity is thrust forward. High heels cause the forefoot to overwhelm the joints and the toes. Osteoarthritis can also be caused by high heels because the soft tissue overcompensates when under strain.

So yes, high heels are bad for your health. But is there such a thing as a high heel that's good for you, and does height and width make a difference? To find out Leila met with Dr Casey Kerrigan, who is a Professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, USA.

Dr Kerrigan has been studying the impact of heels on our body since the late '90s. And, unfortunately, heel lovers, it's not good news. We already know wearing high shoes can injure your backs and feet, but that's not all …

According Dr Kerrigan, women have twice as much knee arthritis compared to men and nobody's been able to figure out why. She says if you look at it from a biomechanical perspective, then it makes sense that shoe wear would affect the knee.

Dr Kerrigan's research shows that wearing a stiletto puts 25 percent more pressure on your poor old knees and hips, each time you take a step. Surprisingly, wide heels aren't a step up.

"The fact that wide heels feel more comfortable and may have a wider forefoot, as well as a strap, you actually then trust the shoe more and therefore put more forces through the shoe," she says.

So is there any kind of shoe we can safely wear?

According to Dr Kerrigan, "a perfect shoe should be a shoe with hardly any support at all and with no heel, at the very most a half inch of a heel."

“If the heel is continually in a raised position, then it shortens the calf muscle. All the weight is forced on to the metatarsal head and this can cause bunions, corns and calluses; prolonged wear also causes degeneration of joint function,” says Dr Charlotte Hawkins, a specialist in biomechanics and gait. “Overall, it is not a great idea.” So what is an acceptable heel height? “One or maybe two inches.”

I think the doctors conclusions are the same one's I reached here on ILOVEHISHMA.

No offense meant to whatsoever, and love you for the sake of Allah subhanhu wa ta'ala.:D
Pixie said…
Samerah: I love Ange's site.
Pixie said…
V.R: InshaAllah I will make dua right now. If you ever need someone to talk to you can email me so let me know if you need my email and I'll find a private place to give it to you.
Pixie said…
Ayan: for your question, this is the one thing I am not sure of. I think it is actually discouraged by scholars since these shoes fell into the category as wigs and plucking the eyebrows which were not to be done even to please our husbands even if we were so much as bald but please do consult a scholar that knows more than me because I am uncertain on this matter. It is hard to retire some of my gorgeous shoes though, that;s for sure. Fighting my naffs:D
Pixie said…
YESIKNOWWHOYOUARE&LOLWHATALAMEBLOGGERPROFILEHEHEHE: remember when you posted a pic of me and like five minute later I was like, well actually please... LOL.
UmmAfnaan said…
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I am 100% with 'bellyache'.

Keep it up sis!

You are doing a wonderful job.

I LOVE UR BLOG!!!!
Anonymous said…
Pixie: I don't have an email of my own (weird I know). Instead I use my parents' address. I know for sure they wouldn't approve of me talking to you via the internet. They're good parents - they want to protect me. I would like to talk to you though.

Islam teaches that you should obey your parents. But many of the first Muslims did not have the approval of their families. What should I do? I might be able to create a secret email address for myself if you think it's a good idea.
~V.R.
Nurul Septiani said…
JazakiAllahu Khoyr, i'm nurul from indonesia. And Love to read this page. High heels is not good for women health. Thanks A Lot....
Anonymous said…
salam alaikum..

Pixie .. I love your blog so much . Keep up the good work . Hope we can be friends. me myself , looking to fix myself in alot of aspects. Being a muslims. It's also hard for me as my family thinks I'm being weird even though they are muslims
Anonymous said…
I love the first shoes im short 2. but i ussually where canvas flats
Anonymous said…
I meant to say i luv the luv hart shoes <3
Habiba Kaba said…
Omg. really long posts mashaAllah. Either way, I think in the heels vs flats thing both sisters have a point. No one should wear cardboard shoes, but come on. you can tell when someone has on heels from the way they walk. So i think moderation and somewhere in the middle is more reasonable. Wear shoes with support, maybe insoles if you need them. However, it has been shown that the angle that most heels positions your back and knees puts yourself in the position that biologically and subconsciously communicates that the female is in heat.
Anonymous said…
High heeled shoes of the type that you have shown in the photographs are western cultural artifacts and are designed to attract the male of the human species by increasing sexual alure. It is not just about increasing height, it is also about increasing leg length and changing posture by arching the back and making the breasts and buttocks more prominent. Human males are visually stulated and the resultant image resonates with the primeval blueprint located deep in the animal part of the brain that the female is good breeding stock. This is of course how in western culture sexual partners and lifelong partners (wives) are chosen for the vast majority of westerners. As a result high heeled shoes and boots become sexual objects in their own right by association with the sexually attractove females who wear them. So yes ladies, wearing high heeled shoes increases your attraction to the opposite sex and thus negates the hijab, niquab, and whatever else you wear to hide yourself from males. A female in a full burka with a pair of attractive stiletto boots will arouse male passions; even the sound of their hard and threatening heel tips is enpgh to turn on many males. They see the boots and recall the type of non-Muslim dressed females who wear these sex symbols that teasingly suggest a reversal of the usual dominant role of the male in the sex act (they were not called kinky boots for nothing!) and that is the image that they will conjure up in their minds; because they cannot see you, they will visualise you as the same sort of woman. You become more mysterious and sexier than a western woman in a bikini, all because of the one sexual symbol that they can identify; they cannot believe that you are anything other than the type of female that they normally see wearing such footwear. But because you are hidden, you become an impossibly beautiful sexual temptress!