Men need to cover up.

There is little debate around what constitutes “nakedness” for a man in the Islamic tradition. Everything between the navel and the knees is to be covered except before those persons in one’s life with whom marriage is forbidden. What scholarly conversation there is around the topic only involves some minute details around which part of the knee can be exposed.

Covering the whole knee is the quickest way out of that debate.

This requirement is every bit as incumbent upon men as are the rulings regarding modesty and the nakedness of women. And despite being significantly more lenient, a number of our men seem to have trouble both holding to the limits and encouraging so among others.

We manage this firsthand as organizers of wilderness outings, among them a surf camp for men. The approach of Dust and Tribe is never didactic. We aren’t here to tell people how to run their lives. We are not run by religious scholars, though we have a healthy respect for religious scholarship and an organizational mandate to encourage excellence among ourselves and our participants.

Within that definition of excellence is an intention to sacralize the otherwise profane. All things which are not overtly described as forbidden (haram) may be taken as acts of worship within the Islamic tradition. That includes surfing, provided one observes any limits that remain incumbent on the Muslim.

This includes the covering of our nakedness.

And so this is encouraged (but never enforced) among participants as an opportunity to elevate their activity to the level of Divine courtship. We make a point only of inviting participating men to consider this.

I am the father of four daughters, all of whom are challenged to observe the Islamic standards of modesty, including the covering of their hair and limbs. It’s a lot to work through, growing up as they are in a culture that encourages a wholly opposite standard. As the only man in my household, I’ve taken it as an act of solidarity to wear long sleeves and pants whenever outside. I have a long-sleeve rash-guard and swim pants that I wear under my shorts when at the beach.

It’s not required, of course. But neither does it set me back in any way, and embedded in the action is a hope that my example will be received by my daughters as more welcome encouragement than the parental nagging that many of us opt for.

I also get some extra UV protection in the bargain.

Not all activities can be sacralized, however.

When any one of you fights with his brother, he should avoid his face, for God created Adam in His own image.

Muslim

The prohibition to strike the face is even extended to animals. This is a big no-no.

And yet our most visible contemporary Muslim male heroes include persons who were professionally engaged in striking the face while being ritually naked in the process.

I’m not naming any names. I don’t need to. These are huge personalities with enduring legacies that many Muslims lean into with a lionizing fanaticism. That they achieved their notoriety through a public disregard of clear and undisputed Islamic prohibitions must be called into question.

Not doing so is de facto permission for ourselves and our offspring to prioritize the attainment of celebrity status by any means, because through fame we are sanctified by the masses. We are no longer beholden to the standards that God establishes for all men.

Rather, we become gods to men.

The violent, celebrity champion is given a wide berth. We do not question his means, only the end. He is skilled. He is powerful. He is victorious.

And victory is ours through him.

This is delusion and hypocritical idolatry.

I can and do appreciate God through the consideration of a tree. Trees are magnificent. They are ancient and stalwart and they provide shade and oxygen and innumerable other good things that signal the Mercy and Generosity of their Creator.

But if I carve that tree up into a statue and praise God through it, I am for the Fire.

What would cause us to ignore the public disregard of basic Islamic decorum among our male Muslim heroes? And are we as willing to ignore such breaches of protocol among women of Islamic heritage, fashion icons famous for their ritual nakedness, with no shortage of philanthropic acts and advocacy in support of Muslim interests?

This is not an argument for perfectionism. Our shortcomings should not be a barrier to doing good when and where we can. The Islamic standard is a moving target with room for personal growth and development at every level of practice.

But neither should our shortcomings be the cause of celebration.

Islamic standards are applicable to every man and every woman without exception. Giving male celebrities a pass is a gross violation of our egalitarian ethos, the very thing that makes Islam so valuable in a world embroiled in class warfare and cultural strife.

We believe that our men have primary responsibility in the establishment and maintenance of communal standards.

Let’s start by staying our hands and putting our clothes back on.

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