The term ‘mastooraat’ is a misnomer in relation to female tableeghi groups. The apt designation for such female groups is makshufaat which means females who are exposed or revealed or on display.
The mere donning of an outer cloak does not make a woman mastoor (concealed, hidden from the public gaze). At the outset, we must clarify that the term makshufaat in this context is not being used with a pejorative connotation nor in an objugatory sense, nor do we imply sarcasm. We are merely saying that a spade is a spade. It is wrong to say that a spade is a spoon.
The erroneous appellation appropriated for female-khurooj groups is due to a misunderstanding of the meaning of mastoor in the Shar’i sense. As far as the Shariah is concerned, Masturaat are such women who are totally and completely hidden from the public gaze. A woman who emerges into the public even with burqah is no longer mastoorah. On the contrary, she becomes makshufah (exposed).
The Satr of a person is called such because it is totally hidden, hence it is mastoor. Whilst a portion of the human body will be validly mastoor if covered by garments, the woman in relation to Hijaab will not be mastoorah with only garments if she emerges into the public. The term is of relative significance. Different things are mastoor in different ways.
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