Abuja — A Muslim woman, Hajia Maryam Abubakar, over the weekend in Abuja, cautioned Muslim women to be modest in their conducts.

She said modesty in Islam does not mean dressing and covering bodies but includes behaviours, especially before other females or members of the opposite sex, adding that controlled intermingling between males and females encourages decency, respect and proper worship of Allah.

Hajia Maryam, who delivered the lecture during the maiden edition of Al-hababiyah women's forum, argued that there must be a balance between appropriate covering of body and adornment.

"Islam believes in the dignity of women and to protect her from lustful eyes of evil persons, the religion mandated women to put on flowing garments over their normal dressing while going out to work or for other purpose," she added.

According to her, decent dressing in Islam has certain requirements agreed upon by overwhelming majority of scholars that are solidly backed by firm evidence from the Holy Qur'an.

Earlier, Hajia Rakiya Gambo, the Amirah of the society, explained that Islam has its own universal culture as distinct from any other culture, adding that Muslim women should be conversant with their roles in holding tight to the complete pattern of life as stipulated by the Glorious Qur'an.

"It is the uniformity of Islamic culture that has caused disparity in the mode of dressing, form of prayers, ways of comportment, styles of eating, manner of greetings and even pattern of sleeping among Muslims all over the world," she added.

She then called on Muslim women to fine tune their minds to the tenets of Islam.

Women at the forum were also educated on how to be role models worthy of emulation. Lectures on the position of Islam on gender imbalances as well as teachings of simple self examinations to detect cervical cancer and special prayers were said for Muslim women and other believers.

Our reporter learnt that the women forum is aimed at creating awareness for women to go back to their duties and responsibilities as stipulated by Allah in the Holy Qur'an.