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What's
Hijab For?
By Mary C. Ali
THE QUESTION OF HIJAB: SUPPRESSION OR
LIBERATION?
"Why do Muslim women have to cover their
heads?" This question is one which is asked by
Muslim and non-Muslim alike. For many women it is the truest
test of being a Muslim.
The answer to the question is very simple - Muslim women
observe HIJAB (covering the head and the body) because Allah
has told them to do so.
"O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the
believing women to draw their outer garments around them
(when they go out or are among men). That is better in order
that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not
annoyed..." (Qur'an 33:59)
Other secondary reasons include the requirement for modesty in
both men and women. Both will then be evaluated for
intelligence and skills instead of looks and sexuality. An
Iranian school girl is quoted as saying, "We want to
stop men from treating us like sex objects, as they have
always done. We want them to ignore our appearance and to be
attentive to our personalities and mind. We want them to take
us seriously and treat us as equals and not just chase us
around for our bodies and physical looks." A Muslim
woman who covers her head is making a statement about her
identity. Anyone who sees her will know that she is a Muslim
and has a good moral character. Many Muslim women who cover
are filled with dignity and self esteem; they are pleased to
be identified as a Muslim woman. As a chaste, modest, pure
woman, she does not want her sexuality to enter into
interactions with men in the smallest degree. A woman who
covers herself is concealing her sexuality but allowing her
femininity to be brought out.
The question of hijab for Muslim women has been a
controversy for centuries and will probably continue for many
more. Some learned people do not consider the subject open to
discussion and consider that covering the face is required,
while a majority are of the opinion that it is not required. A
middle line position is taken by some who claim that the
instructions are vague and open to individual discretion
depending on the situation. The wives of the Prophet (S) were
required to cover their faces so that men would not think of
them in sexual terms since they were the "Mothers of
the Believers," but this requirement was not
extended to other women.
The word "hijab" comes from the
Arabic word "hajaba" meaning to
hide from view or conceal. In the present time, the context of
hijab is the modest covering of a Muslim woman. The question
now is what is the extent of the covering? The Qur'an
says:
"Say to the believing man that they should lower
their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for
greater purity for them; and Allah is well acquainted with
all that they do. And say to the believing women that they
should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; and that
they should not display their beauty and ornaments except
what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw
their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty
except to their husbands..." (Qur'an 24:30-31)
These verses from the Qur'an contain two main injunctions:
- A woman should not show her beauty or adornments except
what appears by uncontrolled factors such as the wind
blowing her clothes, and
- the head covers should be drawn so as to cover the hair,
the neck and the bosom.
Islam has no fixed standard as to the style of dress or type
of clothing that Muslims must wear. However, some requirements
must be met. The first of these requirements is the parts of
the body which must be covered. Islam has two sources for
guidance and rulings: first, the Qur'an, the revealed word of Allah
and secondly, the Hadith or the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad
(S) who was chosen by Allah to be the role model
for mankind. The following is a Tradition of the Prophet:
"Ayesha (R) reported that Asmaa the daughter of
Abu Bakr (R) came to the Messenger of Allah
(S) while wearing thin clothing. He approached her and said: 'O
Asmaa! When a girl reaches the menstrual age, it is not proper
that anything should remain exposed except this and this. He
pointed to the face and hands." (Abu Dawood)
The second requirement is looseness. The clothing must be
loose enough so as not to describe the shape of the woman's
body. One desirable way to hide the shape of the body is to
wear a cloak over other clothes. However, if the clothing is
loose enough, an outer garment is not necessary. Thickness is
the third requirement. The clothing must be thick enough so as
not to show the color of the skin it covers or the shape of
the body. The Prophet Muhammad (S) stated that in
later generations of his ummah there would be "women
who would be dressed but naked and on top of their heads (what
looks like) camel humps. Curse them for they are truly
cursed." (Muslim) Another requirement is an over-all
dignified appearance. The clothing should not attract men's
attention to the woman. It should not be shiny and flashy so
that everyone notices the dress and the woman. In addition
there are other requirements:
- Women must not dress so as to appear as men.
"Ibn Abbas narrated: 'The Prophet (S) cursed the
men who appear like women and the women who appear like
men.'" (Bukhari)
- Women should not dress in a way similar to the
unbelievers.
- The clothing should be modest, not excessively fancy and
also not excessively ragged to gain others admiration or
sympathy.
Often forgotten is the fact that modern Western dress is a new
invention. Looking at the clothing of women as recently as
seventy years ago, we see clothing similar to hijab. These
active and hard-working women of the West were not inhibited
by their clothing which consisted of long, full dresses and
various types of head covering. Muslim women who wear hijab do
not find it impractical or interfering with their activities
in all levels and walks of life. Hijab is not merely a
covering dress but more importantly, it is behavior, manners,
speech and appearance in public. Dress is only one facet of
the total being. The basic requirement of the Muslim
woman's dress apply to the Muslim man's clothing with the
difference being mainly in degree. Modesty requires that the
area between the navel and the knee be covered in front of all
people except the wife. The clothing of men should not be like
the dress of women, nor should it be tight or provocative. A
Muslim should dress to show his identity as a Muslim. Men are
not allowed to wear gold or silk. However, both are allowed
for women.
For both men and women, clothing requirements are not meant
to be a restriction but rather a way in which society will
function in a proper, Islamic manner.
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