"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..." [Noble Quran 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 (peace and blessings be upon him) 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 Quran 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..." [Noble Quran 24:30-31]
These verses from the Quran 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 Quran, the revealed word of Allah and secondly,
the Hadith or the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him) who was chosen by Allah to be the role model for
mankind. The following is a Tradition of the Prophet:
"Ayshah reported that Asma' the daughter
of Abu Bakr came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon
him) while wearing thin clothing. He approached her and said: 'O Asma'!
When a girl reaches the menstrual age, it is not properthat anything
should remain exposed except this and this. He pointed to theface and
hands." [Abu Dawud]
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 (peace and
blessings be upon him) 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 (peace
and blessings be upon him) 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.
III&E Brochure Series
(Published by The Institute of Islamic Information and Education
(III&E) and reproduced in electronic form by Islamic Academy for
Scientific Research with permission)
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