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The Reality of Hijab
The Muslim Woman's Dress
Amidst the hustle and bustle of a
teeming metropolis, a solitary figure traverses. She moves steadily in
her black garment which shields her against the tyranny of this life. Whilst
others around her rush frantically, she move with tranquillity and ease.
The peace which she achieves beneath this veil of hers, is immense. It
is a liberation beyond measure. Is this a princess of royal blood? No.
Is she a head of state? No. So who is this woman of serenity? This is a
woman of Hijab. A woman amongst many women. A Muslim Woman.
The site of a woman covering from
top to bottom, is not so rare anymore in the major cities of the West.
For many Westerners it represents the oppression which Islam imposes upon
women. For Muslims however, it is the realisation that Islam will eventually
reach every corner of this planet. This is not surprising, considering
that Islam is the fastest growing religion on Earth. What is surprising,
for Westerners, is that 7 out of 10 (70%) people who become Muslim
are Women! It is these same women who then go on to willingly
observe the Hijab without coercion or force. The women of Hijab in the
cities of London, Paris, New York etc, are not all immigrants who have
just stepped off the boat, as many people think. Rather, many of them tend
to be women of high intellect and education. Women who have experienced
the bitterness of western oppression. Women of diverse nationalities and
races, who are brought together as one, under the banner of Islam.
An Islamic Duty
Ever since the appearance of Hijab
in the west, there has been a constant crusade against this noble act.
The hypocrisy[1] of the Western media has been evident for many years now,
through its constant attacks on Islam and Hijab. Despite these attempts,
women in Hijab are still on the increase. Thus, a new crusade had to be
launched by the advocates of "liberation" and "freedom". For a while now,
many Western critics have insisted that the Hijab has nothing to do with
Islam. They claim that it is a cultural practice and not a religious one.
This has been broadcast in the Western media with the aid of its puppets,
the modernist Muslims. People such as Dr Zaki Badawi[2], have pushed this
erroneous view for a number of years now. This has led to much confusion
amongst ignorant Muslims, and many Muslim women are being led into depriving
themselves of this great benefit. So what is the reality behind this issue?
Is the Hijab obligatory?
Hijab is an Arabic word which literally
means a cover, a screen or a partition. Islamically it refers to the dress
code of the Muslim woman. In answering the above question, as Muslims we
unashamedly say, Yes!, the Hijab IS OBLIGATORY!! The proofs
for this obligation are many, but due to lack of space we will only quote
two here. In the Qur'an Allaah says:
"And
tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty, and
not to display their adornment except that which appears ordinarily thereof,
and to draw their veils over their necks
and
bosoms.."
(Sura An-Noor 24:31)
About the words "..except
that which appears ordinarily thereof..", then the scholars of Islam
have explained that these words refer to the hands and face of a woman.
This is supported by the hadith of the Prophet (saws) : "Aisha reported
that Asmaa, the daughter of Abu Bakr, entered into the presence of the
Messenger of Allaah wearing thin transparent clothing, So the Messenger
of Allaah turned away from her saying : 'O' Asmaa, when a women reaches
the age of menstruation, it is
allowed that any of her
should be seen except this' and he pointed to his face and two hands."[3]
The Hijab is therefore something which MUST cover the entire body
of a woman, except her face and hands.[4] It is NOT a simple headscarf
which many women wear, because a piece of cloth on the head does not conceal
the parts of a woman's body, which when exposed, are the result of much
strife. Besides covering the entire body, the Hijab also has other conditions,
such as not being tight, transparent, too colourful or resembling the clothes
of a man. These conditions are also proven from Islam.[5]
The Benefits
of Hijab
-Obedience- Whilst other women are subjected to the pressures and slavery
of modern society, the Muslim woman is truly free from this. In the west,
women are expected to conform to the liberal fashions which appear daily.
These fashions and expectations are often shaped by men. In this way, women
become the slaves of society and man. Hijab is the liberator of this slavery.
It takes women away from the obedience of man, to the obedience of the
Most Perfect, Allaah. This obedience will only bring about good, because
we believe that Allaah is the Most Kind and the Most Just. Slavery to the
one with such characteristics, is a slavery of reward and contentment.
It is not a slavery from which your fellow human (the woman) is exploited
and oppressed, just because your desires and lusts run wild.
As a command of Allaah, the Hijab
has united the hearts of so many. Hijab knows no colour, nationality, race,
height or weight. Through obedience to Allaah, it truly unites the women
of the world. Thus, this unification has surpassed the ranks and shallowness
of all female liberation movements. Christian nuns, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs,
feminists, lesbians, women boxers and even female gang members, are all
known to have become united under Islam and its Hijab. It is truly a force
to be reckoned with. It must be remembered that this obedience to Allaah
is a voluntary act from most Muslim women. Many assume that those brought
up as Muslims, have always been wearing Hijab. However, this is not so.
Many Muslim women (especially in the UK), who are Muslim by name, often
know very little of Islam. When they discover its true meaning, most of
them willingly adopt the Hijab simply to obey their Creator, and not because
of any external pressures.
Wearing the Hijab is no futile action.
A woman may go through much trial and tribulation[6] because she has obeyed
Allaah. But the fulfilment of this action will never go unnoticed, as Allaah
say :
"Never
will I allow to be lost the actions of any of you; whether male or female"
(Surah Al-Imran 3:195).
The result of these obedient actions
will be an everlasting reward. A reward which all Muslim women aspire for.
A reward called paradise :
"And
whosoever does righteous actions- whether male or female, and is a believer,
will enter paradise"
(Sura An-Nisa 4:124).
-A Shield- Allaah says :
"O'
Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers
to draw their veils over their bodies. That is most convenient that they
should be recognised and not be molested"
(Sura Al-Ahzab 33:59)
One of the greatest benefits of Hijab,
is the natural protection it gives to a woman. By wearing Hijab, a woman
shields herself from the rampant desires of man. By his very nature, man
is a creature of intense desire. The Hijab controls this desire and thus
not only protects the woman, but also the man. Sexually motivated crimes
in the west are on the increase. Rape, molestation and harassment are reaching
epidemic levels. Undoubtedly the clothing of a woman has something to do
with this. When women walk around with literally nothing on, some men see
it as a signal to do as they please. This results in the honour of a woman
being scarred for life. The Muslim woman does not have this problem. She
knows that when she walks on the streets, the men will not look at her.
Why? Because there is nothing for them to look at!! She feels like a princess
who is shielded from the savages of her domain. Peace and security is felt
beneath the veil. The woman of Hijab does not have to reveal her body in
order to gain respect. She does not have to have her 'bits' hanging out
so that men can drool over her. If a man desires her, then it has to be
for her religion and intellect. The Hijab gives him no other choice. She
is a woman who is truly shielded from the nature of man.[7]
-Nature- The nature of a woman is fundamentally different from man.
Women are more timid, gentle and caring then men. This is the reason why
they have been chosen (by Allaah) to be the perfect rearers of children.
The Hijab reinforces this nature of the woman. We praise Allaah that he
has ordered this Hijab, for the world that we live in seeks to change our
very nature as human beings. Men try to be women and women try to be men.
People are being led into confusion by the political correctness which
is so popular in our societies. Many women have jumped onto the bandwagon
of feminism and lesbianism, shouting how evil and oppressive men are. But
when one looks at these sad creatures, their delusion is clear. While claiming
to hate men, their attire suggests otherwise. Short hair, bomber jackets
and steel toecapped boots, are the vogue for these women. Their hatred
for men is so much, that their very appearance resembles the enemy!! Some
of these women have even gone to the extreme of growing masses of facial
hair. The hideous site of these bearded ladies, is enough to put anyone
off their dinner!!! Such depravity is far from natural. The Hijab on the
other hand, enables the woman to stay as a woman. Rather then being a monstrosity,
a woman in Hijab is like an oyster with a beautiful pearl inside it. Her
femininity has stayed feminine, without being altered into masculinity.
There is no doubt about it, this is a TRUE WOMAN.
-Honour- Contrary to the tales of the media, the Hijab provides an
honour for the woman like no other garment does. For many women, a dress
designed by Versace[8] or Armani is all the honour they need. But the Hijab
carries far more honour then these worthless clothes. Whilst the dresses
of the catwalks are designed by mere mortals, the Hijab comes from the
one who is immortal, Allaah. Through it a woman is held with the utmost
respect. True Muslim men are obliged to keep their Muslim sisters away
from the corruption of this world. Thus a Muslim will not allow for someone
to ogle his wife, chat her up or harass her. The honour of a Muslim woman
demands that this does not happen. How contrary this is to life in the
west. Men in the west feel no obligation to protect women from the harms
of society. This is why a man will allow his wife to be a stripper, call-girl
and even a prostitute. Honour knows no place in the west. This honour will
only be achieved from Islam and its Hijab.
The honour of a Muslim woman is
so high, that we believe that the state of a society is dependent upon
its women. If the women are corrupt and immoral, then the society will
be corrupt and immoral. If the women are righteous and god-fearing, then
the society will be righteous and god-fearing. Women are the educators
of the nation. But if they have no honour and have been corrupted, then
society will be void of education and steeped in ignorance. This is the
predicament of a society which rejects Hijab. This is the predicament of
all Western societies, which stubbornly cling onto their depressing ways
of life.
Those who seek to reject Hijab after
reading this, then their loss will eventually become apparent. But those
who seek to please Allaah through this action, can be sure that this good
can only bring more good:
"Is
there any reward for good other then goodness?"
(Sura Ar-Rahman 55:60)
Footnotes:-
1. The British media
is an example of this. Whilst condemning the Hijab as oppressive, it is
well known that newspapers such as The Sun and The News of the World, often
display pictures of naked women. This of course, is the liberation which
the West claims to give women!
2. Dr Zaki Badawi
is a self-styled mufti who is unfortunately seen as a public face of Islam.
A number of years ago, Dr. Badawi appeared on Dutch T.V. proclaiming that
Hijab was not obligatory. This announcement caused much confusion and resulted
in some women taking their Hijab off.
3. Authentic Reported
by Al-Baihaqee.
4. Even though it
is not obligatory to cover the face and hands, it is without doubt recommended
that the niqab (the face veil) and/or gloves be worn. Such acts are seen
as modesty and piety from the woman, and they can only bring her more reward.
5. The proofs for
these conditions can be found in an excellent book entitled "The Islamic
ruling regarding Women's dress, according to the Qur'an and Sunnah" by
Abu Bilal Mustafa Al-Kanadi.
6. Wearing Hijab in
the West can be a struggle for many women. The hypocrisy of the West is
such, that it does not respect this choice which is made willingly, and
subjects these women to much psychological pressure. 2 years ago, two Muslim
girls were even expelled from a school in France because they wore Hijab.
Freedom has truly been given a new meaning!
7. "A view through
Hijab" is an informative account of life in Hijab. Written by Khaula Nakata,
it is the experience of Hijab as seen through the eyes of a Japanese woman
who embraced Islam.
8. There will be no
more dresses designed by Gianni Versace!! The evils of Homosexuality ensured
that this man (?) reaped the fruits of his unholy labour.
