center stage. It has always been a sensitive issue, but it has
received a great deal of attention due to legislation and proposed
legislation in several European countries )e.g., France, Germany( that
ban its use in government institutions. For women who wear Hijaab out
of religious conviction, the truth is obvious and indisputable. For
others with limited knowledge or understanding of Hijaab, it can be
confusing.
Historical background
As a preliminary, it is important to understand several points related
to Hijaab and modesty. The first point is that modesty had been the
norm in history, up until the later part of the past century. If one
were to peruse historical books of various times and ages, one would
find modest covering of women to one degree or another. The other
point is that modesty is a component in several world religions,
particularly Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Many people are
surprised to realize that modesty and Hijaab were not introduced by
Islam. This injunction existed in the laws of religions revealed
before Islam, and remnants can still be found in the altered books of
those faiths. With the final message given to Prophet
Muhammad,sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, the order for Hijaab was
confirmed and finalized.
This is the reality since all of those revelations came from the same
Source, Allaah. Mary, mother of Jesus, may Allaah exalt their mention,
is rarely depicted without a traditional headcovering and one would
assume her to be Muslim )which, of course, she was(. One can still
find both Jewish and Christian women today who cover in much the same
way as Muslim women. It is one of the common bonds that are shared by
these three major faiths.
Functions of Hijaab
To truly understand the marvelous nature of Hijaab, it is essential to
review its functions. Of course, a Muslim does not need justification
for Allaah's commandments and willingly submits without question, but
Hijaab is an aspect of the religion that has a rationale that fits
perfectly with the logic of humans.
More than a religious symbol
The definition of a symbol is "a sign; something that stands for or
suggests something else by reason of relationship, association,
convention, or accidental resemblance; a visible sign of something
invisible." Of course, Hijaab is a symbol since it represents a
woman's submission to her Creator and her connection with the religion
of Islam. Allaah Almighty mentions this in the Quran when referring to
Hijaab ––"That is more suitable that they will be known..."This means
that a woman will be known to be a Muslim. But, while Hijaab is a
symbol, it is in reality much, much more than that. The following
purposes and functions of Hijaab will clarify this point.
Command and test from Allaah
Although often overlooked, it cannot be forgotten that Hijaab is a
test for the Muslim woman. Will she submit to her Lord or Creator, or
will she follow her own desires? It is clear from Quran and Hadeeths
that Hijaab is a religious obligation. There is no scholarly
difference on this point and the Muslim Ummah has applied it for 14
centuries )and beyond(. When a Muslim woman wears Hijaab she is
obeying and submitting to Allaah. To tell her to take it off would be
the same as telling her not to pray her obligatory prayers. When she
chooses not to wear Hijaab, she is disobeying her Lord and brings upon
herself the possibility of punishment for her transgression. This
matter cannot be taken lightly since it is included amongst the major
sins in Islam. Unfortunately, one will find Muslim women who argue
that Hijaab is not obligatory and that the text of the Quran on the
matter is not clear. This is an even graver error since one is denying
the verses of the Quran and distorting them to fit personal whims.
The following verses of the Holy Quran refer to the obligatory nature of Hijaab:
}And tell the believing women to reduce ]some[ of their vision and
guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that
which ]necessarily[ appears thereof and to wrap ]a portion of[ their
headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to
their husbands, their fathers, their
}O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the
believers to bring down over themselves ]part[ of their outer
garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be
abused. And ever is Allaah Forgiving and Merciful.{]Quran 33:59[
Preservation of modesty
As mentioned previously, one of the main purposes of Hijaab is to hide
or conceal the beauty of a woman and to preserve her modesty. Modesty
can be defined as reserve or propriety in dress, conduct, and speech
as well as freedom from conceit and vanity.
Related concepts would be simplicity, moderation, and chastity. These
are considered as noble virtues that are encouraged by religious and
value systems around the world. Each person has a certain degree of
comfort in relation to dress, and a Muslim woman's more extensive
covering should be no less validated. Asking a Muslim woman to remove
her head- scarf would be similar to asking a non-Muslim woman to
remove her blouse. The Muslim woman would feel just as violated. Her
strong sense of modesty would cause her to feel ashamed to leave the
home without her complete covering. An interesting question to ask is
"Why is a nun respected for her modest dress, but a Muslim woman with
Hijaab is viewed as oppressed?"
Elevation of status
A woman who covers herself informs those around her that she is more
than her body and looks. She has a mind, she has a heart, she has a
personality, she has faith. It is through this process that her status
is elevated. She has dignity, honor, and decency, and she expects to
be treated as such. She refuses to be used as a toy merely for her
beauty and the pleasures of men. Women have much more to offer than
physical attractiveness, and the Hijaab in Islam guarantees that she
is seen for more than that. Contrary to popular opinion, the status of
women is Islam is elevated beyond that found in any other social
system. Spiritually, she has the same obligations and rewards as men;
socially, she is valued and honored as a mother, sister, daughter,
wife, and contributor to society; economically, she has ownership,
independence and decision making ability unparalleled before Islam.
The Hijaab is one component in a comprehensive system that places
women on a pedestal of respect and high esteem.
Liberation
The Hijaab is not a symbol of female oppression or inequality. On the
contrary, it is an instrument of liberation. A woman who wears Hijaab
liberates herself from the vain and selfish desire to show off her
beauty and to compete with other women around her. This is an innate
desire that is exacerbated by wanton display and tamed by modesty and
covering. With the Hijaab, a woman does not have to live up to
society's expectations of what is desirable, and she no longer has to
use her beauty to obtain recognition or acceptance from those around
her.
As much as women are prone to the temptation of vanity, the nature of
man makes him more tempted by seeing this. Hijaab also liberates man
from his natural desire to gaze at and enjoy the attractiveness of
women. It assists in freeing him from the lower desires that can be
debasing. With Hijaab, the concern of both women and men is no longer
superficiality and this, in turn, frees them to address higher motives
and goals such as spirituality and inner beauty.
Security and protection
In the chapter of Al-Ahzaab mentioned above, Allaah Almighty Says what
means"That is more suitable that they will be known and not be
abused."Thus, one of the functions of Hijaab is to protect women from
abuse and harm. This particularly includes various forms of sexual
abuse and harassment, which are prevalent in societies in which few
women cover. Men often get mixed signals and believe that women want
their advances by the way they reveal their bodies. The Hijaab, on the
contrary, sends a signal to men that the wearer is a modest and chaste
woman who should not be annoyed.
People often argue that this sort of reasoning places blame on the
victim, the woman herself. It is important to understand that the
intention is not to take the responsibility away from the offender,
but rather to highlight the reciprocal nature of Hijaab. Men and women
must work together for the protection of themselves, each other, and
society. Along with women, men also have a degree of modesty,
including most importantly lowering of the gaze and protecting of the
private parts )see Quran verses above(. On account of the difference
between men and women in nature and physical makeup, a greater amount
of covering is required for women than for men. Both men and women,
however, are instructed first to lower their gaze in the presence of
the opposite gender before being told to cover. Again, this emphasizes
their mutual responsibility in this regard. But, it must be recognized
that uncovering of women does play some roll in increased incidence of
abuse and harassment in society.
Safeguarding of society
When a woman exposes herself she is likely to be doing it for selfish
motives )i.e., showing off her body, to gain attention(. A devout
woman covers herself for the benefit of herself and also for the
society Imagine, if you will, a society in which all of the women
covered... Now imagine a completely different picture in which all of
the women exposed themselves, wearing very little. What is different
about those two societies? In which society would there be less evils
and temptations?
"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze, and protect their
private parts. . . "The believing woman protects her private parts
from not being seen and from immoral actions )fornication(. This is
one of the most serious aspects of modesty and Hijaab due to its
implications. Fornication is a poison that destroys individuals,
families, and societies. One only needs to look at societies in which
fornication is prevalent to understand this point. Diseases )e. g.,
AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases( are spread rampantly, divorce
increases, people become pre occupied with lower desires. Fornication
is amongst the greater sins in Islam for these reasons. A woman who
covers safeguards herself and, in turn, the society from this evil.
Islam is a religion of prevention and, as such, prescriptions are in
place to preclude people from falling into the traps of Satan. Hijaab,
lowering the gaze, limited mixing of men and women are all
preventative tools against fornication. When humans adhere to these
prescriptions, life becomes wholesome and strong families are built
necessities for a healthy social order.
With all of these benefits one begins to wonder why a woman would
choose not to wear Hijaab?
Reasons for Hijaab ban )and the Islamic response(
Secularism
One of the main reasons for the Hijaab ban in a country such as France
is a concept known as secularism. Secularism is a system in which
government functions with little or no connections to religion or
religious institutions. Religion does not dictate political decisions
or thinking. As a philosophy, secularism is the belief that life can
best be lived with little or no reference to God or gods. In secular
societies, people do not assume religious beliefs to be widely shared
and over time religion becomes less important in their lives. The
obvious danger of this philosophy is that it encourages atheism and
agnosticism. There is an emphasis on rationalism and a denigration of
religions and religious teachings.
France is a pure secular states as noted in the first sentence of its
constitution )1905( "France is an indivisible and secular Republic…"
In relation to the Hijaab, the President of France, Jacques Chirac, is
quoted as stating, "What is at stake is supporting the principle of
secularism, which is one of the pillars of our Republic." Jean-Pierre
Raffarin, the Prime Minister of France, has stated, "Secularism in
France is a fundamental value, particularly in France's foremost
Republican sanctuary, her schools, where every young person is
learning about citizenship, universality, and where he or she must
benefit from the principles of equality and liberty, the neutrality of
public service." Seventy percent of French people support the Hijaab
ban. This is also one of the main reasons that Hijaab is banned in the
secular countries of Turkey and Tunisia.
Islam is a threat to these governments since it is quite the opposite
of secularism. Islam is not only a religion, but a deen, a way of
life. As a way of life, it is comprehensive, covering virtually every
aspect. A Muslim is not able to separate religion from the rest of
life for the deen is the life. A true practicing Muslim breathes,
walks, and lives Islam, even down to the smallest details. Upon rising
in the morning, she remembers Allaah. She immediately washes for pray
and completes the fajr prayer. She eats with his right hand during
meals. During social interactions she follows Islamic etiquette.
Hijaab is a part of this way of life and as such it cannot be altered
or removed. The religion of Islam pervades both private and public
life. These cannot be separated and one cannot say that she i1l be
religious in private life but not public life. An individual takes her
deen to public life when she wears Hijaab. She takes her religion to
public life when she refuses to shake hands with males. The religion
comes into play during social interactions, economic transactions, and
political decisions. A Muslim can never live a "secular" life.
Unfortunately, this is what nations are forcing Muslims to do, even in
so-called Islamic countries. But, Allaah has guaranteed to preserve
the religion and to reward those who work for His cause in its
protection.
Equality of genders/ emancipation of women
The second reason given for the Hijaab ban is reflected in the
following quote by Jacques Chirac —"Regardless of their origins and
their convictions, French men and women have the same rights, the same
duties, and they have a right to the same respect and the same
opportunities." The goal of these societies is to make men and women
totally equal or the same; exactly identical in rights, duties, and
opportunities. It is somehow strange to think that by removing Hijaab
men and women will somehow become magically equal in status. These
people also assume that women who wear Hijaab are oppressed,
subjugated and in need of liberation. They seem to think that Muslim
women want to be liberated and to be told to remove the Hijaab. It is
as if they are doing a favor for the Muslim woman.
From an Islamic perspective, it is important to realize that although
men and women are similar in many ways )i.e., spiritual(, Allaah
Almighty has created specific rights and responsibilities for each
gender in certain realms of life. He has not only done that, but He
has also created each gender uniquely to best fulfill the duties that
have been assigned to each. Science, in fact, has affirmed these
concepts. This does not imply the superiority of one gender over the
other since both roles are honorable and operate in a complementary
manner. They are both essential for effective functioning of the
society. One may ask the question, "If Allaah Almighty had intended
for men and women to be equal or the same, would it be necessary to
have two genders?"
A Muslim woman does not need the "freedom" that is being offered, for
the she is already liberated. Her liberation comes through submission
to her Lord and Creator. The Hijaab liberates her from the focus on
worldly and lower desires and elevates her into the domain of
spirituality and nearness to Allaah. The "liberation" they promise is
only subjugation deceptively shrouded in the cloak of goodness. There
can never be liberation in disobedience to Allaah.
Protection from force of parents
Although secular countries proclaim to support freedom of religion and
speech, these can easily be compromised in defense of the secular
philosophy. The following quote highlights this fact: "The European
Court in Stasbourg protects secularism when it is a fundamental value
of the State. It allows limits to the freedom of expression in public
services, especially when it is a matter of protecting minors against
external pressures." In these societies, everything is upside down,
even to the point of giving minors rights above their parents. In
essence, what they are doing is taking control from parents and giving
it to the state. So, it is no longer parents who are telling their
children to wear Hijaab, but it is the state telling them to take it
off. There is still no freedom, only a different force. This is not
much different from saying that you have come to liberate a country,
only to occupy it yourself.
In Islam, the rights of parents are sacred and honored. Allaah
commands the believers to obey and respect their parents and this is
often placed next to submission and obedience to Allaah in importance.
They are attempting to tear down this fundamental aspect of the deen
and the culture, but this cannot be allowed. From an Islamic
perspective, parents can force their daughter to wear Hijaab since
this is a religious obligation. They are only requiring her to do what
is best for her, her family, and her society. This is really no
different than enforcing a curfew or placing limitations on friends or
outings. In reality, it is more essential since the benefits are
immense. It is important to note that girls are not obligated to wear
Hijaab until puberty, but they should be taught about the essentials
of Hijaab from an early age. If they are properly taught the beauty
and meaning of Hijaab, they will willingly make their own choice to
don it when the time is right.
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