Why do Muslim women cover their heads? Isn't this a sign of subjection ofwomen?

Muslim women cover their heads because God so directed in His final
book, the Glorious Qur'an. The head cover is specifically mentioned in
24:31. This instruction from God is only one aspect of a wider context
of purity of thought and action for men and women.
Islam has very strict rules against adultery and fornication, and
introduces many cautious measures to ensure the prevention and
avoidanceof such sins. One measure is the prescription that men and
women should avoid intermingling as far as possible (see Qur'an
33:53). This is why men and women pray in separate areas or
separaterows in the mosque. Another measure is that men and women
should cover the specified areas of their bodies the sight of which
arouse sexual desire in others (see Qur'an 7:26; 33:59). Yet another
measure is that men and women should lower or turn their gaze away
from looking at a person of the opposite sex (see Qur'an 24:31).
The idea that the head covering is a sign of subjection of women is
found not in the Qur'an but in another religious book with which the
Qur'an does not always agree. That other book teaches that women
should have a sign of authority over their headsbecause man was not
created from woman, but woman from man. The same book says that a man
should not cover his head because he is the image and glory of God;
and a woman should cover her head because she is the glory of man. The
Qur'an does not identify with any of these ideas. The Qur'anic
prescription of head coverdoes not in any way imply the subjection of
women.
People often confuse the Islamic prescriptions with ideas they are
already familiar with. Therefore when they see Muslim women covering
their heads they hastily conclude that it is for the same reasons
mentioned in some other religious book. But to gain a better
understanding of Islamic prescriptions, they have to be viewed within
the framework of Islamic thought.
Another mistake made by many is as follows. When they hear that the
Qur'an includes the story of Adam and Eve they conclude that the
Qur'an also upholds the idea thatEve was responsible for the fall of
man, and that the subjection of women is a necessary result of God's
curse on them. On the contrary, the Qur'an is free of such ideas. In
the Qur'an, Adam and Eve were both approached by the Devil. The Devil
did not approach Adam through Eve. Adam is therefore specifically
blamed in the Qur'an 20:121. In other verses they are both blamed;
butin no verse is Eve alone singled out to be blamed for the fall of
man. Although men are charged with the responsibility of leadership in
Islam too, this is in view of the practical dynamics of human
interaction as prescribed by God. It is not because of a curse on
women.
It would be a mistake to take the prescriptions of Islam and associate
them with ideas held outside ofIslam. Within Islam, women are capable
of as much good as men, and they stand before God equally honored.

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Isn't it true that Islam was spread by the sword?

No. This is not true. However, this is a common misconception inthe
minds of many people. The Qur'an declares:
There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth
distinct from error (Qur'an2:256).
This Qur'anic verse shows that God has made truth and falsehood
distinct from each other and people are therefore free to choose one
or the other. No one can be forced to believe in a religion since
belief is something very personal. One who follows the Qur'an will not
try to forceanother person to believe.
Even the prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, could not force another
person to become a Muslim. God revealed to him the following words:
And if your Lord willed, allwho are in the earth would have believed
together. Would you thencompel people until they become believers? It
is not for any soul to believeexcept by the permission of Allah
(Qur'an 10:99-100).
This instruction from God makes it clear that anyone is mistaken who
thinks that he or she can compel others to believe. If God wanted, He
could make everyone believers, but rather has given themfree choice.
Even so, no one can believe upon being forced. It is the grace of God
on a person that will result in belief. Isthere a teaching more
beautiful than this? How could any true follower ofthe Qur'an turn
around and force his faith on others? On the contrary, the Qur'an
instructs its followers on how to call people to true faith as
follows:
Call unto the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and
reason with them in the better way (Qur'an 16:125).
Where does the Qur'an tell anyone to call people at the point of a
sword? Itdoes not. God instructed his messenger, on whom be peace, as
follows:
Say: This is my Way: I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and
whosoever follows me (Qur'an 12:108).
Here again, the call is to be made with sure knowledge, with clear
evidence. Putting these instructions together, a Muslim understands
that he or she must present Islam with clear evidence (i.e. sure
knowledge) and use wisdom and fair exhortation to reason with people
to accept the evidence for faith. Where is there any mention of sword
in all of this?
The Junior Encyclopedia ofCanada says:
Islam is the fastest-growing religion worldwide (The Junior
Encyclopedia of Canada, Hurtig Publishers, Canada, 1990, Vol.2.
p.396).
What explains this phenomenon? Who is forcing anyone today to become
Muslims? Muslimsare not even engaged in active preaching in any
noticeable degree. People are voluntarily coming into Islam because
they find that Islam makes sense.
Huston Smith discusses in his book entitled The World's Religions, on
page256, how the prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, granted freedom
ofreligion to the Jews and Christians under Muslim rule. The prophet
had a document drawn up in which he stipulated that Jews and
Christians shall be "protected from all insults and vexations; they
shall have an equal right with our own people to our assistance and
good offices," and furthermore, that they shall "practice their
religion as freely as the Muslims" (Quoted in The World's Religions by
Huston Smith, Harper Collins, 1991, p.256). Smith points out that
Muslims regard that document as "the first charter of freedom of
conscience in human history and the authoritative model for those of
every subsequentMuslim state" (p.256).
So, was Islam spread by the sword? The following short answer comes
from Ira Zepp Jr., a non-Muslim, in his book entitled A Muslim Primer:
It is unfortunate that Islam has been stereotyped as the 'religion of
the sword' or that Islam was 'spread by the sword.' The historical
reality is that the expansion of Islam was usually by persuasion
andnot by military power. In any case, Islam cannot be forced on
anyone; if profession of the shahadah [i.e. the declaration of Islam]
is forced on someone, it is not true Islam (A Muslim Primer by Ira
Zepp, Jr., 1992, Wakefield Editions, US, p.134).

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As milk covers the water

Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) was mercilessly persecuted by
his master. Umayya bin Khalaf who was the worstenemy of Islam, would
make him lie down on theburning sand at mid-day and would place a
heavy stone on his chest so that he could not move even alimb. He
would then say to him: Renounce Islam orswelter and die in this state.
Even under these afflictions Bilal would exclaim: Ahad (the One Allah)
Ahad (the One Allah). At last Abu Bakr freed Bilal from Umayya.
Dear Muslims, when Bilal was asked how he endured all these
torturesand pain, he remarked that his belief in Allah covered all the
pains. It's like a glass of milk. If you put water into the glass of
milk, the water takes the colour of the milk. Thesame way, when Bilal
wastortured, his faith overcame the pain.

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What does Jihad mean?

The word Jihad representsa concept which is much misunderstood in the
West. The concept is explained nicely by the Christian scholar Ira 6.
Zepp, Jr. in his book entitled A Muslim Primer on pages 133-135. We
adapt from his answer thefollowing:
The essential meaning of Jihad is the spiritual, psychological, and
physical effort we exert tobe close to God and thus achieve a just and
harmonious society. Jihad literally means "striving" or "struggle" and
is shorthand for Jihad fi Sabeel Allah (struggle for God's cause). In
a sense, every Muslim is a Mujahid,one who strives for God and
justice.
Al-Ghazali captured the essence of Jihad when he said: "The real Jihad
is the warfare against (one's own) passions. Dr. Ibrahim Abu-Rabi
calls Jihad "the execution of effort against evil in the self and
every manifestation of evil in society." In a way, Jihad is the
Muslim's purest sacrifice: a struggle to livea perfect life and
completely submit to God.
Another form of Jihad is the striving to translate the Word of God
into action. If one has experienced God and received guidance from the
Qur'an, one struggles to apply that guidance in daily life. So the
larger, more prevalent meaning of Jihad is the spiritual struggle of
the soul. In this case, Jihad is always present for the believer
whether there is an external enemy or not. We should never reduce
Jihad to violence.
A third level of Jihad is popularly known as "holy war." The classic
passage is found in the Qur'an:
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight against you, but transgress
not the limits. Truly Allah likesnot the transgressors (Qur'an 2:190).
It is crucial to note here that what is condoned is defensive warfare;
Islam cannot justify aggressive war. Muhammad and the Tradition are
also against killing non-combatants, torturing of prisoners, the
destruction of crops, animals and homes. Adapted from Ira 6. Zepp,
Jr., A Muslim Primer (1992,Wakefield Editions, US) pp.133-135.
Robert Ellwood of the University of Southern California has the
following to say about the Muslim concept of Jihad:
Out of the community ideal of Islam comes the concept of jihad, or
holy war, which is designed to defend Islam and allow itssocial
practice, though notto force individual conversions, which is
forbidden. Since Islam in principle is a community as well as a
religion, presumably only an absolute pacifist would beable to reject
the theory of jihad out of hand, since other communities also fight to
defend or expand their ways of life. (Many Peoples, Many Faiths by
Robert S. Ellwood, 4th edition, Simon & Schuster,US, 1982, p.346).

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