Muslims nowadays face many malicious attacks and
wrongful criticism from their enemies no matter how moderate, decent and
reasonable they are. Sadly, some of the “Islamically” poorly educated Muslims
(self-appointed speakers) are on the foot steps of these enemies. All what the
practicing Muslims do is questionable for their haters, and at times Muslims
feel that they need to justify their acts. It should be known to these people
and for every Muslim that Islam is not just a mere ideology established by someone, or a set of bylaws compiled by a group of lawyers and legislators. Rather, Islam is a sacred complete system based on components of beliefs, acts of worship, morality and codes of conduct, which are revealed by the Creator and conveyed by His Messenger Muhammad,salla-llahu ^alayhi wa sallam, to all humankind, and perpetually valid for implementation in every age.
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One issue which became and remains controversial is
the dress of the Muslim woman. Some may ask, “Why must she cover?”and “How much
must she cover?” The answer is: "Simply, because Allah commanded her to do
so". Among learned Muslims, hijab has never been a
controversial issue; because of the Qur'anic and Hadith conclusive evidences, moreover, there is a unanimous
agreement (ijma^, consensus)
among all Islamic scholars on its obligation. It is important to make a
distinction at this point between the hijab and the niqab. The hijab is the
headdress which covers the head and neck, while the niqab is what covers the
face.
To clarify this matter and to substantiate this well
known Islamic practice, the 3 main Islamic references: The Qur'an, Hadith, and the agreement of the Muslim scholars (ijma^) are utilized. These
references are the main tool used in the standard Islamic jurisprudence
practice. Then, in the discussion section, we will present the significance of
this practice in establishing the Muslim identity and we'll show what's
acceptable and non-acceptable in this practice. Hopefully, the skeptics and the
poorly educated Muslims will see the irrefutable truth and will return to the
ideal path of shari^ah.
Qur'an
Ayah 31 of suratun-Noor means:
“
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[O Prophet] tell the believing
women to restrain their gaze (the forbidden look) and to guard themselves
from sinning (fornication or adultery) and not to display excessive jewelry
and make up (to prevent seduction) except what is normally revealed and to draw
(extend) their khumurst(Hijabs) over their chests. They should not reveal their
beauty (removing their head scarves because hair is part of the beauty) to
anyone but their husbands, or their fathers, or their husbands’ fathers
(father in law), or their sons, or their husbands’ sons (step
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„
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— Qur'an , 24:31
This ayah makes clear what must be
covered, a woman’s unlawful nakedness, and infront of whom a woman may
uncover.
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Ayah 59 of suratul-Ahzab means:
“
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O Prophet Enjoin your wives, your
daughters, and the wives of believers to draw their [jalabeeb] cloaks (outer garment) over them [when they
go out]. That is more proper, so that they may be distinguished and not be
harassed. Surely, God is the most forgiving and merciful.
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„
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— Qur'an , 33:59
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The following verses of suratul-Ahzab are taken to apply
exclusively to the wives of
Muhammad, salla-llahu ^alayhi wa sallam,
Ayahs 32-33 of suratul-Ahzab mean:
“
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[O] Wives of the Prophet, you are
not like other women (some of the judgments that apply to you, do not apply
to other women). So, if you fear God, do not be too complaisant in your
speech, lest the lecherous-hearted should lust after you. Talk with such people
in plain and simple words. Abide still in your homes and do not dress as
women used to do in the first ignorance era (the era that preceded the
prophet Nooh,
peace be upon him, when women used to dress in revealing clothes). Attend to
your prayers, pay zakah and
obey God and His Messenger. O household of the Prophet (wives and children),
Allah wants to cleanse you from the filth of the sins [these hypocrites want
to besmear you with] and to fully purify you with piety. –meanings from al
bahr al muhit
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„
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The prophet’s wives had particular Islamic judgments
that only applied to them. For example, if the Prophet divorced her or after he
passed away, she was Islamically forbidden from remarrying. Another such
judgement was with regards to the dress, where the Prophet’s wives were
obligated to cover more than other Muslim woman.
Hadith
There are many Ahadith (plural of Hadith, sayings and doings of the Prophet) related to the
subject of men and women's ^awrah (unlawful
nakedness, i.e. body parts that need to be covered) that are narrated by al-Bukhary, Muslim, Abou Dawood,
and other scholars which talked about the obligation of the woman's
conservative clothing and head covering. Some of these Ahadith described
the circumstances and events when these aforementioned Qur'anic verses were
revealed to the Prophet, salla-llahu
^alayhi wa sallam, while other Ahadith talked about the events when the
Messenger of Allah,
salla-llahu ^alayhi wa sallam, just ordered the Muslim women to
dress conservatively, to cover their heads, not to display their excessive
jewelry and to avoid wearing seductive makeup and perfume in order to attract
the men's attention and lure them. Nevertheless, only one comprehensive Hadith is mentioned in this article because of its
clarity and generality.
- ^A'ishah,
Ummul Mu'minin, radiya-llahu
^anha (the most knowledgeable woman in the Muslim
nation), narrated that when her sister Asma', the daughter of Abu Bakr, radiya-llahu
^anhu, entered upon the Messenger of Allah, salla-llahu ^alayhi wa sallam,
wearing thin clothes, the Messenger of Allah, salla-llahu
^alayhi wa sallam, turned his attention from her and said which
means: O Asma',
when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, she is not allowed to show
of herself except this and this, and he pointed to her face and hands. Sunnan Abi Dawood 32:4092.
The Prophet, salla-llahu
^alayhi wa sallam, didn't specify this judgment for the prayer and hajj only; it's a general ruling for women to cover in
front of marriageable men no matter how chaste, dear and close such men
are.
Scholars' Arguments
Because of the vast Islamic region and the diversity
in the ethnic and cultural backgrounds, Muslims have recognized many different
forms of clothing as satisfying the demands of hijab.
Although there's a unanimous agreement among the renowned and reliable Muslim
scholars from as-salaf (in
the first 300 years hijriy)
and al-khalaf (after
the 300 years hijriy) on
the woman’s obligation to cover all of her body except the hands and face when
in front of marriageable (men).
The debate focused on the degree of conservatism
necessary when covering. Even though covering
- Some
Muslims recommend that women wear a jilbab, a high-necked loose robe that covers the arms and
legs, and a khimar, a
scarf or cowl that covers all but the face.
- Some
think that the jilbab and
the khimar are the very
garments demanded by theQur'an.
- Others
believe that the words used in the Qur'an are best understood as words with a
general meaning and that Muslim woman have some freedom in choosing which
form of head-covering or cloak to wear as long as they meet the
obligation.
Before it was mandatory for Muslim women to dress
conservatively and cover their heads, they used to uncover their ears and their
necks, if they cover their heads at all (in era of ignorance, al-jahiliyyiah). The fact that
they used to uncover is mentioned in al bahr al muhit (in Qur’anic
interpretation). The argument that hijab is
just an extended tradition, started before the time of the Prophet Muhammad, salla-llahu ^alayhi wa sallam, then
continued and as such is compulsory, is objectionable because if they used to
cover from before then why did Allah order them to cover, if they had already
been doing so? Such an argument is baseless and unacceptable to the Muslim
scholars because of the assurance of the Qur'anic scriptures and Hadith texts on its obligation.
Muslim scholars agree that the basic requirements are
that when praying, (performing al-hajj,
pilgrimage), or in the presence of marriageable men, (not maharim plural ofmahram), a woman should cover
herself, except her face and hands. Some scholars specify the degree of
conservatism necessary in such a dress.
Discussion
Allah the One Who created mankind
Knows what is beneficial and what is harmful for them. He sent prophets and
messengers to guide the people to the path of righteousness and to warn them
about the evil and what leads to it, through revelation. The Islamicshari^ah is valid for any
time and age, because the One Who revealed it Knows the best about the needs of
His creations. Total faith in Allah means
full subjugation to Him and submission with commitment to all what He decreed.
Muslims should believe with no doubt about whatever was explicitly deemed in
the Islamic shari^ah (i.e.
by the Qur'an,
authentic Hadith, and the unanimous
agreement of the reliable Muslim scholars[1]) to be a fard (obligation) or to
be haram (forbidden).
Nevertheless, with issues that were not explicitly mentioned by the Qur'an, authentic Hadith, and there was no consensus among the scholars, the
Prophet, salla-llahu
^alayhi wa sallam, gave permission for ijtihad, deducing an Islamic judgment, by qualified
Muslim scholars using the proper tools forijtihad. Al-hamdu-llilah for
this permission, it gave the Muslims leverage in dealing with any circumstance,
anywhere, at any time.
Regretfully, this permission is well misused, or
actually, abused by some of the unlearned Muslims who imposed themselves as
thinkers or clergymen. Using out of context Qur'anic verses and reliable Hadith, or using unauthentic Hadith and untrustworthy sources, they make false
judgments that are harming the credibility of our truthful and reliable
scholars, who are the most knowledgeable about the shari^ah and the true followers of the Prophet, salla-llahu ^alayhi wa sallam,
whom he praised. For some meaningless publicity, gaining a little popularity
and shameful reputation, these faked individuals are giving baseless judgments
under the permission of fatwa and ijtihad with no fear of Allahwhatsoever. Deceiving lay
Muslims by good intention to facilitate some matters, or to act as reformers to
update the shari^ah and
make it applicable for this current time, they are disserving Muslims, and
giving a big favor for the enemies of Islam. Having said that, every judgment
that contradicts our shari^ah has
no merit and is rejected no matter who said it. Consequently, wearing Hijab for women is an obligation till the Day of
Judgment.
Surat al-Ahzab ayah 36 means: When Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter, nor a
believer man or a believer woman should have any option in their decision
(strictly they have to follow the shari^ah).
And whoever disobeys Allah and
His Messenger, he has indeed strayed undoubtedly.
Civilization is not measured by nakedness; rather, it
is measured by the contribution to the betterment of humans’ life. The Islamic shari^ah was revealed by the
Creator as sign of mercy to humankinds. It is a perfect system from creed, to
act of worships, to transactions, to codes of conducts. Men and women are
ordered equally to comply with it. Both have observance responsibilities and
adherence to its rules.
Islam is the religion of
moderation and rejects extremism on both ends, strictness and liberalism (not
too harsh or too dilute). Hence, obligating on woman what Allah has not made
obligatory such as full body covering is rejected; as is contradicting what is
established as being a recommended and
Islamically, there's no definite punishment for the
woman who doesn't observe hijab, yet, not wearing it
shows some carelessness about this issue and some weaknesses in piety. On the
other hand, even though the hijab is a sign of
devotion and compliance withshari^ah,
it's not the only standard used to measure a woman’s piety. Some women may wear
it for a fashion purpose, some may wear it as a tradition, some may wear it
because they're coerced to do it, and some may wear it for many other reasons.
However, the ones who really wear it in compliance with the shari^ah, are those who were
Islamically educated, totally convinced with its meaning, and obeyed Allah. One of the other
reasons in dressing decently is to signify modesty for both men and women. Both
will then be evaluated for intelligence and skills instead of looks and
sexuality. One of our Muslim sisters said: "We want to stop men from
treating us like sex objects, as they have 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 with respect and not just chase us around for
our bodies and physical looks." Generally, 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 hypothetically. Many Muslim
women who cover are filled with dignity and self esteem; they are pleased to be
identified as Muslim. 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.
In general, there's no fixed standard as to the style
of dress or type of clothing that Muslims must wear, only regional and cultural
differences dictate such constraints. However, some requirements must be met.
The first of these requirements is the parts of the body which must be covered,
only the hands, face and feet may be uncovered. Thickness is the second
requirement. The clothing must be thick enough so as not to show the color of
the skin it covers and it is better for such clothing to conceal the shape of
the body.
An over-all dignified appearance is highly recommended. The clothing
should not attract men's attention to the woman. It is better for the clothing
to be loose enough so as not to describe the shape of the woman's body. In
addition, women must not dress so as to appear as men. Ibn ^Abbas narrated that the Prophet, salla-llahu ^alayhi wa sallam,
cursed the men who appear like women and the women who appear like men.(al-Bukhariy)
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. Hence, we should not allow the tides’ turning to dictate our outlook
and belief rather we should remain steadfast to what was deemed obligatory.
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.Muslim women are urged, in addition to
acquiring the Islamic necessary knowledge, to pursue higher education, to be
professional, to be socially active, and to be leaders and examples in
conveying the true picture of Islam, the religion of all the honorable prophets
from Adam to Muhammad.
Because of our care, unquestionable motive and love
for our sacred shari^ah,
in this article and with total sincerity, we intended just to present the
Islamic proofs hoping to get the message across to those who were mislead so
they can get back to their senses and be reasonable. The Prophet Muhammad (Salla-llahu ^alayhi
wa sallam) said
in themutawatir hadith (ranked at highest degree of authenticity)
which means that no one should be obeyed in disobeying Allah. Obeying Allah and His messenger
is the ultimate goal. This is the definition of taqwa, piety, fear of Allah. One of the righteous scholars said: "People
are asleep in this life; when they die they wake up". Let us not be among
those careless people. Death is coming with no escape, let's be ready for this
moment of truth.
Finally, we ask Allah,
Subhanahu wa Ta^ala, to make us among those righteous who listen to what has
been said, yet, they follow only what is the best of it, help us guide to what
leads to His obedience and not to mislead, and to grant us the good and safe
end.
[1] Renowned mainstream scholars such as: Abou Hanifah, Malik,
Ash-Shafi^iy, Ahmad Bin Hanbal,