The Ḥijāb

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Believers must submit 

None is unaware of the abuse & harassment or molestation faced by women but the question is, why does it happen?

The answer begins to shape up once we start thinking about the purpose of our creation and existence which is nothing but to worship Allaah alone.

Details of the way to fulfill this is in Islaam, in it we find how men and women can safeguard their honour, dignity and morality. The worship of Allaah is manifested by following this way.

Allaah commanded that men and women must avoid the road which leads to animalistic way of living. When people start to turn away from the prescribed islaamic way and neglect their duties towards Allaah, when they start to question the commands of Allaah and rullings of Islaam given by Allaah based on their own defective reasonings or desires – they start to slowly lose their path to success as well as the protection of their honour, dignity and morality.

Islaam is submission to Allaah, the Most Wise even if someone doesn't understand the wisdom behind it with his little knowledge or doesn’t support his own reasonings because undoubtedly Allaah prescribed nothing but good for us. Nobody knows what’s good for men and women except their Creator, Allaah.

It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allâh and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error. [33:36]

But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.

[4:65]

Hijaab is one of these things prescribed in Islaam – an honour and protection for women as well as a true freedom for her and her body from the hands and eyes of abusers and harassers. An act of obedience to Allaah and His Messenger ﷺ. Something which is a duty not merely your own choice as some may think nor it is something which you can wear as you want because it has conditions to be correct, just the head scarf which people mistakenly refer to as hijaab while wearing attractive, adorned clothes or make up with it, is not correct hijaab.

The obligation of Hijaab

Indeed Allaah ordered that women must observe hijaab. So, it’s not something optional nor something cultural nor a mere custom which can be left out rather it’s a command from Allaah, the Most High and its conditions are specified in the Qur'ān and the Sunnah for protection of the women.

Therefore, neglecting and abandoning it based on own personal choice has no basis as it’s not even a choice at first place. Rather it is something which is obligated by Allaah as proven from the Qur'ān and the Sunnah and there’s no disagreement amongst the scholars concerning the fact that it’s obligatory.

Allah considered the dazzling display of beauty as an act of disobedience and covering oneself fearing Him, following His command as an act of obedience –

And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance

[33:33]

And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen: that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts.

[33:53]

This doesn’t only apply to the prophet’s wives but also to the believing women-

O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allâh is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[33:59]

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyûbihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)…

[24:31]

The scholars differed on whether a woman must cover the face and the hands, many of them are of the opinion that they also must be covered while some other respected scholars considered it as preferable. Apart from that there’s no differences or disagreement concerning the obligation of hijaab on believing women.

Hijaab is modesty, purity, taqwa, a shield...

Any woman is ʿawrah, a source of attraction who must be covered. It's harmful for the woman when she shows of her apparent beauty. The hijaab is a purity for the hearts of both believing men and women as it screens against the desires of hearts, so the heart is purer when the sight is blocked by the hijaab as it prevents the fitnah and evil actions, cuts off the ill-folks and the greed of the sick hearts.

If the cause of attraction is no more present, the restriction is removed such as the case of elderly women who may have lost every aspect of attraction- Allaah made permitted her to lay aside her outer garment without making any wanton display of her adornments reminding however that it's still better to keep it.

And as for women past child-bearing who do not expect wed-lock, it is no sin on them if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show their adornment. But to refrain (i.e. not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them. And Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

[24:60]

If it's the case with the elder woman then how about the young women? It's more applicable on her than the elder woman to refrain from uncovering and showing off the beauty.

This Hijaab is something beloved to Allaah as it's a shield against the spread of evil which can result due to the displaying of beauty and Allaah does not like the publicizing and spreading of sins. It's a sign of the believing women's modesty, bashfulness and taqwa, righteousness and piety. It fits the natural bashfulness which is the part of women's nature. Bashfulness and belief are fully associated together, if one is lifted the other follows soon.

It's gheerah !

The hijaab is gheerah, it fits the natural feeling of gheerah of a true man who will never like that strange men gaze upon his wives or daughters, this is a natural feeling due to which he strives to safeguard his wives, daughters or other women who are related to him and a real Muslim man has gheerah for all Muslim women.

Sadly many has lost this great moral aspect. Men look at other women freely with desire and some don't even mind the same happening to their own wives and daughters in the modern societies which they refer to as 'freedom' or 'empowerment'.

They themselves freely mix with unrelated women and let their women mix freely with other unrelated men which results great evil of adultery, extra marital affairs or molestation, families are destroyed and children suffer the most. Few are those who feel anything if they discover their own spouses or children commiting such evil or don't mind such behaviour as if it's something normal because they like this for themselves too. No honour, no dignity! This free mixing and absence of hijaab takes away from the heart the feeling of gheerah. There's no good in someone who doesn't have gheerah.

Ali (radi Allaahu anhu) said: “It was related to me that you women used to crowd the Kuffar (disbelieving men) from the non-Arabs in the markets; don’t you have Gheerah? There is no good in the one who does not have Gheerah.”

A true woman will not like for herself that she's gazed upon with lust and desires by those who have ill intentions, she'll not like to lower herself or expose herself to the danger by showing of her beauty if she's a woman of honour and morality and if she understands her true value. She'll not leave off the commands of Allaah just for few praises or attention she gets by doing tabarruj because gaining these will not benefit her in any way, so she'll protect herself with covering and she will also lower her gaze fearing Allaah, in order to prevent her heart and guard it from the evil desires, keeping away from unrelated men.

Wearing the appropriate hijaab

Most of the clothes which are spread nowadays are meant for showing off and hardly work as a shield for covering women's body. Even the way many women wear the hijaab is not the actual hijaab. Wearing just a head scarf, adorned bright coloured abayas or hijaab, showing off jewellers or wearing hijaab with make up, niqab with eye make up etc. all these are not the true hijaab. So it's a must that believing women should pay attention to this and start doing the correct hijaab to ensure that they're fulfilling the obligation upon them, also protecting themselves and not being a fitnah.

Nowadays we're in a time when Muslim women are being prevented from even wearing the 'head scarves' let alone doing the complete hijab in many societies. Many women face obstacles from their own families as well when she truly wants to observe hijaab, making fun of her or mocking her, calling extreme just because she's adhering to the correct ḥijāb which is in reality a basic obligation is normal due to the lack of correct islaamic knowledge. But she must endure these with patience seeking Allaah's reward and thinking highly of Him for the believing women's purpose of observing the hijaab is her taqwa and her belief, Allaah did not addressed His words about hijaab except to the believing women and such a woman prioritizes her Aakhirah over this world's so called short pleasures. 

'Aisha said to some women from the tribe of Banu Tameem when they visited her wearing light clothes " if indeed you are believing women then this is not the dress of the believing women and if you are not believing women then enjoy it "

So women who believe truly will not object to the ruling of hijaab and submit. It's not a small matter which should be taken lightly and made so insignificant that people think it as a mere "choice" for it's importance is great for the whole society. The sisters should be aware of this obligation and follow the CORRECT hijaab and the brothers should also realize the importance of lowering their gaze and their responsibility of safeguarding their women by educating them on this, preventing them from commiting the destructive sin of tabarruj or mixing with men having gheerah for them.

The women like to be seen and men like to see if they do not stop themselves having fear of Allaah in heart, by covering and by lowering the gaze then it's enough to destroy a whole society.

May Allâh grant us the ability to follow this religion properly and grant us beneficial knowledge.

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©️ Picture: from unsplash