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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 Hijaab.
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 Hijaab 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 Islaamic Duty
Ever since the appearance of Hijaab 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 Hijaab. Despite these attempts, women in Hijaab
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 Hijaab has nothing to
do with Islaam. 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 Hijaab 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 Hijaab
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 not allowed that any of her should be seen except
this’ – and he pointed to his face and two
hands."[3] The Hijaab 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 Hijaab 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 Islaam.[5]
The Benefits of Hijaab
-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 Hijaab has united the hearts
of so many. Hijaab 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 Hijaab. 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
Hijaab. 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 Hijaab simply to obey
their Creator, and not because of any external pressures.
Wearing the Hijaab 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 Hijaab, is the natural
protection it gives to a woman. By wearing Hijaab, a
woman shields herself from the rampant desires of man.
By his very nature, man is a creature of intense desire.
The Hijaab 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 Hijaab 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 Hijaab
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 Hijaab
reinforces this nature of the woman. We praise Allaah
that he has ordered this Hijaab, 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 Hijaab
carries far more honour then these worthless clothes.
Whilst the dresses of the catwalks are designed by mere
mortals, the Hijaab 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 Hijaab 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 Hijaab
was not obligatory. This announcement caused much confusion
and resulted in some women taking their Hijaab off.
3. Authentic – Reported by Al-Bayhaqee.
4. Even though it is not obligatory to cover the face
and hands, it is without doubt recommended that the
niqaab (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 Hijaab 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 Hijaab. Freedom
has truly been given a new meaning!
7. "A view through Hijaab" is an informative
account of life in Hijaab. Written by Khaula Nakata,
it is the experience of Hijaab 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.
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