The Hijab controversy doesn’t seem to die out. As Yusuf puts it
The recent controversy generated in India by the comments of actress turned politician Shabana Azmi as to whether veil is mandatory for Muslim women or not has lead to lot of misunderstandings rather than clarifications on the issue.
As seen in UK, so also in India, Media jumped in to malign Islam and its practices without even having an iota of knowledge about the concept of veil in Islam.
He has an excellent post on the concept of Hijab and Burqa
However wearing the outer garment and the head-gear is “Mandatoryâ€? for all Muslim women. It is upon them if they want to wear it or not – as there can be no force in matters of religion. But they should also know that not wearing an outer garment or a head-gear while going out is a disobedience to Allah Subhanota’la’s Commandments and an open violation of Prophet’s directives.
Having said that an outer-garment can be a scarf and an over-coat; a jilbab and a hijab, a chador or the dupatta encompassing the head and the bosoms over loose-fitting Shalwar-Kameez. It need not be a Burqa. And many Islamic Scholars agree to that.
On the same issue Bushra writes
I do Hijab because God has instructed Muslim women to do so, through His messenger and His book. I will not indulge in a pedantic discourse on proofs that this is indeed a divine injunction…because it is.
The rewards for following this are innumerable, not the least of which is the reward that awaits me in Paradise after my horse stops.
Oh I almost forgot to mention one pertinent detail…God in the Qur’an talks about Hijab for men before Hijab for women! Before your loose jowls drop to the floor, let me explain how.
It says in the Qur’an: Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them; and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. Al-Qur’an (24:30)
In the very next verse: And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s fathers, their sons… Al-Qur’an (24:31)
When I do Hijab:
No one lech-es at me, a considerable advantage when I go about my business outside the relatively safe confines of my house. It is liberating, in the true sense of the word, when I know that I am not an object of lust.
I can wear house pajamas under my black cloak; and frequent both high end restaurants and the neighborhood kirana shops in.
No one but me gets to judge the ‘problem areas’ in my anatomy, and for someone so fond of her food, this is definitely an ace up my sleeve.
It gives me a psychological illusion of being protected.
It gives me yet another psychological illusion of being too precious and too beautiful for everyone to admire. My beauty thus gets reserved for those special few for whom it is ordained by God’s sanction.
The hoi polloi who have the good fortune of interacting with me see me as a person, rather than as … lets say … a FEMALE. Because really guys…we’re all PEOPLE first. Get that!
I have never experienced any discrimination because of my sex that my un-Hijabed sisters so often complain about.
I am liberated! Islam liberated women. Before it came,
Romans could legally murder their wives, prostitution was legal, and nudity was (unfortunately still is) an art.
Pandora (an imaginary woman in ancient Greek mythology) was the root cause of all human misfortunes. Subhuman, inferior to males…
The Egyptians…considered women as the sign of the devil.
Pre-Islamic Arabia – female child – buried alive.
My religion gave women dignity… gave me dignity.
Alhamdulillah…
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@ Bushra….”The Egyptians…considered women as the sign of the devil.”
From which period is this? From ancient Egypt, this is factually incorrect. Consider the existence of Iris or Seshat, both goddesses.
Please google and you’ll find ample literature citing status of women in ancient women.
The point Bushra needs to consider, if she doesn’t already: its not about the burqa or not. its about the right to wear or not wear one. Just as she believes she got dignity via the burqa, a muslim woman may find dignity outside of it. And no one should tell her she is being immodest. Cos modesty is hardly a external attribute. Isn’t it all in the spirit of the person?
Bushra doesn’t even know that her post is being referred to here
But as far as my views are concerned, well a covering is must for a Muslim women because it gives her an identity and also the confidence. Modesty is definitely not an external attribute but its definitely is reflected in the clothing.
I guess thats one issue with posting on cold entries – people have moved on!! oh, well..
With regards to your view:
Shouldn’t it be the woman’s responsibility and right to decide what gives her an identity, as well as confidence? Just as I think that its quite possible that a burqa may well do that for many Muslim women, I also think its possible some Muslim women may think a jeans and t-shirt do the trick for them. After all, God did not create us all the same, right?
Agreed, modesty is reflected in clothing. But is modesty dictated by clothing? Does wearing a burqa guarantee a modest attitude? I believe it doesn’t. Ex: I may wear just the clothes that young Americans wear, but there is a world of diff in their attitude to life (or modesty) and mine. In other words, do we trust that a modest woman is capable of bringing her modesty to bear in her choice of clothing? I think we should trust them.
Surah An Noor – Verse no -31 urges Believing Women to dress modestly and not in a manner that attracts members of opposite sex.
Sharique, I have a question. Doesn’t this place the responsibility of someone else’s thoughts and actions (opposite sex – men) on women? Is that fair to either? What does it say about men – that they have no control over their actions?
Amit,
Can every man control his emotions? Dressing modestly also applies to men. There are rules but then you can’t promote the breaking of that rule by inciting others, isn’t it?
Sharique,
I’m not sure I understand your point. Yes, we do not have control over our thoughts and emotions, but we do not act on all our thoughts. We do have the capacity to think ahead of the consequences of our thoughts/emotions and make a decision accordingly – act or not act.
If I see a woman dressed immodestly, and have some thoughts as a result of that, then those thoughts as well as any action that results from it are my responsibility, not the woman’s or the way she is dressed. I have the option to
1. close my eyes,
2. look elsewhere, or
3. don’t give any importance (if that’s best) to the thoughts/emotions that arose.