Haroon Rashid
Islam has strongly emphasized the concept of decency and modesty in the interaction between members of the opposite sex. Dress code is part of that overall teaching.The Command by Allah to Muslim men is that they should not lustfully look at women (other than their own wives); and in order to prevent any possibility of temptation, they are required to cast their glances downwards. This is known as “hijab of the eyes”.Hijab represents a woman’s submission to her Creator and her connection with the faith. While hijab is a symbol, in reality it is much more than that.
Why Hijab:
Hijab is a test for the Muslim woman. It is clear from the Qur’an and the Hadiths that hijab is a religious obligation, which a woman has to undertake. There is no scholarly difference on this point and the Muslim Ummah has applied it for over 14 centuries. When a Muslim woman wears hijab she is obeying and submitting to Allah. The following verses of the holy Qur’an refer to the obligatory nature of hijab: “And say (O Prophet) to the believing women that they lower their gaze and restrain their sexual passions and not expose their adornment except that which (necessarily) appears thereof and to wrap (a portion of) their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers that you might succeed.” [Qur’an, 24:31)
· “Before Islam women used to appear in public with their breasts partly uncovered. The khimar (pl.khumr) means a head-covering, and women were thus required to cover their breasts with a part of their head-covering. The head-covering as worn in the East conceals the arms, the neck and the bosom.”
Allah says: “O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.” (Qur’an, 33:59).
A woman who wears hijab liberates herself from the vain and selfish desire to show off her beauty and to compete with other women around her. With the hijab, a woman does not have to live up to society’s expectations of what is desirable, and she no longer has to use her beauty to obtain recognition of acceptance from those around her.
In the chapter of Al-Ahzaab mentioned above, Allah Almighty Says what means “That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused.” Thus, one of the functions of hijab is to protect women from abuse and harm. This particularly includes various forms of sexual abuse and harassment, which are prevalent in societies in which few women cover. Men often get mixed signals and believe that women want their advances by the way they reveal their bodies. The hijab, on the contrary, sends a signal to men that the wearer is a modest and chaste woman who should not be annoyed.In Islam, lowering of one’s gaze is a command given by Allah to both males and females alike in order to promote a modest and dignified societal code of conduct. Males and females must exemplify noble speech, righteous manners and dress with modest clothing. The modest female clothing has become known as Hijab.
Thus, it enables the preservation of comfort and modesty, whilst seeking to minimise immorality within social settings. The Hijab worn by Muslim women enables the preservation of modesty in a public forum.Hijab is a divine command given by Allah the Almighty to be practiced and observed by believing Muslim women. Moreover, it is a Fard (obligatory) ritual upon all female Muslims who have reached the age of puberty. Meaning a believer is considered to have fallen into sin if they choose not to observe its practice. In much the same way that leaving your prayers, or not fasting the month of Ramadan results in sin, denying its obligation can lead to one falling out of the fold of Islam.
Accordingly, the Hijab is a concept rooted in seeking the pleasure of your Creator Allah, by following His divine command. Not of patriarchal repression or of a man-made societal construct. Hijab is a core principle and concept of Islamic belief system and is observed as a mainstream Muslim practice globally.Islam’s societal construct is built on a foundation of faith in Allah the Almighty and seeking to please Him by observing modesty at all public levels. Islam does not deny the instinctive desire to enjoy such beauty. Instead, it offers men and women a dignified framework to do so. Living one’s life in accordance with divine instruction is a great example of personal empowerment and liberation.When observing Hijab, like all other forms of ritual worship, you will inevitably encounter hardships and challenges, in particular during this modern age. Just as one may find completing a month of fasting challenging and a struggle, perseverance through the hardship is possible if you hold a firm and unwavering hope in Allah’s ultimate mercy and reward. Allah Almighty is the Most-Just, and He alone will compensate and reward us for enduring the hardship for His sake.
– The writer is student of Law at University of Kashmir and can be reached at haroonraashid000@gmail.com
