HIJAAB

CLOTHING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

In Islam there is no difference between men and women in regards to their relationship to Allah; they are both promised the same reward for good, or punishment for evil conduct.

"And their Lord has answered their prayer: I waste not work of any worker amongst you, male or female" (Al-Quran 3:95)

Modesty is a virtue that Islam demands, not only from women, but also from men:

"Say to the believing men they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty. And say to the believing women they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty" - (Surah 24:30-31)

From the dawn of civilization, flowing dresses and head scarves have always been associated with 'Godliness' or 'God consciousness'. Even the Christian pictorial representation of the earlier prophets and their women folks bear familiar likeness to the dress ordained for Muslim men and women, and to an extent carried on by some of the nuns to this day. With regard to this modesty, Allah says in the Quran:

'O Children of Adam! We have sent down on you an undergarment to cover your shameful parts, and an outer garment as a protection and decoration, and the best garment is the garment of piety. Such are the Signs of Allah, that they may be admonished. ' - (AI Araaf: 26)

However, it is on account of the differences between men and women in nature, temperament and social life that a greater amount of veiling is required few women than men (especially in the matter of dress.). While men are required to cover the body between the navel and the knee, every woman is asked to cover her whole body excluding the face and hands from all men except her husband.

"...to the believing women.... cast their veils over their bosoms, and not reveal their adornment, except to their husbands...." - (Noor: 31)

The following Hadith of our beloved Prophet Mohammad (SAW) provide further clarification: Asma, sister of Hazrat ( Aisha (RA) and daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) came to the Prophet (SAW) in a thin dress that showed her body. The Prophet (SAW) turned his eyes away and said.'

"O Asma! When a woman reaches puberty, It is not lawful that any part of her body can be seen, except this and this" and then he pointed to his face and the palms of his hands.

Hafsah, daughter of Abdul Rahman, once came before Hazrat Aisha (RA) wearing a thin shawl over the head and shoulders. Hazrat Aisha (RA) tore it up and put a thick shawl over her.

Therefore, it is explicitly clear that the dress of Muslim women must cover the whole body, in such a way that the curves of the body are not revealed, except the face and hands. Our beloved Prophet Mohammad (SAW) described the type of women who will be dwellers of Hell as follows:

"Those women who seem naked even when dressed, those who plait their heads tike humps of camels, thus inviting people’s attention, will not enter paradise nor will they smell its fragrance..."

From the quotations from the Qur'an and Hadith it is clear that among the virtues of observing the proper hijaab for Muslim women, is that first and foremost it is an act of obedience to Allah and His Prophet (SAW),

The unchaste and lewd women are of two types:

1. Those who openly sell their bodies.

2. Those who prostitute their charms - i.e. they allow onlookers to witness and praise their physical beauty for their satanic ego satisfaction. 

Men derive mental pleasure from watching semi-nude women, or women wearing skin-tight shalwar-kameez or dresses, with glowing hair-styles and expensive makeup. Although these women do not want to be assaulted, their very sight thrills men and stirs hidden passions which may lead to emotional imbalance, causing moral depravity and crime. Let Muslim men and women heed to our beloved Prophet’s (SAW) warning:

"Allah curses the one who looks (with lust) and who is looked upon."

THE IMPORTANCE OF HIJAAB

The Muslim woman is either heedless or unaware of the great harm she is doing by her anti-Islamic behavior, by dragging others to the pits of evil. Muslim women wearing an anti-Islamic dress must realize the consequences of the person who stared lustfully at her revealing body - inducing him into satanic actions as his mind becomes obsessed with satanic notions. If one cares to think for a short while it will become clear to him the outcome and the consequences of these satanic notions.

Unfortunately Satan and his cohorts are calling the Muslim women to enslave her to the creation, and to forget about her servitude to her Creator. Chastity, modesty and piety are deceptively are seen as shackles on personal freedom. Since the days of the feminist movement, there has been an increasing amount of scrutiny on I dress and status of Muslim women. According to these "liberated" women the hijaab not only covers the head, but covers the mind, will and intellect. They say that our dress code is outdated and oppressive, and that it stops us from being productive human beings. The Muslim sisters must remember that in this so called 'democratic free I world' women are treated as sex objects and not equal as men.

The liberation of the modern women is a myth - In Islam, women have been given a noble status and our role in life is as important, if not more so in many aspects of family life, as that of men. They speak out of ignorance when they say that the hijaab does not belong to these modern times. On the contrary due to the constant decreasing moral values in the world today, circumstances make the hijab even more necessary, more than ever before. Sex crimes are rampant and 'liberated' women in the larger society now face increasingly higher chances of being raped or sexually harassed. Their dress code seems to imply 'liberated' gesture from the women and invite lewd gaze and actions from the men.

<< Previous    [1]  2  3    Next >>