Why should I wear hijab?

[Aprender]

Where I live there are so many young Muslim women today who tell me that it doesn't exactly say in the Qur'an that a woman should cover her hair. Now, I've seen the verses in the Qur'an in reference to it so I don't need those to be quoted but please do it if it's beneficial to what you're trying to explain for me and maybe other non-Muslims who may be lurking here and have the same question.

On my campus at the university the women are split into two groups. The girls who wear the hijab and the girls who don't. The girls who wear the hijab are seen as more religious and respected whereas the girls who don't wear the hijab are more so outcasts and frowned upon. Especially in MSA. This is the behavior that I am seeing as a non-Muslim. To learn more about Islam I have started to hang out with more sisters and this divide that I am seeing is a bit troubling. I've been told by the girls who don't wear it that hijab has much more to do with culture than it has to do with Islam. What are your thoughts on this?

I know my religious status here says Christian but this is something that I would like to be informed about. For all of the sisters out there why do you or don't you wear the hijab? To the men, what is your take on women who wear it in comparison to those who don't?

Just so you all know I am not against wearing hijab. In fact I respect the Muslim women so much who wear it and it puts a smile on my face every time I see a young woman with her hijab on because I see the presence of the ummah in my area which could be a reason in and of itself to wear it.

But convince me. As a non-Muslim, show me evidence, give me a reason to wear the hijab. (I am aware that there is a verse about it in the Bible)

[abdussattar]

I cannot answer your question better than this answer by Dr. Zakir Naik:-


If its too long then just hop to "hijaab for women" subtitle

Question: Why does Islam degrade the women by keeping her in the veil?

Answer: The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyse the reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘hijab’, let us first study the status of women in societies before the advent of Islam

I. In the past women were degraded and used as objects of lust

The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity:

1. Babylonian civilization

The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death.

2. Greek civilization

Greek civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations. Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society.

3. Roman civilization

When Roman civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans.

4. Egyptian civilization

The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.

5. Pre-Islamic Arabia

Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon the women and very often when a female was born she was buried alive.
II. Islam uplifted women and gave them equality and expects them to maintain their status.

Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights 1400 years ago. Islam expects women to maintain their status.
Hijab for men

People usually only discuss ‘hijab’ in the context of women only. However, in the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) first mentions ‘hijab’ for men before ‘hijab’ for the women. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Al Noor: “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]

The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.

Hijab for women.

The next verse of Surah Noor, says: “ 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 husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye believers! Turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss.” [Al-Qur’an 24:31]

III. Six criteria for Hijab.

According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are basically six criteria for observing hijab:

i. Extent

The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the male is to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the obligatory level of covering is to cover the whole body except the face and the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even these parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the hands are part of the obligatory extent of ‘hijab’. All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.

ii. Should not reveal figure.

The second criterion is that the clothes they wear should be loose and should not reveal the figure.

iii. Should not be transparent.

The third criterion is that the clothes they wear should not be transparent such that one can see through them.

iv. Not attract opposite sex.

The clothes they wear should be not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.

v. Should not resemble the clothes of the opposite sex.

The fifth criterion is that the clothes they wear should not resemble that of the opposite sex.

vi. Should not resemble the clothes of the unbelievers.

The clothes they wear should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. they should not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of the unbelievers’ religions.

IV. Hijab includes conduct and behaviour among other things

Complete ‘hijab’, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes the moral conduct, behaviour, attitude and intention of the individual. A person only fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijab’ of the clothes is observing ‘hijab’ in a limited sense. ‘Hijab’ of the clothes should be accompanied by ‘hijab’ of the eyes, ‘hijab’ of the heart, ‘hijab’ of thought and ‘hijab’ of intention. It also includes the way a person walks, the way a person talks, the way he behaves etc.

V. Hijab prevents molestation

The reason why Hijab is prescribed for women is mentioned in the Qur’an in the following verse of Surah Al-Ahzab: “O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Al-Qur’an 33:59]

The Qur’an says that Hijab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women and this will also prevent them from being molested.

VI. Example of twin sisters

Suppose two sisters who are twins, and who are equally beautiful, walk down the street. One of them is attired in the Islamic hijab i.e. the whole body is covered, except for the face and the hands up to the wrists. The other sister is wearing western clothes, a skirt or a mini. Just around the corner there is a hooligan or ruffian who is waiting for a catch, to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the skirt or the mini? Naturally he will tease the girl wearing the skirt or the mini. Such dresses are an indirect invitation to the opposite sex for teasing and molestation. The Qur’an rightly says that hijab prevents the women from being molested.

VII. Capital punishment for rapist

Under the Islamic Shariah a man convicted of having raped a woman, is given capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence. Some even say that Islam is a ruthless, and barbaric religion! I have asked a simple question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid, someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You are made the judge and the rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said they would put him to death. Some went to the extent of saying they would torture him to death. To them I ask, if someone rapes your wife or your mother you want to put him to death. But if the same crime is committed on somebody else’s wife or daughter you say capital punishment is barbaric. Why the double standards?

VIII. Western society falsely claims to have uplifted women

Western talk of women’s liberalization is nothing but a disguised form of exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honour. Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the contrary it has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses and society butterflies who are employed as mere tools at the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketeers hidden behind the colourful screen of ‘art’ and ‘culture’.

IX. USA has one of the highest rates of rape

United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. It also has one of the highest rates of rape of any country in the world. According to an FBI report, in the year 1990, every day on an average 1756 cases of rape were committed in U.S.A alone. Later another report said that on an average everyday 1900 cases of rapes are committed in USA. The year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992 or 1993. May be the Americans got ‘bolder’ in the following years.

Consider a scenario where the Islamic hijab is followed in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic hijab, that is the whole body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrist. After this if any man commits rape he is given capital punishment. I ask you, in such a scenario, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same, or will it decrease?

X. Implementation of Islamic Shariah will reduce the rate of rapes.

Naturally as soon as Islamic Shariah is implemented positive results will be inevitable. If Islamic Shariah is implemented in any part of the world, whether it is America or Europe, society will breath easier. Hijab does not degrade a woman but uplifts a woman and protects her modesty and chastity.

[Ummu Sufyaan]

EDIT...never mind

[selsebil]

Assalaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

The Qur’an compassionately commands women to wear the veil of modesty so that they will be treated with respect and those mines of compassion will not be trodden under the feet of low desires, nor be like worthless goods for the excitement of lust. Civilization, however, has drawn women out of their homes, rent their veils, and corrupted mankind. For family life continues through the mutual love and respect of man and wife. But immodest dress has destroyed sincere respect and affection, and has poisoned family life. While worship of the human form in particular has shaken morality in appalling fashion, causing the abasement of man’s spirit.

Please read this and see how veil of modesty is appropriate to the nature of women:

http://www.lightofquran.info/24flash.htm

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[Woodrow]

I think the answer can best be found in asking those who do not wear the hijab to justify why they are not wearing it. When you look deep into their answer you will almost always find it is because they have forgotten how to be sincere in their following Islam.

The reasons (Excuses) are usually something similar to these:

The weather is too hot--
It is a culture thing
The Quran does not say we are required too
None of my friends wear it

But those are excuses not reasons. None of them are genuine facts, just grasping at straws to justify their actions.

The one about being too hot is almost ridiculous. Go to any hot climate any you will find even non Muslim women will wear some type of head covering to protect their heads from the heat. As for being a culture thing, that is correct. Islam is our culture, it is part of being Muslim. So, are those girls saying they do not want to be Muslim? If they say it is not in the Quran, they do not understand the Quran. While you will not find the word hijab, you will find that we all are required to dress modestly. That entails covering the hair. The Hijab is simply one way and probably the easiest and most comfortable way to do so.

And the most probable real reason "NONE OF MY FRIENDS WEAR IT" peer pressure is a very powerful force and often we follow it instead of thinking.

[Ali Mujahidin]

Where I live there are so many young Muslim women today who tell me that it doesn't exactly say in the Qur'an that a woman should cover her hair.

I will do some research on where it says exactly in the Quran that I should breath in and breath out, then I will let you know what I think about this attitude.

[elina]

I've been told by the girls who don't wear it that hijab has much more to do with culture than it has to do with Islam. What are your thoughts on this?

that could certainly be some peoples views on it aprender..... in the town near me theres lots of women from iran/iraq that wear hijab, theres also lots of women of pakistani heritage who just wear scarf or nothing at all ........ of course by saying that i dont mean every woman from certain backgrounds do the same...just a general observation.....

[Asiyah3]

Hello Aprender,

I will quote you some of the evidence that hijab is of Islam. The scholars have differed on whether Muslim women must also cover the face (niqab) or not. The following is more of evidence for wearing niqab, but it does proof that hijab was commanded by Allah.

1 – It was narrated from Safiyyah bint Shaybah that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) used to say: When these words were revealed – “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” – they took their izaars (a kind of garment) and tore them from the edges and covered their faces with them.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4481. The following version was narrated by Abu Dawood (4102):

May Allaah have mercy on the Muhaajir women. When Allaah revealed the words “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)”, they tore the thickest of their aprons (a kind of garment) and covered their faces with them.

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

This hadeeth clearly states that what the Sahaabi women mentioned here understood from this verse – “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” – was that they were to cover their faces, and that they tore their garments and covered their faces with them, in obedience to the command of Allaah in the verse where He said “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” which meant covering their faces. Thus the fair-minded person will understand that woman’s observing hijab and covering her face in front of men is established in the saheeh Sunnah that explains the Book of Allaah. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) praised those women for hastening to follow the command of Allaah given in His Book. It is known that their understanding of the words “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” as meaning covering the face came from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because he was there and they asked him about everything that they did not understand about their religion. And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Qur’aan)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought”

[al-Nahl 16:44]

Ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Baari: There is a report of Ibn Abi Haatim via ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Uthmaan ibn Khaytham from Safiyyah that explains that. This report says: We mentioned the women of Quraysh and their virtues in the presence of ‘Aa’ishah and she said: “The women of Quraysh are good, but by Allaah I have never seen any better than the women of the Ansaar, or any who believed the Book of Allaah more strongly or had more faith in the Revelation. When Soorat al-Noor was revealed – “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” – their menfolk came to them and recited to them what had been revealed, and there was not one woman among them who did not go to her apron, and the following morning they prayed wrapped up as if there were crows on their heads. It was also narrated clearly in the report of al-Bukhaari narrated above, where we see ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), who was so knowledgeable and pious, praising them in this manner and stating that she had never seen any women who believed the Book of Allaah more strongly or had more faith in the Revelation. This clearly indicates that they understood from this verse – “and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)” – that it was obligatory to cover their faces and that this stemmed from their belief in the Book of Allaah and their faith in the Revelation. It also indicates that women’s observing hijab in front of men and covering their faces is an act of belief in the Book of Allaah and faith in the Revelation. It is very strange indeed that some of those who claim to have knowledge say that there is nothing in the Qur’aan or Sunnah that says that women have to cover their faces in front of non-mahram men, even though the Sahaabi women did that in obedience to the command of Allaah in His Book, out of faith in the Revelation, and that this meaning is also firmly entrenched in the Sunnah, as in the report from al-Bukhaari quoted above. This is among the strongest evidence that all Muslim women are obliged to observe hijab.

Adwa’ al-Bayaan, 6/594-595.

2 – It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out at night to al-Manaasi’ (well known places in the direction of al-Baqee’) to relieve themselves and ‘Umar used to say to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Let your wives be veiled.” But the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do that. Then one night Sawdah bint Zam’ah, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), went out at ‘Isha’ time and she was a tall woman. ‘Umar called out to her: “We have recognized you, O Sawdah!” hoping that hijab would be revealed, then Allaah revealed the verse of hijab.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 146; Muslim, 2170.

3 – It was narrated from Ibn Shihaab that Anas said: I am the most knowledgeable of people about hijab. Ubayy ibn Ka’b used to ask me about it. When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married Zaynab bint Jahsh, whom he married in Madeenah, he invited the people to a meal after the sun had risen. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat down and some men sat around him after the people had left, until the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood up and walked a while, and I walked with him, until he reached the door of ‘Aa’ishah’s apartment. Then he thought that they had left so he went back and I went back with him, and they were still sitting there. He went back again, and I went with him, until he reached the door of ‘Aa’ishah’s apartment, then he came back and I came back with him, and they had left. Then he drew a curtain between me and him, and the verse of hijab was revealed.

Al-Bukhaari, 5149; Muslim, 1428.

4 – It was narrated from ‘Urwah that ‘Aa’ishah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray Fajr and the believing women would attend (the prayer) with him, wrapped in their aprons, then they would go back to their houses and no one would recognize them.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 365; Muslim, 645.

5 – It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The riders used to pass by us when we were with the Messenger of Allaah (S) in ihraam, and when they drew near to us we would lower our jilbabs from our heads over our faces, then when they had passed we would uncover them again.

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1833; Ibn Maajah, 2935; classed as saheeh by Ibn Khuzaymah (4,203) and by al-Albaani in Kitaab Jilbaab al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah.

6 – It was narrated that Asma’ bint Abi Bakr said: We used to cover our faces in front of men.

Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah, 4/203; al-Haakim, 1/624. He classed it as saheeh and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. It was also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Jilbaab al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah.

7 – It was narrated that ‘Aasim al-Ahwaal said: We used to enter upon Hafsah bint Sireen who had put her jilbab thus and covered her face with it, and we would say to her: May Allaah have mercy on you. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And as for women past childbearing who do not expect wedlock, it is no sin on them if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show their adornment” [al-Noor 24:60]. And she would say to us: What comes after that? We would say: “But to refrain (i.e. not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them”. And she would say: That is confirming the idea of hijab.

Narrated by al-Bayhaqi, 7/93.

Source

[Aprender]

I think the answer can best be found in asking those who do not wear the hijab to justify why they are not wearing it. When you look deep into their answer you will almost always find it is because they have forgotten how to be sincere in their following Islam.

The reasons (Excuses) are usually something similar to these:

The weather is too hot--
It is a culture thing
The Quran does not say we are required too
None of my friends wear it

But those are excuses not reasons. None of them are genuine facts, just grasping at straws to justify their actions.

The one about being too hot is almost ridiculous. Go to any hot climate any you will find even non Muslim women will wear some type of head covering to protect their heads from the heat. As for being a culture thing, that is correct. Islam is our culture, it is part of being Muslim. So, are those girls saying they do not want to be Muslim? If they say it is not in the Quran, they do not understand the Quran. While you will not find the word hijab, you will find that we all are required to dress modestly. That entails covering the hair. The Hijab is simply one way and probably the easiest and most comfortable way to do so.

And the most probable real reason "NONE OF MY FRIENDS WEAR IT" peer pressure is a very powerful force and often we follow it instead of thinking.

Very good observations, Woodrow. For my friends who do not wear it, the two excuses that I get the most are these:
-It is a culture thing
-The Quran does not say we are required too

Aside from that, the other women who don't wear the hijab choose not to do so because living in America they think they won't be able to find a job so they just don't wear it and they use the justification that "well the Qur'an doesn't say verbatim that I should cover my hair, just to dress modestly and that's what I'm doing." They leave it at that, but I always get a sense that they still feel a little left out of the ummah so to speak. For example, people like to talk about how Islam is a religion that appeals to intellect and hijab is one of those cases that you can debate about. That's the way that they justify it to me when I ask them why they don't wear the hijab.

In a sense, Woodrow, yes they are saying they don't want to be Muslim because they don't want the outside world to identify them as such. Life is easier because since no one knows that they are Muslim, they can get more "acceptance" and they say Allah (swt) knows what is in my heart and what I believe. This is just the vibe I got from one sister I spoke to.

The interesting thing is that here at the university I go to we have many young Muslim men from abroad. They don't represent Islam in a very good way at all from my observations. Yet, these same men will pester the young Muslim women for not wearing the hijab on campus after they've been out doing crazy things that even American college students wouldn't try? I don't know. In Christianity, there is the idea that if you're not doing right yourself then who are you to try and point out the flaws in someone else? But if a sister tries to mention that the brother needs to get back on track he'll say that what he is doing is OK because he's a man and is allowed to discover the world in this way. I just found it interesting.

Woodrow, can you give me an example of why covering the hair is included in dressing modestly? I am still learning much about Islam but this idea of covering the hair is really the point that I keep coming back to with some sisters. I am not knowledgeable enough in Islam to provide them with better answers about this.

[Aprender]

EDIT...never mind

I was looking forward to what you might have to say, sister. Please PM me your thoughts if that will make it easier.

[Woodrow]

Woodrow, can you give me an example of why covering the hair is included in dressing modestly? I am still learning much about Islam but this idea of covering the hair is really the point that I keep coming back to with some sisters. I am not knowledgeable enough in Islam to provide them with better answers about this.

We can begin with tradition that is common to all of the monotheistic faith. We can see that head covering was and in many cases still is required in Judaism, Christianity Sabians and Islam. It has only been within the past 200 years that any women in all four faiths began stopping to do it.

We can look in the Quran and we find

Surah an-Nur verse 31 reads:

And say to the faithful women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it, and to extend their head coverings (khimars) to cover their bosoms, and not to display their beauty except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to God together, O you the faithful, in order that you are successful.

We can also look at the Sunnah which is how people lived during the time Muhammad(PBUH) we can see that the woman of the sunnah wore head coverings, yet there is no place in the Quran that they were forbidden when the Quran was revealed.

Now to verify how thew woman of the Sunnah dressed we can look at the ahadith.

When Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning) –
“…and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)…” [al-Noor24:31] – they tore the edges of their aprons and covered their heads with them.’

(narrated by Abu Dawood, 4102, from the hadeeth of Ibn Wahb).

So based upon tradition and Ahadith we know that, as an act of modesty, woman did cover their hair. We also know that the Quran did not forbid this or contradict this. Therefore it can be safe to assume that covering the hair was a long established act and belief, that the Quran did not end. By contrast: Drinking alcohol was a long established part of Arabic culture and acceptable to the Arabs, the Quran slowly forbade it over a series of Surahs.

[Woodrow]

Aside from that, the other women who don't wear the hijab choose not to do so because living in America they think they won't be able to find a job so they just don't wear it and they use the justification that "well the Qur'an doesn't say verbatim that I should cover my hair, just to dress modestly and that's what I'm doing." They leave it at that, but I always get a sense that they still feel a little left out of the ummah so to speak. For example, people like to talk about how Islam is a religion that appeals to intellect and hijab is one of those cases that you can debate about. That's the way that they justify it to me when I ask them why they don't wear the hijab.

In a sense, Woodrow, yes they are saying they don't want to be Muslim because they don't want the outside world to identify them as such. Life is easier because since no one knows that they are Muslim, they can get more "acceptance" and they say Allah (swt) knows what is in my heart and what I believe. This is just the vibe I got from one sister I spoke to.

I agree with your observation. when a woman stops wearing the Hijab, she is making a very loud statement she does not want to be Muslim. While that may not be in her heart, it is the message she is sending to the world.

[al yunan]

Dear sister Aprender,
I think you have received ample advice on religious proofs for the Hijab. You have also read opinions based on the remarks of the students.
What you will not hear though is the truth as it stands, for as a woman yourself you know that there is nothing straight forward about women's thinking and I do not mean that in a bad way, just that women are complicated.
Should you ask a 100 women you most likely get about 80 to 85 different answers, less than 5% would admit openly their loss of interest for Islam and even harder to get at least 10% to admit that they are shy about being openly Muslim.
As for the rest all those different answers mask but one basic truth and that is they know it's wrong not to wear Hijab but they think in their mind it makes them unattractive. That's it that is the biggest problem, all those stories are excuses.
There is also a very small percentage of older women who are religious and pray but wont wear a Hijab because they feel hypocritical as they don't feel that they do justice to meaning of the Hijab.
I may not be Solomon A.S who reportedly knew the minds of women but if you live long enough around wives and women and a house full of daughters you get a glimpse eventually how their minds work.
I hope this helps you and that it does not make me sound chauvinistic.
By the way I as a male would not dream of walking around with my head uncovered.
masalam

[peace_maker]

Hijab doesn't only mean head scraf. It is the way a muslim woman should dress in public. It means loose, non-see through, unattractive, clothes which covers the whole of the body, leaving the face, hands and feet, in order to not reveal the figure in any angle.
Many women use heavy make-up on their faces, they don't feel it's wrong because they have been given permission to leave their faces open. And perfume is another thing, women are not allowed to wear perfume in public as it attracts people.
So hijab isn't all about clothes, make-up, nail polish and perfume also is included in it.
As far as veil is concerned, it's optional.

As far as the question 'why should we cover our hair', it is crystal clear. When there are verses from the Quran supporting it, what do they need more? I'm not sure about hadeeths though.

Muslim women who do not cover their head, just because they don't want to be recognized as muslims, there's nothing to say more than, they are delibrately felling into the trap of satan.

The answers I get from those women are that hijab comes from the heart. I don't see how this is satisfying, since it's plain nonsense. I understand when they say Iman comes from the heart but, hijab?
Islam is a practical religion and hijab comes under it.

I know people want reasons for what hair must be covered. It's the same way as covering the rest of the body. Why do we cover the body? It is most importantly to avoid the attraction of the opposite sex. As we all know, hair is also very attractive and flattering.

Forget about everything, we muslim women wear hijab because our religion commands us to. We follow everything from the Quran and Sunnah, we don't doubt and question what Allah has commanded us to do, neither should anyone.

[Aprender]

Hijab doesn't only mean head scraf. It is the way a muslim woman should dress in public. It means loose, non-see through, unattractive, clothes which covers the whole of the body, leaving the face, hands and feet, in order to not reveal the figure in any angle. Many women use heavy make-up on their faces, they don't feel it's wrong because they have been given permission to leave their faces open. And perfume is another thing, women are not allowed to wear perfume in public as it attracts people. So hijab isn't all about clothes, make-up, nail polish and perfume also is included in it. As far as veil is concerned, it's optional.

Hmm. I understand better now. Thank you for this answer. I guess it just bothers me a little bit why someone who follows such a wonderful religion, prays et al., wouldn't wear hijab but I can also understand the apprehension that comes with it. Especially living here in the West.

As we all know, hair is also very attractive and flattering.

;D Not mine.

[SAKER]

In Morocco for example many young girls don ´t wear Hijab cause they want to reveal their beauty ,- to get married that the main goal for them -, especially when their hair is silky ....

Some ignorant women even think -always in my country- that a girl with hijab is´nt beautiful enough and has no significant things to show to attract boys ...so sad

[sabr*]

As-Salāmu `Alaykum (السلام عليكم):


Commentary and reference on Surah Nur 24:31


Note 38 (Quran Ref: 24:31 )
</I>
The noun khimar (of which khumur is the plural) denotes the head-covering customarily used by Arabian women before and after the advent of Islam. According to most of the classical commentators, it was worn in pre-Islamic times more or less as all ornament and was let down loosely over the wearer’s back; and since, in accordance with the fashion prevalent at the time, the upper part of a woman’s tunic had a wide opening in the front, her breasts cleavage were left bare. Hence, the injunction to cover the bosom by means of a khimar, (a term so familiar to the contemporaries of the Prophet) does not necessarily relate to the use of a khimar as such but is, rather, meant to make it clear that a woman’s breasts are not included in the concept of "what may decently be apparent" of her body and should not, therefore, be displayed.(Quran Ref: 24:31 )
http://www.islamicity.com/quranSearch

[إحسان]

^ That's the sad thing that's happening in our Muslim countries nowadays unfortunately. We're indulging ourselves too much with the Western world - for the Muslim countries thats through the internet and Western tv shows/movies they see. Beauty is truly the eyes of the beholder.

People on this thread have already given sufficient and great replies to your query. But I'll answer to the questions you posted in the last part of your post OP.

For all of the sisters out there why do you or don't you wear the hijab?

Alhemdulilah, I wear the hijab. Have been since October 2009 (I was 14 then, now I'm 16). I live in London, and I must say there is quite a huge community of Muslims here. I was born in a Muslim household - that thankfully practice Islam. I was wondering to myself while I was growing up to why I was holding myself back from wearing the hijab and in all honesty, there was nothing. My mother never forced nor my father but I guess as I grew older, I became a lot wiser and began to take even more interest in Islam.

Now the ultimate reason why I wear the hijab is mostly because I love Allah. And because I love Allah, I want to obey his orders in order for Him to proud of me. In all honesty, I just want to be a slave of Allah that helps spread His religion. I'm proud to be a Muslim therefore my hijab is not only, of course an order from Allah but to represent my religion in the name of Allah. Therefore wearing the hijab has made me - well I think a better person in all aspects. I'm not perfect of course, but I feel as if not only has my iman grown but my behaviour and personality and really my outlook of life has become better.

[ayesha.ansari]

I think it's really best to wear Hijab not because of culture and Islam but the most important is to secure yourself from this devilish world. People gaze at you but after certain time they will not. you will feel more comfortable to walk all around the world.

[Mister Agenda]

My Somali Bantu friends here in the USA who are women wear scarves and long dresses, but do not veil. From what they wear, most assume they are Muslim, so they are not trying to conceal their religion. Is this acceptable to Islam? I know some at their mosque have tried to persuade them to wear the hijab, but they feel so awkward in it that they usually return to their traditional clothing. I notice there doesn't seem to be any effort to influence the boys and men to wear clothing that marks them as Muslims. I say 'seems', I don't attend mosque and just because I'm not aware of it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

[Starrynight]

abdussattar, I really liked your reply. I now have many more examples when I talk to people about why Islam protects women as opposed to oppressing them :)

One question I have on the topic: When a women converts to Islam, does she have to start wearing a headscarf right away? Also, at what age to girls who were born muslim usually start wearing the scarf?

[Mister Agenda]

I should amend my post, it has been correctly pointed out to me that Islam is not an entity that accepts or approves things. It would have been better had I asked if the Bantu women's dress (scarf, long dress, colorful) is consistent with the teachings contained in the Qur'an and Hadiths.

I would welcome suggestions for a more elegant way of phrasing that which is still precise.

[Witness_to_it]

Jazak Allahu Khair

[Just_A_Girl13]

Salaam sister,

I am new to Islam but I love wearing hijab. And not just the headscarf, but the whole idea of loose clothing that covers the entire body. Dressing this way makes me feel beautiful and strong and helps me remember Allah (s.w.t.) :) I do get hot (as it is summer now where I live), and that, admittedly, does take some getting used to. But in my experience, the hijab has actually helped keep me cooler than when I used to let my hair down on hot days. It's a small price to pay, after all :) Shaytan is going to put hardships in our way but we have to overcome them-- and if we can do that then that is how we will get to Jannah. Again, I'm probably not qualified to even be posting here as I only began wearing hijab a short time ago but I wanted to share my opinion.

Peace be with you

[Ramadhan]

One question I have on the topic: When a women converts to Islam, does she have to start wearing a headscarf right away? Also, at what age to girls who were born muslim usually start wearing the scarf?

Being a muslim is lifelong, and it is impossible to implement every single commands from Allah SWT and all the sunnah from Rasulullah SAW instantly. However, we must strive to fulfill our obligations as we must submit to Allah SWT, so please try as much as you can possibly do. Allah understands our difficulties and Allah does not make things more difficult than we can bear, but it is not a free card to do things as we please.

When woman has reached puberty, is when they are supposed to wear hijab, because they have matured sexually.
However, you may notice that many muslimah do not wear hijab until they become adult or very mature or even at all, but we don't dwell on that, each individual have different circumstances, and we don't use individual cases as guideline on how we should live our life in Islam according to the Qur'an and sunnah.
I give you an example: During Suharto (our former president for 30 years) rule, he practically oppress Islam even though Indonesia is the largest muslim country in the world. He did to Indonesia what Kemal Attaurk did to Turkey: marginalize Islam and secularize the country. Hijab was not allowed in schools, universities, government offices etc. In the 80s and early 90s I actually personally knew extremely few women who wore hijab. However, Islam started to flourish again in the 90s, and especially after the fall of Suharto in 1998. Now more and more muslimah are starting wearing hijab for the first time. My mother wore hijab for the first time in the 1994 and in the past year I had three work colleagues wearing hijab for the first time.
The moral of this example is: If it is free for you to wear hijab and you don't counter extremely difficult situation to wear one, then do not hesitate to do it. Remember that our life is short, and we do what we can to please Allah SWT, not please ourselves or other human beings.

[Ramadhan]

My Somali Bantu friends here in the USA who are women wear scarves and long dresses, but do not veil. From what they wear, most assume they are Muslim, so they are not trying to conceal their religion. Is this acceptable to Islam? I know some at their mosque have tried to persuade them to wear the hijab, but they feel so awkward in it that they usually return to their traditional clothing.

I should amend my post, it has been correctly pointed out to me that Islam is not an entity that accepts or approves things. It would have been better had I asked if the Bantu women's dress (scarf, long dress, colorful) is consistent with the teachings contained in the Qur'an and Hadiths.

The purpose of hijab is not primarily to show that they are muslims, first and foremost, it is to fulfill the command of Allah SWT for the believing women as stated in the Qur'an:
"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts from sin and not show of their adornment except only that which is apparent, and draw their headcovers over their necks and bosoms and not reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women (i.e., their sisters in Islam), or their female slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants free of physical desires, or small children who have no sense of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah altogether, O you Believers, in order that you may attain success.[An-Nur, 24:31]
O Prophet, Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their outer garments about themselves (when they go out). That is better so that they may be recognised and not annoyed/disturbed. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. [Al-Ahzaab, 33:59]

Abu Dawood narrates that `Aishah (RAA) said: "Asmaa' the daughter of Abu Bakr (RAA) came to see the Messenger of Allah (SAAWS) wearing a thin dress; so Allah's Messenger (SAAWS) turned away from her and said: O Asmaa', once a woman reaches the age of menstruation, no part of her body should be seen but this-and he pointed to his face and hands.
The word khumur (pl. of khimar) refers to a cloth which covers the head (including the ears), hair, neck and bosom. The esteemed mufaasir (Quranic interpreter) Al-Qurtubi explains: "Women in the past used to cover their heads with the khimar, throwing its ends over their backs. This left the neck and the upper part of the chest bare, in the manner of the Christians. Then Allah commanded them to cover those parts with the khimar."

The only major difference between scholars is what can be shown, whether face and hands are allowed to be shown or whether they shouldn't (in the tradition of the wives of Rasulullah SAW).

These days many muslimah are too busy trying to cover their hair but have forgotten the other equally, if not more, important requirement: modesty.
Modesty includes the choice of fabric (not too thin so you can see underneath or too tight that they basically cling onto the body leaving nothing to imagination) and color (loud colors that scream "look at me, I'm beautiful" should be avoided).

As I have written in response to your introduction post, the choice of styles might be different depending on custom. What believing women wear in Indonesia might be different than those in Saudi.
This is what observing muslimah commonly wear in Indonesia:

And this is what they wear in Saudi:

I notice there doesn't seem to be any effort to influence the boys and men to wear clothing that marks them as Muslims. I say 'seems', I don't attend mosque and just because I'm not aware of it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Again, as long as the command of Allah is fulfilled, there is no obligation over certain choice of clothing, although it is sunnah to dress up as Rasulullah SAW did. And before you scream "gender discrimination", here's what Allah SWT has commanded muslimin:

"Say to the believing man 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. (QS. 24:30)

[Riana17]

Salam

I would say it depends on individual's intention and so we cannot judge, some Muslims do not wear hijab coz they fear about the cruelty of society, some Muslims do not wear Hijab coz they argue it is not explicitly well explained in Quran (altho no Scholars disagree that women should wear Hijab), and many others...

In top of all, whatever the case, one must not wear something seductive, if she want to be respected.

[Who Am I?]

I'll admit, before I started studying Islam, I had misconceptions about the hijab and about the status of women in Islam. I had the traditionally Western view that it was a symbol of oppression and that women had very little status in Islamic society.

Of course, now I know better.

I do have to admit that it was still a bit odd the first time I went to the masjid and saw my first hijabis, but I'm getting used to it now.

[Mister Agenda]

Thanks, all, I appreciate the attention you've given my question. Don't worry about me screaming gender discrimination, as long as a particular costume isn't imposed by force (barring reasonable requirements for the sake of modesty) I have no personal issues with what people wear. I do have issues with France's recent ban ('liberate' women by forcing them not to wear something? I don't get it) I'm a little concerned that a particular element at the local mosque may be placing undue pressure on the Somali Bantus to change the way they dress. What they wear looks to me like it falls well within the standards you describe. Some of the women do wear the hijab, but not consistently.

When I am a full member I will post a link to their website, so you can see how they dress for yourselves if you are interested.

[Who Am I?]

Yeah, that whole France hijab ban bothers me as well. If France is supposed to be a secular state, why is their government making rulings on religious matters? It smells of Islamophobia to me. Much like how in the UK they are panicking over 3% of the British population being Muslim. 3%? Really? Since when is that an "Islamic Invasion?"

[Just_A_Girl13]

Yes, the hijab ban in France is disturbing to me as well. I consider it an honor to wear hijab, and I'm sure there are a lot women who would most likely agree. I don't see why some people view it as a sign of extremism.

[Starrynight]

Thank you for answering my question!
For any of the women from western places or who converted, was it hard at first wearing a hijab? Did you family, extended family, co-workers, friends, ect. give you very much trouble for it? I feel like my grandparents would be so upset...

Oh, and another question. Is it hard to exercise (like running) while wearing it?

[Mister Agenda]

Thanks, all, I appreciate the attention you've given my question. Don't worry about me screaming gender discrimination, as long as a particular costume isn't imposed by force (barring reasonable requirements for the sake of modesty) I have no personal issues with what people wear. I do have issues with France's recent ban ('liberate' women by forcing them not to wear something? I don't get it) I'm a little concerned that a particular element at the local mosque may be placing undue pressure on the Somali Bantus to change the way they dress. What they wear looks to me like it falls well within the standards you describe. Some of the women do wear the hijab, but not consistently.

When I am a full member I will post a link to their website, so you can see how they dress for yourselves if you are interested.

As I promised:

http://sobantucofsc.com/page8

[Riana17]

Thank you for answering my question!
For any of the women from western places or who converted, was it hard at first wearing a hijab? Did you family, extended family, co-workers, friends, ect. give you very much trouble for it? I feel like my grandparents would be so upset...

Oh, and another question. Is it hard to exercise (like running) while wearing it?

Hi sis, at the beginning its little awkward just because its NEW for us & for people to see, however if Islam is really in your heart you wont be bother whatever people thinks of you.

I know someone who's a bit worried like you, she wears hijab at night and roam around and observe her feelings, u know its hot in ME,, eventually she realized its OKAY and she feels good about it and since then she didnt remove it, alhamdollelah

its a process for her and its not wrong, there is no compulsion, otherwise you will get rid of it easily and its not good for your image, for people would think you are playing around

May this help a bit.

[Starrynight]

Riana17, thank you that is really good advice. I think it will be one of those things, like you said, that takes getting used to.

[Mungling]

Personally, as a non-Arab, non-Muslim male I find the concept of Hijab commendable. The reasons have all been said before. Personally I believe that any woman deserves to be treated equally despite one's level of attractiveness. For that matter, separates those who want to be your friend because you're an interesting/unique/good person and those who simply want to get in your pants. I don't believe that you need to wear a Hijab to dress modestly, it certainly accomplishes that goal.

[Predator]

Where I live there are so many young Muslim women today who tell me that it doesn't exactly say in the Qur'an that a woman should cover her hair. Now, I've seen the verses in the Qur'an in reference to it so I don't need those to be quoted but please do it if it's beneficial to what you're trying to explain for me and maybe other non-Muslims who may be lurking here and have the same question.

On my campus at the university the women are split into two groups. The girls who wear the hijab and the girls who don't. The girls who wear the hijab are seen as more religious and respected whereas the girls who don't wear the hijab are more so outcasts and frowned upon. Especially in MSA. This is the behavior that I am seeing as a non-Muslim. To learn more about Islam I have started to hang out with more sisters and this divide that I am seeing is a bit troubling. I've been told by the girls who don't wear it that hijab has much more to do with culture than it has to do with Islam. What are your thoughts on this?

I know my religious status here says Christian but this is something that I would like to be informed about. For all of the sisters out there why do you or don't you wear the hijab? To the men, what is your take on women who wear it in comparison to those who don't?

Just so you all know I am not against wearing hijab. In fact I respect the Muslim women so much who wear it and it puts a smile on my face every time I see a young woman with her hijab on because I see the presence of the ummah in my area which could be a reason in and of itself to wear it.

But convince me. As a non-Muslim, show me evidence, give me a reason to wear the hijab. (I am aware that there is a verse about it in the Bible)

So you want to understand why you should cover your beauty . ?

If you need to go out and show your beauty to everyone in the street.Why ? What are you trying to troll for ? What are you trying to catch on your hook there ?Whats going on with your life ?If this your case , then you need to get some counselling before you get into trouble

When you walk down the streets half naked , they get raped , and abused or they wind up with people who were only after their physical beauty and btw you've heard the expression beauty is only skin deep , well It doesnt take long for people skin to change when you get older Then the skins just gett saggy and wrinky and all of sudden you're going to be thrown in the garbage. Lots of people have been thrown into the garbage just because they didnt have those so called good looks"" anymore .Lot of them wind up on drugs and drugs dont take long to destroy your good looks . do they ?. Not at all.

Islam is protecting your beauty and you're showing it to the right oneWho should you be beautiful for ?, Your husband .
Why somebody else''s husband ? Are you trying to make that Girl upset and jealous of you , is that how you get your happy mood to come to you . Huh ?So Islam is showing that your beauty is to be protected from people who dont need to see it. But if you want to show your beauty around your home ,husband , family etc , then thats fine

But the problem is women want to put all stuff on and see if their face is made up ",their hair is made up , dress is made up and you out with almost being dressed , not quite.. And you go down the street and strangers -total stranger come and say "hey babe,come here "" WHo is that ? what is that ? You see these guys , right ? This is so superificial and its trashy.

If that is your idea of beauty , then you need to redefine beauty and you need to go back to the dictionary and start all over again, because true beauty comes from a person who is humble , kind and sincere . truth beauty comes from a person who uses his thinking process to benefits other and society .One who is willing to sacrifice himself for his beliefs and is willing to stand up for what is right and what is wrong NOT somebody that is gonna take off their clothes and walk down the streets thinking that is going to get something going on

If that is your idea of beauty , then you you need to go back and start all over again. coz its ugly
To me the most beautiful are the ones that cover themselves ,so then I can appreciate them for who they are(muslimah) rather than what they are (objects of desire )

The same lost souls who run around run like that are the same ones that say "I dont wanna be treated like an object ". Islam is protecting from being treated like an object.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So here you go

[GuestFellow]

But convince me. As a non-Muslim, show me evidence, give me a reason to wear the hijab. (I am aware that there is a verse about it in the Bible)

:sl:

Well humans usually judge other people based on their looks. The fashion industry has a detrimental impact on the society. Many people are constantly worried about how they look. Some want to remain very slim and others do not want to age. We are not living in a healthy society where looks are very important. Most people cannot change how they look.

Islam provides a dress code for both Muslim men and women. This is to ensure that people are not judged based on their looks.

[SFatima]

I think that girls who don't want to wear hijab, are seriously suffering from some low self esteem or some kind of an image complex where they think that wearing it hinders their self projection as a sound person or gets in the way of their 'true personality" .

i dont intend to sound mean, but they should really refresh their concept of tauheed. (oneness of Allah swt). WAllahe when guidance comes to you, how can you doubt one commandment from Allah swt deeming it insignificant, and yet arrogating one's closeness to deen in spirit/actions and whatever else they hang on to. And most who vehemently defy the hijab are so hell bent against it, they claim to interpret the verses with their own limited intellect and expect the audience to applause in awe of their wisdom!

There is only one thing that can be said to them, one must strive to achieve guidance from Allah swt and one must pray SINCERELY to Him to show them the right way if they really seek it, it is the promise of Allah swt that He never rejects the prayer for true guidance. unless they 're afraid that their conviction for non-hijbiness will falter, if they are sincere muslims they will be rightly inspired and if not, they're only fooling themselves.

[Starrynight]

I don't currently wear a hijab, but I wanted to add something. Since I decided to take my Shahada a few weeks ago I made a real effort to dress more modestly. Now that I am Muslim, I am very careful about my dress. At first it was hard on me because people close to me kept telling me that I didn't need to cover up so much, etc. But yesterday and today I've felt very happy because boys don't look at me like they used to, judging me based on how I looked in that shirt and skirt. Now that hardly any skin shows I feel like God is protecting me from their judgmental stares.
I've also grown up with self esteem issues and obsessively worrying about being fat. Now, I feel no need to try and look good in the clothing fads I'm told I'm supposed to wear. I want to be healthy because it feels good, not because I feel I have to fit into a specific size. I used to take a self esteem hit whenever I saw girls in magazines wearing swimming suits, and now I don't care. I'm focusing on working on my brains and kindness instead of obsessing about my body.
I think I would like to wear a hijab. But this will be after I have done all of my research on it so that I can prove to people I am doing it because I feel it is the right thing for me instead of because people in person, or on a forum have told me that I should. I am hoping this will further peoples respect (and my own respect) for my character.

Anyways, wear it or don't. Whatever you choose just love yourself :)

[Who Am I?]

I think that girls who don't want to wear hijab, are seriously suffering from some low self esteem or some kind of an image complex where they think that wearing it hinders their self projection as a sound person or gets in the way of their 'true personality" .

i dont intend to sound mean, but they should really refresh their concept of tauheed. (oneness of Allah swt). WAllahe when guidance comes to you, how can you doubt one commandment from Allah swt deeming it insignificant, and yet arrogating one's closeness to deen in spirit/actions and whatever else they hang on to. And most who vehemently defy the hijab are so hell bent against it, they claim to interpret the verses with their own limited intellect and expect the audience to applause in awe of their wisdom!

There is only one thing that can be said to them, one must strive to achieve guidance from Allah swt and one must pray SINCERELY to Him to show them the right way if they really seek it, it is the promise of Allah swt that He never rejects the prayer for true guidance. unless they 're afraid that their conviction for non-hijbiness will falter, if they are sincere muslims they will be rightly inspired and if not, they're only fooling themselves.

Sister Fatima, it's interesting that you mention this. Over the weekend I attended a lecture on Surah Rahman by Numan Ali Khan, and he mentioned this very thing. In the Muslim community, there are a lot of sisters with low self-esteem. They see all these Western girls showing a lot of skin with their manner of dress getting all the attention from the guys, and they want that attention, so they think that they have to dress like that too.

A lot of it is because their fathers never pay them much attention at home, so they lack that strong male presence. It is the same with non-Muslim girls as well. I have met a fair number of non-Muslim girls with self-esteem issues largely because of a lack of father or a bad relationship with their father. They try to get that attention from guys and end up doing things they shouldn't do.

So I think that some of the blame has to go on the parents here, particularly the fathers. Now, I don't pretend to know how to be a parent. I don't have kids, so I can't tell anyone how to raise one. I'm just passing on the message that I heard on Saturday. Don't shoot the messenger, dude.

[SFatima]

" Fires shots " : ) Dont worry, I completely agree with you here, so i wont kill you : p. Most of the time this is the reason why girls don't find the courage to cover up in front of strange males, since its a part of their nature to get some sort of appreciation to feel good about themselves and when that appreciation lacks at home, they seek it outside. This thing is very common where I live and I am a bit too familiar with it, but sadly king of nines, ours is a male chauvinist culture( and chauvinism is not Islamic, not that i know of at least), men mostly defend their chauvinism by twisting religious interpretations, and most women ; ironically their mothers, grandmothers etc highly SUPPORT their chauvinism when, obviously it is shown to the wifes and daughters ( to maintain their dominance since ours is mostly a joint family system where 2,3,4 brothers, married with their families might need to live together to share expenses).

Then comes the double standards that are attached with chauvinism, clearly un-islamic, where some men go out and about with females, have fun, and then discard such girls to settle down for 'decent pious girls, since out-going girls are not considered good home makers, aren't doormats. And It is despicable that these very men keep a very close eye on their own sisters, restrict their movements, and yet they ruin the sisters of other brothers, and the saddest part of this dilemma is their parents supporting their sons, calling the behaviour ' innocent mistakes' and 'men can get away with it' kind of statements, but at the same time not withstanding any such mistake from females and going extremely harsh with them if anyone found involved in such a thing.

Anyhow, there's little women are left with to do about it than just be patient, they still have to be the strong ones, and they are taught Not to expect any sort of emotional support from the males members of the family , though this is very un-Islamic, but this culture has taken deep roots in some muslim societies. And the reason for that can easily be explained by male dominance, lack of religious education for both men and women, religious sermons from people who are not scholars, and such pseudo scholars mostly emphasizing on the duties of women in the mans life but never on the man's role in the women's life, so there we have a very big problem which has strong links to the male ego. But since there are people in this world who are raised without parents, one can only blame them just about that much, ofcourse we must strive to improve this state of affairs but if unfortunately faced with this situation, One can pray to Allah swt for things to change for the better,and make our eeman strong so that we don't fall in traps to our emotional weaknesses.

So yes you're very right and I wish muslim men would understand how important it is for them to bond with their daughters , wives, and sisters. I see very few girls who are close to their fathers, and I must say they have a very strong personality, are very self assured. And girls who have their fathers/brothers keeping a very safe distance from them, treating them as only some women in the house who are there to serve our needs, have un-stable , weak personalities and they seek to affirm their emotional worth outside their homes by not covering, trying to attract attention or any other activity. Others who do not cover are those who belong to liberal families where religion is used only as a prayer/ ritual when a person is born, married, and dies. May we all be guided to the right path and may we be saved from the tricks of satan and hell fire, ameen.

I also heard a very nice lecture i'll link it up here. It instructs men to be really gentle with women while telling them of the commandment from Allah swt, and also assert the fact that they ask of women to do so and so not because they want it, but because it is Allah swt who requires it from them. It is a very nice lecture from one of my favorite scholars.

youtube.com/watch?v=ThuJnzvQqcg

[GuestFellow]

I think that girls who don't want to wear hijab, are seriously suffering from some low self esteem or some kind of an image complex where they think that wearing it hinders their self projection as a sound person or gets in the way of their 'true personality" .

:sl:

There are other reasons too. I've heard a Muslim women not wearing a Hijab because she was worried that she might be discriminated at her workplace or she might draw too much attention to herself.

Some may be scared because they have heard stories about Muslim women wearing the Hijab and getting attacked by some non-Muslims.

[SFatima]

And there are manyyyy who dont cover because they fear not finding good proposals, and that is also very true..It has become harder for practising muslims to find appropriate spouses...

[GuestFellow]

^ Salaam,

I never heard of that one. I noticed most men from my culture want Muslim women to be covered up.

[Ali Mujahidin]

:sl:

Let's try to view this issue from another angle.

Look at the people that we generally consider to be uncivilized. I mean like the primitive tribes living in the jungle. How are they dressed? Naked or nearly naked, right? So what happens when they become civilized. Do they take off their clothes or do they put on more clothes? A sign of their becoming civilized is that they begin to put on more clothes, right?

Now look at the people who generally consider themselves to be civilized. I mean like the advanced tribes living in the West. How are they dressed? More specifically, what do they consider proper attire for men and women? Do they apply the same dress code for men and women? No, they don't.

Just take a look at any formal function. Their men are all dressed up, fully covered up to the neck, under two or three layers of clothes. Hoiw about their women? Dressed as expensively as possible in as little clothes as possible, right? If a man turns up at a formal function with, say, his shirt unbuttoned, his peers would think that he is not properly attired. Yet they expect their women to turn up for formal function with as many buttons undone as possible.

Don't you see a conspiracy here? Their men have brainwashed their women into thinking that it is civilized to show as much skin as possible while the men themselves, knowing better, cover up as much skin as possible. What are their men trying to do? What else but to satisfy their lustful natures! And their women haven't got enough intelligence to see through the ploy.

So, my dear sisers, think about that whenever you may feel the urge to be modern by exposing yourselves. I am sure you have more working brain cells than some of those advanced tribewomen!

WaLLahu aklam.

[SFatima]

^ Salaam,

I never heard of that one. I noticed most men from my culture want Muslim women to be covered up.

yeah they do want them to be covered up, After marriage : ) before marriage all they look for is beauty and since they cannot guage the looks of a person wearing the veil, they mostly choose from non hijab wearing pretty girls, 'cause they rely on their dawah abilities a lot to bring the change of deen in their wives, looks however cannot be changed after marriage ... ( ok thats sounds like a serious accusation on Asian muslim men but ahh what can i say, i hear it all the time :s I'm sure there are many other out there who prefer a personality too with extreme good looks too :) hence where I live, most muslim women do not feel the motivation to cover themselves up because men always seem to prefer girls who they find pretty, and prettily dressed up, things are very slowly changing though but very slow )

[Ali Mujahidin]

:sl:

In fishing you use different lures to catch different types of fish. Ditto for marriage. If the idea is to get a husband who wants a pretty wife, then look pretty. Just remember that such men would look for another pretty face in next to no time. Would that kind of men be what you want for a husband?

[Who Am I?]

I'm going to be Devil's Advocate here and say something that might upset some of you.

Anyone who says that looks doesn't matter when finding a marriage partner is a liar. Looks are important. Would you want to be with someone you couldn't stand to look at? I wouldn't.

But that having been said, looks are not the be all and end all. I look for a woman that is intelligent and strong in her faith as well as having a sense of humor. If she can laugh and have a good time, carry on a decent conversation, and help me become a better man, I can work with everything else. She doesn't have to be a smoking hot supermodel (those women don't exist anyway), but decent looking enough that I feel attracted to her.

[GuestFellow]

I'm going to be Devil's Advocate here and say something that might upset some of you.

Anyone who says that looks doesn't matter when finding a marriage partner is a liar. Looks are important. Would you want to be with someone you couldn't stand to look at? I wouldn't.

Salaam,

That's true. Looks are important in marriage.

[SFatima]

sure they are, but women almost always have to settle for normal weird looking guys, who have very un-important looks : P
So! that makes women very Nice , and more faithful than men, who cant even devote themselves to their partners ( at least in their thoughts) if they aren't very good looking.

so that proves men are shallow!<_<

[GuestFellow]

^ Salaam,

Define to me what is normal weird looking guys. What do you mean by un-important looks?

[Starrynight]

sure they are, but women almost always have to settle for normal weird looking guys, who have very un-important looks : P
So! that makes women very Nice , and more faithful than men, who cant even devote themselves to their partners ( at least in their thoughts) if they aren't very good looking.

so that proves men are shallow!<_<

Haha. Not all men are shallow, but plenty are. Course, there are also shallow girls.
The way I think about it is that some girls who were not "attractive" were some of the kindest women I have ever met. They had impeccable personal hygiene, they just did not have the looks that guys wanted. Well, all those shallow guys who cared so much about looks missed out. The guys who came along and fell in love with who the girls were began to see them for the beauty inside of these girls. Those guys were the truly lucky ones.

[Who Am I?]

:sl:

Yes, looks are important for initial attraction, but if that's all a woman has, I won't be around for very long. There has to be some intelligence and a sense of humor as well for me to maintain a relationship. If I have to explain everything to her, then that will get old quick and I'll be done.

[SFatima]

^ Salaam,

Define to me what is normal weird looking guys. What do you mean by un-important looks?

hehehe it means what it looks like it means. :D

[SFatima]

I have rarely seen beautiful woman with an awesome sense of humor, you just dont get everything now do you? God has given beauty to some, and then humor to some, no fair giving everything to the beautiful one isnt it? who would marry the humourous ones then ?:statisfie

[Ali Mujahidin]

no fair giving everything to the beautiful one isnt it? who would marry the humourous ones then

:sl:

Myself, I will take the humor over the beauty anytime. Beauty goes away with age. Humor gets better with age.

[Starrynight]

My best friend is stunningly beautiful and has a great sense of humor! Lets not judge on the pretty girls :p

[Who Am I?]

I have rarely seen beautiful woman with an awesome sense of humor, you just dont get everything now do you? God has given beauty to some, and then humor to some, no fair giving everything to the beautiful one isnt it? who would marry the humourous ones then ?:statisfie

:sl:

The same can be said of men too. I've always been considered a funny guy, sometimes cute, but rarely handsome.

I would rather have an average looking woman with intelligence and a sense of humor over a smoking hot woman with nothing else going for her.

Now if only more women liked funny goofy guys...

[SFatima]

My best friend is stunningly beautiful and has a great sense of humor! Lets not judge on the pretty girls :p

hmmm Is she a muslim?

( somebody ^ must be really praying somebody else could ask this question for him :D )

[Aprender]

Wow. So many different perspectives put into this thread. I'll have to read through all of them when I get the chance insha'Allah as my perceptions have since changed from the time that I originally started this thread.

Peace be with you all.

[Emm87]

Hi I'm new here. Just wanted to say I think I know why the frustrations come about. We can understand during the prophet's time that women were to be protected because of how uncivilized society was then. However today I see women covered head to toe and you can't even see her eyes yet her husband wearing t shirt and shorts. What about the women looking at her husband's toned arms and legs? Isn't that bringing about unwanted attention towards the male and creating sin? There is that huge inequality in culture these days and that is what leaves some non muslims and muslims scratching their heads regarding this issue.:hmm:

[GuestFellow]

Hi I'm new here. Just wanted to say I think I know why the frustrations come about. We can understand during the prophet's time that women were to be protected because of how uncivilized society was then. However today I see women covered head to toe and you can't even see her eyes yet her husband wearing t shirt and shorts. What about the women looking at her husband's toned arms and legs? Isn't that bringing about unwanted attention towards the male and creating sin? There is that huge inequality in culture these days and that is what leaves some non muslims and muslims scratching their heads regarding this issue.:hmm:

Hi! Welcome to the forum. =)

Both men and women in Islam have a dress code. A Muslim man is not supposed to wear revealing clothes. To avoid confusion, it is helpful to distinguish between Islam and culture.

[Asiyah3]

Hi I'm new here. Just wanted to say I think I know why the frustrations come about. We can understand during the prophet's time that women were to be protected because of how uncivilized society was then. However today I see women covered head to toe and you can't even see her eyes yet her husband wearing t shirt and shorts. What about the women looking at her husband's toned arms and legs? Isn't that bringing about unwanted attention towards the male and creating sin? There is that huge inequality in culture these days and that is what leaves some non muslims and muslims scratching their heads regarding this issue.:hmm:

Hello Emm87,

Welcome to the LI forums. :) May you have a beneficial and enjoyable stay. :)

It seems you are under the impression that we Muslim women wear a hijab (veil) for the sake of men. This is not true. We wear the veil because we have concluded that Islam is the religion of God. We believe that God is All-knowing, All-wise, our Creator knows best what is good for us and what is harmful, and that by following His guidance we live a peaceful and balanced life both in this world and the Hereafter.

We have chosen to please God and follow His guidance in our lives, and that includes our dressing manner. Any act we do with the intention of pleasing God, is worship.

It is important to learn to distinguish between Islam and culture. Wearing the veil is a religious matter, not a cultural one, even though in some cultures women do wear the veil. This is an Islamic forum, not a forum of any particular culture. The members here as well as Muslims elsewhere come from very diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Islam is about submission to God's will, not any human's nor culture's will.



Did you know that Muslim men are forbidden to wear silk and gold? These things are allowed for women.

Why hasn't anyone claimed that Muslim men are forbidden to wear gold or silk, because of inequality?

Peace,

[Rhubarb Tart]

Men are not meant to show their legs anyways and they can’t wear shorts or tight shirts. And some women do find men’s leg attractive. Sportsmen’s leg is also commented on by non Muslim women. Just a thought…

Men’s dress code
ar - en - es - ur
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In Qur'an, it has clearly mentioned, how Women should be dressed at any country or environment whether in a Islamic country or Non-Islamic country. I want to know, how should Men be dressed at any country or environment whether in a Islamic country or in a Non-Islamic country?.


Praise be to Allaah.

There follows a summary of the rulings on dress for men. We ask Allaah to make it sufficient and beneficial.

1. The basic principle concerning everything that is worn is that it is halaal and permissible, except for that concerning which there is a text to state that it is haraam, such as silk for males, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “These two [gold and silk] are forbidden for the males of my ummah and permissible for the females.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 3640; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah. Similarly it is not permissible to wear the skin of a dead animal (one that has died of natural causes) unless it has been tanned. With regard to wearing clothes made of wool, goat hair and camel hair, these are pure and permissible. For more information on the use of the skin of dead animals after tanning, please see question no. 1695 and 9022.

2. It is not permissible to wear thin or see-through clothing that does not conceal the ‘awrah.

3. It is haraam to imitate the mushrikeen and kuffaar in their manner of dress, so it is not permissible to wear clothing that is unique to the kuffaar.

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw ‘Ali wearing two garments dyed with safflower and said: “These are garments of the kuffaar; do not wear them.”

Narrated by Muslim, 2077.

4. It is haraam for women to imitate men and men to imitate women in the way they dress, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the men who imitate women and the women who imitate men.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5546.

5. It is Sunnah for a Muslim to start with the right when dressing, and to say, Bismillaah (In the name of Allaah), and to start with the left when taking clothes off.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When you get dressed and when you do wudoo’, start on the right.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4141; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 787.

6. It is Sunnah for the one who is putting on a new garment to thank Allaah and make du’aa’.

It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed said: When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put on a new garment, he would call it by its name, whether it was a turban, a shirt or a cloak, then he would say: “Allaahumma laka al-hamd anta kasawtanihi as’aluka khayrahu wa khayri ma suni’a lah wa a’oodhu bika min sharrihi wa sharri ma suni’a lah (O Allaah, to You be all praise. You have clothed me with it. I ask You for the good of it and the good for which it was made, and I seek refuge with You from the evil of it and the evil for which it was made).”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1767; Abu Dawood, 4020; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4664.

7. It is Sunnah to pay attention to keeping one's clothes clean, without feeling arrogant or exaggerating about that.

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one will enter Paradise in whose heart is a mustard-seed of arrogance.” A man said: “What if a man likes his clothes to look nice and his shoes to look nice?” He said: “Allaah is Beautiful and loves beauty; arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people.”

Narrated by Muslim, 91.

8. It is mustahabb to wear white clothes

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Wear white clothes, for they are the best of your clothes, and shroud your dead in them.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 994, hasan saheeh. This is what the scholars regarded as mustahabb. Also narrated by Abu Dawood, 4061; Ibn Maajah, 1472.

9. It is haraam for the Muslim man to let any garment he wears hang down beneath his ankles (an action known as isbaal); the limit for any garment is the ankles.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said; “Whatever of the lower garment is beneath the ankles is in the Fire.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5450.

It was narrated from Abu Dharr that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three to whom Allaah will not speak on the Day of Resurrection and will not look at them or praise them, and theirs will be a painful torment.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) repeated it three times. Abu Dharr said: “May they be doomed and lost; who are they, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said: “The one who lets his garment hang beneath his ankles, the one who reminds others of favours he has done, and the one who sells his product by means of false oaths.”

Narrated by Muslim, 106.

10. It is haraam to wear garments of fame and vanity, which means a garment that stands out from others so that people will look at the wearer and he will become known for it.

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever wears a garment of fame and vanity, Allaah will dress him in a garment like it on the Day of Resurrection.”

According to another version, “…then set it ablaze.” And according to a third version, “will dress him in a garment of humiliation.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4029; Ibn Maajah, 3606 and 3607; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 2089.

The brother may also refer to the section on Dress in this website, where there is more information.

And Allaah knows best.

According to the Hanafi Madhab, the Satar for males (those parts of the body
which must be covered) is from the navel uptil the knees, excluding the
navel itself and including the knees. (Bahrur raaiq vol.8 pg.192)

This means that it is not permissible for a man to expose his knees or
thighs or to look at the knees or thighs or to look at the knees or thighs
of another male. In such circumstances, it will be permissible to wear such
shorts which hang below and comfortably cover the knees.

and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Question
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Is it permissible for a Muslim male to wear shorts that fall just above the knee? Or to wear shorts at all?

Regards,




Question from United Kingdom
Answer
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Under normal circumstances, especially while interacting with the opposite sex, the Qur'an has directed Muslim men to keep themselves clothed in an attire, which is recognized by the society as decent (one which should at least cover his private parts). The commonly worn attire of a Muslim as explained by the Prophet (pbuh), according to a few narratives ascribed to him, should adequately cover his private parts down to below his knees. This directive ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh) actually implies that a man (as well as a woman) should strictly refrain from exposing any part of their bodies, without a reasonable cause for doing so. In other words, the stated directive refers particularly to normal circumstances, which do not require a person to expose any part of his body. However, under a situation, which requires a person to wear shorts, as in a hockey-field or a swimming pool for instance, a person may wear shorts. Nevertheless, where the situation does not require him to expose any part of his body, he should strictly refrain from doing so.

In the light of the foregoing explanation, one may decide for oneself whether the situation is such, which allows a person to wear shorts or not. As far as the attire of a Muslim man, under normal circumstances, is concerned, I am more inclined toward holding that wearing shorts is against the spirit of Islam, even though the Shari`ah has not expressly prohibited it.

[Emm87]

Exactly people get confused because here in the west esp. I've seen women covered from head to toe and their husbands are dressed revealing. Women look at men as well :nervous: There is a fine line between Islamic teachings and just culture/traditions themselves helping to form people's opinion.

I personally think both men and women can dress modestly in a general sense at least. When a woman shows a lot of cleavage and not just men but everyone's gaze quickly goes there while talking to her. Then the woman complains about it afterwards but it is to be expected! Same for men showing off their toned bodies. Why would you want to grab other spouses attention in that way for example? It's an awkward situation all around, its just about common decency.

[Emm87]

Did you know that Muslim men are forbidden to wear silk and gold? These things are allowed for women.

Why hasn't anyone claimed that Muslim men are forbidden to wear gold or silk, because of inequality?

Secondly, how and why would men wearing shorts create sin?

Hi and thank you all for the welcome! Some men have toned muscles and that may draw attention. In my opinion men wearing silver chains brings about just as much attention as gold or silk. I really don't understand that one. I personally hate gold chains, prefer silver myself :D I understand at the time esp. women are to be protected, it is for their own good and overall dressing modestly is important! But the men shouldn't be excluded from that because women can stare at men and have immoral thoughts as well and the whole sense is not to bring about that kind of attention to one self...man or woman.

[Salahudeen]

I'm sure this has been mentioned but I haven't read the whole thread, anyway men have a dress code that they have to follow too, it's just many men don't follow it but the religious one's who follow the religion do.

[Ali Mujahidin]

women can stare at men

:sl:

In Islam, both men and women are enjoined to lower their gaze so as to avoid the temptation of immodest thoughts. I remember reading about one incident concerning a sahabah who, on getting aroused by the sight of a woman's bosom while he was outside his home, immediately went home to relieve himself with his wife. Nowadays it is more likely that a man so aroused would have relieved himself with that other woman instead.

[Hulk]

Some sisters have the mindset that "it is the inside that counts, what i wear is merely an outside thing.", but the outside is a manifestation of what is on the inside. Similarly, if we want to improve ourselves in terms of being a better muslim. We should strive to change both. And which is easier to change first? The outside of course. And soon the inside will follow inshallah.

[Emm87]

I personally believe women can cover as much as they believe is best. I don't think you need to cover everything but your eyes to be "modest" and a good human being.

[Muhammad]

Greetings,

I personally believe women can cover as much as they believe is best. I don't think you need to cover everything but your eyes to be "modest" and a good human being.

This is the difference between following Islam and following any other path. Islam is about submission to God's Will and recognising that His knowledge and wisdom far supercedes ours, and thus following His guidelines is the only way to success. This is why a person who recognises God puts their own opinions aside and follows the guidance given by God instead.

On the topic of Hijab, I read the following about Tawakel Karman (the 2nd Muslim woman to win a Nobel Prize and the youngest Nobel Peace Laureate to date):

When asked about her Hijab by journalists and how it is not proportionate with her level of intellect and education, she replied:

"Man in the early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I'm wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilisation that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It's the removal of clothes again that is regressive, back to ancient times."

[Crystal]

This was an interesting thread to read. As I am currently thinking to become Muslim it is definitely an important thing for me to think about. I do think that how you dress does affect how people treat you - I wear casual clothing in general and I definitely can notice guys treat you differently when you wear revealing clothing. Obviously if you are standing beside a girl with revealing top and you are wearing a jumper the guy is more interested in her. So I can see the logic behind hijab. I do think though that modesty differs from culture to culture although some of you may disagree with this..I think even wearing loose jeans and a cardigan in one country would attract attention if it is not popular form of dress ...then wearing the same outfit for example in another country may not attract attention because women wear more revealing things..i duno if I explained that well lol!

I definitely respect women who dress modestly, I can't stand the way kids and teenagers dress these days - it seems like kids are becoming more and more older (yet immature) and like some of the things they wear I don't understand how their parents let them go out like that! I am only 20 so its not like i am an old person complaining about the young generations :P

[Emm87]

On the topic of Hijab, I read the following about Tawakel Karman (the 2nd Muslim woman to win a Nobel Prize and the youngest Nobel Peace Laureate to date):

When asked about her Hijab by journalists and how it is not proportionate with her level of intellect and education, she replied:

"Man in the early times was almost naked, and as his intellect evolved he started wearing clothes. What I am today and what I'm wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilisation that man has achieved, and is not regressive. It's the removal of clothes again that is regressive, back to ancient times."

If that is the case men and women should practically all be wearing "burqas" as a sign of moving "forward."

The truth is the headcover was something that women wore in Arabia before Islam, the Quran goes a bit further to say to cover the chest as well.

[CosmicPathos]

I am a bit confused here. So the concept of "hijab" also applies to men? I did not know that I am sinning by wearing knee-length shorts (my calves are naked) and flip flops in summer. :S What is the difference between "hijab" of men and satr of men?

[Afifa]

Asalaam 'Alaykum

Satr is what needs to be covered. Hijab describes the way your satr is covered but Hijab is a word specifically used more for women. A man's satr is from his navel to his knees but that doesn't mean they don't need to cover the rest of their bodies. A womans satr is ofcourse her whole body.

[Marina-Aisha]

i was saything this to my partner that he should always cover his knees he was like no just when i go to the mosque, i kept telling him its all the time like women...just cos ur man doesnt mean u can pick and choose.

[Muhammad]

Greetings,

If that is the case men and women should practically all be wearing "burqas" as a sign of moving "forward."

Nowhere is the implication that men and women should dress exactly the same. God has given a dress code for women and and a dress code for men. In the case of women, then yes, they should all be wearing burqas as a sign of moving forward.

The truth is the headcover was something that women wore in Arabia before Islam, the Quran goes a bit further to say to cover the chest as well.

Hijab is not only about covering the head or the chest, rather it is covering the whole body. Moreover, Allaah (swt) enjoined upon Muslim women good conduct and manners which were not present before Islam. During the time of ignorance before Islam, women would engage in much shameless behaviour and if they were to put a covering on their heads, it would not be tied properly such that necklaces, earrings and their necks could be seen. Islam guided women to far superior behaviour, as Allaah (swt) says in the Qur'an, the interpretation of which is:

"O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women. If you fear Allāh, then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech. And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance...” [Qur'an 33:32-33]

[fahim kamran]

Hijab: A commandment of the Quran and Sunna

In the first part of this article, I have argued that part of our commitment to Allah SWT is to trust that He knows what is best for us and that what He has commanded is what is right. I said that if we find ourselves disliking the way that He has set for us, our challenge is not to ignore or to try to change His command, but rather it is to seek for ourselves the wisdom in the command and to surrender to His will. If we don't like what He has commanded, we should try to change ourselves not Him. We should try to find reasons why His command is right and will be beneficial for us, and we should try to motivate ourselves through this to obey the command.

In the second part of the article, I have established why the Quran and Sunna are where we look to find what Allah SWT has commanded. Neither one can be taken alone but they both go together.

So, what do the Quran and Sunna say about hijab? There are two ayat of the Quran that deal with hijab. These are Surah an-Nur ayah 31 and Surah al-Ahzab ayah 59. Let's look at what these ayat say, and how the Prophet (sAas) has explained them.

Surah an-Nur ayah 31 says:

Wa qul li al-mu'minat yaghdudna min absarihinna wa yahfazna furujahunna wa laa yubdina zenatahunna illa maa zahara min haa wal-yadribna bi khumurihinna ala juyubihinna; wa laa yubdina zenatahunna illa li bu'ulatihinna aw aba'ihinna aw aba'i bu'ulatihinna aw abna'ihinna aw abna'i bu'ulatihinna aw ikhwanihinna aw bani ikhwanihinna aw bani akhawatihinna aw nisa'ihinna aw maa malakat aymanu hunna aw at-tabi'ina ghayri ulu'l-irbat min ar-rijal aw at-tifl alladhina lam yazharu ala awrat an-nisa wa laa yadribna bi arjulihinna li yu'lama maa yukhfina min zenatahinna. Wa tubu ilaAllahi jami'an, ayyuha al-mu'minun la'allakum tuflihun

And say to the faithful women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it, and to extend their headcoverings (khimars) to cover their bosoms (jaybs), and not to display their beauty except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to Allah together, O you the faithful, in order that you are successful

Surah al-Ahzab ayah 59 says:

Ya ayyuha an-Nabiyy qul li azwajika wa banatika wa nisa al-mu'minin yudnina alayhinna min jalabib hinna; dhalika adna an yu'rafna fa laa yu'dhayn. Wa kana Allahu Ghafur Rahim

O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the faithful to draw their outergarments (jilbabs) close around themselves; that is better that they will be recognized and not annoyed. And God is ever Forgiving, Gentle.

Together, these two ayat lay out seven commandments for Muslim sisters:

1. "to lower their gazes"
2. "to guard their private parts"
3. "not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it"
4. "to extend their headcoverings to cover their bosoms"
5. "not to display their beauty except to their husbands or their fathers..."
6. "not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide"
7. "to draw their outergarments close around themselves"

It can be seen that three of these commandments relate to behavior. These are:

* lowering the gaze
* guarding the private parts
* not striking the feet on the ground so as to give knowledge of what is hidden

Lowering the gaze means not looking at what is forbidden to be seen of others. Guarding the private parts means that only the husband is allowed to see or touch them. Not giving knowledge of what is hidden means not posturing or strutting around so as to jangle hidden jewelry or make men think about hidden body parts. All of these are part of what Allah SWT has commanded in regard to hijab.

The other four commandments relate to dress, and can really be expressed as three rules:

* not displaying the beauty beyond "what is apparent of it" except to the people listed in 24:31
* extending the headcovering to cover the bosom
* drawing the outergarment close around

What exactly is the meaning of each of these rules? For this, we need to look to the Sunna, because the Sunna shows us how the Prophet (sAas) explained the Quran.

The Prophet (sAas) explained to Asma bint Abu Bakr (rAa) that the phrase "what is apparent of it" refers to the face and hands. This is narrated by Aisha Umm al-Muminin (rAa), Qatada (rAa), and Asma bint Umais (rAa). This has been confirmed as the explanation of the phrase by the following scholars:

Sahaba: Aisha Umm al-Muminin (rAa), ibn Abbas (rAa), Anas ibn Malik (rAa), and Miswar ibn Makhrama (rAa)

Tabi'un: Ata (rAa), Qatada (rAa), Sa'id ibn Jubayr (rAa), Mujahid (rAa), al-Hasan (rAa), and al-Dahhak (rAa)

Commentators on the Quran: Imam Tabari, Imam Zamakhshari, Imam Razi, and Imam Qurtubi

In fact, the majority of scholars have agreed that the phrase "what is apparent of it" refers to the face and hands. For further information, please see Opinions of Scholars in Favor of Displaying the Face and Hands.

Therefore, the first rule can really be phrased as "do not display the beauty except for the face and hands around non-mahram men". This is the basic rule of hijab. You must recognize it. This is where it comes from. It is nothing other than the Prophet's (sAas) explanation of the Quran.

The second rule is to extend the headcovering (khimar) to cover the bosom. The commentators on the Quran have explained exactly what this command entails:

Imam Abu Abdullah Qurtubi: "Women in those days used to cover their heads with the khimar, throwing its ends upon their backs. This left the neck and the upper part of the chest bare, along with the ears, in the manner of the Christians. Then Allah commanded them to cover those parts with the khimar."

Imam Abu'l-Fida ibn Kathir: "'Extend their khimars to cover their bosoms' means that they should wear the khimar in such a way that they cover their chests so that they will be different from the women of the jahiliyyah who did not do that but would pass in front of men with their chests uncovered and with their necks, forelocks, and earrings uncovered."

From this we can see that the jahili women wore their khimars kaffiyah-style, with the ends tossed over their backs. This covered most of the hair, but left the forelock (front of the hair), the ears, the neck, and the upper chest uncovered. Then when the commandment, "Extend their khimars to cover their bosoms," was revealed, the women secured their khimars around the circles of their faces, fastened them at the chin, and let the ends drape down toward their bosoms. This would cover the forelock, the ears, the neck, and the upper chest, just as Imam Qurtubi and Imam ibn Kathir have indicated. And the end result is clearly a headscarf.

So what we have is that all of the body except the face and hands is commanded to be covered around non-mahram men (by the clause "not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it"), and the covering of the hair, ears, neck, and upper chest is specifically to be accomplished by the khimar (headscarf).

These are the two rules indicated by Surah an-Nur ayah 31, and once we understand how the Prophet (sAas) explained the meaning of the ayah, we can see that it clearly and explicitly sets out the dress of the Muslim sister around non-mahram men: a headscarf and conservative clothing that together cover everything but the face and the hands.

There is also the commandment in Surah al-Ahzab ayah 59 to wear a jilbab (outergarment). According to the majority of the scholars, this commandment applies when a sister is outdoors or in open public places (like the market or the masjid). The jilbab is thus the modest Islamic coat that goes over our modest Islamic clothes whenever we would wear a coat.

[~Zaria~]

Assalamu-alaikum,

'Why should I wear hijab?'

Add another good reason to the list.....Alhamdulillah.


Attachment 4566

[Aprender]

^ Yeah, I see some women saying that too...

[Karimah]

I am currently strugglying with this issue and would like some imput from those who are able,

First my thoughts are Islam is for all people and for all times

When I read the verse that says pull your "khimar" over your breasts, I wonder as a person from a culture that never had anything like a veil what am I supposed to think? Since khimar is a type of clothing, I took it to mean cover your breasts with your clothing. Had nothing to do with your head or your hair. What are your thoughts? And thanks.

[Marina-Aisha]

This is what I found I hope it's helpful, me I just wear the hijaab but this type of clothing covers ur head and chest here is a picture

[dqsunday]

This is one issue that gives me some trouble. I certainly understand the reason for hijab and it is a wish of Allah for all Muslim women to do when out in public and in homes of people who are not relatives or children. For most of my life, long before I decided to embrace Islam (only about a month ago now...still climbing slowly up the tall ladder...learning/doing more every day to become as pious and devout as I can be) I was not a slave of fashion. Being a big girl most of my life certainly didn't encourage me to expose much flesh..that and being a natural red head and very fair, exposed skin was always in danger of burning during the summer. I was never a mini skirt/short shorts type person, nor wearing skin tight clothing. Or worse, those shirts that exposed the mid rib/navel area of women. Never saw the attraction in that myself.

Thus I typically wore lose baggy clothing and open blouses to hide the shape I rather not have people see. Over the last year and half I have worked heard to get myself back into shape, change my diet/lifestyle etc to drop the weight and feel healthier. My weight goals are far, far from what most Western Societies would consider what a woman should weigh/look like for her age/height. I have no desire to look like half the celebrities/models plastering magazines and catwalks across Western Society (and probably plenty of Eastern..those Japanese and other oriental female models look pretty darn skinny and underweight to me too). Suffice to say, my reason for working heard to lose weight and change my eating habits is to improve myself for health and personal reasons, not to make myself more sexy.

Embracing Islam has made me realized there are many changes I will have to make in my life in some ways, but in others, I only have to make small changes. I am already used to covering myself up and not exposing much skin and keeping things loose. Wearing the head scarf outside the house...is my main challenge. I live in a small community and there are no Muslins close by except for the small group in the nearby city. Thus walking around in the scarf will draw attention and I really don't like attention. Then again people do wear scarves over their heads etc...but not so much in the height of summer. OR at least not that i have noticed. But I am going to work myself up to this slowly. Even if its just wearing the scarf loosely till I feel comfortable, or when I go out for a walk in the evenings...

I do wear it when I go to the Mosque and will do so when I go visit the Muslin couple who have been a great help to me. Its all a matter of pushing past that..hesitation/fear/certainty/shyness etc. Its easy to say and as I have already admitted I am still struggling, I definitely know its not easy. Just as it was hard for me not to eat any pork this past Easter, where its very traditional to have glazed ham or ham of some sort...not to mention bacon with the Easter morning breakfast. IT doesn't help that I love pork...but now its out of my diet. At least with bacon I can simply say i am avoiding the high fat and salt...as I did avoid it long before I join Islam because of this.


Back on the topic of hijab, saw this video which I thought was interesting..about how with summer coming and the typical modern concept of 'taking it off' comes to play. I can't post links but its on the Dean show webpage, linked on the main page...I think another posted it in this thread or another thread...or maybe I came upon it while watching other Islamic you tube videos.

Oh another thing about wearing Hijab that concerns me on a personal level, is I do have issues with overheating...It won't stop me from wearing it but i do know I will have to take care on hot days not to overheat. Yet, I do need to wear head coverings (ie hats) in the past if I plan to be out in the sun...to avoid burning my scalp. So the scarf may help me more in that aspect...its the hot humid summer days here I am more worried about. But I keep my hair short in summer, to avoid over heating, so hoping the scarf doesn't trap too much heat...if it does then I will simply have to avoid the daylight when I can. (I am such a night person, I would be happy roaming the desert at night....even if it drops below freezing...I used to cold more than heat)...

I think I touched on all the things I wanted to in this thread...I hope I have been of some help.

[farah786]

Wearing a Hijab is compulsory.

[Scimitar]

New Zealand passed the hijaab ban and wants to know what you think. If it was a good idea or not.

59% of the international community thinks its a great idea (FACEPALM) where are our votes?

VOTE NO NOW...

http://yhoo.it/9vvJNA

Scimi

[carolina]

I would firstly like to thank you for sharing your ideas in the internet. I think that above all we are all human beings and despite our differences we may have many things in common, we all have a deep interest in being respected, being honest and trying to be good people. For me, what differentiates pepole is their sense of humanity, their sensibility and that is not determined by the religion the person claims to follow or in fact follows. In my opinion, it goes deeper than that. About wearing the hijab I tryied to think about this and I believe that people should be free to chose, and of course women that feel better using the hijab should be able to use. Every society has its cultural codes, and between these cultural codes, clothes play an important role in defining the identity of these groups. As an example, we can think about social groups that only use black clothes, for example, and we associate them with rockers ou heavy metal people, as well as we can think of many religions that each one has a particular indumentary that identifies them. On the other hand, there is one thing that I think that makes it difficult for me to imagine how to live putting a barrier between you and the rest of the people, which is, according to many of the ones who have written in this forum, one of the main objectives in using the hijab. I believe that we, as human beings that we are, can develop a lot our personality and comprehension of the world and of people we know by looking to otherone´s expressions of the face, or by being able to laugh at someone or express our fear... so many things that come up in our faces and in our body language that i feel so sad that some women have to lose the chance to be able to experience. I think that the idea of preventing women from being raped is really the worst of all, because we should stop thinking humans as if we had those uncontrolable desires. We all know that we are able to live in society and respect other people, and putting a barrier just because some men behave like animals with no rational and ethical side is a very unhappy way of forgiving those actions as being caused by another agent. In fact, the problem is not solved by putting barriers between people, but putting values as love, respect and compassion. Of course I am expressing my opinion, my view of the world, not supposing that every woman would feel the same. That would be an antropocentric view that i don´t think is heathly when it comes to trying to be opened minded and understand other points of view.

[SFatima]

This is one issue that gives me some trouble. I certainly understand the reason for hijab and it is a wish of Allah for all Muslim women to do when out in public and in homes of people who are not relatives or children. For most of my life, long before I decided to embrace Islam (only about a month ago now...still climbing slowly up the tall ladder...learning/doing more every day to become as pious and devout as I can be) ..................

I think I touched on all the things I wanted to in this thread...I hope I have been of some help.

:sl:
Sister mashAllah may Allah grant you more courage and ease in following the ways of Islam ameen. I can relate to all of what you've said, and Its true that Hijab is a struggle for most people living in the deserts and in places where heat and humidity is known to kill people. I live in such a place as well, and well Ive found there's always several ways to ward off heat. One being getting a thin vaporous fabric ( umm a cloth which lets air in, like chiffons etc)and these cloths can be wrapped around several times for opacity since in a single layer they may be translucent, but they work good when done in layers. If you know or get to meet somebody from pakistan or indian community in the masjid where you live, you can make friends with them and request to get you some chiffon duppattas ( a longer version of a scarf, which is available in different colors and can also be dyed to get the colors we want and isnt that expensive either, could cost around 5 to 10 dollar maximum).

Since offices and malls are mostly air conditioned to avoid heat these days , it isnt much of a problem while one is working, but it could be a problem during commuting or outside field work. You are also right about trying to find ways get used to it, one can start with a loose scarf and then move on to more secure ones. I started off that way too but i soon got annoyed with it since it would start looking messy , mess up hair and would slip sometimes and look funny : p, so I checked out the few videos on the net and learned to secure it by a few pins here or there :) Initially it may take about 10 mins for you to fix it, but later it wont even take 2 mins InshALlah :)

[True-blue]

So many good posts here. As a male I can make an important point here is that males should stop complaining about hijab of females and rather should concentrate on themselves, i.e, Hijab of males.


024.030 قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ذَلِكَ أَزْكَى لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ

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.

Hijab of males comes first!

[IslamBox]

Quranic verses says that a Women should cover her from head to toe. No man other than her husband can see her. It is ordered to cover your hair and face. So we should carry hijab but not those fashionay hijab that display your body shape more.

[Qaswa]

Assalaamu Alaikkum,
While there are many notable men leaders who had voiced for women's rights, there are very few (may be none) who talk about rights in the context of Hijab. Because every average man knows what thoughts shaithaan can put in his mind when he sees the beauty in women. He cannot openly speak against the real (positive) difference Hijab makes. Everyone of us including me know that difference. Unfortunately sisters cannot see another sister with a man's eye. And thats why some are ignorant about the benefits of observing Hijab.
On a lighter tone, one of our Masjid Imams used to say Allah knows His creations so well, He is more confident on Women than Men and thats why he has made it obligatory for Women a full body covering (just one element of Hijab though), while for men its from Above the navel to below the knees.
Surely Allah knows best!