< img src ="http://m.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-b.ak/hphotos-ak-snc6/9154_394587510624168_178077289_s.jpg" />
FOR THOSE WHO REALLY WANT TO
KNOW ABOUT HIJAB: They must read
this article:
Understanding Hijab ::
For some, the word hijab means an
Islamic practice imposed on Muslim
women and symbolizes a form of, or
perhaps, an excuse to oppress women.
For others, it is what differentiates
between a Muslim woman and a non-
Muslim woman, and what distinguishes
between a “good” Muslim woman and
a “bad” Muslim one. While the level of
depth and genuineness of these
perceptions of hijab may vary and
may as well be questioned, other more
important factors and concepts must
be realized when attempting to
understand hijab, especially for new
Muslims or for those interested in
knowing about hijab. In this article, I
will try to explain a few issues related
to hijab.
Highly educated women, who
understand the message hijab sends:
don’t look at my body, look at my
mind and look at me as a human
being, not as a means for pleasure. I
am equal to you, so treat me like you
treat any fellow man. Those women
understand that by wearing hijab they
shift men’s focus from their bodies to
their minds and personalities. They set
limits and boundaries and give men a
practical lesson on how to treat and
respect women as partners in building
the nation of Islam. Unfortunately, the
Muslim women who comprehend this
concept of hijab are very few.
The Levels of Hijab:
Sheikh Ali has a very interesting view
on hijab, which I haven’t read or
heard about from any other scholar.
He says that hijab comes in levels. It is
impossible to expect all Muslim women
to wear hijab the same way. Hijab
comes in different styles according to
the culture, country, and time. It is a
healthy thing to have different types
of hijab as long as these types follow
the general guideline of hijab. The
different Islamic scholars’ views on
hijab is a positive thing as it shows the
flexibility of Islam and of hijab. For
instance, in a country that has half-
naked women everywhere, it is
illogical to ask Muslim women to cover
their faces. Islam is meant for all times
and all regions of the world. A Muslim
woman must dress up decently in a
way that does not contradict
completely with the norms of the
society she is living in.
Hijab has two basic levels:
The obligation level:
It is the regular hijab that all Muslim
women must wear, which is covering
the body except the face, hands , and
feet (some scholars said to cover the
feet as well)
The perfection level:
It includes covering the face and the
hands, which takes a high level of
faith from the woman.
We also have to put into consideration
that in so many cases, the woman
should be able to decide for herself
whether to cover her face or uncover
it. If a woman is wearing make-up or if
she feels that the men around are
looking at her in a demeaning or
sexual way, her conscious must guide
her immediately to take the decision of
covering her face without anyone
telling her to do so. But again, this is a
very high level of hijab.
Islam is a package; take it or leave it.
When a woman becomes a Muslim,
she must believe in the necessity of
hijab even if she cannot wear it at first.
Islam is all about ascending higher
gradually. A true Muslim is always in a
struggle to perfect him/herself . It is
enough for a new Muslim to believe in
hijab, and when she truly understands
Allah and the prophet (peace be upon
him), she will seek wearing hijab and
she will develop this sense of modesty
and chastity that she feels insulted if a
man looks at her is a sexual way.
What about Muslim women who don’t
Wear Hijab?
Shiekh Ali adds, “I am often asked
about Muslim women who don’t wear
hijab; what do I think of them?” That’s
an issue that has many aspects. Some
say that there are Muslim women who
wear hijab but act in a bad way, i.e.
they lie or don’t pray while other
Muslim women who don’t wear hijab
are honest and nice. I say it is very
natural. Those women who misbehave
have not worn hijab with a thorough
understanding of Islam and of their
mission in life. Probably some have
worn it without having enough faith to
practice the other Islamic teachings.
They don’t realize that Islam is not a
religion of looks only; it is a religion
that caters for both. The other women,
who are well-behaved but don’t wear
hijab are not bad Muslims. It is a very
harsh judgment to accuse them of
being immoral or bad just because
they don’t wear hijab. They are surly
committing a sin, but it is not as big as
adultery for instance. These women
also understand hijab and Islam in the
wrong way. They feel that as long as
they’re not committing the big sins,
they are on the safe side. We want
these women to make their pure inside
come to the surface, so it reflects who
they truly are and to become better
Muslims. Again..it is always about
ascending higher.”
When a Muslim woman wears hijab,
she is sending men a very important
message; I am not easy…respect me
and look at me as a human being, not
as a sex object…some people might
argue that sexuality is part of a
woman’s nature and by asking women
to wear hijab, Islam denies women’s
humanity and their sexual rights, but
this is not true…it’s not a denial of
women’s sex appeal; it’s putting the
sexual appeal into its right context with
the right man at the suitable time.
According to Sheikh Mohammad Al-
Ghazali (1917-1996), an Egyptian
notable Islamic scholar, Islam is not
against women’s beauty. In fact, Islam
admits the innate need of women to
beautify themselves and to feel
beautiful, and this does not contradict
with hijab. A woman can be beautiful,
neat, and elegant while wearing hijab
as long as she abides by the Islamic
rules when dealing with men.
Moreover, Islam asks women to put all
their “beautifying energy” to their
husbands, so Islam is not actually
preventing women from being
beautiful; it is just guiding them to be
beautiful where they really should be.
Unfortunately, women these days
dress beautifully only when they are
at the mall or at a wedding party, and
that is what has created the imbalance
in the relationships between men and
women, says Sheikh Ali Al-Jiffri.
Hijab is not a sort of oppression; it is a
part of a balanced life that Islam aims
at developing in a Muslim’s life.
Throughout history, Muslim women
who wore hijab used to be active and
productive in their communities and it
never hindered them from fulfilling
their roles as wives, mothers, or
working women. If there are many
problems in the Islamic societies today,
it is because many people use Islamic
principals in the wrong way; to suit
their interests and moods. Hijab is,
unfortunately, used by both Muslims
and non-Muslims as a tool to attack
the “other” and the only victim of this
extremist’s acts is the Muslim woman.
Still many women in Saudi Arabia,
Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, the UK, and the
USA wear hijab at their free will. It is
illogical to expect all people to
understand hijab, but it is time that we
all respect women who wear hijab. It
is a struggle to wear hijab, I admit, but
we, Muslims women, are doing it to
please Allah and to be close to Him, so
don’t make our lives harder by looking
down at us.