@Zarvan and @menance2society
Why don't you two gentlemen let women decide for themselves to make decision.Again,two men arguing here to decide women's covering!?
@Akheilos I guess that your comment would be more appropriate.
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At the time of advent of Islam,Arab women use to wear cloth around their waists while their chests were not covered-
Quran have instructed both men and women to be careful. Below I am posting few extracts of this article with hope that it will help us to understand criteria properly.
The Qur’an and Hijab
Islam has strongly emphasized the concept of decency and modesty in the interaction between members of the opposite sex. Dress code is part of that overall teaching. There are two verses in the Qur’an in which Almighty Allah talks about the issue of decency and
hijab as defined earlier.
The First Verse
In Chapter 24 known as an-Nur (the Light), in verse 30, Allah commands Prophet Muhammad as follows:
قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ يَغُضُّوْا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَ يَحْفَظُوْا فُرُوْجَهُمْ, ذَلِكَ أَزْكَى لَهُمْ.
“Say to the believing men that: they should cast down their glances and guard their private parts (by being chaste). This is better for them.”
Then in the next verse, Allah commands the Prophet to address the women:
قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَ يَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوْجَهُنَّ...
“Say to the believing women that: they should cast down their glances and guard their private parts (by being chaste)…”
This is a similar command as given to the men in the previous verse regarding “hijabof the eyes”.
This hijab of eyes is similar to the teaching of Jesus where he says, “You have heard that it was said by them of old time, you shall not commit adultery. But I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.”1 So if you see a Muslim casting his/her eyes downwards when he/she is talking to a member of opposite sex, this should not be considered as rude or an indication of lack of confidence — he/she is just abiding by the Qur’anic as well as Biblical teaching
The Second Verse
In Chapter 33 known as al-Ahzab, verse 59, Allah gives the following command to Prophet Muhammad:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ, قُلْ لأَزْوَاجِكَ وَ بَنَاتِكَ وَ نِسآءِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ: يُدْنِيْنَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلاَبِيْبِهِنَّ...
“O Prophet! Say toyour wives, your daughters, and the women of the believers that: they should let down upon themselves their jalabib.”
What is the meaning of “jalabib”?
Jalabib جَلاَبِيْبٌ is the plural of jilbabجِلْبَابٌ ,which means a loose outer garment. See any Arabic dictionary like Lisanu ’l-‘Arab, Majma‘u ’l-Bahrayn or al-Munjid.
The Qur’an and Hijab | Hijab, The Muslim Womens Dress,Islamic or Cultural? | Books on Islam and Muslims | Al-Islam.org
Women are simply instructed just to cover their heads and make up a loose covering that's it!
Now after Islam's spread to different regions of world,different nations and cultures have accepted it.Remember, religion itself has its own culture while on basis of habitat of nation, it has its own culture-so there are two cultures.The challenge being faced by these nations was either to modify their culture which become acceptable with respect to Islamic code of conduct or to accept their culture in such a way as to mix it with their national culture.
Now,the problem with bukha culture is that it is not Islamic culture actually but an attempt of Arabs-persian-afghan culture to mix with their Islamic culture.When you try to mix two cultures,one of the culture looses its identity where as if you try to make slight modifications to follow the criteria and both cultures can survive or coexists.
Burkha or abaya are attempts to mix and due to such reasons many individuals consider it as Islamic essentials.
Women can simply wear loose fitting clothes and take duppatta on their heads,no need to get panicked. However, if some wanted to follow mix cultures then you are nobody to tell her what to do.To some extent author is correct that prostitution mafiya and make up/fashion industries are heavily relying on women and I am not astonished if they have problems for women to adopt mix or individual religious culture of her choice.
Regards
