In other news Queen of England was Banned from Entering France due to her Illegal Dress..
1.An act of obedience.
The hijab is an act of obedience to Allah and to his prophet (pbuh), Allah says in the Qur'an: `It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His messenger have decreed a matter that they should have an option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, has indeed strayed in a plain error.' (S33:36).
Allah also said: 'And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things) and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc) and not to show off their adornment except what must (ordinarily) appear thereof, that they should draw their veils over their Juyubihinna.'(S24:31).
Juyubihinna: The respected scholars from As-Salaf As-Saleh (righteous predecessors) differed whether the veil cover of the body must include the hands and face or not. Today, respected scholars say that the hands and face must be covered. Other respected scholars say it is preferable for women to cover their whole bodies.
2.The Hijab is IFFAH (Modesty).
Allah (subhana wa'atala) made the adherence to the hijab a manifestation for chastity and modesty. Allah says: 'O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) over their bodies (when outdoors). That is most convenient that they should be known and not molested.' (S33:59). In the above Ayaah there is an evidence that the recognition of the apparent beauty of the woman is harmful to her. When the cause of attraction ends, the restriction is removed. This is illustrated in the case of elderly women who may have lost every aspect of attraction. Allah (swt) made it permissible for them to lay aside their outer garments and expose their faces and hands reminding, however, that is still better for them to keep their modesty.
3.The hijab is Tahara (Purity)
Allah (swt) had shown us the hikma (wisdom) behind the legislation of the hijab: `And when you ask them (the Prophet's wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and their hearts.' (S33:53).
The hijab makes for greater purity for the hearts of believing men and women because it screens against the desire of the heart. Without the hijab, the heart may or may not desire. That is why the heart is more pure when the sight is blocked (by hijab) and thus the prevention of fitna (evil actions is very much manifested. The hijab cuts off the ill thoughts and the greed of the sick hearts:
`Be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy or evil desire for adultery, etc) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner.' (S33:32)
4.The hijab is a Shield
The prophet (pbuh) said: "Allah, Most High, is Heaven, is Ha'yeii (Bashful), Sit'teer (Shielder). He loves Haya' (Bashfulness) and Sitr (Shielding; Covering)." The Prophet (pbuh) also said: "Any woman who takes off her clothes in other than her husband's house (to show off for unlawful purposes), has broken Allah's shield upon her. "The hadith demonstrates that depending upon the kind of action committed there will be either reward (if good) or punishment (if bad).
5. The hijab is Taqwah (Righteousness)
Allah (swt) says in the Qur'an: `O children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc) and as an adornment. But the raiment of righteousness, that is better.'(S7:26). The widespread forms of dresses in the world today are mostly for show off and hardly taken as a cover and shield of the woman's body. To the believing women, however the purpose is to safeguard their bodies and cover their private parts as a manifestation of the order of Allah. It is an act of Taqwah (righteousness).
6.The hijab is Eemaan (Belief or Faith)
Allah (swt) did not address His words about the hijab except to the believing women, Al-Mo'minat. In many cases in the Qur'an Allah refers to the "the believing women". Aisha (RA), the wife of the prophet (pbuh), addressed some women from the tribe of Banu Tameem who came to visit her and had light clothes on them, they were improperly dressed: "If indeed you are believing women, then truly this is not the dress of the believing women, and if you are not believing women, then enjoy it."
7. The hijab is Haya' (Bashfulness)
There are two authentic hadith which state: "Each religion has a morality and the morality of Islam is haya'" AND "Bashfulness is from belief, and belief is in Al-Jannah (paradise)". The hijab fits the natural bashfulness which is a part of the nature of women.
8.The hijab is Gheerah
The hijab fits the natural feeling of Gheerah, which is intrinsic in the straight man who does not like people to look at his wife or daughters. Gheerah is a driving emotion that drives the straight man to safeguard women who are related to him from strangers. The straight MUSLIM man has Gheerah for ALL MUSLIM women In response to lust and desire, men look (with desire) at other women while they do not mind that other men do the same to their wives or daughters. The mixing of sexes and absence of hijab destroys the Gheera in men. Islam considers Gheerah an integral part of faith. The dignity of the wife or daughter or any other Muslim woman must be highly respected and defended.
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Chapter 2
The Quran 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 Quran in which Almighty Allah talks about the issue of decency and hijab as defined earlier.
The First Verse
In Chapter 24 known as an-Nūr (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.
This is a command to Muslim men that they should not lustfully look at women (other than their own wives); and in order to prevent any possibility of temptation, they are required to cast their glances downwards.This is known as hijabof the eyes.
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 hijab of 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.[2] 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 Quranic as well as Biblical teaching.
* * * * *
After hijab of the eyes came the order describing the dress code for women:
وَ لاَ يُبْدِيْنَ زِيْنَتَهُنَّ إِلاَّ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَ لْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلىَ جُيُوْبِهِنَّ...
...and not display their beauty except what is apparent, and they should place their khumur over their bosoms...
There are two issues about this sentence.
(1) What is the meaning of khumur used in this verse?
Khumurخُمُرٌ is plural of khimarخِمَارٌ, the veil covering the head. See any Arabic dictionary like Lisanu l-Arab, Majmau l-Bahrayn or al-Munjid.
Al-Munjid, which is the most popular dictionary in the Arab world, defines al-khimar as something with which a woman conceals her headما تغطى به المرأة رأسها . Fakhru d-Din al-Turayhi in Majmau l-Bahrayn (which is a dictionary of Quranic and hadith terms) defines al-khimar as scarf, and it is known as such because the head is covered with it.[3]
So the word khimar, by definition, means a piece of cloth that covers the head.
(2) Then what does the clause placing the khumur over the bosoms mean?
According to the commentators of the Quran, the women of Medina in the pre-Islamic era used to put their khumur over the head with the two ends tucked behind and tied at the back of the neck, in the process exposing their ears and neck. By saying that, place the khumur over the bosoms, Almighty Allah ordered the women to let the two ends of their headgear extend onto their bosoms so that they conceal their ears, the neck, and the upper part of the bosom also.[4]
This is confirmed by the way the Muslim women of the Prophets era understood this commandment of Almighty Allah. The Sunni sources quote Ummu l-muminin Aisha, the Prophets wife, as follows: I have not seen women better than those of al-Ansar (the inhabitants of Medina): when this verse was revealed, all of them got hold of their aprons, tore them apart, and used them to cover their heads...[5]
The meaning of khimar and the context in which the verse was revealed clearly talks about concealing the head and then using the loose ends of the scarf to conceal the neck and the bosom. It is absurd to believe that the Quran would use the word khimar (which, by definition, means a cloth that covers the head) only to conceal the bosom with the exclusion of the head! It would be like saying to put on your shirt only around the belly or the waist without covering the chest!
Finally the verse goes on to give the list of the mahram male family members in whose presence the hijabis not required, such as the husband, the father, the father-in-law, the son(s), and others.
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?
Jalabibجَلاَبِيْبٌis the plural of jilbabجِلْبَابٌ, which means a loose outer garment. See any Arabic dictionary like Lisanu l-Arab, Majmau l-Bahrayn or al-Munjid.
Al-Munjid, for instance, defines jilbab as the shirt or a wide dressالقميص أو الثوب الواسع. While al-Turayhi, in Majmau l-Bahrayn, defines it as a wide dress, wider than the scarf and shorter than a robe, that a woman puts upon her head and lets it down on her bosom...[6]
This means that the Islamic dress code for women does not only consist of a scarf that covers the head, the neck and the bosom; it also includes the overall dress that should be long and loose.
So, for instance, the combination of a tight, short sweater with tight-fitting jeans with a scarf over the head does not fulfill the requirements of the Islamic dress code.
Notes:
[2] The Gospel of Matthew, chap. 5, verses 27-28.
[3] Al-Munjid (Beirut: Daru l-Mashriq, 1986) p. 195; at-Turayh¢, Majmau l-Bahrayn, vol.1 (Tehran: Daftar Nashr, 1408 AH) p. 700. See at-Tusi, at-Tibyan, vol. 7 (Qum: Maktabatu l-llam al-Islami, 1409 AH) p. 428; at-Tabrasi, Majmau l-Bayan, vol. 7 (Beirut: Dar Ihyai t-Turathi l-Arabi, 1379AH) p.138; also see the famous Sunni commentator, Fakhru d-Din ar-Razi, at-Tafsiru l-Kabir, vol. 23 (Beirut: Daru l-Kutubi l-Ilmiyya, 1990) p. 179-180. Even the Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic (Ithaca, NY: Spoken Languages Services, 1976) defines al-khimar as veil covering head and face of a woman. (p. 261) No one has excluded the covering of the head from definition of al-khimar.
[4] Ar-Razi, at-Tafsiru l-Kabir, vol.23, p. 179, and other famous commentaries and collections of hadith such as at-Tabatabai, al-Mizan, vol. 15 (Tehran: Daru l-Kutub, 1397AH) p. 121; al-Kulayni, al-Furu mina l-Kafi, vol. 5 (Tehran: Daru l-Kutub, 1367AH) p. 521. Also see the commentaries of al-Kashshaf, Ibn Kathir, at-Tabari, and al-Qurtubi.
[5] Ibid, also see, al-Bukhari, Sahih (Arabic & English) vol. 6 (Beirut: Daru l-Arabiyya) p. 267; Abu l-Ala Mawdudi, Tafhimu l-Quran, vol. 3 (Lahore: Idara-e Tarjuman-e Quran, 1994) p. 316.
[6] Ibid. al-Munjid, p. 96; at-Turayhi, Majmau l-Bahrayn, vol. 1, p.384.
