HIJAAB FOR WOMEN
Question:
Why
does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind
the veil?
Answer:
The
status of women in Islam is often the target of
attacks in the secular media. The (hijaab)
or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an
example of the (subjugation) of women under
Islamic law. Before we analyze the reasoning
behind the religiously mandated (hijaab),
let us first study the status of women in
societies before the advent of Islam
1.
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:
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Egyptian Civilization:
The Egyptian considered women evil and as a
sign of a devil.
-
Pre-Islamic Arabia:
Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs
looked down upon women and very often when a
female child was born, she was buried alive.
2.
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.
Hijaab for men
People usually only discuss (hijaab) in
the context of women. However, in the Glorious
Qur'an, Allah (swt) first mentions (hijaab)
for men before (hijaab) for the women.
The Qur'an mentions in Surah 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.
Hijaab 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..."
[Al-Qur'an 24:31]
3. Six criteria for Hijaab.
According to Qur'an and Sunnah there are
basically six criteria for observing hijaab:
-
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 extent of covering
obligatory is to cover the complete body
except the face and the hands up to 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 (hijaab).
All the remaining five criteria are the same
for men and women.
-
The clothes worn should be loose and should
not reveal the figure.
-
The clothes worn should not be transparent
such that one can see through them.
-
The clothes worn should not be so glamorous
as to attract the opposite sex.
-
The clothes worn should not resemble that of
the opposite sex.
-
The clothes worn should not resemble that of
the unbelievers i.e. they should not wear
clothes that are specifically identities or
symbols of the unbelievers religions.
4.
Hijaab includes conduct and behaviour among
other things
Complete (hijaab), 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 (hijaab) of the clothes is
observing (hijaab) in a limited sense. (hijaab)
of the clothes should be accompanied by (hijaab)
of the eyes, (hijaab) of the heart, (hijaab)
of thought and (hijaab) of intention. It
also includes the way a person walks, the way a
person talks, the way he behaves, etc.
5. Hijaab prevents
molestation
The
reason why Hijaab is prescribed for women
is mentioned in the Qur'an in the following
verses 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 Hijaab has been
prescribed for the women so that they are
recognized as modest women and this will also
prevent them from being molested.
6.
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 hijaab
i.e. the complete body is covered, except for
the face and the hands up to the wrists. The
other sister is wearing western clothes, a mini
skirt or shorts. 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 Hijaab 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 hijaab
prevents women from being molested.
7.
Capital punishment for the rapists
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, 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 elses
wife or daughter you say capital punishment is
barbaric. Why should there be double standards?
8.
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 mere tools in the hands of pleasure
seekers and sex marketeers, hidden behind the
colourful screen of art and culture.
9.
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 in any
country in the world. According to a 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 hijaab
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 hijaab, that is
the complete 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?
10. 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 breathe easier. Hijaab
does not degrade a woman but uplifts a woman
and protects her modesty and chastity.
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