Hijab,TheMuslimWomen'sDress,IslamicorCultural?SayyidMuhammadRizvi-XKP

Published:2014Tag(s):islam"hijab.headcovering"female"muslimwomen"shia"islamicdress""dressinislam""dresscode"coveringsxkprizvi

1ChapterIntroduction

میحرلا نمحرلا هللا مسب

نیرهاطلا هلآ و دمحم ىلع مالسلا و ةالصلا و نیملاعلا بر هللا دمحلا

InthenameofAllah,theBeneficent,theMerciful.AllpraiseisduetoAllah,theLordoftheUniverse.

MayAllahshowerHisblessingsuponProphetMuhammadandhisprogeny.

Islam is a world religion; its presence can be felt all over the world through conversion or

migration. However, the most visible symbol of Islam’s presence in the West is the hijab—theheaddress used by aMuslimwoman to cover her head. In theGreater TorontoArea, you can seeMuslimwomeninhijabatschools,incollegesanduniversities,intheworkplace,inmalls,andonthestreets.Being themost obvious symbol of Islam’s presence, it is also the easiest target for harassment

againstMuslims.WheneveraracistpoliticianorthemediaoranyhategroupattacksIslam,theveryfirsttargetistheMuslimwoman’shijab.Also,someso-calledexpertsonIslamandtheMiddleEastassume a patronizing attitude and try to teachMuslims thathijab is not a religious requirement inIslam, saying it is more a cultural issue used byMuslimmen to oppress the women. Some self-loathing Muslim journalists, politicians and intellectuals also jump on that back wagon to provethemselvesas“progressive”and“liberated”.IshijabreallyaculturaltraditionofthePersiansortheTurksthatwasadoptedbytheArabswho

implanted it into Islam?Or is therea religiousbasis in theQur ’anand the traditionof theProphetforhijab?

TheTermHijab

Theterm“hijab— باجحلا ”literallymeansacover,curtainorscreen.Itisnotatechnicaltermused

in Islamic jurisprudence for thedresscodeofwomen.The termused in Islamic jurisprudence thatdenotes the conduct of unrelated men and women towards one another, and their dress code, is“satrorsatir— رتاسلا ، رتسلا ”.Inthelasttwodecadeshowever,theMuslimsinthewest,aswellasthemedia,usetheterm“hijab”

todefinetheheaddressandtheoverallclothingofMuslimwomen.Itisinthislattermeaning—headdressaswellastheoverallclothing—thatwehaveusedtheterm

“hijab”inthisarticle.

2ChapterStudyingtheQur’an

TheholybookoftheMuslimsistheQur ’an;itistherevelationofAlmightyAllahuponProphet

Muhammad(peacebeuponhimandhisprogeny).The114chaptersoftheQur ’anwererevealedinapiece-mealforminaroundtwenty-twoyears;someoftheverseswererevealedinMeccawhileotherswererevealedinMedina.ForMuslims,theQur ’anisthefirstandtheforemostsourceofIslamiclawsandvalues.ItisconsideredthefinalmessageofGodformankind,anditistobefollowedatalltimesandinallplacesuntiltheendofthisworld.“Thesedaysweareoftentoldthatwemustkeepupwiththetimes,”writesDr.Nasr,aprominent

Muslim scholarwho currently teaches Islam at theGeorgeWashingtonUniversity inD.C. “Rarelydoesone askwhathave the ‘times’ tokeepupwith.Formenwhohave lost thevisionof a realitywhichtranscendstime,whoarecaughtcompletelyinthemeshofourtimeandspaceandwhohavebeenaffectedbythehistoricismprevalentinmodernEuropeanphilosophy,itisdifficulttoimaginethevalidityofatruththatdoesnotconformtotheirimmediateexternalenvironment.Islam,however,isbasedontheprinciplethattruthtranscendshistoryandtime.DivineLawis

anobjectivetranscendentreality,bywhichmanandhisactionsarejudged,notviceversa.Whatarecalledthe‘times’todayaretoalargeextentasetofproblemsanddifficultiescreatedby

man’signoranceofhisownrealnatureandhisstubborndeterminationto‘livebybreadalone’.Toattempt to shape theDivineLaw to the ‘times’ is thereforeno less than spiritual suicidebecause itremovestheverycriteriabywhichtherealvalueofhumanlifeandactioncanbeobjectivelyjudgedandthussurrendersmantothemostinfernalimpulsesofhislowernature.Tosaytheleast,theverymannerofapproachingtheproblemofIslamicLawandreligioningeneralbytryingtomakethemconformtothe‘times’istomisunderstandthewholeperspectiveandspiritofIslam.”[1]SomeMuslimsistershavestartedincorporatingWesternfeministideologyinstudyingtheQur ’an;

theybelieve thathijab andother related issueshavebeen interpreted fromalmostexclusivelymaleperspective. Someof themgo to the extent of saying that since all Prophets andMessengersweremen,andsothelawsarealsobiasedtowardsmen.Theproblemwith this trendof thought is that there isnoevidence to support it. It isbaseless to

accuse the Prophet (s.a.w.), the Imams of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), and even the jurists —who are onlyconsidered an authority if they are just and upright in character— of having a male bias ininterpretation of the divine laws. Are we going to have now a gender-based interpretation of theQur ’anwherethemenandthewomenwillstudytheholyBookdifferently?TheQur ’anclearlysays,“Anddonotcovet thatbywhichAllahhasmadesomeofyouexcelothers;menshallhave the

benefitofwhattheyearnandwomenshallhavethebenefitofwhattheyearn;andaskAllahofHis

grace;surelyAllahknowsallthings.”(4:32)SuchMuslim “feminists” are also of the opinion that a woman has a right to interpret Qur ’an

accordingtoherownunderstanding,andthatshehastherighttochoosehowsheinterpretsherdresscode.Intheirdiscussion,thefamousverse2:256isbroughtasevidence:“Thereisnocompulsioninthereligion…”Firstofall, theverse2:256 isnotgiving thechoice foraMuslimtodowhateverheor she

likes.“Muslim”meanssomeonewhosubmitstoGod’scommandments.Tosaythatapersoncanbea“Muslim”andstillhave“choiceineverything”isatrueoxymoron.Secondly,suchbrothersandsistersconvenientlyignorethecontextofthatverse.Theverseistalkingaboutthechoiceofreligionbeforecoming intoIslam—submission to thewillofGod.Itmeans thatnoonecanbeforcedtobecomeaMuslim.“Thereisnocompulsioninthereligion;trulytherightwayhasbecomeclearlydistinctfromerror;

therefore,whoeverdisbelieves in theShaytanandbelieves inAllah,he indeedhasgotholdonto thefirmestropewhichshallnotbreakoff;andAllahisHearing,Knowing.”The verse is clearly talking about rejecting the Shaytan and believing inAllah. It does not

meanthataMuslimhasachoiceinwhateverheorshewantstodo.Once a person has submitted toGod, there is no choice left for him or her in thematters

already decided by Allah andHisMessenger. See the following verse thatmakes the issue ofobedienceclearforbothmenaswellaswomen:“And itbehovesnotabelievingmanandabelievingwoman that they shouldhaveanychoice in

theirmatterwhenAllahandHisMessengerhavedecidedamatter;andwhoeverdisobeysAllahandHisMessenger,he[orshe]surelystraysoffamanifeststraying.”(33:36)AndsotheQur ’anisforall:manandwoman,youngandold,whiteandblack,Arabandnon-Arab,

easternerandwesterner;butithastobestudiedonitsowntermswithoutimposingthepersonallikesordislikesuponitandwithoutstrait-jacketingitintothisorthat‘ism’.

[1]

3ChapterTheQur’anandHijab

Islam has strongly emphasized the concept of decency and modesty in the interaction between

membersoftheoppositesex.Dresscodeispartofthatoverallteaching.TherearetwoversesintheQur ’aninwhichAlmightyAllahtalksabouttheissueofdecencyandhijabasdefinedearlier.

TheFirstVerse

InChapter24knownasan-Nur(theLight), inverse30,AllahcommandsProphetMuhammadas

follows:

مهل ىكزأ كلذ , مهجورف اوظفحی و مهراصبأ نم اوضغی نینمؤملل لق .

“Saytothebelievingmenthat:theyshouldcastdowntheirglancesandguardtheirprivateparts(bybeingchaste).Thisisbetterforthem.”ThisisacommandtoMuslimmen that theyshouldnot lustfully lookatwomen(other thantheir

own wives); and in order to prevent any possibility of temptation, they are required to cast theirglancesdownwards.Thisisknownas“hijaboftheeyes”.Theninthenextverse,AllahcommandstheProphettoaddressthewomen:

نهجورف نظفحی و نهراصبأ نم نضضغی تانمؤملل …لق

“Say to thebelievingwomen that: they shouldcastdown theirglancesandguard theirprivateparts(bybeingchaste)…”Thisisasimilarcommandasgiventothemeninthepreviousverseregarding“hijaboftheeyes”.ThishijabofeyesissimilartotheteachingofJesuswherehesays,“Youhaveheardthatitwassaid

bythemofoldtime,youshallnotcommitadultery.ButIsayuntoyou,Thatwhosoeverlooksonawoman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.”[1]So if you see aMuslim casting his/her eyes downwardswhen he/she is talking to amember of opposite sex, thisshouldnotbeconsideredasrudeoranindicationoflackofconfidence—he/sheisjustabidingbytheQur ’anicaswellasBiblicalteaching.After“hijaboftheeyes”cametheorderdescribingthedresscodeforwomen:

نهبویج ىلع نهرمخب نبرضیل و اهنم رهظ ام الإ نهتنیز نیدبی …وال

“… and not display their beauty except what is apparent, and they should placetheirkhumurovertheirbosoms…”Therearetwoissuesaboutthissentence.(1)Whatisthemeaningof“khumur”usedinthisverse?Khumur رمخ is plural of khimar رامخ , the veil covering the head. See any Arabic dictionary

likeLisanu’l-‘Arab,Majma‘u’l-Bahraynoral-Munjid.Al-Munjid, which is the most popular dictionary in the Arab world, defines al-khimar as

“somethingwithwhichawomanconcealsherhead— اهسأر ةأرملا هب ىطغت ام .”Fakhru’d-Dinal-TurayhiinMajma‘u ’l-Bahrayn (which is a dictionary ofQur ’anic and hadith terms) definesal-khimar as“scarf,anditisknownassuchbecausetheheadiscoveredwithit.”[2]

Sothewordkhimar,bydefinition,meansapieceofcloththatcoversthehead.(2)Thenwhatdoestheclause“placingthekhumuroverthebosoms”mean?AccordingtothecommentatorsoftheQur ’an,thewomenofMedinainthepre-Islamicerausedto

puttheirkhumurovertheheadwiththetwoendstuckedbehindandtiedatthebackoftheneck,intheprocessexposingtheirearsandneck.Bysayingthat,“placethekhumuroverthebosoms,”AlmightyAllahorderedthewomentoletthetwoendsoftheirheadgearextendontotheirbosomssothattheyconcealtheirears,theneck,andtheupperpartofthebosomalso.[3]This is confirmed by the way the Muslim women of the Prophet’s era understood this

commandmentofAlmightyAllah.TheSunnisourcesquoteUmmu’l-mu’minin‘A’isha,theProphet’swife,as follows:“Ihavenotseenwomenbetter than thoseofal-Ansar (the inhabitantsofMedina):whenthisversewasrevealed,allofthemgotholdoftheiraprons,torethemapart,andusedthemtocovertheirheads…”[4]The meaning of khimar and the context in which the verse was revealed clearly talks about

concealingtheheadandthenusingthelooseendsofthescarftoconcealtheneckandthebosom.ItisabsurdtobelievethattheQur ’anwouldusethewordkhimar(which,bydefinition,meansacloththatcoversthehead)onlytoconcealthebosomwiththeexclusionofthehead!Itwouldbelikesayingtoputonyourshirtonlyaroundthebellyorthewaistwithoutcoveringthechest!Finallytheversegoesontogivethelistofthemahram–malefamilymembersinwhosepresence

thehijabisnotrequired,suchasthehusband,thefather,thefather-in-law,theson(s),andothers.

TheSecondVerse

In Chapter 33 known as al-Ahzab, verse 59, Allah gives the following command to Prophet

Muhammad:

نهبیبالج نم نهیلع نیندی : نینمؤملا ءآسن و كتانب و كجاوزأل لق , يبنلا اهیأ …ای

“OProphet!Saytoyourwives,yourdaughters,andthewomenofthebelieversthat:theyshouldletdownuponthemselvestheirjalabib.”Whatisthemeaningof“jalabib”?Jalabib بیبالج is the plural of jilbab بابلج ,whichmeans a loose outer garment. See anyArabic

dictionarylikeLisanu’l-‘Arab,Majma‘u’l-Bahraynoral-Munjid.Al-Munjid,forinstance,definesjilbabas“theshirtorawidedress— عساولا بوثلا وأ صیمقلا .”While

al-Turayhi,inMajma‘u’l-Bahrayn,definesitas“awidedress,widerthanthescarfandshorterthanarobe,thatawomanputsuponherheadandletsitdownonherbosom…”[5]ThismeansthattheIslamicdresscodeforwomendoesnotonlyconsistofascarfthatcoversthe

head,theneckandthebosom;italsoincludestheoveralldressthatshouldbelongandloose.So,forinstance,thecombinationofatight,shortsweaterwithtight-fittingjeanswithascarfover

theheaddoesnotfulfilltherequirementsoftheIslamicdresscode.[2][3][4][5][6]

4ChapterTheSunnaandHijab

Thesunna—the sayings and examples of the ProphetMuhammad (s.a.w.)— is the secondmost

importantsourceforIslamiclaws.ItisimpossibletotrulyunderstandtheQur ’anwithoutstudyingtheProphet’slifethatprovidedthecontextinwhichtheholyBookwasrevealed.AlmightyAllahsays,“AndWehaverevealedtoyou(OMuhammad)theReminder(i.e.,theQur’an)sothatyoumay

clarifytothepeoplewhathasbeenrevealedtothem,andsothattheymayreflect.”(16:44)“Sunna”isthat“clarification”mentionedinthisverse.Thereisatendencyamongtheso-calledprogressiveandliberatedMuslimstoclaimthattheyonly

followtheQur ’anandignorethesunnaoftheProphet.RespondingtosuchMuslims,Drs.MurataandChittick write, “We are perfectly aware that many contemporary Muslims are tired of what theyconsideroutdatedmaterial: theywould like todiscard their intellectualheritageand replace itwithtruly ‘scientific’ endeavors, such as sociology.By claiming that the Islamic intellectual heritage issuperfluousandthattheKoranissufficient,suchpeoplehavesurrenderedtothespiritofthetimes.This is a far different enterprise than that pursued by the great authorities, who interpreted theirpresent in the light of a grand tradition and who never fell prey to the up-to-date—that mostobsolescentofallabstractions.”[1]From the Shi‘i point of view, the authentic sayings of the Imams of Ahlul Bayt portray the

truesunnaoftheProphetandfurtherclarifythemeaningoftheQur ’anicverses.TheProphethimselfintroducedtheAhlulBaytasthetwinoftheQur ’an.[2]ThefollowingtwosayingsfromtheImamsoftheAhlulBaytontheissueofhijabarepresented

hereasanexample.Al-FudaylbinYasaraskedImamas-Sadiq(a.s.)abouttheforearmsofawoman:whethertheyare

included in the “beauty” as described by the Almighty when He says, “and they should notdisplaytheirbeautyexcept fortheirhusbands…”TheImamreplied,“Yes,andwhat isbeneaththeveil covering the head (khimar) is from the beauty [as mentioned in the verse], and also what isbeneaththewristbands.”[3]Asonecanclearlyseeinthisauthentichadith,theImamhasexemptedthefaceandthehands,buteverythingelsehasbeencountedas“thebeauty thatshouldnotbedisplayedexceptfortheirhusbands…”AbuNasral-BazinliquotesImam‘Alias-Rida(a.s.)asfollows:“Awomandoesnothavetocover

herheadinthepresenceofaboywhohasnotyetreachedtheageofpuberty.”[4]Theimplicationofthisstatementisobviousthatonceaboywhoisnotrelatedtoawomanreachestheageofpuberty,shehastocoverherheadinhispresence.

EventhefoundersoftheSunnischoolsoflawareunanimousinthisview.AccordingtotheMaliki,theHanafi,theShafi‘i,andtheHanbaliviews,theentirebodyofawomanis‘awrahandthereforeitshouldbecoveredwiththeexceptionofthefaceandthehands.[5]Thetwoversesdiscussedaboveputtogetherclearlyshowthathijab,asadecentcodeofdress

forMuslimwomen,ispartoftheQur’anicteachings.ThisisalsoconfirmedbyhowtheProphetMuhammad(s.a.w.)understoodandimplementedtheseversesamongtheMuslimwomen.Thisisfurther confirmedby how the Imams of theAhlulBayt (a.s.), and theMuslim scholars of theearlygenerationsofIslamunderstoodtheQur’an.[6]It isanunderstandingthathasbeencontinuouslyaffirmedbyMuslimsfor the last fourteen

centuries.And,strangely,nowwehearsomeso-calledexpertsofIslamtellingusthathijabhasnothingtodowithIslam,itisjustaculturalissueandamatterofpersonalchoice!

[7][8][9][10][11][12]

5ChapterMuslimCulture&theStyleofHijab

Itisquiteprobablethattheseso-calledexpertsofIslamandoftheMiddleEasthaveconfusedthe

basic order of the Qur ’an with the style of hijab worn by Muslim women of various ethnicbackgrounds.TherequirementofhijabisaQur ’aniccommand.ThebasicrequirementisthataMuslimwoman

should cover her head and bosomwith akhimar (a head covering), and her bodywith a jilbab (alooseover-garment).Ofcourse,shecanleaveherfaceandhandsopen.[1]Whenitcomestothestyle,colour,andmaterialofthekhimarandjilbab,eachMuslimethnicgroup

canfollowtheQur ’anicinjunctionaccordingtotheirownculturalbackground.Thevarietyinstylesof implementing the same Qur ’anic law is so because Islam is a world religion, it is cannot beconfinedtooneregionortribeorculture.Therefore you see that the Muslim women in Arabia use ‘abaya; the Persian Muslim women

use chador; the Afghani Muslim women use burqa; the Indo-Pakistani Muslim womenuse niqab or purdah; the Malaysian/Indonesian Muslim women use kerudung; the East AfricanMuslimwomenusebuibui;andnowintheWest,theCanadianMuslimwomenusemainstreamclotheswornwithabiggerscarfovertheheadandalooseoutfit.Islam is not concerned with the style as long as it fulfills the basic requirement

ofkhimarandjilbab.Thisiswherethereligionandcultureinteractwithoneanother,andthereinliesthedynamicaspectof theIslamicshari‘a; and this interactionmighthaveconfusedsomeof theso-calledexpertsofIslamwhoerroneouslybelievethathijab isaculturaltraditionandnotareligiousrequirement.

[13]

6ChapterWhyHijab?

One of themanyquestions that I have been asked iswhydoes Islammakehijabmandatory for

women? Islam has introduced hijab as part of the decency and modesty in interaction betweenmembersoftheoppositesex.Verse59ofchapter33quotedpreviouslygivesaverygoodreason;itsays,“This is more appropriate so that they may be known [as Muslim women] and thus not be

harassed[ormolested].”Men,whethertheyconfessitornot,areslavesoflustanddesire.•Hijabprotectswomenfromsuchmen;itsymbolizesthatshehasbeensanctifiedtoonemanonly

andisoff-limittoallothers.•Hijab contributes to the stability and preservation of marriage and family by eliminating the

chancesofextramaritalaffairs.• Finally, it compelsmen to focus on the real personality of thewoman and de-emphasizes her

physicalbeauty.Itputsthewomanincontrolofstrangers’reactiontoher.CommentingontheattireofwomeninNorthAfricaandSouthEastAsia,GermaineGreer,oneof

thepioneersofthewomen’sliberationmovement,wrote:“Womenwhowearcortes orhuipiles or saris or jellabas or salwarkameez or any other ample

garments can swell and diminish inside themwithout embarrassment or discomfort.Women withshawls and veils can breastfeed anywhere without calling attention to themselves, while baby isprotected from dust and flies. In most non-Western societies, the dress and ornaments of womencelebratethemotheringfunction.Oursdenyit.”[1]Note thatshealsospecificallymentions thesalwar,kameezand jellabas that areusedbyMuslim

womenintheEast.FeministsandtheWesternmediaoftenportraythehijabasasymbolofoppressionandslaveryof

women.This sexist angleof viewing thehijab reflects the influence ofWestern feministswho aresubconsciouslyreactingtotheJudea-Christianconceptofveil––“thesymbolofwoman’ssubjectiontoherhusband”.[2]To look at one’s own religious or cultural history and then to pass a judgment against another

religion is, on the milder side, an intellectual miscalculation, and, on the harsher side, outright

culturalimperialism!MyfathermadeaninterestingobservationinanarticlethatwhentheEuropeanspenetratedtheinteriorofAfricaacenturyago,theyfoundsometribeswhowentaboutnaked.Theyforcedthetribestowearclothesasmarkofcivilization.“Nowthoseadvocatesof‘civilization’arethemselves discarding their clothes.One oftenwonders if the ‘primitive tribes’ of the last centurywere notmore civilized than the rest of theworld.After all, it is rest of theworldwhich is nowimitatingthewaysoftheso-calledprimitivesociety.”[3]Iamsurprisedat the societywhichshows tolerance towards thosewhowould like togoaround

topless but finds it difficult to tolerate a lady who by her own choice wants to observe hijab!According to NaheedMustafa, a CanadianMuslim, “In theWestern world, the hijab has come tosymbolizeeitherforcedsilenceorradical,unconscionablemilitancy.Actually,it’sneither.Itissimplyawoman’s assertion that judgment of her physical person is to play no rolewhatsoever in socialinteraction.Wearingthehijabhasgivenmethefreedomfromconstantattentiontomyphysicalself.Because my appearance is not subjected to scrutiny, my beauty, or perhaps lack of it, has beenremovedfromtherealmofwhatcanlegitimatelybediscussed.”[4]Hijab is not a symbolof oppression.Womenareoppressedbecauseof socio-economic reasons

even in countries where women have never heard about hijab. On the contrary, the practice ofdisplayingpicturesofalmostnakedwomeninthecommercials,billboards,andintheentertainmentindustryinthewestisatruesymbolofoppression.Neither does thehijab prevent awoman from acquiring knowledge or from contributing to the

betterment of human society. Historically women have also greatly contributed to Islam. LadyKhadijah, the first wife of the Prophet, played a significant role in the early history of Islam. Asuccessfulbusinesswomaninherownright,shewasthefirstpersontoacceptthemessageofProphetMuhammad (s.a.w.). Her acceptance and faith were a great source of emotional support for theProphet.Shestoodbyherhusbandin thedifficultdaysofearlyIslam,andspentherwealthfor thepromotionofthenewreligion.ThefirstMuslimpersontobemartyredinMuslimhistorywasawomanbythenameofSumayya,

thewifeofYasirandthemotherof‘Ammar.ShewaskilledalongwithherhusbandforrefusingtorenounceIslam.LadyFalimatu’z-Zahra’,thedaughterofProphetMuhammad,wasabeaconoflightandasource

of guidance for the women of her time. She faithfully stood by her husband, Imam ‘Ali, in hisstruggle for his right of caliphate, and stronglyprotested against the first violationof the right ofinheritancefordaughtersinIslam.OneofthemostimportanteventsintheearlyhistoryofIslamwastheeventofKarbala,whichwas

a protest led by Imam Husayn against the tyranny of Yazid. In that protest, the soldiers of Yazidmassacred Husayn and about seventy-two of his supporters. It was Husayn’s sister, Zaynab, whocontinued the social protest and was very influential in bringing about the awakening among thepeople to stand up against the tyranny of the rulers. Zaynab greatly contributed to the factors thateventuallybroughtaboutthedownfalloftheUmayyads.

[14][15][16][17]

7ChapterConclusion

To thosewhoveryharshlyandquickly judgehijab asa symbolofoppressionofwomen, I ask:

Whenyouseeanuninherhabit,whatdoyouthinkofthat—isthatasymbolofoppressionoradressthat demands dignity and respect? The habit of a nun is a complete hijab. Why then the doublestandard? Is this not cultural imperialism?When a Catholic nun dresses in thatway, she becomesdignified,butwhenaMuslimwomandressesinthatway,shebecomesthesymbolofoppression?!InIslam,wewant thatdignityandrespect foreachandeveryMuslimwoman,notonlyafewselectedoneswhohavedecidedtoservethecauseoftheirfaith.Isalute thoseMuslimwomenwhohavefoundthecourage in themselves toobservehijab in this

non-Muslim society, and I strongly urge their male-counterparts to appreciate women’s greatcontributioninbeingattheforefrontinthestruggletocarveoutanicheforIslaminthemulticulturalsocietyofCanada.OnelastthingthatImustsayisthatinspiteofallthetalkaboutsuppressionofrightsofwomenin

Muslim societies, we have had three countries in the world of Islam—Turkey, Pakistan andBangladesh—whichhavehadfemalePrimeMinisters.Againstthistrackrecord,theUnitedStatesofAmericaorCanadahavenotyetshown thatopenness for theadvancementofwomenwherea ladycouldbeelectedforafulltermasaPresidentorPrimeMinister.IthinkthatsaysalotaboutIslamandtheMuslims.

8ChapterCommonQuestionsaboutHijabandRelatedIssues

1.MeaningofCastingDown1.What“castingdowntheglances”mean?Itmeansthatapersonshouldnotlookatthememberoftheoppositesexexceptforthosepartsthat

maybeuncovered.So,forinstance,amanisallowedtolookatthefaceandhandsofanon-mahramladywhoisnot

relatedtohimprovideditisnotdoneinwithalustfulintention.(“Mahram”meanspersoninwhosepresencehijabisnotrequired.Seethelistatendofthissection.)2.ShakingHands2.Isitpermissibletoshakehandswithapersonofoppositesex?If the person is mahram, then it is permissible. But if the person is non-mahram, then it is

forbidden.3.BeautificationofWomen3.Isawomanallowedtolineeyeswithkohl,toputmascaraonhereyelashes,andtowearringsin

bothhands?Awoman is allowed to put kohl or similar cosmetics on her eyelashes and also to wear rings

provideditisnotdonewiththeintentionofdrawinglustfulattentionofmentowardsherself.4.ExposingtheChin4.AvastmajorityofMuslimwomenwhoobservehijabareusedtokeepingtheirchinsandasmall

partoftheunderchinexposedwhiletheycovertheneck.Isthispermissible?Andhowbiganareaofthefacecanwomenexpose;aretheearsincludedinthat?Theearsarenotpartoftheface,thereforeitisobligatorytocoverthem.Asforthepartofthechin

andtheunderchinthatisseenwhenputtingonthecommonheadscarf,itistobeconsideredaspartofthefaceand,therefore,canbeexposed.5.FacialHair5.Isitpermissibleforawomanwhoobserveshijabtogetridofherfacialhair,tostraightenher

eyebrows,andtowearnaturalandlightmakeup?Gettingridoffacialhair,straighteningofeyebrows,andwearingoflightmakeupdonotprevent

herfromkeepingherfaceuncoveredprovideditisnotdonewiththeintentionofdrawingattention.6.WigasaReplacement6.Canawomanputonawigasreplacementofthehead-covering(hijab)?Sincethewigisanitemofbeauty(zinat),itmustbecoveredinpresenceofnon-mahrammen.

7.HighheeledShoes7. AMuslimwomanwearshigh heeled shoes that hit the ground in such away that they draw

attention.Issheallowedtowearthem?If it is intended to draw the attention of non-mahram men to herself, or if it generally causes

temptationforcommittingsin,thenitisnotpermissible.8.TightFittingShirt8.Ifawomanputsonascarfandwearsatight-fittingshirtandtight-fittingjeansortrousersora

tight-fittingqamees and shalwar – is that considered an acceptable hijab in the presence of non-mahrammen?Anydress that reveals thecontoursofherbodyor thatwouldnormallyarouse temptation isnot

permissibleanddoesnotfulfilltherequirementsofhijab.Itisapointlesshijab!9.MenandUnisexSwimming9. Is it permissible for aMuslimman to go to unisex swimmingpools and other similar places

wherepeoplegoabouthalf-naked?ItisnotpermissibleforaMuslimmantogotounisexswimmingpoolsandothersimilarplacesif

itentailsaharamact.Basedonobligatoryprecaution,accordingtoAyatullahSistani,hemustrefrainfromgoingtosuchplacesevenifitdoesnotentailaharamact.10.Definingthosewhoaremahram10. Is thebrother-in-laworacousin includedamong the listof thepeople inwhosepresencea

ladydoesnothavetoobservehijab?Issheallowedtoshaketheirhandsorhugthem?Thebrother-in-laworamalecousinisnotincludedinthatlistand,therefore,itisobligatoryupon

aMuslimladytoobservehijabintheirpresence,andalsoitisnotpermissibleforhertoshaketheirhandsorhugthem.ThereversewillapplytoaMuslimmaninrelationtohissister-in-laworafemalecousin.

TheMahram

(INWHOSEPRESENCEHIJABISNOTREQUIRED)OFTHEWOMANOFTHEMAN1.Father.1.Mother.2.Grandfather.2.Grandmother.3.Brother.3.Sister.4.Father-in-law.4.Mother-in-law.5.Husband.5.Wife.6.Son.6.Daughter.7.Step-son.7.Step-daughter.8.Son-in-law.8.Daughter-in-law.9.Nephew.9.Niece.10.Uncle(paternal).10.Aunt(paternal).11.Uncle(maternal).11.Aunt(maternal).12.Minorboy.12.Minorgirl.13.Women.13.Men.

9ChapterHijabJokes

“AppendixB”consistsofahumorouswriteupaboutthepointlesshijabthatsomeMuslimsisterswear.Thisisreproducedherefromtheinternet.HijabJokesBy:AyeshaAyesha1998@aol.comBroadcastedonBICNews20November1997BrothersandSisters,Althoughitmayseemhumorousitcanserveasconstructivecriticismbothforthesisters,andthe

brothers. We learn from this that all those outward actions which Islam requires must be donecorrectlyandwith thecorrect intention, i.e.not for fashionor to fit intoacertaingroup.That is itmustallbesolelyforthesakeofAllah(swt).Thepurposeofthisarticleisnottooffendanyone,ratheritwaswrittentomakeapoint.Enjoy…It has been my personal observation that some Muslim girls and women do not realize the

significanceofhijab.Hijab isArabic forprotectionandcover.Somepeopleputa lotofeffort intotheirhijab,yetitservesnopurpose.Iamreferringtothepointlesshijabthatsomegirlswear.Thefirstpointlesshijabisreferredtoastheheadbandhijab.Itisabandoffabricapproximately4

incheswide.Itcoversthebackoftheheadandallowsallthehairtobeexposed.Itdoesn'tservemuchintermsofmodesty,butatleastitcomesinhandyincaseofanunexpectedtennismatch.Thesecondpointlesshijabisthedupetta,alsoknownastheSaranwraphijab.Itcoversallthehair,

butitistotallytransparent.Againitdoesn'tservemuchintermsofmodesty,butitkeepsthehairniceandfresh.ThethirdtypeofhijabisknownastheMickeyMouseHijab.Itiswhenagirlwearsablackscarf

andtucksitbehindherear,sothatherearsstickout.Wenowmovetomyfavorites:theyo-yohijabs.Thefirstyo-yohijab,alsoknownastheBenazir

Bhuttohijab, is the scarf that keeps falling down and needs to be constantly pulled back up… .up,down,up,down,justlikeayo-yo.Thesecondyo-yohijabisalsoreferredtoastheconvertiblehijab.Thistypeofhijabispredominantatanytypeofsocialevent,i.e.anAqeeqah,Bismillahparty,Ameenparty,wedding,etc.This iswhenanImamorQaricomesupto themicrophoneandstarts toreciteQur'an.At thispoint,all theconvertiblehijabscomeup…untilhesays"Sadaqallahuladheem".I'mnot sure,but apparently in somecultures that translates to "Oksisters,youmaynow takeoffyourscarves".

I'msurethismayseemodd,butwhat'sevenfunnieriswhenpeopledonotanticipatetherecitationofQur'anatasocialevent,andareforcedtobecreativeanduseaccessoriessuchasapursetocoverone's hair. I was surprised to see a women hold her purse over her head as "hijab"… as if themultitudes of men surrounding her are not a good enough reason to wear hijab, but some guyrecitingdu'acompelshertoholdapurseoverherhead.Herfriendsweremorecreative…onefriendusedherdinnernapkin.IwasalsolaughingwhenIsawthecommunalhijab—twoormoregirlsdrapedunderonedinner

napkinduringtherecitationofQur'an.Herotherfriendwasstillmorecreative.Sheusedhercoffeesauceronthebackofherhead.Iwasn'tsureifitwashijaboraYamaka.Ididn'tknowifshewasaMuslimoraJew.Ifeltlikegoinguptoherandsaying"Shalomalaikum,sister".And,peopleshouldrememberthathijabisnotjustaprotectionfromguys,butfromagirl'snafs

(ego)aswell.Itshouldpreventgirlsfromhavingtospendhoursinfrontofthemirrordoingtheirhair.But,unfortunately,youseegirlsinfrontofthemirrorforhoursdoingtheirhijabastheywoulddotheirhair,withallsortsofelaboratebraidsandthelike.Iwantedtogouptoasisterandsay"Isyourhijabnaturallycurly?"Ialsofeltcompelledtogouptoanothergirlandsay"pardonme,butisyourhijabnaturallythatcolor,ordidyoudyeit?"Well, the point to remember is that some people make an effort to wear hijab, but it is futile,

because it isnot fulfilling itspurpose. It's likeusinganumbrellawithholes in it.Hijab isusedforprotectionfromguysaswellasfromthegirlherself,andshouldnotbeusedasanaccessoryorforbeautifyingone'sself.Anyway,that'sit….

[1]1.SeyyedHosseinNasr,IslamicLifeandThought(Albany:SUNY,1981)p.26.

[2]1.TheGospelofMatthew,chap.5,verses27-28.

[3]2.Al-Munjid(Beirut:Daru’l-Mashriq,1986)p.195;at-Turayh¢,Majma‘u’l-Bahrayn,vol.1(Tehran:DaftarNashr,1408AH)p.700.Seeat-Tusi,at-Tibyan,vol.7(Qum:Maktabatu’l-l‘lamal-Islami,1409AH)p.428;at-Tabrasi,Majma’u’l-Bayan,vol.7(Beirut:DarIhyai’t-Turathi’l-‘Arabi,1379AH)p.138;alsoseethefamousSunnicommentator,Fakhru’d-Dinar-Razi,at-Tafsiru’l-Kabir,vol.23(Beirut:Daru’l-Kutubi’l-‘Ilmiyya,1990)p.179-180.EventheHansWehrDictionaryofModernWrittenArabic(Ithaca,NY:SpokenLanguagesServices,1976)definesal-khimaras“veilcoveringheadandfaceofawoman.”(p.261)Noonehasexcludedthecoveringoftheheadfromdefinitionof“al-khimar”.

[4]3.Ar-Razi,at-Tafsiru’l-Kabir,vol.23,p.179,andotherfamouscommentariesandcollectionsofhadithsuchasat-Tabataba’i,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.Alsoseethecommentariesofal-Kashshaf,IbnKathir,at-Tabari,andal-Qurtubi.

[5]4.Ibid,alsosee,al-Bukhari,Sahih(Arabic&English)vol.6(Beirut:Daru’l-‘Arabiyya)p.267;Abu’l-A‘laMawdudi,Tafhimu’l-Qur ’an,vol.3(Lahore:Idara-eTarjuman-eQur ’an,1994)p.316.

[6]5.Ibid.al-Munjid,p.96;at-Turayhi,Majma‘u’l-Bahrayn,vol.1,p.384.

[7]1.SachikoMurata&WilliamC.Chittick,TheVisionofIslam(St.Paul,MN:ParagonHouse,1995)p.xi.

[8]2.FormoreinformationonthesunnaandalsotheconnectionbetweentheQur ’anandtheAhlulBayt,seemyIntroductiontoIslamicLaws.

[9]3.Al-Kulayni,al-Furu‘mina’l-Kafi,vol.2,p.64.

[10]4.As-Saduq,ManlaYahduruhu’l-Faqih,vol.2,p.140;Qurbu’l-Asnad,p.170.SeeWasa’ilu’sh-Shi‘ah,vol.14(Beirut:Darat-Turathal-‘Arabi,n.d.)p.169.

[11]5.‘Abdu’r-Rahmanal-Juzari,al-Fiqh‘ala’l-Madhahibi’l-Arba‘ah,vol.5(Beirut:Daru’l-Fikr,1969)p.54-55.

[12]6.Besidesthereferencesquotedearlier,alsoseeat-Tabrasi,Majma‘u’l-Bayan,vol.7-8,p.138,370;at-Tusi,at-Tibyan,vol.8,p.361;Fakhru’d-Dinar-Razi,at-Tafsiru’l-Kabir,vol.23,p.179-180.

[13]1.Puttingaveiltocoverthefaceisnottheinitialrequirementoftherulesofhijab.TheShi‘iaswellasmajorityofSunnijuristssaythatthefaceshouldbecoveredonlyifthereisadangeroffitna,asituationthatcouldleadtocommittingasin.

[14]1.Greer,Sex&Destiny:ThePoliticsofHumanFertility(London:Picador,1985)p.14.

[15]2.SeeAidtoBibleUnderstanding,p.468.FortheBiblicalChristianperspective,seewhatSt.Paulsays:“ButIwouldhaveyouknow,thattheheadofeverymanisChrist;andtheheadofthewomanistheman;andtheheadofChristisGod.Everymanprayingorprophesying,havinghisheadcovered,dishonourethhishead.Buteverywomanthatprayethorprophesiethwithherheaduncovereddishonourethherhead…Judgeinyourselves:isitcomelythatawomanprayuntoGoduncovered?”(1Corinthians11:3-5,13)InsimpleEnglish,itmeansthatifamankeepshisheadcoveredinprayer,thenheisdisrespectingChrist;andifawomankeepsherheaduncoveredinprayer,thensheisdisrespectingherman.ForBiblicalJewishconcept,seeGenesis24:65.

[16]3.S.SaeedAkhtarRizvi,“OnModesty,”inSundayNews(Dar-es-salaam)27November1966.

[17]4.Mustafa,“MyBodyIsMyOwnBusiness,”Globe&Mail,29thJune1993.

www.IslamicMobility.com"WisdomisthelostpropertyoftheBeliever,lethimclaimitwhereverhefindsit"-ImamAli(as)"