Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Bismil-lah-hir-Rahman-nir-Raheem

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful As-Salaam-o-Alaikum

Please help me & this brother & all Muslim women, by your scholarly Views on the issue of veil (Hijab, khimar, burqa, chader, niqab, etc) for Muslim women.  Please explain in detail about this topic in Quran, as this person seems to be a non-believer of Ahadith.

According to him, " Quran is very clear about the dress code for the believers... Hijab (veil) is a traditional, not religious head cover that dates back to ancient civilizations, and is not supported or advocated by the Quran"  According to him this the Jewish tradition. His article can be traced through the following link; http://www.submission.org/dress.html

Please comment on this site also: www.sumission.org

Was-Salaam

A Muslim Sister

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Viel in the Quran for believing Women

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The commands of Allah in the Glorious Quran is extremely clear regarding the veil or purdah of the believing woman, and has absolutely no room for any disagreement for those who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Al Ahzaab verse 59:O Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters, and the women of the believers, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons. It is expected that they will be recognized and that they will not be molested. And Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah An-Noor verse 31:And O Prophet, enjoin the believing women to restrain their gaze and guard their private parts and not to display their adornment except that which is displayed of itself (their face and hands), and to draw their veils over their bosoms and not to display their adornment except before their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons and the sons of their husbands, their brothers, their brothers sons, their sisters’ sons, their female associates, and those in their possession and male attendants incapable of sexual desire, and those boys who have not yet attained knowledge of sexual matters. Also forbid them to stamp their feet on the ground lest their hidden ornaments should be displayed.

The above commandments are not for every woman to cover up! These commandments are only for the women who believe in Allah, and fear the Last Day. For any woman, who indeed believes in Allah and fears the Last Day, the above commandments of Allah should be enough reason for her to cover herself with her outer garments.

Some ‘modern’ and ‘educated’ people today have a problem with the above commandment of Allah and argue that this is a discrimination against woman in this day and age. Allah is the One who created both man and woman, and everything else that exists. When We recognize Him as our Creator, and we submit our wills to Him, then He Alone has the right to guide us to the Straight Path of Mercy. Since He is our Creator, He alone knows what is best for us and what is evil for us. In His Divine Wisdom, Allah did not create man and woman as equal, but He created them as balanced, with each gender having its own set of responsibilities and duties. That is the Divine Wisdom of the All-Wise, All-Knowing, Allah.

YES, we are allowed to search for the wisdom in His commandments, so that we can follow them with conviction. And NO, we are not allowed under any circumstances, to challenge His Commandments in the least, for they are indeed from the All Wise, All Knowing, Allah.

Allah, The All Knowing, All-Wise, has placed a definite physical attraction between man and woman. He has allowed mankind to fulfil this attraction through legal means of marriage; and prohibited all other means and roads that lead to illegal attraction between the sexes, and lead mankind to adultery and fornication; which are deemed grave sins in Islam.

When something is deemed ‘haraam’ in Islam, The Prophet (saws) said that all roads or ways leading to the ‘haraam’ thing are also ‘haraam’. And not wearing the ‘hijaab’ of the woman is a thing that leads to illegal attraction between man and woman; which is prohibited in Islam.

Allah, in His Divine Wisdom, indicates two reasons why a believing woman should cover herself:

So that she is recognized and

So that she will not be molested!.

Wearing a ‘hijaab’ is a sort of a ‘red-light’ or ‘stop-signal’ to the on-looker. It indicates to him, that the woman wearing the ‘hijaab’ is not a loose woman, but a pious and God-fearing slave of Allah, so stay away!! The ‘hijab’ of the woman indicates to the onlooker that his stares and comments are not welcome here … ‘I am not public property like the other half-naked woman, but I fear Allah and the Last Day”.

We agree that not every woman who wears the ‘hijab’ is pious, and not every woman who does not wear the ‘hijab’ is astray. The ‘hijab’ is only a sign that this woman has submitted her will to the Will of Allah, fears Allah and the Last Day, and wants to adhere to every commandment sent down by her Lord and Creator. Just like an officer in the army considers it an honor to wear his army uniform, this believing woman is honored and proud to be in the uniform commanded by Allah, if indeed she believes in Allah, and fears meeting Him on the Last Day.

Take for example the below verse of Surah Ahzaab, where Allah is addressing specifically the noble and chaste wives of the Last Messenger of Allah (saws):

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Al-Ahzaab verse 32-33:O Wives of the Prophet, you are not like the other woman. If you are God-fearing, do not talk in a soft voice lest the man of the diseased heart should cherish false hopes from you, but speak in an unaffected (or business-like) manner. Stay in your houses, and do not go about displaying your fineries as women used to do in the days of ‘jaahileeya’ (ignorance).

Who is Allah talking to? Some loose women? No, my brothers and sisters, Allah is talking to some of the most chaste women on this planet earth. He is admonishing the noble wives of our beloved Prophet (saws)! He is commanding some of the purest woman on earth to talk, if needed, firmly to other men; and not to display their fineries in public like in the days of ignorance.

These commands of Allah were revealed to increase the honor, and to protect the believing woman against molestation; and not do subjugate, discriminate, or belittle them in any way. Every believing woman, should indeed consider it an honor to be adorned in the Uniform of Allah!

May Allah bless our wives, our daughters, our sisters, and our mothers to fear Allah and the Last Day. May Allah bless them to understand that the commandments of Allah are for their own protection and a means of honor, from Allah. May Allah honor the women of the Islamic Ummah in this world and hereafter, who adhere to Allah’s commandments, and consider it an honor to be dressed in Allah’s Uniform. May Allah bless our women to realize that Shaitaan is trying to dishonor them in the name of fashion and modernization, and Allah’s commandments are meant to honor them in this world as well as the hereafter.

May Allah guide all of us to the Straight Path of Islam. Ameen.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan