Hijaab: The Islamic Women’s Dress
 

Islam is a unified system, which sets rules to organize the life of believers and guarantees happiness for them in both this life and the Hereafter. Allah, the Almighty is One, He is the affectionate, Who loves hise.

Worshippers and His legislation is to attain the welfare of people.

Islam means submission and surrender to Allah, the Almighty, Whose guidance we should follow blindly. The true believer that has faith in his lord is not liable to place his preference over Allah’s decree. He is to obey his Lord exclusively in compliance with the following verse:

“It does not befit a believing man and women,When God and his Messenger have decreed a matter,That they should have the choice in their affair.And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he then shall stray into a manifest aberration” (Qur’an 33:36)

Thus, a Muslim woman complying with Allah’s order should have a priority over satisfaction of her own desires. Therefore, the Islamic dress for women is not to be tampered with. Yet, women differ in their opinions and attitudes towards this dress: some conform to it while others are not: some conform to it whereas other hesitate.

In the Pre- Islamic period known as (Jahiliya), women were keen on showing their beauty (to men). The neck, the bosom and the forelock were especially cared for and displayed in front of men. After the advent of Islam, its legislative rules were revealed gradually. As regards women’s dress, the following verses were revealed:

“O prophet, say to your wives and daughters and the wives of the believers to draw close round them their flowing outer garments.That is better so they may (not) be known and they may not be hurt and Allah is Forgiving, merciful.” (33:59)

“And say to the believing women to restrain their eyes, and guard their private parts and show not their adornment except what appears of it”.

“And let them cast veils over their bosoms and not display their adornment save to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brother’s sons or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or what their right hands possess, or male Handouts of no sexual desires, or children who have seen nothing of women’s hidden parts. And let them not shake their legs to let it be known what they conceal of their ornament. And repent you all to Allah, O you believers, so that you may prosper.” (24:31)

These verses clearly state that revealing some parts of the woman’s body (tabarruj’), which the Arab women had been doing in ‘Al-Jahiliya’, is prohibited; expect for what normally appears of her, i.e. that which is too difficult and inconvenient to cover. Moreover, a woman should not use any ornament and appear in front of non-mahram men (those to whom she can lawfully be married).

Hence, Muslim imams (religious leaders), without exception, have agreed that a women should cover her body except for the face and hands which are the parts that she may find inconvenient and difficult to cover. However, when the face and hands are uncovered they should not be beautified.

Accordingly, let every women reconsider her attitude towards her dress as a Muslim. Whoever pronounces the ‘ Shahada’, that “ there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger” should have complete submission to Allah’s orders. This includes what is stated about ‘hijab’, despite the fact that some women would not consider it as an important matter.

It is quite clear from the above discussion that ‘hijab’ is part and parcel of the belief in Islam and faith in Allah, and whatever suffering this may incur, if any, one should remember Allah’s promise for the Obedience as in the translation of the meanings of verse (4:13):

“ And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, He shall admit him to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever; that is the great triumph.” ( 4:13)