Hijab : The Dress of Modesty in Islam

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HIJAB(The Dress of MoDesTy in islaM)

BY:

Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi

Published by:Bilal Muslim Mission o anzania

P.O.Box 20033Dar es Salaam anzania


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ISBN 9976 956 74 6

First Edition 1992: 2,500 Copies

Published by:Bilal Muslim Mission o anzania

P.O.Box 20033Dar es Salaam anzania


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PREFACE

My riend, late Haji Yusu Hussain Sheriff o Arusha ( anzania)had asked me to deliver a lecture on the subject o Hijab (Purdah ) at the 8 th annual seminar o the Golden CrescentGroup, which was to be held at Lushoto on the 22 nd and 23rd October, 1977. At that time I was busy making arrangements orour hajj journey and wanted to be excused. But on his insistenceI had to agree. Te result is the Part One o this booklet, which

contains the lecture and the questions and answers whichollowed. Just 3 months later, Haji Yusu suddenly expired atMombasa (Kenya). We belong to Allah and to Him is our return . Tis parts Swahili translation (by Shaykh Dhikiri O. M. Kondo,Editor, Sauti Ya Bilal ) was published by the Bilal Muslim missiono anzania long ago. But the original remained pending becauseI wanted to make it more comprehensive. Once postponed, itremained orgotten until recently when the situation in thesociety in A rica and elsewhere demanded its publication. Now I have added the Part wo, which contains urther details.And as they say in Arabic, everything is pledged to its time, the

booklet is now published - afer 15 years.

I dedicate the thawab o writing this booklet to late Haji Yusu H.Sheriff. May Allah give him a high place near the 14 Masumin(as).


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PART ONE

Te essence o Islam is Submission to the Will o Allah, tomake ones opinions, inclinations and actions subservient to thecommands o Allah.

And it is not or a believer man or believer woman to have anychoice in their affair when Allah and Hiss Messenger decided amatter; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, indeed hehas strayed a mani est straying. 1

Tere ore, i one asks why Hijab or Purdah is necessary, the onlyproper reply would be, because Allah and His Messenger haveso decided. And that should be the end o all arguments, so ar asthe believing men and believing women are concerned. But in this age, Hijab has been equated with backwardness osociety and is regarded as a symbol o servitude o women. Manypreachers think it is sa er to avoid this subject in their lectures.But the Holy Prophet has said:

When Bidats appear and an Alim does not say what he knows

(against that Bidat ) then he is cursed by Allah, the angels and themen.2

Islam is a compact religion in which all rules and regulations1 Holy Quran, 33:362 Sanatul Bihar, vol.1,p.63


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Tere ore, the attempts o some sel -appointed non-Muslimexperts o Islam, to show that Hijab came to Islam when theArabs conquered neighboring countries, has no leg to stand.Modesty is one o the undamentals o Islamic Shariah. ImamJa ar as-Sadiq (a.s) said: Modesty is a part oIman. 5

VERSES OF HIJAB

First let us read the verses o the Quran on this subject:-

Tere are two verses in Sura An-Nur:-

Say unto the believer men that they cast down their gaze and guard their private parts; that is purer or them. Verily, Allah iswell Aware o all that you do. And say unto the believing women that they cast down their

gaze and guard their private parts, and they display not theirZinat (adornment) except what becomes apparent o it; and theydraw their Khumur (head covers) over their Juyub (neck-slits);and they display not their Zinat except to their husbands, or their athers, or the ather o their husbands, or their brothers, or their5 Sanatu l-Bihar , vol.1, p.360


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I Z M : except what becomes apparent o it.It will be explained later.

Te third verse in the same Sura exempts a very old woman romputting on veil:-

Such elderly women as are past the prospect o marriage, there is

no blame on them i they lay aside their outer garments, providedthey make not a display o their adornment; but it is good or themi they restrain themselves; and Allah is All-hearing All-knowing.7

E I W

A -Q : Tose women who have passed the age o mensesand child-bearing and are not desirous o marriage because otheir old age. Y : It denotes laying aside an outer garment like shawl orchadar , and not removing a dress like shirt or rock rom body.

Tis exception presupposes a general rule. Tat the elderlywomen may lay aside their veil, shows that other cannot lay itaside. And even elderly women have been encouraged not to layaside their veil, because it is good or them (and perhaps to set agood example to the younger generation!). Ten there are 4 verses in Surah Al-Ahzab:-

7 Holy Quran, 24:60


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O Women o the Prophet! You are not like any other woman, i you ear (Allah); so be not sof in your speech, lest lusts afer youhe in whose heart is disease; and speak a good speech; And stayin your houses and display not yourselves like the display o theIgnorance o Yore8 Explanation: Women o the Prophet: Tis verse is addressed tothe women o the Prophet but all Muslim women are included init; as so many verses addressed to the Holy Prophet are meant orthe whole Ummah. For Example, there is a verse:

O Prophet! When you divorce (your) women, divorce them attheir prescribed period. . .9

It is an accepted principle that the rules o the Quran are or thewhole Ummah , except where there is a clear indication that it isnot meant or others.

You are not like any other women: Muslim women are not likenon-Muslim women. So, they should maintain their distinctionand dignity.

Like the display o the Ignorance o Yore: o stay in yourhouses is the dignity o Islam; and to display onesel is thetrade-mark o the pre-Islamic Ignorance and Ku r.

Tere is a hadith in a sir o Al-Qummi (with his chain onarrators) rom Imam Ja ar as-Sadiq (a.s) rom his ather (a.s)that he said about the clause, like the display o the Ignoranceo Yore: It implies that there surely will come another era oIgnorance.

8 Holy Quran, 33:32-339 Holy Quran, 65:1, See al-Kashsha , vol.4, p.117


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Allamah At- abatabais comments: It is a ne in erence. 10

A Q : Has that predicted era o the latter days, ignorancealready arrived?

And i you ask rom them any goods, ask you o them rombehind the curtain; purer it is or your heats and or their hearts. 11

E : Tis verse is about the wives o the Holy Prophet.

It shows the ideal o Purdah or Hijab or a Muslim woman, thatshe should remain inside her house; and Ghair-Mahram menshould talk to her, i necessary, rom behind a curtain.

When the above verse was revealed, the companions askedthe Prophet whether they should remain hidden rom theirdaughters, mothers and sisters also. Ten the ollowing verse wasrevealed:-

Tere is no blame on them (women) about their athers, nor theirsons, nor their brothers, nor their brothers sons, nor their sisterssons, nor their own women, nor whom their right hands possess,and ear you (O women) Allah: Verily Allah is Witness oneverything.12

O Prophet! Say unto your wives, and your daughters and the

10 Al-Mizan, vol.16, p.31611 Holy Quran, 33:5312 Holy Quran, 33:55


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women o the believers that they let down upon them their Jilbab(robe which covers head, ace and shoulders); so that they maybe distinguished, so that they will not be troubled; Allah is Of-Forgiving the most Merci ul.13

E : J : It is a plural o Jilbab. Jilbab is a robe bigger thanheadcover and shorter than shawl. Te woman puts it on herhead and it covers up to her breast. Jilbab means blanket and all

things which cover the body like shawl etc. And the meaning isthat they should let down their robes upon them so that it coverstheir aces, and shoulders. Jilbab should not be con used with Khimar (head cover)mentioned above, because

Jilbab is the outer robe worn over Khimar .14 In act it is what is variously called chadar, burqa, niqab or purdah . Te above verses guide the women as ollows:a. Tey should stay in their houses.b. Tey should not talk is sof words with Ghair-Mahram men.

c. Tere should be a curtain on the door.d. Tey should not show their Zinat except to their Mahram.e. I they have to come out o their house ( or any valid reason)

they should cover their bodies with veil. Also it appears rom the above verses that there are two stages oHijab:1. Hijab o Eyes2. Hijab o Dress

13 Holy Quran, 33:5914 Ad-Durru l-manthur , vol.5, p.42


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HIJAB OF EYES

Te believer men must cast down their gaze and believer womenmust cast down their gaze. None is allowed to look at the oppositesex, unless he or she is within the prohibited degree ( mahram ). As the man is required to struggle or earning the livelihood, heis not told to hide his body (except to a certain extent). Still he isobliged to cast down his gaze; and not to look at Ghair-Mahram

women. Woman can easily keep hersel covered and hidden because hersphere o activity is her home; there ore, she was told to cover herentire body, as well as cast down her gaze and not to look at GhairMahram men. Tere are many ahadith which say that:

Glance is a poisoned arrow rom the arrows o Shaitan. 15

Beware o glancing, because it sows lust in the heart o theglances, and enough is it or a mischie . 16

Another hadith says that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) said:

) (

Whoever lls his eyes looking at women unlaw ully, Allah willraise him on the day o resurrection with nails o re drivenin (his eyes), until judgment is given concerning the whole

15 Sanatu l-Bihar , vol.2, p.596 Ad-Durru l-manthur , vol.5, p.4216 Sanatu l-Bihar , vol.2, p.596


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mankind; then he will be ordered to be driven into the Fire. 17

Numerous ahadith declare that the glance afer the 1 st glance isan arrow o Shaitan; and is Haram. Our boys and girls shouldponder on these verses and traditions, in order to realizethat wearing hijab or scar is not a license to look reely at theopposite sex.

HIJAB OF DRESS

We may discuss this subject under the ollowing headings:- E C

Te dress must cover the womans whole body, except what hasbeen specically exempted. According to authentic Ahadith o both Shia and Sunni books, the whole body o woman isawrah.

Te woman is awrah. 18 And what is the meaning oawrah ?

Te genitals are called awrah , because it is a shame to look atthem; and everything which a man hides (because o pride orshame) is called awrah ; and the women are awrah . According to Al-Urwatu l-wuthqa (by Sayyid Kazim Yazdion which are ootnotes o all great Mujtahids o recent times)

covering is o two kinds: 1. First: Te covering which is Wajib in itsel at all times and it

means:17 Ibid, p. 17118 Kanzu l-ummal , vol.16, ch.6, p.411,hadith no.45158


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2. Te second kind o covering concern the Salat.a. Man must cover his awratain even i there is no one there to

look at him. And it Ahwat to cover between navel and knees.b. Woman must cover her whole body including hair and ears

except ace ( rom orehead upto the chin in length, andbetween the thumb and middle nger in width), hand ( rom

wrist downwards) and eet upto ankles. It is Wajib to covera portion o these excepted parts Min Babil Muqaddamah .

c. It is not necessary or her to cover in prayer her ornaments ormake up on ace.

d. I there is someone who is looking or may look with lust at

1. I there is possibility that someone will look at her withlust, then it is Wajib to cover the hands as well.

2. I there is no such possibility, then it is Ahwat to coverthem, according to Fatwa o Sayyid Kazim Yazdi,Sayyid Muhsin Hakim abatabai, Sayyid MahmudHusaini Shahrudi, Sayyid Abul-Qasim Khui, Sayyid

Muhammad Kazim Shariatmadari, Sayyid MuhammadRida Gulpayegani and Sayyid Hadi Milani.

3. It is haram to look with lust at the body, ace or handso a man or woman, be he or she a Mahram or Ghair Mahram .(E : Wi e and Husband).

a. Hiding o awratain (private parts, ront and behind)rom all people, male and emale, Mahram andGhair-Mahram, Baligh and Ghair-Baligh.

E : Husband and wi e may look at each other. Also a very small child is exempted rom this restriction.b. As it is haram to uncover those parts be ore any person,

so it is haram to look at them.c. It is wajib or a woman to cover her whole body (except

ace and hands up to wrists, which will be explained later)rom all persons except her husband and Mahram .

d. F H :


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ransparent or thin clothes which reveal the colour o skin orshape o body are absolutely orbidden. Te Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said, inter alia , in a hadith:

.Teir women will be dressed, yet naked; on their heads willbe like the humps o lean camels; do curse them, or they are trulycursed.20

Te Holy Prophet on seeing a bride in a thin dress said:A woman who dressed like this, is not the one who believes inthe Surah an-Nur.

L

Te dress must not be tight to describe the curves and shape o awomans body.

O A 1. Te purpose o the dress is to conceal Zinat . It naturally

ollows that this cover itsel should not be o a kind to attractonlookers to the woman inside. Zinat cannot be hidden by adress which makes people turn their eyes towards the wearer.It is this type o dress which is orbidden in this ayat o theQuran: Bedizen not yourselves with the bedizenment o theIgnorance o Yore.

2. Woman should not wear a dress which is generally known

to be a male costume, nor vice versa. Te Holy Prophet hascursed the men who act like women and the women who actlike men.21

20 Kanzu l-ummal , vol.16, ch.6, p.401, hadith no. 45106; see also hadith no. 45013 on p.383.

21 Ibid, p.385, hadith no. 45020


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3. It should not be a dress o ame, pride and vanity. Wearingexcessively dirty or rugged cloth to demonstrate denialo Sel or ones rejection o the norms o society is notallowed. Te showiness and pride are improper in the eyes o

Islam and are rejected by Islamic ethics. Te Prophet said:Whoever wears a dress o ame in this world, Allah will clothhim with a dress o humiliation on the Day o Resurrection,then set it on re.

IMPORTANCE OF HIJAB

o see how much importance is give to Hijab in Shariat, it isenough to see how other rules and regulations are modied andchanged to preserve the principle o Hijab: 1. Praying in the mosque is better than in house, and its

reward goes on increasing as the gathering increases. But or

the woman, the opposite is correct. Tere is more reward inhouse than in the verandah o the house.2. Jamaat prayer: One o the basic conditions o Jamaat prayer is

that there should be no barrier between Imam and Mamum,and between one Mamum and the other. But his order is notor the women. I they want to pray with Jamaat , they shouldpray behind a barrier.

3. Adhan and Iqamah be ore the daily ve prayers are verymuch emphasized. But women are exempted rom it. I theyopt to say Adhan and Iqamah , they can do so, when there isno Ghair Mahram to hear their voice. Otherwise, it is notallowed. (Tough they may say it in whisper).

4. It is wajib or men to recite rst two rakahs in Fajr, Maghrib

and Isha prayers loudly. Women are required to pray inwhisper only.5. Friday prayer is Wajib Aini in the presence o the Imam (a.s)

or his appointed deputy and wajib takhyiri according to manyUlama during the Ghaibat . But women are exempted or thiswajib.


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6. Ghusl-e-Mayyit: it is necessary that the person giving uneralbath be a Muslim; but i a Muslim woman dies and there aremale ghayr mahram Muslims and emale Christians, then theChristians woman should be asked to take a bath and thengive Ghusl to the Muslim woman.

Another Alim, Muhaqiq Hilli, does not agree with it. He says theGhusl-e-Mayyit is an Ibadah , and it needs intention o Qurbatanilallah which rom a Kar in not correct; so instead o allowingMulsim men should give her Ghusl, he says that the dead body

should be buried without Ghusl .

7. Tere is great reward in carrying the bier o a Muslim andwalking in his uneral procession. Women are exemptedrom it.

8. In Ihram , the woman is not allowed to cover her ace, but,as Muhaqiq Tanik Karaki has written, this rule does notmean that seeing or being seen by Ghayr mahram is allowed.Ayatullah Abul Qasim Khui writes that when the womanwants to hide hersel rom Ghair Mahram in Ihram , she maypull down a corner o her Ihram on her ace and chin; but it isahwat that she put her hand or some other thing to keep thecloth away rom her ace.

9. Jihad (ghting in the way o Allah) is the most liked Ibadah (act o worship) but women are exempted rom ghting.

So, we nd that whenever any general rule comes in conict withthe rule o Hijab, it is not the Hijab which gives way. It is alwaysthe conicting rule which is sacriced or the principle o Hijab.

HIJAB FOR MEN It is good to draw the attention o the audience to therequirements o dress o man also. Tese basic requirements havebeen mentioned above, and they may be enumerated as ollows:-


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1. Man must cover his Awratain at all times, rom all personsexcept his wi e or a very small child.

2. He must cover his Awratain in the prayer.3. His cloth should not be tight so as to describe what it is

supposed to hide.4. It should not be thin so as to show the colour o the skin o

the parts which should be covered5. Te dress should not be like a costume generally considered

a emale costume.6. Tey should not be clothes o ame, pride o vanity.

7. Tey should not be made o pure silk.8. Man is not allowed to wear even impure gold.


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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Q.1: Is it allowed or a veiled girl to attend co-education Schools? A : I she observes all the rules o hijab and is sure that noone would look at her with lust, then it is allowed. Q.2: I yes, then she would not be able to answer the questionsput orward to her by the teacher, she would have to whisper?

A : alking to Ghair Mahram becomes haram ( orbidden)when there is a danger that the said Ghair Mahram may getlust ul ideas by hearing the voices o the women. Q.3: Can a woman participate ully in social and economic li eremaining in purdah ? A : Yes, provided she does not exceed the limits laid downby the Shariah o Islam. Remember that Islam does not allow reemingling o males and emales. Q.4: In many societies both men and women have no work. Forexample, in an agricultural society, as in anazania, both menand women have to work in elds without which the amilywould starve. What would you suggest under this condition?

A : I you want to ollow Islam you must change. In actthe notion that in an agricultural society a woman must work inthe elds is based on shortsightedness. We see women workingin anazania and then generalize it as a principle o sociology.

We orgot that the countries which are eeding the world, likeU.S.A., Canada, Australia etc. are agricultural countries, but theiragriculture does not depend on their women working in theelds.


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So, it is not agriculture, per se, which demands womens backbreaking labour; it is backwardness which compels anazaniawomen to work in the elds, and not its agricultural society.And we may say that Islam does not like this backwardness; itwants these ladies to return to their proper place that is home. Inother words anazanian society will have to change by ollowingIslamic principles i it wants to march orward. Q.5: Alims have been told to oppose Bidat . At what stage shouldthey do it? At early stage or later stages?

A : At every stage. Q.6: Muslim Women in different countries put on different typeso veil. Which type o veil is in keeping with the principle oIslam? A : Any type that would suit them provided the mainpurpose o hijab, i.e., hiding o their bodies, is served. Q.7: Is it not necessary or our women to go and obtainknowledge in medicine or pharmacy etc? A woman patientwould pre er to be examined by a emale doctor rather than amale one. She should also express hersel more reely to a emaledoctor. Tere are only two womens colleges in the world inmedicine; and due to the shortage o women doctors, it isnecessary or our women to go and join other colleges andthere ore they have to come out o Purdah . A : She should try to go to a womens college only.

Q.8: Some ladies, without veil have kept their dignity. So why allthis? A : Purdah o eyes and Purdah o dress, both are


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compulsory or all Muslim women. Te dignity o a Muslimwoman in the eyes o Allah depends on Purdah ; or example, seethe Ayat which says, You are not like any other women. It isthe distinction and dignity o Muslim woman to stay in yourhouses. I we try to separate their dignity orm Purdah , then ourout-look is not in con ormity with Gods pre erence. By observing only the Purdah o Eyes, the ladies mentioned inthe question are obeying only part o the divine law.

Q.9: I believe in Islam that man and women will be treated equallytomorrow on the Day o Judgment. Now i that is the case, in view o the present ination, why cannot a woman work and helpthe man in running a home? A : Do not be extravagant and try to remain within thelimits o the income earned by the husband. However a womancan help increasing the income by such means which do notrequire her to discard hijab. Equal treatment on the Day oJudgment does not mean equal burden in this li e. Q.10: Should parents abstain rom recommending Purdah totheir daughters lest she is orced afer marriage by her in-laws totake it down? A : As ar as she is with you, you are to per orm yourduties and responsibilities. What happens at a later stage whenshe is with her husband is not your responsibility. I you area raid that afer one week you will not get any ood, would youstart starving rom today?

Q.11: Is it respectable or a girl to have her veil removed by herin-laws? A : No. It is haram. She has to re use.


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PART TWO

Te part one was written in October 1977. Fifeen months later,came the Islamic revolution o Iran, and Islamic rule wasestablished there on 11/2/1979. It was a world-shakingphenomenon which changed the direction o history throughoutthe world. Not only did it create religious awakening in everyMuslim community, but also gave courage to down-trodden andoppressed masses everywhere and up against the exploiters andoppressors. One the visible effect o the Islamic Revolution was to turn thedirection o the youths rom western culture to Islamic norms.Young Muslims boys now eel proud to keep beard and young

girls have rediscovered the dignity o Islamic Hijab. And it ishappening not only in the eastern countries but even in the West. So ar so good, we, o the older generation, are really happy to seethis pleasant change.

At the same time, it is necessary, rather essential, to guide theyouths to the proper Islamic path, charting or them the ullcourse o their spiritual journey. It will enable them to see howmuch they have progressed and how ar they have to go yet. Be ore going ahead, I should mention an important principle oIslamic ideology, and that is the inter-relation o Islamic Laws

and Islamic Ethics. Islamic Laws teach the minimum a personis required to do, and transgression o which entails sins and issometimes considered a crime. Islamic Ethics take a man romthat starting point to the highest peak o spiritual per ection.


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I a man is sick and weak, he rst needs treatment to cure hisdisease; afer that he needs special regimen o diet, exercise andtonics to restore his body, to bring him to the peak o his healthand strength. Te same principle applies in the spiritual eld.Islamic laws keep man ree rom ills o sin and crime, whileIslamic Ethics show him the way to noble spiritual per ection andstrength. From Islams point o view, it is not enough to merely ordainsome basic laws to protect the believers rom sins, and leave them

at that. A weak patient, even when cured o a disease, is an easytarget o urther attacks unless his strength is restored. Nor hasIslam merely exhorted its ollowers to strive to reach high moralstandards, without prescribing some rules to prevent them romnegative inuences. O what use will be tonics i body is riddled with debilitatingdiseases. Tus Islamic Laws and Islamic Ethics are inter-linked;they are different stages o the same spiritual journey. Islamknows that spiritual level o all people is not the same. Tere ore,it has chosen or us the highest ethical and spiritual ideas, at thesame time it has laid down minimum requirements which onecannot transgress without exposing himsel to spiritual peril. Let us, look, or example, at the concept o charity. A Muslimis responsible or providing sustenance to his immediate amily(parents, sel , wi e and children). It is only afer meeting thoseobligatory expenses, that he is exhorted to spend on charity.Allah says in the Quran:

And they ask you as to what they should spend. Say: What youcan spare.22

Tis is the starting point o charity. But suppose you have some22 Holy Quran, 2:219


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ood just sufficient to satis y the hunger o your own amily, andyour brothers or neighbors amily has nothing to eat. IslamicEthics exhorts you to share that little ood with them. O course,your amily will remain hal -hungry; but is it not better that tenpeople should share in that little ood, rather than ve eatingtheir ll while the other ve remain starving? Allah says:

and they pre er (other) over themselves though poverty mayafflict them.23

Tis stage o charity is high commendable and is a hallmark oIslam. Yet, it is not the ultimate destination, the nal goal. I wewant to see the ideal charity, we will have to study the lives o theHoly Prophet and his amily members (peace and mercy o Allahbe on them all). Look at the verses o the Chapter 76 ad-Dahr,and you will see Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, al-Hussain and the maid

Fiddah, asting three days consecutively without taking any oodand every night giving their breads to a poor man, an orphan anda captive. Tree nights they ed hungry persons and stayed ormore than 72 hours without a single morsel. Allah praises themin these words:

Tey ulll vows and ear a day the evil o which shall bespreading ar and wide. And they give ood out o love or Himto the poor and the orphan and the captive. We only eed you orAllahs sake; we desire rom you neither reward nor thanks. 24

Many orientalists, who are generally oblivious or ignorant othis inter-relation o the Islamic Laws and the Islamic Ethics,take it upon themselves to pronounce judgment on Islam,

23 Holy Quran, 59:924 Holy Quran, 76:7-8


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Tese rulings tell us three things:1. About the whole body (except ace and palms): It is denitely

wajib to cover.2. About ace and palms (when there is a possibility o someone

looking at her with sensuous desires): It is denitely wajib tocover them.

3. About ace and palms (when there is no such danger): It isIhtiyat wajib to cover.

Tus according to Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Khoui, it is ihtiyat wajib

or a woman to cover her ace and hands rom ghair mahrammen in all conditions. Now a muqalid has the option o eitherollowing this ihtiyat or re erring to the next alan mujtahid andthen to the next, i he has given atwa on that matter. Ayatullahal-Uzma al-Komeini is said to allow the woman not to covertheir aces and hands i there was no danger o any man lookingat her with lust ul intention or o alling into haram . Tus manyo our girls acted on that atwa. However, the same al-Komeini says that men are totallyorbidden to look at a ghair mahram womans ace and hands. Hewrites: M : Tere is no doubt that a man is not allowed tolook at the hair and body o a ghair mahram woman (except herace and palms), be it with or without sensual pleasure or dangero alling into haram . Likewise it isharam to look at her ace andpalms too i it is with sensual pleasure or the said danger. As orlooking at her ace and palms without sensual pleasure or dangero alling into haram, there are two, rather three, opinions:

1. Tat is allowed unconditionally.2. Tat is haram unconditionally.3. Tat the rst glance is allowed but the second one is haram .


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And the middle opinion (i.e. it is haram unconditionally) isahwat (wajib).26

Un ortunately, those who reported the atwa about the womensresponsibility did not think it necessary to even mention that itis obligatory or men not to look at her ace and hands at all. Aserious question may be asked loudly: Even i an organizer oa mixed gathering is sure o himsel , how can he be sure o theothers?

As or Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayed Muhammad Rida Gulpaegani,his atwa is as ollows: M : It is haram or a man to look at the body orhair o a ghair mahram woman, whether it is with intention osensuous enjoyment or not; likewise it is haram to look at thebody or hair o a girl below nine years o age i such a glance mayusually incite lusty eelings. And it is haram to look at their acesand hands with intentions o sensuous enjoyment rather theprohibition o looking at their ace and hands, even withoutintention o sensuous enjoyment, is not without strong proo . Likewise, it isharam or a woman to look at the body o a ghairmahram man.27

Tis is the minimum hijab and it is the starting point. Nowthat our girls in East A rica and Western countries have startedwearing scar and covering their bodies, they have taken the rststep on the path o Islamic Hijab. But they should realize thatit is only the rst step. Tey should ollow and implement the

second part o the ruling by covering their aces and hands everytime there is a danger o someone looking at them with sensuousintention.

26 ahriru l-wasilah , vol.2, p.24327 awzihu l-masail , 61st ed., Muharram 1410, Qum, pp. 412-413


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adheres to the innermost part o her house. Te Messenger oAllah (s.a.w.a.) said: I bear witness that you are a part o me. 31

Also we know that she had asked Ali (a.s.) to put herdead-body in a covered coffin, as she did not like the idea ostrangers looking at her dead body and knowing her height. Afer the tragedy o Karbala, the amily members o ImamHussain (a.s.) were taken captive, and paraded in the markets oKu a and Damascus without veil. When the Lady Zaynab (a.s.),

sister o Imam Hussain (a.s.), was made to stand - together withother ladies and children - be ore Yazid in a court attended by700 dignitaries and hundreds o onlookers, Zaynab (a.s.) at onepoint got her chance to deliver her amous Khutbah (speech)stingingly attacking Yazid exposing his barbarism, perdityand debauchery. One o the indictments was contained in thesewords:

Is it justice, O son o the reed slaves! Tat you have keptyour woman and slave girls in seclusion, and have paraded thedaughters o the Messengers o Allah (Mercy o Allah be on himand his Progeny), their veil torn away and their aces visible to all;their aces are peered at by all, be he ar or near, lowly or noble. 32

Some people have taken it upon themselves to preach to theladies that i they cover their bodies, keeping the aces andhands open, then they are ree to mingle with gents in religious

gatherings and elsewhere. But as a matter o act, Islam does notapprove mingling o ghair mahram men and women at all. Aferall, hijab o dress does not exempt one rom hijab o eyes. 31 Ibid, p.8532 al-Ihtijaj , vol.2, p.308


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Also it has been described above that it is unanimously wajib ora woman to cover her ace i there is any possibility that someonewould look at her with lusty enjoyment, or i there is any dangero alling in haram . Even i an office-bearer o a Jamat, union orassociation is sure o himsel that he would not look at any ladywith lusty intentions or sensuous enjoyment, how can he be sureabout other men in the gathering, especially the young olk? Tere is an interesting point to ponder upon. We know that aman is obliged to cover rom his navel to the knees only. Ten

why dont we exhort the gents to come to the communitygathering (i not in the markets and streets) wearing hal pantsonly? Why is that they are not preached against wearing shirts,ull trousers, coats, ties and socks? I the men are not told to stick to the minimum covering, whythe women are exhorted to stick to the minimum or even lessthan minimum? Why are not they explained the complete atwain its true perspective? Religiously speaking, is such preachingprogressive or retrogressive? Te Muslim ladies and gents must observe the hijab o the eyesas well ashijab o the dress. It would be travesty o hijab or a girlto mix reely with ghair mahram boys, while wearing a scar orhead cover. May Allah Subhanahu wa aala give all o us tawq to observeand obey His commandments with sincerity and devotion.


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Hijab : The Dress of Modesty in Islam

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Transcript of Hijab : The Dress of Modesty in Islam