Veil Among Muslim Women
S.M.Jaffar
Published in Young India
While Islam would like women to be
modest in their attire,the contemporary western
culture is more permissible towards women exhibiting
their beauty in public. The muslim fundamentalists
opposed to the Western life style,go to its opposite
end and claim slavish restrictions on women as
sanctioned by their religion.They have exaggerated the
concept of dressing modestly to the level of
segregation of women from the world of males.,and
have reduced them to bundels of mobile black
tents.This however is not a correct interpretation of
teachings of Quran in this respect.The hadits cited by
the clerics in support of their views are correct only
if they are in conformity with the written word of
Quran.Otherwise no muslim is bound to follow them.
While many Muslims call "Hijab"(veil), an Islamic
dress code, they completely ignore the fact that,
Hijab as a dress code has nothing to do with
religion."Hijab" can be traced back to early
civilizations. It can be found in early and late Roman
and Greek art. The evidence can be seen in
archeological discoveries whether in pottery
fragments, paintings or recorded civil laws. In
Greco-Roman culture, both women and men wore head
covering in religious contexts. The tradition of
wearing the veil (by women) and the headcover (by men)
was then adopted by the Jews who wrote it in the
Talmud (Talmud equals the Hadiths and Sunna, neither
are the words of God) then the Christians adopted the
same. A well respected Rabbi once explained to a
group of Jewish young women, "We do not find a direct
command in the Torah mandating that women cover their
heads, but we do know that this has been the
continuing custom for thousands of years." After the
prophet Muhammad's death , the writers of the hadith
books adopted and encouraged the ancient tradition of
head covering.
Any student of the Jewish traditions or religious
books will see that head cover for the Jewish woman
(and men) has been encouraged by the Rabbis and
religious leaders. Observant Jewish women still cover
their heads most of the time and specially in the
synagogues, weddings, and religious festivities.
Christian women cover their heads on many religious
occasions while the nuns cover their heads all the
time.
As we can expect the traditional Arabs, of all
religions, Jews, Christians and Muslims used to wear
head cover, or "Hijab," not because of Islam, but
because of tradition. In Saudi Arabia, up to this day
most of the men cover their heads ,. In the Hindu
tradition the women practice goonghat during religious
ceremonies.
North Africa is known for its Tribe (Tuareg) that have
the Muslim men wearing "Hijab" instead of women. Here
the tradition has the hijab in reverse. If wearing
Hijab is the sign of the pious and righteous Muslim
woman, Mother Teresa would have been the first woman
to be counted.
. "Khimar" is an Arabic word
that can be found in the Quran in 24:31 While the
first basic rule of Dress Code for the Muslim Women
can be found in 7:26, the second rule of the DRESS
CODE FOR WOMEN can be found in 24:31. Some Muslims
quote( verse 31 of sura 24) as containing the Hijab,
or head cover, by pointing to the word, khomoorehenna,
(from Khimar), forgetting that God already used the
word Hijab, several times in the Quran. Those blessed
by God can see that the use of the word "Khimar" in
this verse is not for "Hijab" or for head cover. Those
who quote this verse usually add (Head cover) (veil)
after the word Khomoorehenna, and usually between ( ),
because it is their addition to the verse not God's.
Quran( 24:31,) says
"And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes,
and maintain their chastity. They shall not reveal any
parts of their bodies, except that which is necessary.
They shall cover their chests, (with their Khimar) and
shall not relax this code in the presence of other
than their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of
their husbands, their sons, the sons of their
husbands, their brothers, the sons of their brothers,
the sons of their sisters, other women, the male
servants or employees whose sexual drive has been
nullified, or the children who have not reached
puberty. They shall not strike their feet when they
walk in order to shake and reveal certain details of
their bodies. All of you shall repent to GOD, O you
believers, that you may succeed." 24:31 Khalifa's
translation.
.
"Khimar means, cover, any cover, a curtain is a
Khimar, a dress is a Khimar, a table cloth that covers
the top of a table is a Khimar, a blanket can be used
as a Khimar..etc. The word KHAMRA used for intoxicant
in Arabic has the same root with Khimar, because both
covers, the Khimar covers (a window, a body, a table .
. . etc.) while KHAMRA covers the state of mind. Most
of the translators, obviously influenced by Hadith
translate the word as VEIL and thus mislead most
people to believe that this verse is advocating the
covering of the head.
In 24:31 God is asking the women to use their cover
(khimar)( being a dress, a coat, a shawl, a shirt, a
blouse, a tie, a scarf . . . etc.) to cover their
bosoms, not their heads or their hairs. If God so
willed to order the women to cover their heads or
their hair, nothing would have prevented Him from
doing so. GOD does not run out of words. GOD does not
forget. God did not order the women to cover their
heads or their hair.God does not wait for a Scholar to
put the correct words for Him!
The first regulation of DRESS CODE for Muslim women
is in Quranic verses( 7:26) the second in (24:31)and
the third is in (33:59 ).
If you reflect on how God ordered the prophet to tell
his wives, his daughters and the wives of the
believers to lengthen their garments, you would
understand the great wisdom of the MOST WISE, the MOST
MERCIFUL. In this verse, God, DELIBERATELY, (and all
the TRUE believers know that everything GOD says,
does, or did is DELIBERATE) said, tell them, to
lengthen their garments, and never said how long is
long. God could have said tell them to lengthen their
garments to their ankles or to their mid-calf or to
their knees, but HE DID NOT. He did not, OUT OF HIS
MERCY, not because HE FORGOT as God does not forget.
God knows that we will be living in different
communities and have different cultures and insists
that the minor details of this dress code will be left
for the people of every community to hammer for
themselves.
It is clear from the above verses that the DRESS CODE
for the Muslim women (Submitters) according to the
Quran is righteousness and modesty. God knows that
this modesty will be understood differently in
different communities and that is why He left it open
to us to decide for ourselves. Decide, after
righteousness what is modesty. Modesty for a woman who
lives in New York may not be accepted by a woman who
lives in Cairo Egypt. Modesty of a woman who lives in
Cairo, Egypt may not be accepted by a woman who lives
in Saudi Arabia.
Modesty of a woman who lives in Jidda in Saudi Arabia
may not be accepted by a woman who lives in a desert
oasis in the same country. This difference in the way
we perceive modesty is well known to God, He created
us, and He put NO hardship on us in this great
religion. He left it to us to decide what modesty
would be. For any person, knowledgeable or not to draw
a line and make conclusion for God about the
definition of modesty is to admit that he/she knows
better than God.
God left it open for us and no-one has the authority
to restrict it, it has to stay open.
In the family setting, God put no hardship on the
women, and permitted them to relax their dress code.
If you reflect on the verses, (33:35) and (24:60), you
will see that God did not give details of what this
relaxation is, because every situation is different.
A woman may relax her dress code in front of the
four-year-old son of her brother but not as much in
front of the 16 year old son.
"The women may relax (their dress code) around their
fathers, their sons, their brothers, the sons of their
brothers, the sons of their sisters, the other women,
and their (female) servants. They shall reverence GOD.
GOD witnesses all things." ( 33:55 )
"The elderly women who do not expect to get married
commit nothing wrong by relaxing their dress code,
provided they do not reveal too much of their bodies.
To maintain modesty is better for them. GOD is Hearer,
Knower." ( 24:6):
"O children of Adam, you shall be clean and dress
nicely when you go to the masjid. And eat and drink
moderately; Surely, He does not love the gluttons."
7:31
: Thus God, the Most Merciful, gave us three basic
rules for the Dress Code for Women in Islam .
in
07.26 (1) Hijab Dress Code
in
24:31 (2) Khimar Head cover Khimar Also 4,34
in
33.59(3) chastity
(1) The BEST garment is the garment of righteousness
.The Quran says in(7:26.) O ye Children of Adam! We
have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as
well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of
righteousness,- that is the best. Such are among the
Signs of God, that they may receive admonition!
(2) Whenever
you dress , cover your chest (bosoms). 24..31
And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes, and
maintain their chastity. They shall not reveal any
parts of their bodies, except that which is necessary.
They shall cover their chests, (with their Khimar) and
shall not relax this code in the presence of other
than their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of
their husbands, their sons, the sons of their
husbands, their brothers, the sons of their brothers,
the sons of their sisters, other women, the male
servants or employees whose sexual drive has been
nullified, or the children who have not reached
puberty. They shall not strike their feet when they
walk in order to shake and reveal certain details of
their bodies. All of you shall repent to GOD, O you
believers, that you may succeed." 24:31 Khalifa's
translation.
(3) Lengthen your garment.
, God said In Quran (33:59). 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
God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful..
After these three basic rules every woman is more
aware of her circumstances and can adjust her dress
for her situation. Any addition to these basic Quranic
rules is an attempt to correct God or improve on His
merciful design. end
----- Original Message ----
From: vasudha_dhingra <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, November 6, 2006 3:52:25 PM
Subject: [ZESTGlobal] Early Muslim society did not know face veils
Early Muslim society did not know face veils
Arif Mohammed Khan | The Asian Age | November 05, 2006
http://www.asianage .com/
Does Islam make "veil" compulsory for Muslim women? This question
has been engaging media attention since some Muslim women in Britain
preferred to be sacked from their jobs than give up the veil. Now
the issue is being debated with more vigour, and selective
quotations are being used not only to buttress the conservative
position, but even to question the right of the common man or woman
to give opinion on a subject involving religious sensitivities.
My understanding of Islam is that as a system it claims to be not
just a religious order but a way of life. It espouses certain ideals
and goals, and desires to achieve them through character building or
internal transformation, not by using force, compulsion or
imposition. In fact the Quran emphatically says, "If it had been the
Lord's Will they would all have believed all who are on earth! Will
you then compel mankind against their will to believe!" (10.99)
There is no doubt that Islam expects men and women to dress
decently, in a dignified manner, not to make public display of
bodily charms and provoke lewdness. Now what is decent and dignified
cannot be defined in absolute terms. Much will depend on the times
and the environment in which we are living, a principal duly
recognised by Islamic law.
Here I would like to give a few examples from early Islamic society
which can help us to understand the role played by women not just as
homemakers but as active participants in social and political life.
Thus we can make our own assessment about the freedom they enjoyed
and the environment they lived in.
To begin with, the first wife of the Holy Prophet, H. Khadija, was
one of the top business leaders of Mecca. In fact, before marriage,
she had engaged him as her business assistant and is also credited
as the first person to have believed in his apostleship.
Interestingly, the first martyr in the cause of Islam was also a
woman named Sumayya bint Khayyat, who died as a result of
persecution by Quraish.
In Medina, we find the mention of Umm Sharik as a "woman with
numerous guests" that included companions of the Holy Prophet
(Muslim). Women in Medina used to go to the market and on one
occasion Umar objected to Sawdah (wife of the Holy Prophet) when he
saw her on her way to the market. On her return, she reported the
matter to the Prophet and he told her, "God has permitted you to go
out to attend to your needs." (Bukhari)
It is worth remembering that this episode happened after the Quranic
injunction asking the wives of the Prophet to remain secluded.
Apart from offering prayers in the mosque, women attended the
meetings that were held there. Whenever an announcement about a
gathering was made, women hurried alongside men to attend that. Here
one may refer to the narration of Fatima bint Qays who responded to
one such call and attended the meeting. (Muslim 1373)
During the Prophet's lifetime, women were an integral part of the
social life in Medina. According to one narration in Bukhari, the
women requested the Prophet to fix a day for their education and he
readily agreed and preached to them on the appointed days. In fact
one chapter in Sahi Bukhari has been given the heading "Men's
greeting of women and women's greeting of men" which shows that
there was no restriction on men meeting and greeting women and vice
versa. Women were allowed to run nursing centres to look after the
patients and the first woman to have a nursing home near the mosque
of the Prophet was Rufaydah Al-Aslamyah. At this centre she nursed
and looked after those who were injured in battles. (Bukhari)
Women's participation in business and agricultural activities in
Medina is mentioned in several narrations. We have a very
interesting case of a woman who owned a date palm garden. After the
death of her husband, she wanted to go out to her garden to
supervise the cutting of date fruit. But since she had recently
become a widow and her waiting period was not yet over, her nephew
Jabir ibn Abdullah objected to her plan to go out. She reported this
matter to the Prophet and he said, "Yes you can cut your date fruit.
You may also give something in charity or do something good."
(Muslim and Abu Dawood)
One of the striking features about the women of Medina during the
lifetime of the Prophet was their participation in defence services.
At the time of the Battle of Uhud, Anas reported that "I saw Aisha,
the daughter of Abu Bakr and Umm Sulaim both lifting their dresses
up so that I was able to see the ornaments of their legs, and they
were carrying the water skins on their arms to pour the water into
the mouths of the thirsty people and then go back and fill them and
come to pour the water into the mouths of the people again."
(Bukhari 5.156)
In the same battle, an Ansari woman, Nasiba bint Ka'ab, excelled
herself. The Prophet said about her, "Whenever I turned right or
left, I saw her fighting to defend me." (Fathul Bari Vol.6 P.80)
Al-Waqidi in his book says that, "She had suffered twelve wounds in
the battle of Uhud and she nursed one wound in her neck for one
whole year until it healed." Likewise, Umm Ayman is mentioned as one
of the heroines of the battle of Uhud. In addition to this, several
other names like Asma bint Yazid, Umm Haram and Khawla bint Al-Azwar
figure prominently as active participants in military actions.
In diplomacy, again women played a very crucial role. After the
signing of the Hudaibiya treaty, when there was marked resentment in
the Muslim ranks and companions were slow to carry out the orders,
Umm Salamah is credited with having given very sound advice to the
Holy Prophet that ensured prompt obedience and thus helped in
overcoming a temporary crisis.
This trend of women's participation in public affairs continued even
after the death of the Prophet. In the battle of Ramala, the women-
only Muslim force inflicted a crushing defeat on the Byzantine army.
It has been reported that when the Muslim army under Amr bin Al-Aas
was engaged in a fight against the Byzantine army, the Byzantine
commander got information that the Muslim army had left much of its
supplies and armoury at Ramala guarded by a women's battalion. He
immediately sailed for Palestine and laid siege to Ramala only to be
defeated by these women fighters.
The second Caliph Umar had appointed Al-Shifa bint Abdullah as
superintendent of the Medina market. She exercised judicial and
executive powers. In Mecca, Umar had appointed Samra bint Nuhayk
Asadi to the same post and gave her a whip to punish anyone who
cheated or gave short measure. Surely veil wearing and whip lashing
are impossible to go together.
It is not possible to mention all those women who played historic
roles in various other public spheres. But it will be fair to
mention two granddaughters of the Holy Prophet. According to Amir
Ali, after "Karbala when the governor of Kufa wanted to murder the
ailing son of Imam Husain to put an end to the progeny of Holy
Prophet, something in the look of Zainab, her determination to die
with her nephew, struck fear into (the) tyrant's heart, and the life
of Imam Zainul Abideen was saved." The other, Sukayna bint Husain
was a literary critic and admirer of poetry. Her house was
frequented by poets and literary figures.
Now one can imagine that these women who undoubtedly followed the
Quranic injunctions to "guard their modesty" were not practising a
dress code that would create obstructions in carrying out their
duties. Can one conceive a woman soldier wearing a veil fighting the
enemy with a weapon like sword?
It is clear from all this that for early Muslim women, hijab meant
decent, dignified dress and behaviour, they did not confuse it with
the veil.
Amir Ali in his book A Short History of the Saracens, says, "The
custom of female seclusion which was in vogue among the Persians
from very early times made its appearance among the Muslim
communities in the reign of Walid II, an Umvi Caliph. The character
and habits of the sovereign favoured the growth and development of a
practice which pride and imitation had transplanted to the congenial
soil of Syria. His utter disregard of social conventions and the
daring and coolness with which he entered the privacy of families
compelled the adoption of safeguards against outside intrusions,
which once introduced became sanctified into a custom." In the light
of these historical facts, one can safely say that the concept of
veil was not even known in early Muslim society.
I hold that as far as dress is concerned, it is the sole prerogative
of the individual who wears it to decide what is best for him or
her, and must be allowed free choice as long as it does not offend
public sensitivities. Any form of compulsion, whether by way of
asking somebody to wear a particular dress or by asking someone not
to wear a particular dress, is against the spirit of freedom and
democracy. The sooner we learn to accept and cherish diversities,
the sooner we shall start living in conformity with the laws of
nature, and this alone has the capacity to bring harmony and
happiness in human affairs.
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