The Significance of Hijab

The Significance of Hijab

Ibn Abdallah

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest and to display of their ornaments only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms and not to display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husband’s son , their brothers or theirs brothers’ sons, or their sister’s son, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free from physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex ;and that they should not strike their feet so as to reveal what is in their inner garments."

[Surah Nur, 24:31]

It often occurs that many of our sisters in Islam are not correctly enlightened once they begin to observe the requirements of Hijab (Islamic women's dress). It may be that they have been obliged to wear the Hijab without truly pondering over its superiority and uniqueness. Perhaps they have reached the age of puberty and their parents have instructed them to wear it. Perhaps they have recently accepted Islam and their close companions have told them of its obligation, or perhaps their husband has commanded them to wear it.

A sister who does not truly know the superiority of Hijāb will always remain envious of disbelieving women. It is simply because they observe the disbelievers attempting to look beautiful for all to see. Hence, the Muslim woman then compares herself to that woman, which causes her to feel ashamed of her own Hijab.

Therefore, what follows is a reminder for our sisters in Islam. It is a reminder of the true status of these so-called beautiful women. It is a reminder of the excellence of the women who wear Hijāb.

Excellent Qualities of Those who Wear Hijāb.

It is well known that the Muslim woman is a creature of modesty. Allāh loves for our Muslim women to be shielded by their Hijāb. It is their outer protection from the decadence of this life.

Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wassallam) said:

“Allāh is modest and covering. He loves modesty and privacy.”

[Ahmad and Others]

Thus, as modesty is a quality that is loved by Allāh, our sisters must take comfort in knowing that they are modest and not like those women who show themselves off to the world. Such women will not be shielded from Allāh’s wrath. Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wassallam) said:

“Any woman, who takes off her clothes in other than her husband’s home, has broken Allah’s shield upon her.”

[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidzi]

Therefore, the Hijāb of the Muslim woman is indeed part of modesty. Modesty accompanies Iman (faith); this is why the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wassallam) said:

“Modesty is part of Iman and Iman is in Paradise.” [At-Tirmidzi] and: “Modesty and Iman are (intimate) companions: when one departs, so does the other.” [Al-Hakim and Others]

The Muslim woman must know that the disbelieving women who beautify themselves for the whole world to see possess no modesty; thus, they are void of any Iman. Instead of looking to the latest fashion models for guidance, she should look to the wives of the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wassallam).

Look at the regard for modesty that ‘Aishah (radiallāhu1anhu) possessed, even in the presence of the deceased; she said:

“I used to enter the room where the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wassallam) and my father, Abu Bakar, were buried without wearing my (outer) garment, saying that it was only my husband and my father. But when ‘Umar bin Al-Khattāb was later buried (in the same place), I did not enter the room except that I had my outer garment on, due to being shy of ‘Umar.”

It could be quite difficult for the Muslim woman to go out wearing Hijāb in a society that mocks and torments her. She would certainly feel strange and incongruous. However, if she realizes the status of those who are mocked by the disbelievers, then she would continue to wear her Hijāb with dignity.

Allāh Says in the Al-Qurān:

“Indeed, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed. And when they passed by them, they would exchange derisive glances. And when they returned to their people, they would return jesting. And when they saw them, they would say: 'Indeed, those are truly lost.' But they have not been sent as guardians over them. So Today [i.e., the Day of Judgement] those who believed are laughing at the disbelievers, on adorned couches, observing. Have the disbelievers [not] been rewarded [this Day] for what they used to do?”

 [Al-Mutaffifin, 83:29-36]

These words of Allāh should serve as a support for the sisters. Also, take comfort in being a stranger among these lewd and sinful women. Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wassallam) said:

“Islam began as something strange, and it will revert to (its old position of) being strange, so good news is for the strangers.”

[Muslim]

The Characteristic of the Exposed.

Instead of wearing the Hijāb (covering), the disbelieving women expose themselves, making a dazzling display of themselves for others. Such a display is an attribute of ignorance.

Allah Says in His Book:

“And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance…”

 [Al-Ahzab, 33:33]

Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wassallam) said:

“The best of your women are the affectionate, the fertile, the comforting, and the agreeable – if they fear Allāh. The most evil of your women are those who expose and display themselves, and those who strut (to show off), and they are the hypocrites. Those who enter Paradise are like the red beaked crow.”

[Al-Baihaqi]

The mentioning of this kind of crow is to highlight that those who enter Paradise will be as rare as this kind of crow.

We see from the above verse and Hadith (prophetic statement) that it is certainly unlawful for a Muslim woman to make a display of herself. Further, it is a quality of the most evil of women. Therefore, do not be envious of the disbelieving women. They only have this life to enjoy, while the believing women will have Paradise. There is nothing in your Hijāb to be ashamed of as it is the garment of the righteous and pious female worshippers of Allāh.

In order to truly show how evil those women who expose themselves are, let us ponder over the following statement of Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wassallam):

“Of the people of Hell, there are two types that I have never seen; the first are those holding whips like the tail of an ox with which they flog people. The second are women who would be naked despite being dressed (i.e. either paltry dressed or wearing translucent clothes), who are seduced and who seduce others. Their hair is high like the humps of a camel. These women will not enter Paradise, nor will they smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be smelled from such and such a (very far) distance.”

[Muslim]

These women who expose themselves are common among us today. These are women that even the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wassallam) did not see! Look around you and you will see those women who are clothed but naked! Look at the hair styles of the women who expose themselves – are they not high like a camel’s hump?

Perhaps we are the first generation since the time of Adam (`alaihissalam) to witness such women. If one ponders over photographs taken thirty to fifty years ago, he will see that the disbelieving women did not expose themselves in the manner that their offspring do today! These women are among the people of the Fire! Thus, how can you envy them?

Therefore, the Muslim men should not let the people of the Fire affect the modesty of their wives, daughters and sisters. Such lewd women will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise, so our women must avoid their path.

Another lesson from the above Hadith is that it confirms that what the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wassallam) came with is indeed the truth! This is a prophecy that has come to pass in front of our very eyes. Hence, will we continue to envy these evil women, or should we be grateful to our Lord for the Hijab, which brings modesty which leads to Paradise?

On the whole, the Muslim woman should abandon all of the ways of the exposed, and adopt the ways of those who are modest through their love and practice of the proper Islamic Hijāb.

[Via Islam Web]