veiling

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Firstly I wish to point out and make it very clear that I was not pointing fingers at anyone. Yes I was responding to yours and Sis Khadija's comments, but finger pointing � NO! no way, now you are accusing me of something I did not do.  Auzo Billahe minash Shaitanir-Rajim.

Regarding the matter about Non-American Muslim I feel you should have just said "some Muslim women" why the Non-American, that is what I took objection too. Had you said that, I would not have responded to your post, because I agree with everything you. First and foremost we are Muslims who are living in different societies and cultures and we have to work towards a common goal, fighting firstly the barriers that separate us. First we are Muslims then Americans, Indians, Canadians Malaysian etc. I am sorry if we misunderstood each other here. These behaviors are in every culture and every religion, Non-American Muslims are not the only ones guilty of these behaviors.

Yes you are also correct that there are sisters who wear Hijab or do not wear Hijab, there is no security at home, but that does not have any bearing on the fact that Hijab is an obligation for women. Like I said earlier this issue will go on forever. Some will be convinced of its obligations and some will not be. This is a matter that will never be resolved till the Day of Judgment. To me it is important because I regard Hijab as part of a women's faith. It is not important to you because you do not regard Hijab as an obligation. Different points of view- that�s all. I only endeavored to point out a difference just as sister Khadija pointed out regarding sister Queeni's post.

Sori I did not hear any Hadith about all believers are Munafiqeen. Yes I believe that quoting Authentic Hadith in discussions help others understand the Deen better. Especially the one of knowledge I posted, most definitely because there is a lot of Fitnah online � and reliable knowledge is fast fading so we have to be very careful what information we get and what we pass on. I regard this Hadith as a warning to myself first and secondly to others that is why I quote it often.

I think you should re-read my post and your response � whose attacking who.

As I said earlier, I was only responding to yours and Sister Khadija's comments, if you took that personally. Sorry that was not intended.

Just as you feel strongly that Hijab is not an obligation, I feel very strongly that it is.

Wa Alaikum Salam  

Assalamu alaikum Sisters,

1.  I am not judging anyone, that is the place of Allah only.  I am voicing my opinion, as you all have. 

2.  This constant banter back and forth regarding veiling/hijab is so counterproductive (I think most of you realize that).  It is an arguement that has gone on for ages and ages and probably will for ages to come.

3.  A Muslim woman's choice to wear or not wear hijab is indeed between her and Allah.

4.  That being said, it doesn't change the fact that it is obligatory.  Wishing something were otherwise doesn't make it so.  Spreading the idea that it is not obligatory is not a good idea, impressionable readers may feel "oh, well then, I don't have to wear it".  I am sure that no one would want the responsibility for casusing another to disobey Allah's clear directives in the Qur'an.

Before you all turn purple and jot off PM's to me - please just read the following, it is the clearest explaination I have ever read:

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Answered by Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller

Why Hijab?

The Qur�anic verse, �Say to believing women, that they cast down their eyes and guard their private parts, and reveal not their adornment save such as is outward; and let them drape their headcoverings over their bosoms, and not reveal their adornment . . .� (Qur�an 24:31) is a specific requirement for Muslim women to cover their hair.

The word �headcoverings� (Ar. singular khimar, plural khumur), more familiar in our times as the hijab, is a word of well-known signification among scholars of Arabic, at their forefront the authors of the classical lexical reference dictionaries like Zabidi�s encyclopedic Taj al-�arus or Mutarrizi�s al-Mughrib, both of which define khimar as �a woman�s headcovering�; or Fayumi�s al-Misbah or Fayruzabadi�s al-Qamus, which both define it as �a cloth with which a woman covers her head.� The Taj al-�arus also notes that a man's turban is sometimes referred to as a khimar �because a man covers his head with it in like manner as a woman covers her head with her khimar when he disposes it in the Arab manner, turning part of it under the jaws nearly in the same manner in which a woman disposes her khimar.� These authorities are cited in the eight-volume Arabic-English Lexicon of Edward William Lane, who describes the khimar as �a woman�s muffler or veil with which she covers her head and the lower part of her face.�

There is no other lexical sense in which the word khimar may be construed. The wording of the command, however, �and let them drape their headcoverings over their bosoms,� sometimes confuses nonspecialists in the sciences of the Qur�an, and in truth, interpreting the Qur�an does sometimes require in-depth knowledge of the historical circumstances in which the various verses were revealed. In this instance, the elliptical form of the divine command is because women at the time of the revelation wore their headcovers tied back behind their necks, as some village women still do in Muslim countries, leaving the front of the neck bare, as well as the opening (Ar. singular jayb, plural juyub, translated as �bosoms� in the above verse) at the top of the dress. The Islamic revelation confirmed the practice of covering the head, understood from the use of the word khimar in the verse, but also explained that the custom of the time was not sufficient and that women were henceforth to tie the headcover in front and let it drape down to conceal the throat and the dress�s opening at the top.

This is why Muslim women cover their heads: because the Qur�an unambiguously orders them to, and there is no qualifying text or hadith or even other lexical possibility to show that the Qur�anic order might mean anything besides obligation. Rather, the hadiths all bear this meaning out, Muslim scholars are in unanimous agreement about it and have been from the time of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) down to our own day, and it is even known by all non-Muslim peoples about them.

There was thus nothing new or surprising in the Islamic legal opinion promulgated in December 2003 by the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Sheikh �Ali Jumu�a of the Egyptian Fatwa Authority (Dar al-Ifta� al-Misriyya) that �the hijab is an obligation on all Muslim female adults, as firmly established in the Holy Qur�an and the Prophet Muhammad�s hadiths, as well as unanimously agreed upon by Muslim scholars.� He pointed out that unlike the cross sometimes worn by Christians, or the skullcap worn by Jews, the hijab is not a �symbol� of Islam but rather that �Islam orders female adults to wear hijab as obligatory religious clothing.� It is part of every Muslim woman�s religious practice.

Some ink and words have been spent by some contemporary ethnic Muslim women writers (and an occasional convert) trying to do away with the covering of hair mandated by the Qur�an and the unanimous consensus of Muslims. They say�accurately enough, for a Muslim does not leave Islam merely by committing a sin�that one can take off the hijab and still remain a Muslim. But such a person remains a bad Muslim, who deems aping non-Muslims better than practicing Islam. For what? The Supreme Being knows our benefit better than we do; and if one believes in Allah, Master of every atom in the universe, it is only plain sense to follow Him. When all else fails, read the directions. Those who refuse to wear the hijab are acting out of ignorance or bad faith, and when one meets them, one seldom finds they manage to practice the other aspects of their religion. In the end, it is a matter of hearts. The heart that is alive has a sense of eternity, and knows that the infinite is greater than the finite. The heart that is dead follows the trends of the trend makers because it has turned its back on the Divine and forgotten endless time.

� MMV Nuh Keller

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Those who do not wish to wear hijab, by all means, it is your free will, given to you by Allah.  But please, quit spreading the lie that hijab is not obligatory.

Peace, and my full support and love to all my Muslim Sisters, ummziba.

Assalamu Alaikum Sisters,

I apologize for not responding sooner but I spent all day yesterday typing up a response to Sister Queenie�s comments.  I hope to be finished with it soon but I will probably use it to start an entirely new thread since it touches on many more issues concerning Muslimat than just the issue of hijab and veiling.  Sister Alwardah, thank you for your thoughtful post.  I always appreciate when posts are written thoughtfully and with great care instead of resorting to name calling and backbiting even when the response is not in line with my own thoughts about certain aspects of Islam.  However, it still disturbs me that you feel I am telling others not to wear hijab and accusing me of committing a sin by doing so.  I beg of you to read my position again more closely because I never tell anyone to not do something they feel is right for their deen.  And you are definitely correct in saying that the �choice� to wear the hijab is individual.  That is my position as well.  The problem is you don�t really believe it is a choice.  You believe the only true choice is to choose to wear it and that those who choose not to ware it are �committing a grave mistake" which is find because that is your opinion.  I accept that without having any ill or harsh feelings toward you.

I have never nor will I ever tell a Muslimah not to wear hijab or even a face niqab.  It is a logical fallacy to believe that just because someone believes something is not obligatory that it therefore implies that they believe it is obligatory for them to do the opposite.  In fact, I believe that in some cases it becomes obligatory for a Muslimah to wear hijab and even a niqab.  But I, also, believe that there are times in which it is obligatory for her not to wear it.  Now I know that might seem confusing to some, maybe even many; however, I believe if we look at this issue in the true light of what the Qur�an (Allah) is commanding of us, it is easy to see how it can be possible for a Muslimah at one time to be obligated to wear it, at other times to be obligated not to, and at others it not being an obligation either way.  How is that possible you may say?  Well, if we understand the Qur�an in its true light, we see that what is obligatory for Muslimat (and Muslims (men)) is to guard their modesty, which means that to wear or not to wear the hijab and/or niqab is contingent upon what is necessary to guard their modesty at any given place and/or time.  I know some will see this as being wishy-washy or only wearing hijab when it is suitable to the person; however, that is not the case at all. 

We all know that there are parts of Islam that are obligatory and some are not.  Some things that are obligatory are only obligatory at certain time of the year.  And some are only obligatory under certain conditions and situation.  Such is the case with fasting.  Fasting is obligatory but not every day.  Also in the case of salat, while we are traveling we are not obligated to prostrate and we are allowed to cut our prayers short.  (That is only two examples, but there are many more.)  So, it is not unreasonable to see that what I am saying is not so confusing after all. 

The one thing that I have a hard time understanding is why it is so easy for the Ummah to accept the beauty and simplicity of Islam when it comes to the actions of Muslims (men), but not with women?  I don�t see people banging the doors down of brothers who no longer wear turbans, who no longer wear beards or who wear jeans instead of the style of dress the prophet wore.  No one says anything when a brother goes to the mosque, pulls out a head cover from his pocket, puts it on his head for prayer and then sticks it back in his pocket afterward.  Did the Prophet (pbuh) do that?  I think not.  If the way the Prophet�s (pbuh) wives dressed was obligatory for all Muslimat simply because they (i.e., the Prophet�s wives) were commanded to dress that way, then why isn�t the way the Prophet (pbuh) dressed obligatory for all brothers even today?

Sister Alwardah, you quote the following hadith as a way to suggest that not only hajib is obligatory but the niqab might be as well:

"May Allah bestow His Mercy on the early emigrant women, when Allah revealed "and draw their veils all over their bosoms" � they tore their woolen dresses or waist-bindings cloth or apron and covered their heads and faces with those cut pieces of cloth." (Sahih al Bukhari No 4759)

I don�t deny that they did that, but why did they do it?  Was it obligatory?  Or were they only imitating the wives of the Prophet (pbuh)?  All that hadith tells us is that the women did that.  It doesn�t say it was obligatory that they do it.  It is only an account of what they did.  What was obligatory was to �draw their veils over their bosoms.�  And the reason for that was to protect their modesty and/or to keep them from being molested (annoyed) by the non-believers.  The veiling of the Prophet�s (pbuh) wives was a means to keep them completely hidden from the eyes of all others in order to protect the life of the Prophet (pbuh).  It is the same reason why no one was allowed to marry his wives after his death.  Do you see the difference?

Sister Alwardah, what I was saying is that the veiling of the Prophet�s (pbuh) wives was a means to screen them from others.  The means by which that was accomplished in different situations is a different issue.  At times it was a curtain, at others a cloak, and on at least one occasion it was the body of the Prophet (pbuh) that screened Aisha from the eyes of those not of the Prophet�s family.  The point is that the command was to screen them from those outside of the Prophet�s family and not simply a command to start wearing a niqab.  We all can ponder why that would have been so vital to Islam, but can we say that the same type of veiling was important for other Muslimat?  If so, why?  Why would we even dare to think that others of the Ummah were of the same level of importance as the Prophet (pbuh) and his family thereby requiring the same level of anonymity as they did?

Let me try to make my point a little clearer here.  The Prophet (pbuh) at one time wore a gold ring that was given to him as a gift and he used it to seal letters and messages he sent to others.  One day he found that others of the Ummah were imitating him so he threw the ring away and started wearing a simple silver one with his name on it; he used it to seal letters just as he had with the gold one.  Why do you think he threw the ring away when he saw that others of the Ummah were imitating him?  And what does that tell us?  He did it because he didn�t want the Ummah to spend their wealth on something that was really of no importance to Islam.  The ring was only important for the purpose of using it as a seal.  It also shows us that not everything which the Prophet (pbuh) did was necessary or obligatory for others in the Ummah to do.  Yes, the Qur�an said that we should follow the ways of the Prophet (pbuh) because he is a most excellent example (�a beautiful pattern of conduct�) for those whose hope lies with Allah (see Ayat 21 of Sura 33); however, this doesn�t mean we are commanded to do everything he did.  If so, we would still be riding camels and we surely would not be conversing on the internet.  

Why did Allah reveal the Qur�an to the Prophet (pbuh)?  What is the purpose of Islam?  And how do we fit into all of this?  The Qur�an, Islam, is the means (the way) by which we follow the path of Allah (the straight way) in order that we can be blessed with His Grace.  In other words, when we choose to live the life of a Muslim (and yes, it is a choice even for those born into Muslim families), we choose to strive to live a RIGHTEOUS life because a righteous life is the ONLY life which belongs to those that live the life of TRUTH.  Our duty as Muslims is to be righteous in the eyes of Allah (see Ayat 177 of Sura 2).  We are instructed in the Qur�an to be righteous and we are instructed on how to accomplish this.  We are told to turn to the Qur�an first, then to the Hadith and then to scholars.  So, when we feel we lack information or are confused in our understanding of the Qur�an regarding how to be righteous, we should turn to the life of the Prophet (phub) because we are told by Allah that in doing so we are provided with a �beautiful pattern of conduct.�  And if for some reason we still find ourselves perplexed, we should turn to scholars.  So, it�s the Qur�an, then the Hadith, then the scholars.  IN THAT ORDER.  It doesn�t mean to look at the Hadith first and then apply what you see there to the Qur�an.  Or to read the scholars first and then apply what they say to the Hadith and/or the Qur�an.  The Hadith and scholars should only be used to clear up points that we feel are still fuzzy.  But in truth, the Qur�an is complete with no fuzzy areas.  It is we humans that make it seem fuzzy as it states in the Qur�an: ��none will grasp the Message except men of understanding.� (see Ayat 7 of Sura 3) 

Sister Alwardah, I guess one of the major differences between you and I is that I don�t believe wearing hijab is a test nor is anything else that Allah commands me, through the Qur�an, to do as a means for me to be righteous.  I know a lot of Muslimat struggle with the issue of hijab for some time before they finally get to the point of wearing it, but when I first became a Muslimah, I didn�t question wearing hijab.  I simply thought that if Allah commanded it of me I would do it.   Sure there are tests in life as Allah promised us there would be but I simply didn�t consider that a test.  Now that I have studied the Qur�an and have studied the hadiths, I simply don�t believe that it is obligatory (at least not in all situations) to wear hijab.  I also don�t even feel that this is a �fuzzy� issue.  It only appears to be �fuzzy� because some have interpreted the Qur�an based on their biases about hijab.  That is, they believe the hijab is obligatory so they read that into the ayat.  That is precisely the problem with Muhsin Khan�s translation of the Qur�an.  He translates the Qur�an based upon more than just what the Arabic ayats themselves are saying.  A good example is the ayat that Sister Queenie quoted:

�O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e.screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft­Forgiving, Most Merciful.�  (Ayat 59 of Sura 33)

What justification does he have for adding �(i.e.screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way)�?  Also, what is he justification for using the phrase �all over their bodies� when no other translators does so?   None, he simply does it because of his bias regarding the obligatory nature of �veiling� which was more than likely a mistake based upon his understanding of ayat 52 of that same sura along with certain hadiths.  The Qur�an is Perfect�it is only humans that cause it to be interpreted incorrectly.

Even if I am correct in my understanding of the nature of hijab, it doesn�t mean that you and other Muslimat should not wear it if you feel it helps you in strengthening your deen.  But I for one do not believe that it is necessarily what I put on the outside that is going to strengthen what is on the inside.  What strengthens my deen is the hijab which was placed on my heart by Allah when I did my Shahadah and my duty to Allah is to do that which continues to earn me the Grace of Allah which keeps it there.

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Sister Khadjia Jazakallahu Khairan for your response- a very informative feedback.

Regarding my statement:

For any sister to deny and say that Hijab is not an obligation on women, may find herself committing a grave mistake. And to tell others not to wear the Hijab � she most definitely will be committing a sin. The choice to wear or not to wear the Hijab is individual.

This statement is not my opinion my dear sister but Fatawas issued by majority of the scholars. Yes I slipped up here I should have mentioned that initially.

The bottom line is that our individual researches has lead us to believe differently. Thus it will futile for me to respond to your various comments, we will only be going around in circles and may end up causing Fitnah. Auzo Billahe minash Shaitanir-Rajim.

Sometimes in our eagerness to do good, we normally end up causing more harm. May Allah Ta'ala forgive us our shortcomings Ameen!

I love all my Muslim sisters where ever they are on the face of this earth of Allah's Sake and for HIS SAKE alone.

Wa Alaikum Salam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu