THE VIRTUE OF MUHARRAM AND ITS MISCONCEPTIONS AND SUPERSTITIONS

THE TRUE MEANING OF HIJAB IN ISLAM 

A MESSAGE FOR THE WORLD HIJAB DAY

BY: MOHAMMAD ABUBAKAR SUMAWORO
Director of Islamic Talks Series

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL

It is so amazing today that a good percentage of the Muslim women and some non Muslims of the twenty first century have developed tremendous love for the hijab. All over the world today, you see young and old Muslim women advertising hijab on the local and social media and even in the news papers. The momentum of hijab keeps growing day to day all over the globe; The Muslim women are emotional and proud of the hijab.

Meanwhile, it is also so sad and frustrating that the more hijab becomes popular, the more it loses its real identity and application. If you compare between the hijab of this century and the hijab of the past century(s), you will find a very big gap between the ways hijab had been wore and how differently it has become today. Some Muslim sisters today think that wrapping some cloths around the hair is hijab but they are wrong because that is just a segment of hijab.

Muslims all around the world today gather on a specific day called world hijab day to honr and promote hijab; even thought I do not want to talk about the legality or the illegality of world hijab day in Islam, what I want to say is: what is the big deal of honoring or promoting something if you do not fully give its rights accordingly. One point to note is that, the purpose of hijab is to be modest in everything you do; therefore, exhibiting good character internally is a matter of must as recommended by Allah. It is better to learn the true meaning and to apply the true image of hijab throughout one’s life instead of singling out a particular day for matching and gathering in the name of  hijab and neglecting it thereafter.

Hijab is of two categories: the internal hijab which has to do with a person’s spiritually, moral, conduct, character, what the heart and mind conceal and even the way one thinks and analysis. The external hijab has to do with what the public might see or touch; like the skin, clothing, and the private parts among others. Allah has addressed the issue of both hijabs in the following versees of the holy Qur’an:

“Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what they do”. (24:30 Quran)

“And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their head covers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers that you might succeed”. (24:31 Quran)

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The Conditions of Hajab.

 

According to Shaykh al-Albaani and others, from reliable Quranic verses and hadiths, there are nine condition of hijab.
If all of the nine conditions of hijab are met, then your hijab is proper and you have reward for it but if one of them is missing, then you have to keep striving until you can fully obtain all the conditions in thigh. The conditions of hijab are:

1. It Should Cover all the Body Parts From Whatever has Been Exempted

The hijab for the males is different from that of the female. For males, from the stomach to beneath the kneel should be covered. For the female, it is their entire body except for the parts that are allowed to be shown. Allah says in the holy Quran “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known so as not to be annoyed. Allah is the most forgiving, most merciful.”

2. It Should Not be an Adornment so as to call Men Attention.

The reason for this is simple. Allah says in suraat al-Noor (24:31) “and not to show off their adornment”

If the clothe you wear as a Muslim woman is so attractive that it invites men to have interest in you immorally, obviously it may lead to immorality. Most men will not immorally engage a Muslim sister if she is well attired in her hijab as it is recommended by Islam.

3. It Should be Thick and not Transparent or see thru.

The messenger of Allah said: “during the last days of my ummah, there will be women who are clothed but naked, with something on their heads like the thumps of camels. Curse them for they are cursed”

The ironical phrase in the above thadith “they are clothed but naked” means, they actually have on clothes but the clothes are not performing their functions because they expose the body and attract men. For that reason, he asked us to curse such women because they are already cursed.

4. It Should be Loose Not Thigh (in order to hide the shape of the body)

If you are in a public area now where Muslim women may be found, just lift up your head and then you will realize that six out of every ten hijabist will fall into this error. The intent of hijab is not to cover the color of the skin, the mare skin or the hair only but to prevent the entre  body from been attractive to other men. What difference does it make if the body is covered completely but men still describe your shape and size of your attractive parts from a distance? Many sisters today wear thigh jeans and shirts and then wrap some cloths around their hair and then claim that they have wore hijab; my dear sisters and mothers in Islam for the sake of truth and guidance with no harm or personal attack, we have to understand and admit that that is not the hijab recommended by Islam. We have to learn and graduate from that version to the proper and recommended version of hijab as according to our deen if we truly fear Allah.

Usaamah ibn Zayd said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) gave me a thick Egyptian garment that was given to him by Duhyat al-Kalbi, and I gave it to my wife to wear. He said, why do I not see you wearing that Egyptian garment? I said I give it to my wife to wear. He said; tell her to wear a gown underneath it, for I am afraid that it may describe the size of her bones.

5.There Should be no Perfume

Once again I remind you of the intent of hijab which is to prevent yourself from been attractive to other men. There is no doubt that perfume calls attraction and it provokes men desire toward females; therefore, in Islam if a women should be perfumed, then it should not be done when she is going out; instead, it should be when she is with her husband or children or brothers and so on as listed in the verse above. Abu Moosa al-Ashari said: the messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “any woman who puts on perfume then passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, is an adulteress.”

6. It Should Not Resemble the Clothing of Men

It is among the greatest sins in Islam if female dresses like male just as if a male dresses like a female. Recently on my university campus and at some Islamic programs, I have seen Muslim women who dressed in the men garment and its head tie. Perhaps they might have done it out of ignorance; may Allah forgive them but in actuality it is haraam. Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allah(PBUH) cursed the man who wears women’s clothes, and the women woman who wears men’s clothes”

7. It should Not Resemble the Dress of Kaafir Women

It is clearly stated in Islam that it is not allowed for Muslims men and women alike to imitate the kufaar in any of their affairs that is specific to them alone like their worship, festivals, dress code among others. But it is a sad situation that most Muslims have forgotten of neglected this principle today. The messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “whosoever imitates any group of people then he/she is one of them”

8. It Should Not be a Clothe of Vanity or Fame.

The messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “whosoever wears a clothe of fame and vanity in this dunya, Allah will clothe him with clothe of humiliation Yawmu al-Quamah.”

9 It Should Not be Adorned With Any Crosses or Pictures of Animate Beings

This condition is not limited to only women; it is also applicable in the case of men hijab. As we know, the cross is the symbol of the Christians and it interprets the crucifixion of Jesus which is a counter doctrine to Islam. The animate pictures too have interpretations that many at times appear to be negative to Islam; besides that, these pictures may attract the mind of people in worshiping places during worship.
 

My dear mothers and sisters in Islam, the above are the conditions of hijab that a Muslim woman should be careful of at all time. The conditions might sound strange to you but know that Allah will not punish you for that which you did not know about. They might also seem difficult for you but bear in mind also that the Messenger of Allah said: “go far away from things that I warn you about and for I the ones that I order you to do, do them at the best of your ability”. It is neither difficult nor late for you; it is just a matter of faith, courage and determination. Inshallah you will get used to them in a very short time.
 

Hijab is not a symbol for one day of half but it is the identity of a Muslim woman throughout her life. The goals of hijab cannot be fully achieved without proper education about it. Therefore I recommend that instead of just matching on world hijab day, why not organize hijab classes among yourselves throughout the year and educate and encourage each other about the true image and concept of hijab in Islam? That is my recommendation and we can contribute towards that inshallah

I seek forgiveness from Allah, after that I seek your forgiveness if I have in any way hurt you in this article but the truth is the truth even if it does not sound good to you.