Reviling THE VEIL

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BY WASIA MASHOOR:

Allah, the Exalted says:

O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better. Such are among the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, that they may remember (i.e. leave falsehood and follow truth).[ Surah Al-Araf (7): verse 26]

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 Allâh is Ever OftForgiving, Most Merciful.[Surah Al- Ahzab(33): verse 59]

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband’s fathers, their sons, their husband’s sons, their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islâm), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.[Surah An-Nur(24):verse 31]

Despite of the above revelations that give the clear concept of hijab being not a choice oriented but an obligation on the part of Al-Din (religion) and a necessity on the societal part. What is it that makes people to adopt a gruesome attitude towards hijab, why are people vilifying the veil and the veil is being reviled now a days.

Many instances in Qur’an and Hadith point out the pre-requisites and importance of Hijab but still people do not adhere to it and those who do, are not given that space and that customary status, rather the situation has further snagged the way of true adherents.

A lot has been written on what a perfect hijab is and its importance but the issue has other facets also. We usually stress on those who do not adopt Islamic dress code but we need to bring into limelight the problems of those who adopt Islamic dress code and have to face the different indicts and trepidations.

Each aspect of hijab needs to be dealt separately. Starting from an individual girl, how she approaches the hijab, we find the medley of different attitudes. We get to study the four cases in it.

First case is of those who have Islamic living on ice and are far from Islamic dress code. They rely more on rationale. For them hijab is not necessary either because they are not convinced yet or they think clarity of heart is more important. In the case of being not convinced, one should understand that in front of divine command there is no place for “I am not convinced”. But they should accept the fact that they are disobeying Allah due to their weak will power or powerful whims.  Allah, the Exalted says:

 It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allâh and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error. [Surah Al-Ahzab(33):verse 36]

In the case of intentions, one should understand that only pure intentions do not justify but it needs to have physical connotation. Any molester will not ask a girl whether she is modest by heart or not but he judges by her physical appearance.

The second case is of limited edition girls who have shrunken the perspective of Islamic clothing. For them only head cover is the required Islamic dress, even though they wear jeans, skirts, half-sleeve dresses, tights and whites.

The third case is of those who follow the trends in & out i.e. they prefer to wear stylish and attractive abayas as a part of fashion trend.

From the reference of Surah al-Nur 2nd verse which deals with the rulings regarding zina, first the female (zaniyyah) and then male (zani) is referred in the verse because women hold the major part in it (quite similar to the case of theft where men are referred first because they hold the major part in that).

It is narrated by Safiya bint Shaiba: ‘ Aisha used to say: “When (the verse): “They should draw their veils over their necks and bosoms” was revealed, (the ladies) cut their waist sheets at the edges and covered their faces with cut pieces”. [Sahih Bukhari 6:60:282]

This Hadith shows that how much enthusiasm was shown to follow the commands of Allah swt and the fourth case constitute those girls who realize this and follows the same imprint. They adhere to the true Islamic dress code, fulfill all its pre-requisites and try their level best to make it iconic for those who do not do, so as to attract them to the true faith. But an unfortunate approach objected towards this true modest dress. A moving tent, off-modern, barbaric, backward and so on are the tags attached to it. Though for the one who adheres to it, it doesn’t matter as such. Allah, the exalted says:

“As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely, guide them to our paths (i.e., Allah’s religion – Islamic monotheism). And verily, Allah is with the Muhsinun (gooddoers).” [Surah Al-Ankabut (29):verse(69)]

Thus, at an individual level a Muslimah tries and endeavors to accomplish the commands of Allah swt.

Now moving on to the next level i.e. FAMILY, again we come up with four cases.

First, those families who are western where equality of men and women is stressed more. [Here you need to draw a line between modern and western. To be western is profane but to be modern within the precincts of Islam is justified. It is wrongly said Islam adjusts to modernization but in my opinion glancing over the socio-scientific facet of Islam, Islam itself has modernization in it as its one or small part. The ipso facto is that Islam is level high above the modernization and in the same perspective Islam is against westernization].

They encourage girls for something that is totally un-Islamic and it is obvious for them to revile the veil. These families need to understand that instead of equality, the concept of equilibrium justice should be adopted as Allah swt has bestowed each gender with its qualities, capabilities, rights and duties. Though the graph goes up and down depending upon the situation but when all the perspectives are balanced both reach to equilibrium, which is cent percent justified.

Amr bin Al-Ahwas (raa) reported that Allah’s Messenger (saw) said: “Lo! You have rights on your women, and your women have rights on you.” [Recorded by At-Trimidhi, An-Nasai, and Ibn Majah. Verified to be Hasan by Al-Albani (sahih ul-Jami no. 7880 & Irwa ul-Ghalil no. 2030]

Second- those who are western but tend to live in simplicity, their approach is partial, they neither adhere to Islam fully nor westernization. They select somewhat mid way and try to live and make their girls to adopt a social consistency.

Third- Those who follow the Islamic way a life. They give their girls an Islamic environment since childhood, an Islamic upbringing, a perfect Islamic dwelling place. Alhumudilillah! They tend to achieve Islamicity. And a similar natured family is looked for their nikah.

Fourth- Those who don’t have that extreme Islamic concept, they are either moderate or western. If a girl among them by the blessing of Allah swt realizes to accomplish the commands of Allah swt. They now come under the catch-22 moment, their struggle against the family who do not accept it, their struggle with family to tie her marriage knot with some one of opposite thinking [i.e. who doesn’t support Islamic system]. A life against all odds.

At this level I would also like to bring to the fore front a common view among boys that they do want  simple wives but they are weak to give them all Shariah based rights such as purdah inside family etc. A weak approach and effort is seen on that front also.

A woman is married for her deen (religion), her wealth or her beauty. You must go for the one with deen, may your hands be inthe dust! (if you fail to heed). [Muslim]

Now let’s move on to the further big level i.e. SOCIETY, how society responds to this stimuli. It’s really a hodgepodge.

Society is so confused and messed up, simpliy lacking that modus operandi. It has the polygonal facets.
On one side it supports the westernization saying a woman should b free, equal and more profusely dominant. But they contradict their own statements with their own acts. To illustrate I will quote an example, few years before there was a rape case of Rosy Bansal in Thane Maharashtra. She was a divorcee and free living women with two daughters. She was given liberty by society in the name of westernization and so called feminism. So she used to go to pubs etc, where she was raped. As the chameleon face of society, this society alleged her of being characterless without understanding that it was this society which gave her freedom.

The second side of society is encouragement of Islamic perspective, perfect purdah and Islamization.

The third side is of the view that it should not be that extreme, simplicity is better than hard purdah.

The fourth side is of those who may be or may be not form the majority. They have the vacillating loom. They neither treat good nor bad but they do commit bad by co-relating and miss interpreting the veil.
Certain issues do erupted in past that didn’t had any connection with veil but their un-Islamic and cynical attitude really deteriorated, increased the problem and stood as boulder in the path of those who adhere to the veil

The 2008 sex-scam expounded that accused girls used the defense of veil to hide themselves. Does that mean that ever lady who walks in veil is a party to it? Does it prove that veil is no more Islamic or does it mean that Islam is no more present? Men were also involved so, are all men see through those spectacles of qualm. Since men had no defense veil so any man could be that culprit so do we think it is like so. Then why every time a lady in veil is thought one among them. Why ever time the first glance over veiled lady gives the thought of being bad rather than being Islamic.

A latest case of fake person who tried to demolish an image of Islam [which is never possible despite of so many efforts] is related with girls, veil and Islam. Again no one will blame men. Again the lady with veil is to be blamed. It’s unfortunate that the veil which is an icon of being a muslimah is being reviled by the mal-fabricated society. It’s really an unfortunate when veiled ladies have to face its consequences. It’s no way a surprise that a car stops near the feet of the veiled lady; is that status so down.

A man may fear to misbehave with a westernized lady but he won’t fear to miss behave with a veiled lady with whom is ALLAH swt.

From the seerah of prophet (saw) we get to know about an incident after the battle of Badr. In Madina one of the Muslim women were in the market place of Jews when one of the merchants tied her clothes behind her back so that when she stood up it caused her body to be exposed. The Jews in the market place laughed at her but one Muslim man who witnessed this incident stepped in. After a small fight between the Muslim and the Jew, the Jew was killed and on-looking Jews killed this Muslim.

In contrast to the above instance, today Muslim men themselves have sarcastic thoughts and are far from appreciating the dignity of women. Is it that they have lost their sanity or we have lost sanctity?

We can judge only on outer appearances, so we should not cast doubts unless they are not verified. Only Allah swt is the Master of hearts. Allah swt says:

O you who have believed,let not a people ridicule [another people; perhaps they may be betterthan them, nr letwomen ridicule [other] women; perhapsthey may be better then them.And do not insult one another or do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. wretched is the name of disobedience after [one’s] faith. And whoever does not repent-then it is those who are the wrongdoers. [surah al-Hujurat(49) :verse 11]


The author is PG student of Department of Islamic Studies, Kashmir University