Yester
day, a chat with a friend from another continent got us discussing on hijab and why do Muslim women adorn it. As a matter of fact, he was just curious and wanted an answer from a person who embrace it. Well, I am not a scholar of religion… but just someone in the process of learning and understanding what is required of me by my creator. However, I promised to write and explain to my best ability… so, here goes. This will be vey long as I have picked them up from many sites. Plus I do not believe a short explanation is enough because it took me many years to come to accept it myself.
First; there is a need to understand the wearing of the hijab, which is an ancient tradition, however now addresses a modern concern and women's liberation. Do some digging into your own cultural background. Are there any ancient rituals, customs, traditions or beliefs that could be used to solve modern dilemmas? What are they? What problems do they solve? Could anyone apply these solutions, no matter what race, creed or colour?
Well my friend, for your benefit and whoever else that matters… I hope this write-up serves well. I adorned hijab (head cover) about three years ago, Ramadhan 2008. Before that, due to culture and norms, it is there, as and when I felt like it. I did not have full understanding on the impact or could not reason it well and because I also observe characters and acts of some who does adorn it, whom I felt only put shame onto the name of a religion so pure, I shy away from being labeled the same. Jaheel! ~ ME.
During the initial stage of my plight, I search on write-ups about adorning hijab. I did not care so much on what ‘people’ wanted to say but what The Quran has to say. I couldn’t find anything that satisfy me. I know that Islam do not suppress women, but instead our kind was created for man ~ “Woman was taken out of man; not out of his head to top him, nor out of his feet to be trampled underfoot; but out of his side to be equal to him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved.” (Anonymous) and, “Of all the creations of the Almighty, there is none more beautiful, none more inspiring than a lovely daughter of God who walks in virtue with an understanding of why she should do so, who honors and respects her body as a thing sacred and divine, who cultivates her mind and constantly enlarges the horizon of her understanding, who nurtures her spirit with everlasting truth. … “God will hold us accountable if we neglect His daughters.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Sept. 1988, 11) ~ to be protected, to be loved, to honor and respect.
Here are two passages from the Qur'an that order the hijab.
- "O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not annoyed (molested)..." (Qur'an 33:59)
"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them; and Allah (swt) is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; and they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty..." (Qur'an 24:30-31)
(extracted from Q&A about Hijab)
In addition there are other requirements:
(1) Women must not dress so as to appear as men. "Ibn Abbas narrated: 'The Prophet (S) cursed the men who appear like women and the women who appear like men.'" (Bukhari)
(2) Women should not dress in a way similar to the unbelievers.
(3) The clothing should be modest, not excessively fancy and also not excessively ragged to gain others admiration or sympathy.
Upon observation, I find that although Muslim women are the ones that mostly adorn the hijab, it is not correct that Islam is the only religion that orders its followers to wear hijab.
Often forgotten is the fact that modern Western dress is a new invention. Looking at the clothing of women as recently as seventy years ago, we see clothing similar to hijab. These active and hard-working women of the West were not inhibited by their clothing which consisted of long, full dresses and various types of head covering.
The earliest evidence for veiling is an Assyrian legal text dating from the thirteenth century BCE, requiring women of clearly defined social status to wear veils, and prohibiting prostitutes and slaves from doing so. The veil thus distinguished respectable women from women who were publicly available, protecting the former from the gaze of men and from their advances. The veiling of women by scarf or hood, and their seclusion, became a mark of honour and social status in cities of the Middle East and Mediterranean world in the centuries before the Common Era. In this context, the apostle Paul called upon Christian women to cover their heads, and in the third century, Tertulian recommended that the Christian women of Carthage veil themselves outdoors. The earliest clear evidence for the bridal veil in Jewish custom dates from the early Middle Ages as well, although Jewish women had covered their hair in public, as an act of modesty, since biblical times. The veiling of women became a feature of Islamic society some time after the Islamic conquests of the eastern Byzantine lands and the domains of the Sassanian empire in the early seventh century. (extracted from Answer.com)
It is particularly interesting to look at the case of Christianity, since Christianity is the predominant religion in the West, and it is Westerners, including observant Christians, who are often the first to criticize Islam because of the hijab (modest dress, including head covering). 
Simply open the Bible to the First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 11. Read verses 3-10.
But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered, disgraces his head. But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered disgraces her head, for it is the same as if she were shaven. For if a woman is not covered, let her be shaven. But if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. A man indeed ought not to cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God. But woman is the glory of man. For man was not created for woman, but woman for man. This is why the woman ought to have a sign of authority over her head, because of the angels.
[1 Timothy 2:9]
Woman should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire but by good deeds.
(extracted from the veil in Christianity)
Laila Lia Bruner, professor of Jewish history at the Jewish University and the visiting professor at Shiva University Institute for Adult Studies indicates that, "the early divine classic literature, Talmud and Midrash, had completely different viewpoints regarding covering woman's hair. At that time, covering hair was not just a costume or a habit as in the Bible. Rather, it was the rule and regulation for pious women. The later divine literature of the middle ages asserted that issue as a complementary part of Jewish religious rituals." Whether covering hair was a Jewish habit or a religious obligation, it is an established fact that was known and widespread in old Jewish societies. 
Rabbi Dr. Menachem M. Brayer, Professor of Biblical Literature at Yeshiva University, quotes the words of some old famous Rabbis as saying, "it is not the habit of the girls of Israel to go with bare head", "damned be the man who let his wife's hair to be seen … The woman who keeps her hair bare brings poverty." (extracted from rasoulallah.net)
IS THERE HIJAB IN HINDUISM? It is mentioned in the Rig Veda Book no. 8 Hymn no. 33 V. no. 19, “When Brahma has made you a woman, you should lower your gaze and should not look up. You should put your feet together and you should not reveal what the garment and the veil conceals.”
So the Rig Veda says that the woman should wear the veil.
It is further mentioned in the Mahavir Charitra Act 2 Page 71 that
When Purshuram comes, Rama tells his wife Sita that “He is our elder, please lower your gaze, and put on the veil”. Rama tells his wife Sita to put on the veil and to lower her gaze.
If you read historical books, the books talking about the Coin Age, the Age of the Gupta and the post Gupta age, there are coins, on which there are pictures of the Indian woman wearing the veils. There are many Indian woman in the villages who wear the veils, some of the woman even cover their faces.
So, if you analyze, even the Hindu Scriptures say that a woman should wear the veil and lower their gaze.
PhD student Jasjit Singh offered a Sikh perspective, responding that hair remains uncut by many as it is seen as a sacred part of Creation. Hair is said to be sacred to the effect that it is associated with feminine sexuality and that veiling it preserves modesty (although it is pointed out that in our modern society we have become somewhat desensitized to hair as a symbol of sexuality). The act of hair being exclusive to one’s husband introduces the requirement to “keep oneself attractive” and women often spend time on their hair and appearance to serve their relationship. Sikhism says that women are equal in the sense that women can carry out ANY action a man can marry. In fact to maintain this equality, men and women keep the same uniform. The majority of Sikhs follow the Islamic idea that the genders are equal yet there are different rules for
each gender, women are expected to wear ‘shalwar kameez’ at Gurdwara and cover their heads with a ‘dupatta’. A dupatta is a long rectangular, scarf-like cloth, worn over the shoulders by the women in India. Generally teemed with the traditional salwaar-kamez, dupatta stands as a symbol of modesty in the Indian society.
(extracted from SikhPhilosophy and read up from The Sacredness of Hair)
Hijab ~ does not only mean head cover, but is actually a veil (the term hijab or veil is not used in the Qur'an to refer to an article of clothing for women or men, rather it refers to a spatial curtain that divides or provides privacy), a right given to a woman, so that men who has already stereotyped women as “men has nine brain and one emotion but woman has one brain and nine emotions” are not able to judge a woman by her appearance but are forced to evaluate her by her personality, character, and morals (behavior, manners, speech and appearance in public). Dress is only one facet of the total being.
(extracted from the question of Hijab: suppression or liberation and etymology and meaning of hijab)
According to the Quran, the reason why Muslim women should wear an outer garment when going out of their homes is that they may be recognised as "Believing" women and differentiated from streetwalkers for whom sexual harassment is an occupational hazard. The purpose of this verse was not to confine women to their homes, but to make it safe for them to go about their daily business without attracting unsavoury attention. Older Muslim women who are past the prospect of marriage are not required to wear "the outer garment". "Such elderly women as are past the prospect of marriage, there is no blame on them if they lay aside their (outer) garments, provided they make not wanton display of their beauty; but it is best for them to be modest; and Allah is One Who sees and knows all things". (24:60). (Islam for today)
To wear the Hijab is obligatory on women?? It is an innovation (the often unspoken goal of innovation is to solve a problem) (Bid'ah) of men suffering from a piety complex who are so weak spiritually that they just cannot trust themselves! Muslim women only cover themselves in front of men who are not direct relatives (brothers, fathers, and uncles are mahram) to prevent indecent acts or thoughts. (extracted from Islam for Today)
“Hijab is not a responsibility, it's a right given to me by my Creator who knows us best. It's a benefit to me, so why not? It's something every woman should strive to get and should want”. ~ Sumayya Syed Hussein.
Baseless objections against Hijab
- Hijab seeks to imprison women: Those who feel that Hijab imprisons women should refrain from living in houses because it is nearer to a prison than Hijab.
- Hijab subordinates women: In fact, culture, which promotes nakedness, takes people nearer to the culture of animals. Wearing the Hijab, on the contrary, liberates women from the trap of Western fashion and maladies. It gives them greater, rather than less freedom and mobility.
- Why only women? Science has confirmed that visual stimulation plays a predominant role in the physiology of men compared to women. The fact that the sex-industry in the West is targeted towards the male-market confirms it. The science of Anatomy says that there are more than five million cells which cover the surface of human body. Their function is to transfer senses & feeling to the brain. When a man shakes hands with a woman their feelings get activated. Even the sense of smelling has a role in activating the feeling of sexual desire. The sense of hearing also is connected with the centers of human desires.
- Victims of Ridicule: Some of our sisters come up with the excuse that the non-believers laugh at them if they observe Hijab and they feel degraded. They may laugh for a little while but after some time they will have no choice but to respect the Muslim women observing Hijab for their discipline, which could not be shaken, by their little laughs. Let us not forget the famous phrase: The one who laughs last laughs the longest.
What are the disadvantages of discarding Hijab?
- Becoming an easy target of anti-social elements.
- Causing great stresses, insecurity and suspicion in the minds of husbands, ultimately disturbing the familial harmony.
- Instigating young people to deviate towards the path of lust and immorality.
- Giving rise to cases of divorce, adultery, rape and illegitimate children.
What are the advantages of observing Hijab?
- Confidence in social participation as human being and not as sexual commodity.
- Guarding one self from the lustful looks of men. Those who reject Hijab and wish to attract men are suffering from inferiority complex.
- Not diverting people's attention from constructive social work.
- Improving the moral character of the society.
In conclusion, women can achieve true dignity and experience true emancipation by observing Hijab and not by discarding it. (extracted from islamicoccasions.com)
A STORY Diamonds and Pearls
The following incident took place when Muhammed Ali’s daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that are not modest. Here is the story as told in detail by one of his daughters:
When we finally arrived, the chauffer escorted my youngest sister, Laila, and me to my father’s suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to surprise us. We exchanged hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day.
My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down in his lap and said something I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down and in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You’ve got to work hard to get them.”
He looked at me with serious eyes. “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.”
* Today is the day Malaysia celebrates the first day Quran was brought down to earth. We call it Nuzul Quran.
