Hijab (The Veil)

Hijab (The Veil)

All praises be to Allah alone, peace and prayer of Allah be upon the last prophet and messenger.

Verily, a muslim woman will find inside the Islamic laws, a very deep concern for her, aiming to preserve her purity, to be a noble lady, with a high position. The stipulations set for her clothes and adornments are none other than to prevent the damage caused by tabarruj (showing off of woman’s beauty). It is not a form of restraint for her freedom either, instead it is a protector for her from falling into the mud of humiliation, or from being the center of attention.

The Virtues of Hijab

Hijab is an obedience to Allah and His messenger

Allah the Glorified and Exalted has required the obedience to Allah and His messenger, based on Allah the Glorified and Exalted decree,

وَمَا كَانَ لمُؤْمِنٍ وَلاَ مُؤْمِنَةٍ إذاَ قَضَى اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أمْرًا أنْ يَكُونَ لهُمُ الخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أمْرِهِمْ وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلاَلاً مُبِينًا

“It does not behove a believer, male or female, that when Allah and His Messenger have decided an affair they should exercise their choice. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has strayed to manifest error.” (Chapter Al Ahzab/The Clans:36)

Allah the Glorified and Exalted also commands the women to wear hijab, as in Allah’s decree –Glorified and Exalted be He-:

 وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلاَ يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إلاَّ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا

“And enjoin believing women to cast down their looks and guard their private parts and not reveal their adornment except that which is revealed of itself, “ (Chapter An Noor/The Light:31)

Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed,

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلاَ تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الجَاهِلِيَّةِ الأُولَى

“And stay in your homes and do not go about displaying your allurements as in the former Time of Ignorance.” (Chapter Al Ahzab/The Clans:33)

Allah this Glorified and Exalted decreed,

 وَإذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ذَلِكُمْ أطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ

“And if you were to ask the wives of the Prophet for something, ask from behind a curtain. That is more apt for the cleanness of your hearts and theirs. ” (Chapter Al Ahzab/The Clans:53)

Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed,

 يَا أيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لأزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ المُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلاَبِيبِهِنَّ

“O Prophet, enjoin your wives and your daughters and the believing women, to draw a part of their outer coverings around them..” (Chapter al Ahzab/The Clans:59)

The Messenger of Allah –peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said, “Women are awrah”, meaning that she has to cover her whole body.

Hijab is ‘Iffah

Allah the Glorified and Exalted has made the obligation to wear hijab as the sign of ‘Iffah (self-restraining from committing evil).

Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed,

ياَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لأزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ المُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلاَبِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أدْنَى أنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلاَ يُؤْذَيْنَ

“O Prophet, enjoin your wives and your daughters and the believing women, to draw a part of their outer coverings around them. It is likelier that they will be recognised and not molested. Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Chapter Al Ahzab/The Clans:59)

It is because they cover their body to avoid and restrain themselves from committing sin, “and not molested,,” thus, the disbelievers will not molest them. And in Allah’s decree, “It is likelier that they will be recognized and not molested..”, there is an implication that recognizing the beauty of women’s body is a form of trial and evil for them.

Hijab is Purity

Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed,

وَإذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ذَلِكُمْ أطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ

“And if you were to ask the wives of the Prophet for something, ask from behind a curtain. That is more apt for the cleanness of your hearts and theirs. ” (Chapter Al Ahzab/The Clans:53)

Allah the Glorified and Exalted has deemed hijab as purity / cleanness for the hearts of the believers, men and women of them. Because whenever the eyes do not see, the hearts wont bear any desire either.

At this time, the hearts of those who do not see it will be more apt for cleanness. The non-existence of trial at that time was more prominent, since hijab destroyed the desire of people with diseases in their hearts. Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed,

فَلاَ تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ

“, do not be too complaisant in your speech lest those with diseased hearts should covet you;” (Chapter Al Ahzab/The Clans:32)

Hijab is Shield

The Messenger of Allah –peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said,

((إنَّ اللهَ حَيِيٌّ سَتِيرٌ يُحِبُّ الحَيَاءَ وَالسِّتْرَ))

“Indeed, Allah is Bashful and Protecting, and likes bashfulness and protection”.

In another of his saying:

(( أيَّمَا اِمْرَأَةٍ نَزَعَتْ ثِيَابَهَا في غَيْرِ بَيْتِهَا خَرَقَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَنْهَا سِتْرَهُ))

“Whosoever among women that put off her clothes in other place but her home, then Allah the Great and Almighty will tear down the protection of that house from her.”

Hence, the reward is equal to the deed.

Hijab is God-fearing

Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed,

ياَ بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْءَاتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَى ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ

“O Children of Adam! Indeed We have sent down to you a garment which covers your shame and provides protection and adornment. But the finest of all is the garment of piety.” (Chapter Al A’raf/The Height:26)

Hijab is Faith

Allah the Glorified and Exalted didn’t order except the faithful women, “And enjoin the believing women..” (Chapter An Nuur/The Light:31). Allah the Glorified and Exalted also declared, “and the wives of the believers/ the believing women.” (Chapter Al Ahzab/The Clans:59)

And when the women of The Tribe of Tamim visited Mother of the believers, ‘Aisha –may Allah be pleased with her- wearing thin garments, she said, “If you are a believer, know that these are not the clothes of the faithful women, and if you’re not, then please enjoy it.”

Hijab is Haya’ (Shyness)

The Messenger of Allah –peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said,

((إنَّ لِكُلِّ دِينٍ خُلُقًا ، وَإنَّ خُلُقَ الإسْلاَمِ الحَيَاءُ)

“Every religion has a certain manner, and the manner of Islam is the shyness.”

He also said,

“Shyness is a part of faith, and faith belongs to the Paradise.”

In another of his saying,

((الحَيَاءُ وَالإيمَانُ قُرِنَا جَمِيعًا ، فَإنْ رُفِعَ أحَدُهُمَا رُفِعَ الآخَرُ))

“Shyness and faith is a close things, if one of them is lifted. Then the other will be lifted as well.”

Hijab is Ghirah (Jealousy)

Hijab is in line with jealousy, which is a natural tendency of a real man who is dislikes the leering to his wife and daughter. How many of wars happened during the time of Ignorance and the time of Islam that were triggered by the jealousy upon a woman, and to preserve her honor. ‘Ali Ibn Abi Thalib –may Allah be pleased with him- said, “The news have reached me that your women are mixing in crowd with the disbelievers of the non-Arabs at the markets, don’t you have any jealousy? Indeed, there is no good within a man without jealousy.”

Taken from “al-Hijab”, by the team of Darul Qosim, translation and layout by: H. Sholahuddin Abdul Rahman, Lc

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.