Mandatory Conditions Of Hijab For Muslim Women

Those who truly understand Islam and have in-depth knowledge of the Quran and hadith are aware of the fact the value, rights and respect that Islam gives to women is unmatchable and there is no other culture, religion or law in the world that gives women such a status that empowers and reveres them in the way as Islam does.

Although people may somehow be convinced of all the rights that Islam gives to women and the kind of place they have in Muslim society, however, the one thing that is the hardest when it comes to convincing other is the Hijab that Muslim women wear. People think that it is a sign of subjugation and that is something that holds women back and makes them inferior. This is a wrong perception and Hijab actually is meant to give protection to women and it is a symbol of respect in Islam. This debate will be touched some other time in some other post. While this post today on BritishHajTravel Ltd deals with the conditions in which wearing Hijab is mandatory for Muslim women.

In Quran Allah Almighty says:

“O Prophet! Tell your wives, your daughters, and the woman of the believers to draw their Jilbab all over the bodies. That will be better. That they should be known so not to be annoyed. And Allah is ever oft-forgiving, most merciful.” (33:59)

Before moving on to the conditions, the need is to understand the word ‘Jilbab’ used in this ayah, as it is integral to fulfilling the condition of Hijab itself. The word ‘Jilbab’ refers to a piece of cloth in the form of a cloak that can be used to cover the whole body. Therefore, Muslim women are recommended to cover their bodies with a cloak so that they could have respect and not get exposed to any kind of maltreatment or sexual abuse from anyone.

There is another hadith related to the use or wearing of Jilbab that is to be worn as Hijab. Hazrat Um Atiya (RA) asked Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

“O Messenger of Allah, one of us may not have a Jilbab.”

Prophet (PBUH) replied:

“Let her sister lend her one of her Jilbabs to wear.” (Muslim)

From the hadith it is obvious that there is no relaxation in wearing of Hijab, rather if Muslim women do not have it available, she should ask of it from another sister and wear it.

Conditions For Wearing Hijab:

There are different conditions in which it becomes more than imperative for Muslim women to wear a Hijab. There are conditions and people mentioned in the Quran in front of whom and which the wearing of Hijab is exempted. In the Quran Allah says:

“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 is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that 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 except to their husbands, their fathers, their father in law, their sons, their stepsons, their brothers or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you Believers! Turn you all together towards Allah, that you may attain Bliss.” (24:30-31)

All the condition and people that are mentioned in this ayah are exempted from wearing of Hijab. Anyone or anything other than that, women must wear a Hijab. For the sake of understanding the conditions that can take place which make Hijab compulsory are discussed below.

1st Condition:

The first condition when Hijab becomes compulsory is when women get in front of men who are not Mehram to them and for whom the absence of Hijab might lead to the development of sexual feelings. Therefore, whenever there is a condition where Muslim women have to go in front of people who are non-Mahram.

2nd Condition:

The second condition in which wearing of Hijab becomes compulsory is when there is a chance that a woman is wearing such a dress that might reveal the private body parts of the women to other people in general and especially to Non-Mehram men.

3rd Condition:

The third condition in which it becomes mandatory for Muslim women to wear Hijab is when there is a chance of their adornments becoming exposed to the men who are not Mehram to them. The adornment differs for different scholars however a general consensus is that adornment refers to the ebbs and flows of the body. Therefore, if a dress is that revealing then women must wear a cloak over it.

Conclusion:

In a nutshell, Hijab is not a constraint for Muslim women, rather who wear it wear it as an ornament that gives them respect as well as keeps them pious and free from any disturbance that may be caused because of any unintentional sexual innuendo.

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Source: quranreading.com

Hijab: More than a headscarf

image by: saudigazette

Hijab: More than a headscarf

The hijab is the distinguished mark of a Muslim woman. Wearing the hijab is an act of faith; it is an act of worship, as Allah has commanded women to cover their bodies and hair, and to not reveal their beauty to strange men (men whom they can marry).

Contrary to widespread practices today, it is more than simply wearing a headscarf or putting an abaya on. There is more to the hijab than that. In recent years, we see women cloaked in an abaya, but they still lack the requirements of what the hijab should entail.

Many of us women, sometimes unintentionally, make hijab mistakes that could be avoided. Today’s article is a quick hijab recap, to make sure that we reconnect to our Islamic teachings and to make sure that our hijab is fulfilling its purpose and that we are gaining the highest rewards from Allah.

Makeup: Women put makeup on to amplify their beauty. Wearing makeup at home or in social gatherings in the presence of women or male relatives whom she cannot marry is not forbidden in Islam. However, wearing makeup when going out in public defies the purpose of the hijab, which is to not put our beauty on display. We should re-think our habits; I have seen young women in the mall with the full works: thick eyeliner, fake eyelashes, eye shadow, and glistening red lipstick while wearing the hijab!

Tight clothing: Whether it is clothes or the abaya, it should not be tight, in that it clings to the body and defines the body’s shape. Women should dress in loosely fitting clothing that cover her full body, revealing only the face and hands. And even when covered, the clothing should not be tight around a woman’s natural curves; breasts, waist, hips, legs.

Tight pants and a short shirt: The trend to wear skin-tight jeans or leggings with a top that barely covers the waist and stomach is in contradiction with the proper hijab. The ideal hijab is an abaya or jelbab (long coat-like dress). Second best is probably a long skirt with a blouse. If it is more convenient to wear pants because of your work or lifestyle, then choose, wide baggy pants, and wear a shirt that reaches down to your knees. That guarantees that you are not flaunting your body. It also guarantees your rewards from Allah, which is why we are wearing the hijab in the first place- for Allah to be pleased with us. We believe that following Allah’s commands and enduring some restrictions in this life is worth it because we are aiming towards a higher goal: Paradise which is as broad and spacious as the skies and land.

Leaving the neck exposed: There is a new fashion that seems to be in style these days, women wearing a wrap around their hair but leaving their neck and ears uncovered. This is incorrect because it breaks one of the conditions of the hijab, to cover all the body except for the face and hands.

Flashy colors: The hijab or the abaya does not necessarily have to be solid black. Although there is no color that is strictly speaking forbidden in Islam, the hijab should not be in striking colors that draw attention to the woman like iron to a magnet. For example, fiery red or dazzling golden or very bold and attractive patterns should not be worn as part of the hijab. Apart from these restrictions, when worn with modesty, there are several options that make good colors for hijab, such as blue, grey, beige, brown, plum, or cream color.

Thin, transparent material: The clothes and headscarf should not be transparent that it reveals the color of a woman’s skin or exposes her hair or body in any way.

Bare arms: The abaya fashion industry is producing abayas that are good at covering the body, but many of them have an overlooked flaw: the sleeves are flowing and they are not fastened at the wrists. When a woman lifts her arm at the supermarket to reach for an item on a high shelf, her entire arm is revealed. I learned a nice trick that helps; I ask a tailor to attach small snaps to the bottom of the sleeves of my abayas.

Jewel studded sandals, pedicured and painted toenails: The feet are part of the body which should also be covered, that includes the ankles, tops of feet, and toes. When selecting shoes to walk around in the mall, grocery store, park, or seaside, the shoes be the closed type, and worn with socks. There are plenty of stylish shoes to choose from that would look nice with the hijab attire. Sandals, slippers, and flip-flops are not the suitable footwear for hijab.

Perfume: When a woman wearing strong perfume walks in a store and her beautiful fragrance drifts around her, she is definitely turning heads and attracting people. Again, this goes against the purpose of hijab. The sense of smell is actually the most sensitive of all the senses. Using perfume and scented oils is encouraged to please your husband, but is prohibited to be worn where there will be strange (non-mahram) men.

Too ostentatious or too shabby: Some abayas have sparkling beads and sequences that look too extravagant. The ruling for both men and women on their dress is that it should not be showy because this could lead to arrogance. At the same time, a woman’s abaya should not look ugly, ragged, old, and frayed. The hijab dress should be modest, but at the same time it should be decent, presentable, tidy, and nice. The idea is that you wear your hijab with modesty, but you also should feel confident and good about yourself.

Article by: saudigazette.com.sa