Hijab (Veil)
Islam recorded a great turning point in
the history of women which has no rival to this day. Through it, she
regained her honor and rights of which she had been deprived for
centuries under the burdens of unjust views of the pre-Islamic era of
Ignorance (Jahiliyah). Islam restored her full rights to lead a noble
life under the shadow of a glorious civilized system.
For the first time in history, woman was able to enjoy her lofty human
rights, according to
1.) The society of Jahiliyah insisted
on considering woman as a target for curses, a focal point for evil
thoughts of the devil, or comparing her to an animal created in the form
of a human being. Once the Holy Qur'an came, it declared the falsity of
these opinions which contradicted truth and reality. It emphasized
strongly that man and woman are twins gathered from one source and
essence.
"Oh people! Be careful of
(your duty to) your Lord, Who created you from a single being and
created its mate of the same (kind) and spread from these two, men
numerous and women;.."
Holy Qur'an (4:1)
"He it is Who created you from a single being, and of the same (kind)
did He make his mate, that he might incline to her;..."
Holy Qur'an (7:189)
"And Allah has made wives for you
from among yourselves, and has given you sons and grandchildren from
your wives,..." Holy Qur'an
(16:72)
After declaring clearly the place of
women in life and human existence, the Holy Qur'an attacks strongly the
custom of burying one's daughter alive (wa'id).
"And
when the female baby buried (alive) is asked, for what sin she was
killed,..."
Holy Qur'an (81:8-9)
It also ended the age in which women
were prevented from marriage unless she paid a ransom to redeem herself
or to be unjustly inherited after her death.
"O you who believe! it is not
lawful for you that you should take women as heritage against (her
will), and do not straiten them in order that you may take part of what
you have given them,..."
Holy Qur'an (4:19)
It also removed their abasement and
mistreatment by men. Thus the Holy Qur'an placed more emphasis on
dealing with them kindly:
"...and
treat them kindly; then if you hate them, it may be that you dislike a
thing while Allah has placed abundant good in it."
Holy Qur'an (4:19)
In the past, poverty led some people
to kill their children, the female particularly enduring such burdens,
so the Holy Qur'an removed this (away from her):
"...and do not slay your children
for (fear of ) poverty; We provide for you and for them;..."
Holy Qur'an (6:151)
Islam declares that the foundation of
honoring does not depend upon manhood but on righteous deeds and faith
(in Allah). Whoever does an act achieves its results whether it be a
man or a woman:
"Surely the men who submit and the women who submit, and the believing
men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women,
and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the
patient women, and the humble men and humble women, and the almsgiving
men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women,
and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and
the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember, Allah has
prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward."
Holy Qur'an (33:35)
Islam also insists that the believers
are guardians of each other. They spread goodness among themselves and
bid to what is right and forbid what is wrong and evil.
"And (as for) the believing men and
the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good
and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate (zakat) and
obey Allah and His Messenger; (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to
them;..."
Holy Qur'an (9:71)
Islam is firm in clarifying the nature of the relation between man and
woman in the framework of marriage.
"...they are an apparel for you and
you are an apparel for them.."
Holy Qur'an (2:187)
"And one of His signs is that He
created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest in them,
and He put between you love and compassion;..."
Holy Qur'an (30:21)
Besides making laws for the rights of
a woman, indeed the Holy Legislation clearly brings attention to the
necessity of honoring, taking care of her and giving her, her full
rights.
The Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (s.a.w.) says:
"None would respect women except
the magnanimous ones, and none would insult them except the ignoble
ones."
"Treat your children equally concerning gifts (offers), so if I were
obliging, surely I would prefer women."
"I do not think that a man gets better in faith without loving women
better."
In addition, there are many other holy
texts which call for placing woman in her natural position in the life
of society.
Islam also gave other importance to woman. It shaped for her a special
dress in order to keep her dignity and preserve her personality against
loss and corruption. Islam achieved for woman, through hijab (Islamic
dress ), two main things:
First, it kept her ideological role while performing her
legislative responsibility by presenting the needed services for the
society, progress and Islamic message and also her active participation
in the course of life around her according to the legislative limits
which Islam made clear.
Second,
it protected the purity of woman and closed the way to any action which
might exploit and lead her to fall into the marshes of vices; or change
her to an instrument used to melt the society around her - as happened
in Modern Europe. In addition to what hijab achieves of modesty and
maintenance for woman and Islam aspires for lowering the gaze and
forbidding the wanton mixing with non-mahram men and women and other
principles, we will see to what extent Islam strives towards protecting
man and woman, and the whole society, against the spread of vice, and a
foolish and useless life.
Regarding these principles and decrees, the Almighty Allah says:
"Say to the believing men that
they cast down their gaze and guard their private parts; that is purer
for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do. And say to the
believing women that they cast down their gaze and guard their private
parts and not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and
let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display
their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the
fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands,
or their brothers, or their brother’s sons, or their sisters' sons, or
their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male
servants void of sexual stimulant, or the children who have not attained
knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet
so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known; and turn
(repentant) to Allah all of you, oh believers! so that you may be
successful." Holy Qur'an
(24: 30-31)
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds and may peace and blessings of
Allah be with Muhammad and his holy family.
VOCABULARY USED IN THE RESEARCH
1. Woman's veil in
pre-Islamic era (Jahiliyah): It means to prevent a woman from
participating in public life and denying her rights.
2. Islamic Hijab: Islamic mode of dressing which covers the
whole body of a woman with the exception of her face and hands.
3. Mahram: It means the relatives of a man or woman with whom
marriage is forbidden like one's parents, brothers, sisters, uncles,
aunts, nephews, nieces, grandparents, grandchildren and in-laws.
4. Ajnabi or ajnabiyah (their plurals are ajanib and ajnabiyat):
they are those other than the above-defined categories with whom
marriage is allowed, for example cousins or other relations and
strangers. Or they are those with whom there is no legal obstacle for
marriage.
ISLAMIC HIJAB: ITS FORM AND
MEANING
Woman was greatly afflicted
in two ways which were the main source of different evils, sufferings
and injustices that happened to her during history.
Firstly,
woman was considered as a humiliated being owned by men in order to
achieve their sexual enjoyment, and at the same time, she was not more
than a factory to produce offspring’s. She was compared to a vessel for
holding embryos. Other descriptions regarding woman were: considering
her as a devil in human form or the source of disobedience in the
existence etc. The natural world results of all these views was only to
humiliate, enslave, usurp her rights and prevent her from participating
in general life.
Indeed, the history of woman is filled with pictures of torture,
sufferings and injustices which afflicted her.
Secondly,
woman was viewed as an instrument used for sex, enjoyment and material
profit. This outlook about women came into existence with the birth of
modern European civilization. If the old outlook on woman was to
consider her as a degraded and humiliated creature, treating her with
repression by confiscating her freedom, the modern Jahiliyah deals with
her from the point of giving rein to sexual freedom. Different means
are used including education, schools, cinemas, some philosophies,
legislation, the internal systems of political parties in Europe and in
the West in order to implant this outlook and deepen it. It passed many
rounds on its way to in spreading sexual disturbance which led not only
to the destruction of woman's personality, but also the destruction of
the family and the loss of human values in those societies. Among the
phenomenon of these afflictions is to undress women and push them
towards libido without caring for ethical and legal barriers.
All these injustices, sufferings and the destruction of her
personality, which happened to her during human history, came about in
two ways: The Ancient Jahiliyah way and the Modern Jahiliyah way.
Woman has not been so lucky, during
history, to receive a message that protects her dignity, balance and
respect for her position in society other than the Islamic message, the
message of the Almighty Allah, Lord of the worlds. Thus, hijab, adopted
by this great message, is one of the confirmations of the Divine Care
for this honored creature.
TWO CONCEPTS ON THE HIJAB OF A
WOMAN
Regarding the hijab of a
woman and its relation to general life around her, two main concepts
appeared over the centuries which involved the term hijab.
The pre-Islamic Concept of Hijab:
Ancient Jahiliyah cast its burden on history before the appearance
of Islam and women experienced a major portion of the injustice of those
times. Then a harsh and rigorous picture of hijab existed in which
woman was deprived of her rights to the extent that under the pressure
of this miserable and ignorant civilization she was considered only a
commodity to be brought and sold. She was deprived of her human values
and transposed to a material thing used by men for enjoyment or
sometimes used as a slave.
Whatever has been said concerning the allegations which led men, in
these ancient societies, to confiscate the existence of women
completely, whether being imposed by economic, sexual or spiritual
causes, the fact remains that the exploitation of a woman and
deprivation of her rights, the confiscation of her humanity reached a
point where it became difficult for modern man to imagine.
The injustices which poured on women
alternated between the phenomenon of the harem and wa'id and what is
between them of unjust concepts and attitudes became numerous.
Some considered woman as Satan wearing the skin of a human in order to
serve man alone and achieve his enjoyment through her as Ancient
Jahiliyah believed. Still others considered her body as a body of human
and her soul as a soul of an animal. This view was prevalent in Europe
before its Industrial Revolution.
It is for you, our dear reader, to
imagine the immense tragedies which happened to woman while she was
considered a Satan or an animal or a commodity to be sold like any other
material. These are some true examples of woman's sufferings that were
practically experienced and depended on such unjust illogical
ideologies.
The Holy Qur'an mentions some of the suffering of woman under the
burden of Jahiliyah society of the Arabs and which was strongly
condemned by Islam.
"And when a daughter is
announced to one of them his face becomes black and he is full of
wrath. He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that
which is announced to him. Shall he keep it with disgrace or bury it
(alive) in the dust? Now surely evil is what they judge."
Holy Qur'an (16:58-59)
"And
do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We give them sustenance
and yourselves (too); surely to kill them is a great wrong."
Holy Qur'an (17:31)
"And when the female-baby buried
alive is asked, for what sin she was killed,..."
Holy Qur'an (81:8-9)
A Prophetic tradition says:
"A man named Qais bin Asim al-Timimy
came to the presence of the presence of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.)
and said: 'I buried all eight of my daughters during Jahiliyah (the
pre-Islamic period of ignorance)..."
The pre-Islamic history of ignorance
of the Arabs is illustrated below:
Burying female children was carried out in different miserable
conditions; the infant was buried alive! They used diverse ways in
practicing this custom. If a girl was born to one of them, they kept
her for six years. Then, her father ordered of her to be perfumed and
beautified on the pretext of taking her to one of their relatives! A
well was already prepared for her in the desert. When she reached the
well, her father told her to look at it and then pushed her into it and
threw dust and soil over her!
Others used this way: The mother, during the time of her delivery,
went and sat over a pit. If the newborn was a daughter, she dropped her
into the pit and filled it with dust. If it were a boy, she would take
him home!
Those who did not want to bury their daughters, kept them humiliated
until they reached the age when they would be able to shepherd. Then
they were dressed in a woolen robe and sent to the desert to shepherd
camels!
Those who did not prefer to send her to shepherd, used other means to
humiliate her personality by using wickedness against her. For example,
if the girl grew up and wanted to marry and after her marriage if her
husband died, her guardian would come and dressed her in a special
garment which meant that she had no right to marry anyone unless her
guardian agreed. Thus, she was forced into marriage against her will!
If her guardian did not want to marry her, she would be imprisoned until
she died and then he would inherit her. If she wanted to save herself
from this state, she had to give some ransom to free herself.
Others set women free on the condition that she should not marry anyone
except with her guardian's permission or she should pay a ransom.
Others imprisoned widows and kept her for one of their children until he
grew up and married her. Concerning a female orphan, they kept her with
them and prevented her from marriage with the hope of marrying her when
their wives died or made her marry one of their children wishing for her
wealth and beauty...
The Greeks considered woman as an
unqualified person who had no right to practice any lawful disposal.
Even some Greek philosophers regarded the confinement of the name of
the woman inside the home like the imprisonment of her body. Yosteen,
the famous Greek orator said:
"We take wives only to give birth to our legal children."
Concerning the Romans, the Romans
woman was considered as a cheap property possessed by man. They treated
her as they wished. A meeting was held in one of the assemblies in Rome
in order to discuss women's affairs. In the end they decided that she
was only an existence without a soul and she did not inherit the life of
the Hereafter. She is only a filth and should not eat meat nor should
she laugh or talk. It was obligatory for her to spend her time in
serving and obeying. Some members of the Roman Assembly for Educators
adopted a law which forbids women from possessing more than a half ounce
of gold. She should wear clothes of different colors and should not
ride a coach more than a mile outside Rome except in the case of some
general festivals.
European history speaks about Greece
and says that a Greek man sometimes collected hundreds of women in his
home.
The ancient history of Iran also
mentions events and numbers similar to those of Arabian Jahiliyah and
old European civilization. If there is any difference between the two,
it is only in details. For instance, consider the following:
- In Ancient Iran no one secured his
women against others.
Khosrow Parviz (a Sassanian ruler) possessed about 3000 women in his
harem and was never satisfied sexually. Whenever he desired to
replenish his harem, he would write letters to his governors wherein he
would describe the perfect and beautiful women he wanted. They, then
sent him any women who fits his description.
-Women represented not only the spring of disobedience and the source
of all evils and corruption’s; but also the origin of human tragedies.
She was the cause of the misery for inhabitants of the earth. The
Christian's attitude towards women was explicitly explained by one of
the first popes called Tirtoliyan in the middle ages. He gave the
distorted opinion of Christianity about women.
"She was the entrance used by Satan to
enter man's soul. She was the reason that man was pushed towards the
prohibited tree (meaning the Garden of Eden), violating the law of God,
and disfiguring the image of God, that is, women."
The British philosopher, Herbert
Spinser, says in his book, Describing Sociology, about the status of
woman in the Middle Ages:
"In fact, in Britain, the wife
was sold during the eleventh century and the courts, belonging to
churches in this century, legislated a law which the husband had the
right to transfer or loan his wife to another man for a limited time."
Indeed, these disgraceful attitudes
against women were followed by fearful actions, imprisoning her at home
and veiling her from life, historically called the view of women, i.e.
to view her from participating in life and preventing her from enjoying
her legal natural rights. This kind of black ideological view hijab of
woman, in Ancient Jahiliyah, and in all the world including Iran, India,
Egypt, Europe, and Arab lands is one which showed this figured picture
of woman to the callers of freedom of woman. Hijab, which Islam calls
for, is unlike the hijab of the period of the harem, wa'id and slave
trade from which women suffered.
The Islamic Concept of Hijab:
Surely, the concept of
hijab adopted by Islam differs completely from the hijab which was
introduced by the civilizations of Jahiliyah including the miserable
social phenomenon’s which were existed in the palaces of some Ummayad
and Abbasid rulers concerning the exploitation of women in order to
achieve their own enjoyment. Even the term hijab did not enter the
ideological life of Muslims except recently. Whatever has been said
about woman, the fact remains that Islam's aspiration for protecting her
through shaping a special dress for her shows Islam's honor and respect
for her and her dignity, cleanliness and purity.
In Islam and its right message, there never exists any law or
regulation which prevents woman from participating in the aspects of
life nor imprisoning her at home like the civilizations of the period of
Jahiliyah. Even this world hijab is newly used in Islamic thought.
In addition to the special dress worn
by woman while moving outside her home - as we will explain later on -
Islam also uses the term sitir (screen) for this action. Islam made it
obligatory for both men and women to cast down their eyes for others
than their wives, husbands or harem. On one hand, Islam makes it
obligatory for woman to wear hijab, on the other hand, it imposes
certain obligations for men too. If a special dress is limited for
woman to hide the fascinations (beauties) of her body; on the other side
it also imposes that men lower their eyes to women other than their
mahram women in addition to guarding their private parts. In agreement
with this new use of the word hijab as a definition within and Islamic
context, it is correct for us to say: Islamic veil includes both men and
women; but its essence differs in the form that preserves morals,
protects virtue and respects woman in daily life. Islam has nothing to
do with imprisonment, or preventing women from exercising her natural
right and there is no insult or degradation for women in its criteria
and schemes. It is honor for Islam that the establishment of its
civilized practice was a conviction for the end of the movement of
exploitation and enslavement which was practiced by men against women in
the period of Jahiliyah, which blackened the history of man before the
rising of the blessed mission of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.).
The Islamic hijab is defined briefly as
the shape of a modest dress in addition to the limitation of the
relation between men and women other than the non-mahram (one who is
marriageable) women and placing her in her in a pure legal frame
entwined with chastity, respect and giving rights.
WHY HIJAB?
We hope that a perfect clarity is made concerning the difference between
the hijab adopted by Jahiliyah civilizations in its dealing with woman
and the hijab adopted by Islam as a protective shield for women against
aggression and attacks against her dignity by the followers of sick
inclinations.
What remains for us is to specify the
central motives upon which Islam depended in legislating the law of a
modern dress according to the limits of the Merciful Allah on His
servants. For the sake of clarifying central motives without
expatiation, we mention the following points:
First, regarding the relation between man and woman, two
theories are suggested:
-Theory one allows that man may sexually enjoy any woman in the
society- this has nothing to do with adultery.
-Theory two restricts man's rights for enjoyment to the women with whom
he has a legal and lawful matrimonial relation, and without which it is
unlawful for him to take her for enjoyment sexually.
The first theory is the one practiced today by European man-made
civilization.
The second theory is the theory of Islam regarding the relation between
man and woman.
This is the essence of the matter from which other details are
derived. All man's behavior towards woman is derived from the first
theory which relates to his sexual enjoyment of women by participating
in parties, gatherings with other than his wife/wives and the illegal
mixing of the two sexes, and imposing the state of adornment on women
and its publicity in society and other affairs related to it.
Concerning the Islamic theory,
the following points are divided:
By the act of covering woman's body, except the two hands and face,
from the eyes and minds of men, other than her household, and not
spending time in idle talk and walking with men and the like, as well as
the prohibition of complete privacy with a man other than her household
and other affairs related to Islamic jurisprudence, the Islamic concept
concerning the natural relation between man and woman is a protection
and safeguard against indecency and corruption. If we take into
consideration the nature of the two opinions and their results, surely
we will come to the conclusion that Islam is greatly covetous concerning
the dignity of women and her respectability, purity, and honor with the
caution of not changing her to a salable ill-used commodity for man in
society.
Therefore, Islam is covetous for fixing and organizing sexual relation
and then strives towards closing the means used by those evil-minded
individuals for exploiting women and achieving their enjoyment through
her as they wish.
Then the Jahiliyah theory
being old or new, desires to set free
abandonment of these principles for the sake of man and his interest
even it seems that some profits are achieved for woman! If we also take
into consideration the size of profits and gains which men achieve
sexually and economically under this theory, we will find that the
phenomenon of harem and the act exploiting women practiced in the period
of Jahiliyah are the same which are practiced today in the name of an
attractive guise that insults women. The new limitation which is used
by modern Jahiliyah in the hands of women is different from the old one
only in its covering and outside appearance. It remains a fetter to
bind her hands, forbid freedom, and confiscate her will. So man has
made woman a captive and slave by using different means for achieving
man's aims through trading, brothels, cinemas, television and radio,
newspapers, and fashion.
Various masses of women began to
contemplate what they suffered under European civilization and there are
a few just men who raise their voices against the miserable tragedies of
women who are subjected to in Europe under the shadow of exploitation
practiced by men.
Here are some examples showing man's
exploitation of women and the miserable results:
1.) In Britain, 9 out of 12 girls - below 20 years of age- are
subjected to rape and kidnapping. The security forces were able to
catch 13% of the criminals. The percentage of crimes increased by 84%
in recent years; whereas juvenile crimes increased by fivefold during
the first half of 1975.
2.) An Italian newspaper Omiga disclosed the following exciting facts
concerning the crimes committed in its country:
"In fact, an Italian woman
fears leaving her home in order not to expose her dignity to the mad
young men who wander the roads and streets and those who have no work
except attacking women and girls and kidnapping them with the aim of
robbery or sexual abuse...surely a woman refuses to accept any honorable
work which forces her to return home at night so as not to expose her
dignity and life to danger."
In another report disclosing the woman
tragedy under the materialistic culture, the American Association for
Family Services says:
"The disintegration of the
family, which has reached an epidemic stage, tops the list of social
problems. Every year more than one million persons are separated or
divorced, which is sevenfold higher in percentage compared with that of
a century ago."
"The number of illegitimate children increased three times compared to
1938, and each year 4 million illegitimate births are registered in the
U.S.A. Regarding the problem of the corruption of the youth, which has
a close relation with divorce, statistics doubled three times more than
those of 1940."
Another report says:
"The U.S. Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) reports that in murder cases within families, the
husbands are mostly the murderers of their wives; and in 15% of family
crimes the children are the victims of their parents."
According to recent statistics
by UNESCO, "60% of the housewives in the U.S.A. and Europe feel
discontented, disappointed, and miserable."
Dr. Homer, a Swede, when asked by the United Nations to study the
status of women in Arab countries in 1975, announced:
"It is the Swedish woman who
should demand her freedom, as the woman in the Arab countries has
already reached the peak of her freedom under Islam."
She added: "the Swedish woman
tries these days to have this year announced as 'The International Year
of the Woman,' and then declare another year for the man, so that he may
extract his rights from the women."
Dr. Homer continues in her
report saying: "25% of Swedish
women suffer from psychological and nervous sicknesses, and 40% of
Sweden's income is spent on these diseases caused by the so-called
freedom which the Swedish woman is this very permissiveness which has
taken her to the edge of such a terrifying and perilous precipice."
The breakdown of family stability in
Britain which has dramatically increased the number of unmarried
mothers, of unmarried people living together and people living alone, is
much to blame for these social ills. According to figures published by
the Britain Government on Jan. 14, 1988, the percentage of illegitimate
births has soared from 4% in the 1950's to 21% of all births in 1986,
with the exception of Denmark with 43%, Britain has the highest rate in
Europe.
The statistics of social trends
confirm that Britain has the highest divorce rate in Europe and nearly
twice the rate of France and West Germany. Between 1979 and 1985, it
was found that the proportion of people cohabiting without marriage
nearly doubled. Some 15% of all single women between the age of 18 and
49, including many divorced, were illicitly cohabiting in 1985. The
breakdown in family life has also seen a rapid rise in the number of
people living alone. Nearly 25% of all households contained only one
person in 1986 compared with an average 10 persons in 1951!
The way the woman is treated in the
western countries, which claim to be the champions of freedom and
equality, is evident from the International Meeting on Women and Mass
Media held in Athens, Greece, November 20, 1985. One of the
participants, Petra Kelly, a member of the West German Parliament,
bitterly complained, "In Germany
they treat us (German women) like a minority, equal to invalids, the
lower strata of society and like children. They portray us
pornographically and consider using violence against us as natural.
Every 15 minutes a woman is a victim of rape."
The Meet urged the Greek Parliament to pass legislation banning the
exploitation of women on television. Though criticism of the
exploitation of women is fully justified, the women of these so-called
advanced countries are themselves to be blamed. If women did not
consent there would be no pornographic publications, sex films and nude
advertisements.
The following statistics reveal how alarming the family breakdown
epidemic has become in non-Muslim societies:
France:
One in four marriages end in divorce; in cities the rate may be as
high as 50%. Each year 600,000 couples marry, 100,000 choose to live
together without marriage and 100,000 divorce.
Canada:
Almost 40% of first marriages end in divorce. The divorce rate
doubled between 1972 and 1982.
The Former Soviet Union:
About 70% of marriages break up in 10 years, according to
Moskovskaya Pravda, factors involved include drunkenness, lack of money
and lack of privacy.
Central and South America:
The UNESCO Courier stated that single-parent families are often
created by women migrating to the cities and having children in a series
of unstable unions. Due to alcohol abuse or the inability of husbands
to find adequate work locally, the family breaks up and mothers and
children are left in poverty. The nations with the highest percentage
of illegitimate births in the world are in the Caribbean and in Central
and South America.
China:
Although China's divorce rate is lower than most western nations,
it has risen 70% in 5 years. The Peiking Review reported that the
divorce rate is rising dramatically.
United States:
Half the marriages will probably end in divorces. Sixty percent of
the children born will spend part of their childhood in a single-parent
family.
Japan:
The divorce rate has doubled in the past 20 years. Before 1947,
men were allowed to evict their wives in the streets with only a short
note of divorce papers. Now, about 70% of divorce cases are initiated
by women.
South Africa:
The Coalition of South African Women's Rights says that one out of
two South American women is raped in their lifetime. This includes
children and even babies and old women!
Britain:
The divorce rate in the U.K. is the highest in western Europe.
Nearly 1 out of 7 single women, age 18 to 49, lives with a man she has
not married.
The Hospital Today, a magazine of London, in its editorial of the April
1975 issue, published a summary of the annual report of the British
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. It says:
"...Despite the abundance of
contraceptives and legalized abortion, it is noted that 86% of the
children are born to unmarried mothers! There is a further serious
problem. In 1973 the following cases were: 1 case of an 11-year-old
pregnant girl; 6 cases of 12-year-old pregnant girls; 38 cases of
13-year-old pregnant girls; 225 cases of 14-year-old pregnant girls.
There were 166,000 cases of legal abortion during the same year, 50% of
which were by unmarried women."
Turning to the East, we find
the decadence of society in the communist world is no less hideous as
that in the capitalist world. The magazine, Interphase in its April
1977 issue reports:
"The grave problem of the
Soviet communist society is that out of every two marriages one ends in
divorce in most parts of western Russia. In Moscow, for example, nearly
49% of the marriages ended in divorce after the birth of the first
child. In the Mavadansk region, the percentage of divorce is as high as
72.9%. The Physicians' Conference, held at Moscow University in 1985,
called for urgent measures to tackle this grave social problem,
concerning the high divorce rate and the low birth rate..."
It is worth noting that the said
family problems are confined to the non-Islamic regions of the previous
Soviet Union. In spite of the many years of communism's suppression of
Islamic teachings in the Muslim lands under the Soviets, Islam still
exercises its influences on the life and social conduct of the Muslims
there, reducing family instability and the exploitation of women.
These miserable tragedies, and the
like, form some fruits of the modern European theory about the relation
between a man and a woman. For the sake of this, Islam takes measures
to close the sources of corruption in the life of people and to work,
according to its concepts, to stop the state of exploitation of women
and the confiscation of their rights and to establish dignity and honor
in the life of people. Thus, Islamic Hijab is among the most prominent
terms used by the Divine Authority to protect woman and make a clean
human society.
We should address the current situation in many Muslim countries where
Western values have replaced Islamic ones. The societies of these
countries have discarded Islamic principles, including hijab, the
statistics of the West have followed. Divorce, prostitution, alcohol
and drug abUse, and the beginnings of diseases such as AIDS are plaguing
the societies who have chosen to abandon their religious edicts.
Illegal relationships between boys and girls, men and women are becoming
accepted or at least unrestricted.
In Muslim countries where the society
and the government remain loyal to Islamic values, the occurrence of
sexual crimes, indecency, divorce and other social ills are noticeably
less. The family structure remains strong and healthy. The women have
no fear of their environment and are relatively safe to walk through
their streets and bazaars.
Which theory is better then? Should we choose unlimited release, which
results in destruction and downfall, or the proposal which leads to the
preservation of society and which protects both man and woman without
making any difference even the supposition of the feeling of distress
from some protective procedures which follow the Islamic proposal?
Through social and psychological studies of the life of Man, a true
scientific fact is disclosed showing that Man enjoys two kinds of
natural needs (jaw'ah) in his entity:
A. There is a number of natural needs which impose themselves
spontaneously for stimulating without any external motives like the
instinct for the food and the instinct for the need of showing himself
to others, and love for ownership and the like.
B. Another kind of natural needs, in spite of their existence’s
in man and their activities, is able to be stimulated if other factors
and motives of stimulus are supplied from external human existence.
Among the prominent factors of these natural needs are: sexual
instinct, which is motivated by dissolute poems and literature,
seductive music, nudity and the like.
The upright Islam, the message of the
Lord of the worlds- the Creator, Who is Aware of hidden affairs, is
completely cognizant of the remote factors which molded mankind, and the
dangers against the movement of human life if he goes out of the natural
frame prepared for it and by following it, the highest balances are
achieved between these needs and functions in all fields of human life.
According to Islam's awareness of these facts, it desires for not
stimulating these external instincts which are outside the frame of the
required balance.
To be harmonious with this desire, Islam puts various social, economic
and political schemes to work. These schemes provide a deep condition
of agreement between these internal human motives and the demands of the
individuals and the groups in which one lives.
The Islamic scheme in hijab and its fashioning the relation between man
and woman aims to keep the balance between man's demands on the one side
and its great desire for the purity, chastity and security of the
relation between the two sexes on the other. Thus, Islamic hijab
becomes a related foundation with the natural side of the human life in
addition to caring for morals and purity and organizations of social
life from the Islamic viewpoint.
Islam, through the modest hijab for
woman, limits the nature of the relations between the two sexes in a
special way. It also deals with man and woman together, limiting the
responsibility for each of them towards lawful execution. Woman is
separated from man in responsibility inside the framework of this
scheme, only in hijab but they have the same responsibility in other
duties.
This is not to say that the role of man and woman in an Islamic society
are the same. They are not. A man shoulders the responsibility of
maintaining the family unit by his wealth and earnings, providing food,
shelter, clothing, medical care and general welfare for his household.
The woman is free to earn money and has full authority over that money,
but she is not required to finance her household. A Muslim woman is
responsible to care for and give proper training to her children and to
provide a peaceful and harmonious environment in which the family unit
may prosper and grow.
Hijab has an effect on the family unit
as well as on the society. At home where hijab is respected and honored
practically, family members show kindness, helpfulness and peace towards
one another. Because of the separation of the two sexes of non-mahrams,
crimes of sexual nature inside the family have no chance to fester as we
witness all too often in Western families where incest has grown in such
proportions that it is almost taken for granted as common behavior.
I
slamic hijab provides much more than
mere physical cover. It is a cover that acts as a repellent of every
kind of crime and vice which destroys the individual and the society.
RESPONSIBILITY OF HIJAB FOR MAN
AND WOMAN
Let us scrutinize the
required important matters for both sexes in order to specify the
difference in responsibility between them concerning this framework of
Islamic hijab.
Both man and woman are responsible according to the following verse of
the Holy Qur'an:
"Say to the believing men that they
cast down their looks and guard their private parts; that is purer for
them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do. And say to the believing
women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and
not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them
wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their
ornaments except to their husbands..."
Holy Qur'an (24:30-31)
The great jurispudent (fuqaha) have
cited explanations for these edicts:
A. A woman must cover her body and hair from the sight of non-mahram
man.
B. It is unlawful for a man to look at the body and hair of a
non-mahram woman with the exception of her face and hands. It is also
unlawful for a man to look at her hair and this verdict is applied on a
woman concerning looking at men other than her father, son, uncle,
grandfather, brother and those related to them.
C. It is forbidden for a man to look at the details of the face
of a non-mahram women, or her hands with sexual desire and vice versa.
D. It is lawful for a man who wants to marry a woman to look at
her in order to be acquainted with her physical qualities and vice
versa.
E. It is lawful for both a man and woman to look at the body of
their mahrams (except for the genital region) so long as it is not with
sexual desire, but to look with sexual desire, is forbidden (haram)
whether they are mahram or not.
F. It is obligatory for a woman to cover her body and hair from
the sight of the non-mahram men (i.e., those with whom she is legally
allowed to marry).
G. It is unlawful for a man to be alone with a non-mahram woman
in a place where nobody else can enter if they fear that they may commit
haram acts; but there is no objection for a man to be alone with a non-mahram
woman when others are not prohibited from entering the place, even if
the other are a mature rational child or in the state of security from
committing corruption.
H. It is unlawful for a non-mahram man to touch a non-mahram
woman nor a non-mahram woman may touch a non-mahram man such as shaking
hands and so forth.
I. If there is a necessity for a man to touch a woman, and vice
versa, such as medical cure or saving a drowning person, and there is no
female doctor for the woman or a male doctor for the man, it is lawful
for both sides to touch or look at the other side for tests, cure or the
like.
J. It is lawful for non-mahram men to hear the voice of non-mahram
women on condition that hearing should not be with sexual desire or as a
cause for committing haram acts and it is permitted for a woman to make
her voice heard through discourse or address by a non-mahram man on
condition that her voice should not mislead or seduce listeners, because
it is haram for a woman to talk to men in an excited and agitating
manner.
K. It is recommended for a woman to keep her beauty and
elegance for her husband because attractiveness and beauty represent an
important side in the life of a woman and an essential source among the
sources of the happiness of matrimonial life.
L. It is forbidden for a woman to imitate men (by dress,
actions or behavior) and vice versa. M. It is forbidden for a
woman to perfume herself and go outside her home, i.e. it is forbidden
that her perfume is noticed by non-mahram men while passing among them
or mixing with them.
Ifwe examine carefully these legal
responsibilities which fall under the frame of Islamic hijab, we will
find that both men and women share the task of responsibility regarding
this r\\ule, with the specification concerning women in covering their
body. This shows strongly that Islam is aspires to establish clean
relations between the two sexes; spread purity and dignity among people;
and safeguard the society with healthy relations. It is not among its
intentions to disgrace a woman's dignity among people or prevent her
from performing her role in life as it is clear through the above
mentioned laws concerning Islamic hijab.
If we want to judge strictly the
matter of covering woman's body and we have said it is correct to say
that both men and women hold the same task in the general framework of
Islamic hijab, the question comes: Why a woman alone bear the burden of
covering her body and without man to do so?
The fact, which no fair-minded person can doubt, is that the reason for
the specification of covering a woman's body alone relates to her
sentimental and physical qualities. Because the temptation side of
women is much stronger than a man; she has the competent side for
sensibility; and she has instinctive tendencies for showing herself
off. Thus, ornaments and beautification are among her first
specifications. If they are unrestricted, she may cause knowingly or
unknowingly, an innocent person to commit a haram act, thought or deed.
This natural characteristic of women and which makes her more able to
attract, tempt, and fascinate man towards herself, is the main reason
Islam tackles this point through hijab. Therefore, it is not normal to
ask a man to cover his body like her; whereas man in general does not
possess these specific characteristics, nor is he naturally prone to
decorate and beautify himself in order to draw attention of woman.
Still, Islam does require a man to dress in an appropriate manner so as
not to expose unnecessary parts of his body.
On the subject of attraction, two sure
things exists, one in a woman and one in a man. That which exists
within a woman is the desire to show herself off, it is a part of her
nature. That which exists in a man is an inclination towards looking,
not just looking but flirting and receiving pleasure from it. Both of
these things exist. Will Durant says there is nothing in the world more
firm and more persevering than a man's desire to look at a woman.
It is also clear that men and women are sexually stimulated in
different ways. A woman, being a naturally sensitive and tender-hearted
creature, requires touching and tactile movements in order to stimulate
her. A man, on the other hand, is a much coarser creature, tough and
virile with a strong imagination. He can be stimulated by a mere
look. A woman covers herself to keep from showing off her body and the
man cannot see anything which will stimulate him sexually. How clever
Islam is to adopt hijab in society! So it completely conforms with the
innate natures of a woman!
In according with this reality of
attraction, we see that Islam also forbids acts such as sodomy among men
and lesbianism among women because each of the two decrees has its own
subject and background like other legal decrees which rely on certain
background like other legal decrees which rely on certain backgrounds
necessary for them.
These are the true centers which addresses in order to build this
positive edict; the blessed Islamic hijab.
DOUBTS CONCERNING HIJAB
The question remains: Will
the designers of progress share consciousness of what they pretend
concerning hijab that led to disable woman's abilities towards
development and paralyze her from rising against the burdens of work in
general life, and which disabled half of society?
Indeed, this miserable excuse is an extent to what was stirred up by
the agents of thinkers (ideologists) and politicians in the Muslim world
against woman's hijab which contradicts her freedom and hinders her from
achieving her wish to participate beside men in the world of reality.
This stirring up requires that the origin of the problem should be
discussed, it is: Do the designers of progress originally believe
themselves when they propagate this rumor?
What do they mean, in reality, by the
"freedom" of women?
If what is meant is to be free to express one's views; give one's
opinion; the freedom of possession; the freedom of choosing a suitable
husband; and the cultural freedom and what relates to it; there is no
obstacle in woman's hijab which stops her from enjoying these freedoms
and what relates to them?
Does hijab prevent women from seeking culture and knowledge or
competing in its diverse fields?
Does hijab, for example, prevent women from expressing their
views and ideas?
Does hijab intervene between woman and her right of possessing
wealth?
It is proper to ask whether hijab originally has any relation to these
questions in reality and it is a matter which relates to the modesty of
woman, her dignity and the purity of her treatment with those around
her.
Economic ills and production levels
are also affected by this question of hijab. The wasted talents,
energies and efficiency is apparent. Let us suppose that there are two
foundations or projects for production:
The first one deals with female workers who wear Islamic hijab
and conduct relations between non-mahram men and women in an Islamic
manner.
The second one deals with female workers who are seductively
dressed and adorned and follow the Western way of civilization in their
relations between the two sexes.
Surely, we see the foundation which observes hijab is hard working all
the time for the sake of production and work, because of the nature of
relations between men and women.
While, on the other hand, we see in the second foundation, in which
flirtation and sexual discourses prevail, that much time and effort is
spent in the affairs imposed by fluidity and sexual excitement in that
imposed environment.
Let us suppose that there are two study halls:
In the first one there are Islamic relations prevailing between the
young men and women, including Islamic hijab.
The second hall is controlled by the free relations between young men
and women which adornment is spread. What do we think, for each
example, regarding the performing of work and responsibility?!
Is it possible to describe the second hall as a serious place for
studying?
In summary, has it not become clear
that Islamic hijab, with its own image and nature, has no negative
reflection against the freedom of woman nor her work nor her movement in
general life. It is true that if one imagines that hijab is the same as
was used in India, Iran, Egypt, and Europe during the pre-Islamic era "Jahiliyah"
in which they imprisoned women behind four walls, it is natural that she
thinks of herself as being deprived and hindered in her activities. The
result will be to disable half of the society or more. This is a matter
of fact which we should think about concerning the miserable conditions
for the kind of hijab which hindered women from general and social
movement. Islam condemns this kind of hijab of Jahiliyah and changed it
to a certain cover which includes clean and pure relations under the
name of hijab. There are great differences between the two kinds of
hijab as we have explained.
What the designers of progress imagine
concerning hijab contradicts the origin of the matter. The society, in
which the disorder of sexual relations prevail, is the main cause which
hinders the abilities which are, instead, spent in the affairs of sex,
flirtation, and negligence unlike the society in which clean relations
are spread between the two sexes.
Regarding their imagination about the abuse of the freedom of women
under the shadow of modesty and purity which are brought about by
Islamic hijab; what they mean by freedom is the common sexual freedom
with all its dimensions of the adornment requirements which are spread
in all remote places and circumstances. Concerning other freedoms, they
do not think of, nor do they consider them in their logic based on
non-Islamic ideas.
Briefly, hijab, from the Islamic view,
has no negative effects at all against the freedom of woman nor her
general movement nor in her participation in progress and making life
around her active. The sane logic considers Islamic hijab as providing
great guarantees for the freedom of woman and her dignity in addition to
a larger participation of women in general social work and also in
progress and development of the society as a whole.
Beyond this, Islamic hijab, in its known form, gives woman her
personality and raises her position in society. People deal with a
modest woman, dressed in Islamic hijab from the point of view that she
is a human being. For a woman without hijab, people generally deal with
her from the point of view that she is a human being but through her
femininity and through what she stirs up in men by her exposed body.
Therefore, Islamic hijab will remain a weapon against affliction,
distress, fluidity, and abuse.
It is worth mentioning here that in
spite of Islam's taking great care in covering a woman's body in front
of non-mahram men; it also calls for her to take suitable care for her
beauty and body inside her home, to enhance and respond to the demands
of her femininity, which are bestowed on her by Allah, the Most High,
and also to achieve her lawful wishes which are allowed by Islamic law.
While a woman is restricted in showing
off her body and adornments to the general public, she is encouraged to
beautify herself for her husband, whereas she is not allowed to expose
herself to men at large. She is in fact, commended upon showing herself
to her husband and to enjoy herself with him totally.
Another point to mention is that the
woman who observes the proper Islamic hijab not only gains respect and
dignity in the society and from her family, but also she is pleasing
Allah, the Most High, and gaining rewards from His for her obedience to
His religion. This is the highest achievement for her. She is
following the Qur'an and traditions of her Prophet (s.a.w.);
safeguarding the society from vice and corruption; eliminating unhealthy
thoughts and actions; raising work and production levels and bringing
purity and spirituality to the human race. All of this she
accomplishes, with little efforts, simply by the use of hijab. The
blessings she receives for this great deed can only be speculated upon.
When she controls the tone of her voice, the movement of her body, the
manner of her behavior, and the hidden secrets of her person from those
who have no legitimate right to enjoy them, she is serving humanity in
untold dimensions.
This realm of responsibility that she shoulders brings about so many
sources of relief to her fellow beings, that it is easy to understand
how and why Islam has placed such importance on her. She is the
backbone of society and the foundation of man's growth as a human
being. When she becomes corrupted, she in turn corrupts the entire
society. When she is pure and guarded by the protection of hijab, the
society is protected as well.
Many of the social ills, diseases that plague the Western world, abuses
of drugs and alcohol, sexual deviations and other problems could be
cured if women were allowed to realize the concept of hijab. Of course,
in those societies, the idea is mass consumption, control of the
people's minds and oppression of their general well being and growth
toward perfection as they were created. These polluted and decadent
societies and the rulers behind them found the perfect way to achieve
their aims. They corrupted the women and therefore corrupted the
people.
WOMEN'S ROLE IN THE ISLAMIC
CIVILIZATION
Quotations and Examples:
The previous pages reflected the Islamic thesis about women and hijab.
It is a conceptual view and a technical one. What about the practical
view? How has woman, in the Islamic history, functioned in the society
and what role has she actually played which shows the high position
Islam awarded her when she left the superstitions and oppression of
Jahiliyah behind her and donned the Islamic hijab? In the following
pages, we will look at some practical confirmations of women who broke
the chains of slavery and servitude of man and adopted worship of the
One True God, Allah, Most High.
Islam, itself, confirmed the wisdom of its laws in reality and they
remain a beacon for guidance toward the way of a glorious life which is
filled with goodness and fertility, offering virtue, glory, and purity.
Since the light of Islam rose in the land of Arabia, the Muslim woman
shook off the dust of humiliation and enslavement and said farewell to
the days of imprisonment and burying girls alive. She began to live the
life designed by the revelation and laws of the Almighty Allah. She
began to participate in building a glorious society which was observed
by the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.).
Thus, humanity became enlightened to
this new environment shining with the light of prophethood. This way
was first chosen by Khadijah bint Khuwailid, the leader of the
believers' mothers. She offered her wealth in order that the demands of
the expenditure of Divine Da'wah (missionary work and propagation of the
religion), would be met in its most severe and trying days of struggle
with the idol worshipers of the Jahiliyah. In fact, the financial
support of Her Holiness Khadijah (a.s.), in those miserable
circumstances, represented a keen weapon in that cruel struggle between
guidance and misguidance.
Indeed this honorable woman endured most of the material sufferings
because of her continuous support for the call to truth and the call of
the savior, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.); and her firm stand as a believer
and a defender of the Message and the Messenger (s.a.w.). From the
first day of Da'wah she was at the side of the Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.) giving financial support, and more importantly, moral
inspiration, love and affection to this 'Gift to Mankind'. She was the
first to believe in him, defend him with her wealth and position, and
gave him comfort and ease in some of his most trying times.
The Commander of the Believers, Imam
Ali (a.s.) refers to her position in one of his sermons found in Nahjal
Balagha. He says:
"...every year he (Prophet)
used to stay in the cave of Hira for some time, and nobody used to be
with him but I. None could then see or hear him or be near him but I.
During those days Islam was the religion of only the Prophet and his
wife, Khadijah. I was the third of the trio. Nobody else in this world
had accepted Islam. I even then used to see the divine light of
revelation and smell the heavenly fragrance of prophethood..."
Other wives of the Holy Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.), after the death of
Her Holiness Khadijah (a.s.), also achieved great ranks in history. We
should not forget the role of Um-Salamah who memorized so many of the
traditions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). Her regard and obedience to
truth and the right path is famous in the history of Muslims to the
extent that some of the Imams of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) deposited
inheritances of the prophethood with her in difficult times.
The active participation of women in the social-political history of
Islam is important. Among the first martyrs of Islam was Sommayah,
mother of Yasser, who was brutally tortured and became actually the
first martyr in Islam even before the migration to Medina. The
participation and bravery of Muslim women of the past is seen on the
pages of history. These heroic women possessed exalted personalities
such as Sommayah. Their active participation in the religion-political
movements is also a lesson to women all over the world urging them to
regain their lost identity.
One example of the power Islam gave to
a woman's character from the early history is Nosaibeh who lived in
Medina. She was an Ansar (helper of the immigrant from Mecca), and was
known as Nosaibeh Jarahe. She was married and had two sons named Amareh
and Abdollah. Her name first appears in the history of Aghabeh Bei'at.
Here, new converts to Islam shook the Messenger's (s.a.w.) hand in an
oath of allegiance. During this ceremony 60 men and two women from the
Ansar converted to Islam.
The Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.), who
highly respected women, placed his hand in a dish of water and passed it
to the women who in turn did the same. The government of the Prophet of
Allah (s.a.w.) was aided by these people. Nosaibeh's husband was
martyred in the Battle of Badr. One of her sons was also martyred at
this time. This family, from the beginning of Islam in Medina, fought
alongside the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) against the infidels.
History tells us that Nosaibeh took part in battles alongside Prophet
Muhammad (s.a.w.) as a surgeon. She participated in many battles
carrying a waterskin upon her shoulders, treating the sick and injured
in the burning deserts of Arabia. Nosaibeh, accompanied by her
surviving son, Amareh, participated in the famous Battle of Uhud. When
the Muslims suffered a setback, she carried her waterskin giving relief
to the thirsty and aiding the injured using her primitive surgical
supplies.
It is narrated from her that,
"Amidst the fighting I saw my son running away. Stopping him I said,
'My child! Why are you running away? Who are you escaping from? From God
or His Messenger?"
She then sent him back, while she
herself watched from a distance. It was then that she suddenly noticed
the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.) being surrounded by the enemy. In a
quick-witted move she and her son rushed to the Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.) and joined in the fight with the enemy. At this time one of
the infidels martyred her son. It was here that Nosaibeh grabbed her
son's sword and with the help of Divine Power, killed his assailant.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said to her, "Well done! May God's blessings
be upon you Nosaibeh."
This heroic woman received 13 wounds
during this battle, one of which was a sword wound on her neck. She
lost a hand during the Yamamah War. It has been narrated that this dear
self-sacrificing lady of Islam will return with the last Imam as a
surgeon, God speed his appearance.
Her Holiness Zainab (a.s.), the
courageous daughter of Imam Ali (a.s.), played a great and most
honorable role when she carried out her duty in conveying the message of
her brother, Imam Hussein (a.s.), the grandson of the Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.), after his martyrdom in his everlasting revolution against the
Ummayyad tyranny under the leadership of Yazid.
She endured the task of explaining and conveying the aims and goals of
Imam Hussein's (a.s.) great revolution in every meeting gathering she
attended. She disclosed the mask covering the black faces of the
oppressors in Kufa, Damascus and Madina. She took the role and
responsibility of protecting the prisoners of the family of the
Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), including women and children, who
accompanied the severed head of Imam Hussein (a.s.) from Karbala's
burning sands to Damascus, while suffering the greatest heartbreaks.
Surely history bows its head in shame in front of this great woman to
whom Islam and the oppressed are indebted for what she sacrificed, and
for her resistance, patience and contributions in the way of truth. She
stood bravely against the oppressors and exposed their shameful deeds
and policies. She brought the message of revolution, honor, dignity,
and truth out of the desert into the cities.
Her speeches in the courts of her captors of the most eloquent, biting
and pointed nature. Indeed, she is famous for her attack against Yazid
in his court in Damascus. She faced them all and accused them of their
deeds without fear of execution or torture which was the daily and
common practice against the enemies of the throne.
She continued for the rest of her life to expose injustice and relay
the message of her brother. She was a revolutionary fighter in her own
right and held a high position of pure character and strength throughout
her life. She was among the most honored of people wherever she went.
She kept the revolution of Imam Hussein (a.s.) and helped her society to
realize their moral obligation and religious duty to fight tyranny and
oppression.
If we wish to investigate the pages of Islamic history, it is
impossible for us to overlook the attitude of Hamidah, the wife of Imam
Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.) and the mother of Imam Musa al-Kathim (a.s.).
She took care of the needy in Madina under the order of Imam al-Sadiq
(a.s.). She used to distribute the wealth among the needy and visit the
poor and offer them suitable material assistance.
Another example of the most virtuous
women who played a great role in our glorious Islamic history is Salil,
the mother of Imam Hassan bin Ali al-Askari (a.s.).
She played a vital role in defending truth and taking care of the
Divine Guidance. This honorable woman represented a link between two
Imams, Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) and the believers' bases
during the difficulties which the two Imams faced from the tyrants of
their times. She delivered the information and verdicts to the
believers through her contact with their leaders. She presented their
questions and information to the Imams (a.s.) concerning the movement of
the believers and their situations.
It is essential to remember that the
participation of women in the political activities is very important.
After all, women constitute, sometimes, more than half of every
country's population and can change the destiny of a society for the
better or worse depending on the extent of their political awareness and
participation. Hijab in no way hinders this participation as it did not
hinder any of the women whose examples we have mentioned.
A modern day example of this awareness and participation was seen in
the heat of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. With their babies in their
arms, and young children by their sides, women protested against the
tyrannical regime and were shot by the Shah's police. Several mothers
and their children were martyred during those demonstrations.
As the message of truth rose, and the voice of Revolution is heard once
again in the Twentieth-century, we see the women of Palestine, with
tightened fists shaking in the faces of Zionist soldiers, rocks and
stones in the other hand waiting for a chance to hit their targets.
Today, these women and women like them all over the world are considered
to be the cornerstone of this revolution. Hijab is their banner and
they are proud of their position as the freedom fighters against the
biggest enemy of truth. We can see the effect that Islam has on the
general public and hijab on the women by recent examples in Azarbaijan
and Bosnia-Herzegovnia.
Islam has renewed itself among them
and it has given them the courage and power to withstand the tyranny
that plagues them. For many, Islam was removed from their culture by
communism and socialism. They call themselves Muslims but they were,
for the most part, ignorant of Islam's laws. When they gained their
independence from these anti-human, anti-God systems, they moved toward
the light of truth and regained what they had lost. One of the first
signs of this was the hijab of the women. These examples give
imagination to what can be achieved by Muslim women who follow Islamic
principles and laws. They show the great role in the life of people and
the human experiment that she plays, contradicting those miserable
imaginations and opinions stirred up the ignorant concerning Islam and
its unique ability in smashing the shackles obstructing Muslim women
from performing their great legal responsibilities under the shadow of
dynamic Islamic progress.
WHAT THE HOLY QUR'AN AND
TRADITIONS SAY ABOUT WOMAN AND SOCIAL LIFE
Obtaining Permission:
"O you who believe, do not enter
houses other than your own houses, until you have obtained permission
and greeted their dwellers; this is better for you, that you may
remember."
Holy
Qur'an (24:27)
Resemblance:
Imam Ali (a.s.) quotes the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) as saying:
"Allah curses those men who
make themselves resemble women or those who make themselves resemble
men."
Perfuming Outside Home:
Imam Hussein (a.s.) quotes the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.) as saying:
"Any woman who perfumes herself
and leaves her home is cursed by the angels and deprived of the
blessings of the Almighty Allah until she returns home."
Evil Looks:
Imam Hussein (a.s.) quotes the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) as saying:
"An evil look is one of the
poisonous arrows of Iblis (Satan) and how an evil look causes
long-suffering regrets."
Avoiding the Forbidden Things:
Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) narrates:
"Every eye shall cry on the Day
of Resurrection with the exception of three: an eye which passed the
nights guarding Muslims (their wealth, land, etc.) for the sake of
Allah; an eye which wept for fear of Allah; and an eye which was cast
down against the deeds made forbidden by Allah."
Looking at Women:
Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) was asked whether it is lawful for a man to look at
the face of a woman whom he wants to marry and also to look at her from
behind. He said:
"Yes, there is no objection for
a man to look at a woman whom he wants to marry including her face and
to look at her from behind."
Saluting Women:
Imam Hussein (a.s.) says:
"The Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.) used to salute women and they used to reply his salutation.
While the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.), also used to
salute women, but he disliked to salute the young among the women and
said, 'I feared that her voice would admire me and thus affect me so I
would commit sin more than get reward."
The Punishment of Chasing Women:
Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.) says:
"A young man from the Ansar met a woman in Madina. At that time, women
used to wear a veil, so he looked at her while she was coming toward
him. When she passed by he continued looking after her until he entered
one of the alleys. He continued looking as he passed along the alley
until a bone on a wall slashed his face and the woman passed out of
sight. Then, unexpectedly, he saw blood flowing over his clothes and
chest. He said, 'I must go and inform the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.)
about the incident.' When the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) saw him in
this condition he said, 'What happened?' When he informed the Messenger
of Allah (s.a.w.) about the event in details, the angel Gabriel (a.s.)
came down with this verse:
'Say to the believing men that
they should lower their gaze and guard their private parts. That is
purer for them. Truly Allah is Cognizant of what they do.'
Holy Qur'an (24:30)
Sitting on Roadsides:
Abi Saeed al-Khidri narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said:
" 'Beware of sitting on roadsides.' Then some of his companions asked
him; 'Oh Messenger of Allah! We cannot stop these meetings on roadsides
where we talk about different matters.' The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.)
said, 'If you refuse but to stop having such meetings, then you should
give the road its rights.'
"They asked him, 'What are the
rights of the road?' He said, 'To cast down your eyes; to forbear harms
to others; to reply to salutation; to enjoin in what is right and to
forbid what is wrong."
Being Covetous of the Honor of
Believers:
The Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) said:
"Surely Allah gets angry for
the honor of the believing men and the believing women. So a believing
man should get angry (for his honor). Because he who does not get angry
(for his honor) is the one whose heart is upside-down."
Sweetness of Casting down the Eye:
Abu Imamah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said:
"A Muslim is he who looks at
the beauties of a woman and then casts down his eyes, Allah will give
him the reward of worship whose sweetness he will find in his heart."
Guarding Oneself:
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said:
"Guard yourselves from six
things and I am your surety for Paradise: when you speak the truth;
perform when you promise; discharge your trust; and guard your private
parts (except from your wives); cast down your eyes; withhold your hand
from committing aggression or forbidden things."
Respecting a Woman:
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), addressing the Muslims on the occasion
of the Farewell Pilgrimage, warned them against the values which he
feared would be neglected after him, and referred to woman as one of the
important issues about whom he said:
"Observe your duty to Allah in
respect to the women, and treat them well."
The Blessed Marriage:
Anas narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said:
"Whoever marries a woman for
her glory, Allah will not increase his, but will bring him humiliation;
whoever marries her for her wealth, Allah will not increase his, but
place him in poverty; whoever marries her for ancestral claims, Allah
will not increase his, but in meanness; whoever marries a woman for
nothing but to cast down his eyes, guard his private parts, and join a
relationship, Allah will bless him through her and vise versa."
The Holy Qur'an says:
"And one of His signs is that
He created you for you mates from among yourselves that you may dwell in
tranquility with them, and He put between you love and compassion; most
surely there are signs for a people who reflect." Holy
Qur'an (30:21)
In another verse, the obedient married women are described:
"...therefore the righteous
women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what
God would have them guard."
Holy Qur'an (4:34)
ENCOURAGEMENT TO KEEP HIJAB:
Islam, with its benevolent
view towards women, encourages them to keep hijab in this verse of the
Holy Qur'an:
"O Prophet! Tell your wives
and your daughters and the women of the believers that they should casts
their outer garments over them (when abroad); this is more proper, that
they should be known (recognized as such) and not molested. And Allah
is ever Forgiving, Merciful."
Holy Qur'an (33:59)
Equality:
The Holy Qur'an speaks of the equality of the two sexes in various
verses. In one place it says:
"...and women have their rights
similar to those against them in a just manner,..."
Holy Qur'an (2:228)
In another place, the Holy Qur'an says:
"O mankind, surely We have
created you from a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes,
that you may know each other. Surely the noblest of you with Allah is
the most righteous. Surely Allah is Knowing, Aware."
Holy Qur'an (49:13)
About work and doing good deeds, again
the Holy Qur'an reveals the beauty of Islam and its equal treatment of
workers. This is something the West still has not been able to
accomplish! The Holy Qur'an says:
"And whoever does righteous
deeds, whether male or female, and he/she is a believer - they will
enter the Garden, and not the least injustice will be done to them."
Holy Qur'an (4:124)
"Whoever does good, whether
male or female, and is a believer, We shall certainly make him live a
good life, and We shall certainly give them their reward for the best of
what they did." Holy
Qur'an (16:97)
Another verse, Allah, Most High still
promises:
". . .I will not suffer the
work of any worker among you to be lost whether male or female, the one
of you being from the other. . ."
Holy Qur'an (3:195)
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
This information was extracted from:
1. The Islamic Hijab (Veil). Published by Al-Balagh Foundation.
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, 1994. |