On February 1st the world Hijab day is celebrated in recognition of millions of Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab and live a life of modesty. Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights 1400 years ago. Islam expects women to maintain their modesty. Modesty is required even for me Allah swt first mention Hijab or lowering their gaze first for men before women.
The Qur’an mentions in Surah Noor:
“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.”
[Al-Qur’an 24:30]
The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.
Hijab for women:
The next verse of Surah Noor, says:
“ 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 veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons…”
[Al-Qur’an 24:31]
Following verses of Surah Al-Ahzab:
“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not teased. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
[Al-Qur’an 33:59]
The Qur’an says that Hijab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women and this will also prevent them from being teased. The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. There are many benefits or advantages of hijab in Islam.
criteria for Hijab.
According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are basically few criteria for observing
Hijab:
1. Extent:
The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the male is to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the extent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the face and the hands up to the wrist and the feet. If they wish to, they can cover even these parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the hands are part of the obligatory extent of ‘hijab’. All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.
2. The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.
3. The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through them.
4. The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.
Muslim women have different type of hijabs or coverings in different cultures and societies. The main purpose is to remain modest and chaste. In western countries and here in America a convenient style of covering is adopted . It is not too loose or falling apart and one can carry out day to day work conveniently wearing this hijab.
It is a a symbol for Muslim woman. What ever dress she is wearing and covering her head , it is easily recognizable of her being a Muslim.
Hijab includes conduct and behaviour among other things.
Complete ‘hijab’, besides the criteria of clothing, also includes the moral conduct, behavior, attitude and intention of the individual. A person only fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijab’ of the clothes is observing ‘hijab’ in a limited sense. ‘Hijab’ of the clothes should be accompanied by ‘hijab’ of the eyes, ‘hijab’ of the heart, ‘hijab’ of thought and ‘hijab’ of intention. It also includes the way a person walks, the way a person talks, the way he behaves, etc.
To celebrate hijab day the idea is to foster religious tolerance and understanding by inviting women, both non-hijabi Muslims and non-Muslims, to experience hijab for one day.. By opening up new pathways to understanding, to counteract some of the controversies surrounding why Muslim women choose to wear the hijab. So many Muslim women left wearing Hijab in USA because of the hatred, backlash and fear to Muslims after the incident of 9/11 and a lot of Islamophobic remarks. It is a good revival of bonds and giving strength the ideology especially in youth to practice this order of Allah and Quran.