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[Tayyaba]

The hair is the crowning glory of every women.
Our long hair professes our beauty and most powerful of our image.
Our eyes speaks louder than our voice.
Our voice speaks louder than our body.
Our body is the very case of our being.
Our softness is a blessing from Allah, the Creator.
But this beauty becomes a medium for sinful eyes.
Allah is indeed Merciful and our Protector.
Alhamdullilah for Hijab...Niqab...and Burqah...
Truly the identity of every Muslimah.
Hijab, a covering that implies inner and outer modesty.
It is quite impossible to see the inside when one observe the outside.
Hijab is not some kind of culture or racial identity.
Rather our hijab is the identity required by Allah.
"Oh Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the
believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e.
screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the
way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free
respectable women so as not to be annoyed.)" (Ahzaab 59)

A Muslimah are accused of having a " fish brain " because of our hijab.
We are accused of being a " terrorist " because of our hijab.
We are accused of being an "Arab" because of our hijab.
We are accused of being an "oppressed "creature because of our hijab.
We are accused of living our lives in the "past" because of our hijab.
We are accused of being over protective of our body because of our hijab.
We are accuse of many thing because of our hijab.
Is this the reason why some of our claiming Muslimah abandoned hijab?

Without the hijab , we are completely stripped naked.
Without hijab , we are completely oppressed and exploited.
Without hijab, we are disrespected by those sinful eyes.
Without hijab , we are treated just exactly as a non Muslim.
Without hijab, we lost our outer modesty, more so affects our inner
modesty.
Without hijab, we are susceptible in inviting sin ourselves.

Hijab is every Muslimah's shield.
The very identity that tells a Muslimah that ," she is another Muslimah",
one who pleases Allah by following his commandments.
Hijab serves as a form of dawah for us.
It reminds another Muslimah that this is our true identity.
It reminds the whole world that a Muslimah is a unique individual
incomparable to other women.

Hijab is what makes a Muslimah.
The very identity of the Muslimaat.

[Sakina]

Quite true Tayyaba,Go Girl!! btw did u write it yourself?

[Tayyaba]

hehehe....no i came across it when i was searchin the net! and it inspired me so thot of puttin it here...lol
take care

[hello]

Firstly, I understand that the first hijab is the hijab of the man to lower his gaze. The second hijab is for the woman to cover herself.

Quick question for you women out there who don't where hijab: Why don't you wear hijab? I am not trying to judge anyone or be 'holier than thou', however I would like to know why some women believe that hijab is not mandated in Islam. There are women who I would like to marry but they do not wear the hijab which I feel is a requirement of our religion as laid out in the Qur'an and hadith.

Maybe hijab is not much different as anything else in our religion which we are required to do but do not do, i.e. fasting, praying, men's hijab. Sometimes we just can't control our urge to fulfill our desires in this world rather than focusing on activities which will fulfill our desires in the next. But is there some other reason why some women feel that hijab should not be worn? Do they feel that it is oppressive, prejeducial, etc.?

Any enlightenment in this area would be helpful. Thank you.

[abuali]

Hello Guest

Thank you for your post. May I humbly request that you join Ask.or.tz so that you can continuously keep posting questions, comments, thoughts and ideas, so that all the members can benefit.

Yes I agree with you that the term Hijab does not merely refer to the clothing. Hijab is two fold. Physical Hijab (the clothing) and mental hijab (the hijab of the mind).

The Hijab of the mind is as important as the hijab of the mind. The difference between the two is that the Hijab of clothing physically protects one (especially the woman) from polluted plots by the onlooker, while the hijab of the mind helps oneself raise his own level of purity.

Tayyba, that was a nice poem....what do the others in the forum have to say about the topic?

[saleha]

hellow everyone...well i think tht some women dont do hijab bcoz according to their thinking they mite b finding it old fashioned..or probably guys would think she's too religious etc...but wat they dont see is tht women r known as jewels which is needed to b protected n is for some only...n they aint even realizing tht they're loosing respect which they ought to get from men...as a personal experience..i got a friend who is not a muslim..so tht means she doesnt do hijab..n being on roads she gets stares from people specially men..m not tryin to offend men here but its just a fact that they would stare at a girl (without hijab)...being friends with her she now tells me that she wishes to cover herself or preferably wear a coat in order to avoid these stares...to say the truth m proud of being a shia muslim girl...with the protection n cover we have, no religion has anything like this..n muslim women out there who's not doing hijab give it a second thought and see what ure missing...

[Nayaab]

some of you may have already read this..every time i read this it makes me feel SO proud of all the women maintaining hijab and knowing why they are doing it..happy reading!


WHY DO I WEAR HIJAAB
I probably do not fit into the preconceived notion of a 'rebel'. I have no visible tattoos and minimal piercings. I do not possess a leather jacket. In fact, when most people look at me, their first thought usually is something along the lines of 'oppressed female'.

The brave individuals who have mustered the courage to ask me about the way I dress usually have questions like: 'Do you parents make you wear that?' or, 'Don't you find that really unfair?'

A while back, a couple of girls in Montreal were kicked out of school for dressing like I do. It seems strange that a little piece of cloth would make for such controversy. Perhaps the fear is that I am harbouring an Uzi underneath it.

Of course, the issue at hand is more than a mere piece of cloth. I am a Muslim woman who, like millions other Muslim women across the globe, chooses to wear the Hijaab. And the concept of the Hijaab, contrary to popular opinion, is actually one of the most fundamental aspects of female empowerment. When I cover myself, I make it virtually impossible for people to judge me according to the way I look.

I cannot be categorised because of my attractiveness or lack thereof. Compare this to life in today's society: We are constantly sizing one another up on the basis of our clothing, jewellery, hair and makeup. What kind of depth can there be in a world like this?

Yes, I have a body, a physical manifestation upon this Earth. But it is the vessel of an intelligent mind and a strong spirit. It is not for the beholder to leer at or to use in advertisements to sell everything from beer to cars. Because of the superficiality of the world in which we live, external appearances are so stressed that the value of the individual counts for almost nothing. It is a myth that women in today's society are liberated. What kind of freedom can there be when a woman cannot walk down the street without every aspect of her physical self being 'checked out'. When I wear the Hijaab I feel safe from all of this. I can be rest assured that no one is looking at me and making assumptions about my character from the length of my skirt. There is a barrier between me and those who would exloit me. I am first and foremost a human being and not vulnerable because of my sexuality. One of the saddest truths of our time is the question of the beauty myth and female self-image. Reading popular teenage magazines, you can instantly find out what king of body image is 'in' or 'out'. And if you have the 'wrong' body type, well, then, you're just going to have to change it, aren't you. After all, there is no way that you can be overweight and still be beautiful.

Look at any advertisement. Is a woman being used to sell the product? How old is she? How attractive is she? What is she wearing more often than not? That woman will be no older than her early 20s, taller, slimmer and more attractive than average, dressed in skimpy clothing. Why do we allow ourselves to be manipulated like this? Whether the 90s woman wished to believe it or not, she is being forced into a mould.

She is being coerced into selling herself, into compromising herself. This is why we have 13-year-old girls sticking their fingers down their throats and overweight adolescents hanging themselves. When people ask me if I feel oppressed, I can honestly say no. I made this decision out of my own free will. I like the fact that I am taking control of the way other people perceive me. I enjoy the fact that I don't give anyone anything to look at and that I have released myself from the bondage of the swinging pendulum of the fashion industry and other institutions that exploit females. My body is my own business. Nobody can tell me how I should look or whether or not I am beautiful. I know that there is more to me than that. I am also able to say no comfortably when people ask me if I feel as though my sexuality is being repressed. I have taken control of my sexuality.

I am thankful I will never have to suffer the fate of trying to lose/gain weight or trying to find the exact lipstick shade that will go with my skin colour. I have made choices about what my priorities are and these are not among them. So next time you see me, don't look at me sympathetically. I am not under duress or a male-worshipping female captive. I've been liberated.

Sultana Yusuf Ali
17 Year Old High School Student
Published in Toronto Star - Young People's Press

[Umm.aly]

Personally speaking, Hijab makes me feel safe. Safe from the world's eyes.. the world may look at me, but they will surely not see me..
And i truly pity the women who despite being muslims, do not wear Hijab and readily expose themselves..

I would just like to add here that these days.. hijab has somewhat lost its true meaning.. by wearing hijab, a women is protecting herself from the unwanted gaze of men. The very concept of wearing Hijab is to dispell the looks of men n to remain modest.
However, today hijab has become 'fashion'. i know people who actually started wearing hijab(Chadar and scarf), because it looked 'Good' on them! Our Hijab today has become so attractive, with all kinds of designs and colour, tht rather then repelling men's attention on us, we are actually attracting their attention with the bold colours we wear! is that truly hijab? (I am talking bout phisical hijab here..)

Secondly in Sura Ahzaab, it states clearly that we need to wear cloaks, this implies an outer covering to the clothes already worn.

["Oh Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the
believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e.
screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the
way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free
respectable women so as not to be annoyed.)" (Ahzaab 59)]

Therefore i feel the concept of wearing a long sleeved loose top and loose trouser and adding on a scarf is NOT doing Hijab! (and anyways, how loose is loose??!!)

Please let us not take our hijab for granted, becoz its the biggest asset and strength that we women have been given..

[Sakina]

786

Covering your feet is an obligatory part of a woman's hijab.Did you know that? (We see so many women criticising another's hijab when they are themselves not appropriately covered why is this? ) Anyway since i just found this out 3 days ago myself i thought id let everyone else know so if you dont wear socks.....you're going to have to start now! good luck!

[abuali]

Hijab - Covering the feet

QUESTION:

As regards to the covering of the body in hijab, how much of the body has to
be covered? Earlier I had learned that the face, wrists, and feet upto the
ankle could be left uncovered. Recently, however, I came to know that now
only the hands and face can show. I am now following Ayatulla Seestani.
Also, I was under the impression that the hijab for namaaz and that worn
outside have the same rulings. Ayatulla Sestani, in his resalah states that
in namaaz the feet do not have to be covered, but it is better to do so,
especially the underside of the foot. Can I then assume that the same
ruling applies for the hijab worn outside?


ANSWER:

The ruling for hijab outside includes covering the feet. As for the dress
for Ladies for namaaz, covering of the soles is recommended.

Asgharali M.M. Jaffer

[abuali]

[Shakir 7:26] O children of Adam! We have indeed sent down to you clothing to cover your shame, and (clothing) for beauty and clothing that guards (against evil), that is the best. This is of the communications of Allah that they may be mindful.

[Shakir 24:31] And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do 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 brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants not having need (of women), 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 to Allah all of you, O believers! so that you may be successful.

[Shakir 33:59] O Prophet! say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon them their over-garments; this will be more proper, that they may be known, and thus they will not be given trouble; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

[º§ãmihåº]

when Allah sent down de mess of islam in its complete form, thru hs book, de Quran n His Prophet (may the peace n blessings of Allah be upon him), he intended dis religion for all of mankind, not 2 one race, creed or colour, not restricted by age or intellectual ability, to country or any otha barrier which humans may hav between them...de order which has com from Allah bout covering is in fact a great blessing not only for the individual but for society as a whole... people will always say things bout what u do, but if u always listen to wat people say n not what Allah alone says, u will never get anywhere...truly de identity of every muslim. Hijab, a covering that implies inner and outer modesty. it is quite impossible to see the inside when one observe the outside…our hijab is the identity required by Allah. (swt)..

[shaz]

BASELESS OBJECTIONS AGAINST HIJAB
> It seeks to imprison women: Those who feel tht Hijab imprisons women should refrain frm living in houses becuz it is nearer to a prison than Hijab.

>It subordinates women: In fact, culture which promotes nakedness takes people nearer to the culture of animals.Wearing the hijab,on the contrary,liberates women frm the trap of western fashion and maladie.it gives them greater,rather than less freedom and mobility.

> Victims of Ridicule: some of our sisters come up wid the xcuse tht the non-believers laugh at them if they observe Hijab and they feel degraded.They may laugh for a lil while but aft some time, they wil have no choice but to respect the muslim women observing hijab for their discipline which cud not be shaken by their lil laughs.

let us not 4get the famous phrase: "One who laughs last, laughs the longest".

> Why only women? science has comfirmed tht visual stimulation plays a predominant role in the physiology of men compared to women.The fact tht the sex-industry in the west is targetted towards the male-market confirms it.

n e wayz jus wanted the women 2 knw tht.. IT IS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY..

REGARDS OUT THERE..TC

[zafar]

Excellent points Shaz!

[Sajida]

Salaam,
I came across this article and thought it was useful.
Happy reading..

You look at me and call me oppressed,
Simply because of the way I'm dressed,
You know me not for what's inside,
You judge the clothing I wear with pride,
My body's not for your eyes to hold,
You must speak to my mind, not my feminine mold,
I'm an individual, I'm no mans slave,
It's Allahs pleasure that I only crave,
I have a voice so I will be heard,
For in my heart I carry His word,
"O ye women, wrap close your cloak, So you won't be bothered by
ignorant folk",
Man doesn't tell me to dress this way,
It's a Law from God that I obey,
Oppressed is something I'm truly NOT,
For liberation is what I've got,
It was given to me many years ago,
With the right to prosper, the right to grow,
I can climb moutains or cross the seas,
Expand my mind in all degrees,
For God Himself gave us LIB-ER-TY,
When He sent Islam,
To You and Me!

Sajida