The Faith Column

15 comments from readers

IndigoJo
12 August 2008 at 11:37

The actual Qur'anic verses containing Muslim women's head coverings include chapter 24, verse 31, which instruct women to draw their head-coverings (khumoor) over their necklines, i.e. over their chests. Perhaps you might explain how you fulfil this command without wearing a head-covering to begin with.

5-Pillar Scribe
12 August 2008 at 12:33

We are being acculturated, without realizing it - of course. This rationalization and intellectualization are clear defense mechanisms. They aren't excuses. While I understand women's position not to wear hijab, to make it seem like it is not even an Islamic requirement and then publish it just shows which way we are really heading.

www.5pillar.wordpress.com

Imran Khan
12 August 2008 at 18:01

The evidences recorded throughout Islamic scholarship over a period of 1400+ years is unprecedented and indisputable.

The only way a Muslim woman can divorce the stipulations of wearing the hijab from the religion of Islam is by either committing intellectual suicide or being incredibly underhanded and deceptive.

Writing an article about one's personal journey is one thing; but attempting to justify it WITH proofs from Islam whilst emphatically refuting the proofs to the contrary is a complete exercise in futility.

You should have mercy on your head instead of attempting to head-butt the mountain in the hope of demolishing it Zubia my dear sister.

shaybani
12 August 2008 at 23:22

This article is simply, theologically, rubbish. Presumably its intented to make life diffcult for Muslim women who follow the religious obligation at the hands of non-Muslim readers since I dont know many Muslims who learn Islam from the NS.

"The Qur�anic verse, �Say to believing women, that they cast down their eyes and guard their private parts, and reveal not their adornment save such as is outward; and let them drape their headcoverings over their bosoms, and not reveal their adornment . . .� (Qur�an 24:31) is a specific requirement for Muslim women to cover their hair.

The word �headcoverings� (Ar. singular khimar, plural khumur), more familiar in our times as the hijab, is a word of well-known signification among scholars of Arabic, at their forefront the authors of the classical lexical reference dictionaries like Zabidi�s encyclopedic Taj al-�arus or Mutarrizi�s al-Mughrib, both of which define khimar as �a woman�s headcovering�; or Fayumi�s al-Misbah or Fayruzabadi�s al-Qamus, which both define it as �a cloth with which a woman covers her head.� The Taj al-�arus also notes that a man's turban is sometimes referred to as a khimar �because a man covers his head with it in like manner as a woman covers her head with her khimar when he disposes it in the Arab manner, turning part of it under the jaws nearly in the same manner in which a woman disposes her khimar.� These authorities are cited in the eight-volume Arabic-English Lexicon of Edward William Lane, who describes the khimar as �a woman�s muffler or veil with which she covers her head and the lower part of her face.�

There is no other lexical sense in which the word khimar may be construed. The wording of the command, however, �and let them drape their headcoverings over their bosoms,� sometimes confuses nonspecialists in the sciences of the Qur�an, and in truth, interpreting the Qur�an does sometimes require in-depth knowledge of the historical circumstances in which the various verses were revealed. In this instance, the elliptical form of the divine command is because women at the time of the revelation wore their headcovers tied back behind their necks, as some village women still do in Muslim countries, leaving the front of the neck bare, as well as the opening (Ar. singular jayb, plural juyub, translated as �bosoms� in the above verse) at the top of the dress. The Islamic revelation confirmed the practice of covering the head, understood from the use of the word khimar in the verse, but also explained that the custom of the time was not sufficient and that women were henceforth to tie the headcover in front and let it drape down to conceal the throat and the dress�s opening at the top.

This is why Muslim women cover their heads: because the Qur�an unambiguously orders them to, and there is no qualifying text or hadith or even other lexical possibility to show that the Qur�anic order might mean anything besides obligation. Rather, the hadiths all bear this meaning out, Muslim scholars are in unanimous agreement about it and have been from the time of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) down to our own day, and it is even known by all non-Muslim peoples about them.

There was thus nothing new or surprising in the Islamic legal opinion promulgated in December 2003 by the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Sheikh �Ali Jumu�a of the Egyptian Fatwa Authority (Dar al-Ifta� al-Misriyya) that �the hijab is an obligation on all Muslim female adults, as firmly established in the Holy Qur�an and the Prophet Muhammad�s hadiths, as well as unanimously agreed upon by Muslim scholars.� He pointed out that unlike the cross sometimes worn by Christians, or the skullcap worn by Jews, the hijab is not a �symbol� of Islam but rather that �Islam orders female adults to wear hijab as obligatory religious clothing.� It is part of every Muslim woman�s religious practice. "

http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=3&ID=4834&CATE=368

It should also be mentioned that the submitters who Ms Malik belongs to reject the entire corpus of hadith (saying s attributed to the Prophet (pbuh)) in favour of only following the Quran and are thus considered non-Muslims by most Muslims.

Misnomered
13 August 2008 at 01:22

Ms. Malik: With all due respect to your critics, I am glad that you are willing to brave the negative reactions of others in order to do what you think is right for yourself. I am a survivor of physical violence and I think it is unfortunate that so many women--regardless of their experiences or cultures--have had to grow up being as invisible as they could be in order not to be noticed and incur abuse.

~Regards, Misnomered

yasmins
13 August 2008 at 15:52

The command is to cover your chest. The assumption is that women wear a head-covering because that is how women dressed in that time. At that time, people also traveled by camel, but that is not considered a modern day requirement. And yes, I am a Muslim woman who values her faith very much. I simply don't believe the orthodox interpretation of "hijab" is a requirement.

Tajudeen
13 August 2008 at 19:48

Nowhere in the Arabic Quran in chapter 24, verse 31 is head or hair mentioned, so how have traditionalists come to this conclusion of head or hair covering?

Peace.

radius
13 August 2008 at 21:37

Ultimate hijab is the walls of a man's house. Separation: gender apartheid, ownership of women; symbol of men's otherwise uncontrollable lusts; a calling-card and campaign flag for political Islam, foisted on people as either a stereotype of piety or a badge of identity.

bijli
13 August 2008 at 21:44

The Qur'an Does Not Mandate Hijab

by Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph. D.

President

Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc.

7102 W. Shefford Lane

Louisville, KY 40242-6462, U.S.A.

E-mail: IRFI@INAME.COM

Website: http://WWW.IRFI.ORG

In my previous communication I wrote that the Qur’an aims to eliminate all sources of temptations and enticement in society, and does not want women should bear the brunt of the burden in this process. However, the vast majority of Muslim men want that women should be covered from head to toe except perhaps for one roaming eye, and men may happily swagger around undisturbed by scrumptious female parts. Worst of all, this fundamentally male-indulgent view is presented as God’s unquestionable truth.

In this context I quoted from the book of Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl who is an accomplished Islamic jurist and scholar, and a Professor of Law at the UCLA's School of Law where he teaches Islamic law. He is a world renowned expert in Islamic law who previously taught Islamic law at the University of Texas, Yale Law School and Princeton University. A high-ranking Shaykh, Dr. Abou El Fadl also received formal training in Islamic jurisprudence in Egypt and Kuwait.

My quote is not directed at any individual directly or indirectly.

Abou El Fadl argues that in contemporary Muslim societies people tend to become authoritative by imposing a single viewpoint to the total exclusion of others. Shariah (Islamic law) is then invoked to quash debate by people who are themselves not adequately qualified to do so.

To counter this trend Fadl wrote the book "And God Knows the Soldiers" (University Press of America, pp.204, 2002), noting that it was his aim to “challenge those who invoke the moral weight of Islamic law to their side as a way of foreclosing the debate. The message of this book is: "If you carry Islamic law as a weapon to silence others, you better know how to use it.” (p.20)

In America the scholars and writers follow Islamic guidelines of etiquette:

1. AVOID FLAMING which is name calling, personal attacks, and character assassination.

2. STICK TO THE FACTS or at least label speculation as such.

There is no doubt the Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc., respects opposing points of view and people have a right to espouse those points of view. It is my understanding that the Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc., has a bedrock policy to encourage critically constructive discussion and debates. However, discussion should be based on facts and not become shrill and emotional or make uncomplimentary remarks about individuals.

I have been taught that a strong scholar is like a mighty rock who is not shaken but allows the winds of criticism to pass by. A weak debater, lawyer or scholar makes a case with speculative thinking, subjective interpretation and forgets the guidelines of etiquette.

This is a good discussion and extremely important to debate with sincerity as people's lives are at stake. We need to distinguish between the tenets of Islam and cultural customs. My intention is to engage in a scholarly discussion and not to ridicule those who oppose my points of view.

Islam does not mandate or prescribe any specific type of dress. Thus, as long as the dresses are not revealing or too tight, cultural variations can add tremendous diversity in the fulfillment of this guideline.

Hijab, a terminology that is NOT to be found in the Qur'an or Hadith in the context of dress code. (Source: http://www.globalwebpost.com/farooqm/writings/islamic/scarf_...)

A word-for-word translation of the Qur'anic text (Surah 24: 31) will prove my point:

wal yazribna - and should draw

bi-khumurihinna - with their head covering

alaa juyuubihinna - across their bosoms

A Muslim scholar wrote "Surely a female dress covers all of the body except the hair and the face. The verse forcefully commands that these beautiful parts and features should not be displayed to the stranger, but only to the husband and very close relatives."

(Source: Dr. Bashir Ahmad, "Veil/Hijab Becoming a Symbol of American Muslims" in Pakistan Link, August 26, 2005)

The words "except the hair" are the author's own subjective interpretation which he cannot provide proof as these are the Qur'anic words.

The scholars who read ‘The Message of the Qur'an’ ( published by Dar al-Andalus Ltd, 3 Library Ramp, Gibraltar, 1980) wrote, "Muhammad Asad's translation and commentary is widely considered the best in the English language, renowned for its intellectual insight and frequent reference to classical commentaries such as Zamakshari. Asad's interpretation to be the most bona-fide and coherent, it is scrupulously referenced so he does not give his opinion rather quotes some of the greatest scholars after the manifestation of the Qur’an such as Zamakshari, Ibn Kathir as well as Qurtubi to name a few."

Some Muslim scholars are under the impression that the Arab women used to roam around with their head and bosoms totally uncovered; and the Qur’anic verse (24:31) instructed them to pull their ‘khimar’ from their back onto their exposed bosoms. This assumption is correct as it is based on historical facts.

A Qur'anic scholar should know "Asbab Un-Nuzool" causes or reasons for revelations

(of the Qur'aic verses).

On Surah, An-Nur 24: 31, Muhammad Asad gives the translation "… let them draw their head-coverings over their bosoms." In his commentary No. 38, he wrote, "The noun khimar (of which Khumur is the plural) denotes the head-covering customarily used by Arabian women before and after the advent of Islam. According to most of the classical commentators, it was worn in pre-Islamic times more or less as an ornament and was let down loosely over the wearer's back; and since, in accordance with the fashion prevalent at the time, the upper part of a woman's tunic had a wide opening in the front, her breasts were left bare. Hence the injunction to cover the bosom by means of a khimar (a term familiar to the contemporaries of the Prophet) does not necessarily relate to the use of a khimar as such but is, rather, meant to make it clear that a woman's breasts are not included in the concept of "what may decently be apparent" of her body and should not, therefore, be displayed."

The word khumur (singular, khimar), is generally understood to be a head-covering worn by both male and female Arabs at the time of the Prophet. Some Muslims had discussions about whether or not it is permissible to wipe over a head-covering when making ablution for prayer refer to the Prophet wiping over his khimar. (Source: http://www.brandeis.edu/projects/fse/Pages/veilinglink1.html)

"When the pre-Islamic Arabs went to battle, Arab women seeing the men off to war would bare their breasts to encourage them to fight; or they would do so at the battle itself, as in the case of the Makkan women, led by Hind at the Battle of Uhud…….While modesty is a religious prescription, the wearing of a veil is not a religious requirement of Islam, but a matter of cultural milieu." (Cyril Glasse: The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam. Harper and Row Publishers, New York, N.Y., 1989, p. 156 and p. 413).

My main contention is that covering of hair for a woman is not mandatory as written by many scholars including Shaykh Zaki Badawi. Dr. Zaki Badawi (head of the Muslim Council in London, England and the Chairman of the Council of the Mosques and Imams) wrote, "The hijab veil (which covers all of a Muslim woman's hair) is also not obligatory" (Source: http://www.mostmerciful.com/Hijab.htm)

Parents have problems in some Gulf countries where the education ministry, the teachers' union and the students' union had all fallen under Islamist control. One mother described what happened when she moved her 11-year-old daughter to a new school: "After about three months she said: 'Mummy, I want to wear hijab'." The mother, thinking she was too young for hijab, asked her why. A teacher had said the girl's hair would be burnt on Judgment Day if she did not wear it.

Years of research on hijab (head cover) has convinced me to make a challenge. The challenge is for any one ( Muslim or non-Muslim) to prove that the Qur'an mandates the women to cover their hair.

Tajudeen
14 August 2008 at 13:13

The evidences recorded throughout Islamic scholarship over a period of 1400+ years is disputable, or are traditionalists suggesting that all Sunni scholars agree on the validity of every hadith, and are they in denial of the Shia Hadith perspective.

nawawimohamad
15 August 2008 at 11:50

It seems that there are so many scholars here but the whole objective is lost and thus resulting in utter confusion. Please discuss the matter elswhere and ask the learned and not to be self-taught. Ms Malik has clearly implicated that she is not learned enough to delve into the subject, so please the other don't try to be clever.

radius
15 August 2008 at 15:31

"ask the learned and not to be self-taught" - kind of sums up the problem of theistic religion, and the power it exerts. Think for yourself, don't leave thinking to those in authority. This is how people are controlled - sent to war, condemned to poverty, whatever: take the word of the 'learned' and you can believe anything. Moreover, as buddha said, "don't believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations".

fathimah
21 August 2008 at 02:03

peace be upon u zubia...

u gave up hijab for ur own convienience, and because you think it is not necessary and also because it gives bad signals...

but as a muslim women, wearing hijab, i dont feel either of these things..i live in a modern society with all kinds of dressings..n i started wearing hijab with ample knowledge of whether it is required or not..

sometimes the burga is like a burden,.all da clothing seems unnecessary, but a little thinking is required to convince that it is the best thing to do..

a women ( muslim or non muslim) does no harm in being modest..n it is up to muslim women to wear the head covering ( for people like me, who believe in da scholars that it is a necessity we wear it).

well, as u pointed out, some people teach that it is the only way to be modest, which i have nothing to say for or against, but wearing a heardscarf could be the best way to cover yourself as properly as you can..

thnku

fathimah
21 August 2008 at 02:20

if u can find a litlle time to test this out..if ur travelling on a bus on in a crowd where there are lots of people,,plz look around..

if there is a gal whos is wearing a miniskirt, u can see that all the men's gazes are on her,,(this is not an understatement for men..but it is the truth that no1 can deny)..whether ur a father, a husband, ur son or ur brother, the miniskirt would be a distraction (in a very negative way)..there might b a litle percentage of people who resist not to look..but...sadly this litle percentage is does not exist anymore...men defend by sayin that its in their nature..or dat women shouldnt dress like dat if they dont want people to watch..

women defends by sayin that its their freedom, or even if men watch it doesnt matter (wot's da big deal!)..

whthere u are a muslim or not the following is true..

_ no father or mother would want their daughters body to be watched over..

- no mother or father would want their sons to see a skimply dressed women,n (getting bad thoughts)

- no wife would want their husband to watch women in litle clothin

-no husband would want their wife to be attention of other men

so wot is the solution?? do u think there is a solution other than being modest?? if u have give a better idea..

wots da harm in covering up?? if anything..it is harmonius..it gives the peace for the parents minds that their children are in safe hands..and so on..

u can defend and say with all ur strengnth that " the attitude of the society needs to be changed" not the dressing of people..the society is beyond change ..face the truth..the human civiliization have not seen a day that women skimpily dressed doesnt attract men..if people are saying that men can deal with it..then they are going against the biological mechanisms of men and women as we all know..

nawawimohamad
26 August 2008 at 11:35

Zubia may be misguided by her own lack of understanding and self esteem. If one values oneself, than one would not want to be exposed to degradation. But as long as she covers the compulsory parts as agreed by major school of thoughts, then that will be sufficient. There is no point in splitting hairs which will only result in just hot air.