300. The necessity for Hijab in women.
These verses of the Quran (24:31, 33:59) speak about the dress code to be maintained by women.
Prophet Muhammad has has given us guidance regarding the dress code for women as follows:-
To conceal from public all parts of the body except the palms, face, and the feet. Please refer to explanation point 472 to know more.
This dress worn by Muslim women is known by different names as hijab, purdha, burqa, dupatta, dupatti etc.
Some people complain that hijab is an additional burden on women and snatches their rights etc;.
Hijab in fact is a creation to honor and protect women and not a one that snatches their rights.
Similar to Islam all other faiths in our country, and those who do not have belief in any faith, have imposed dress codes on women, and activists who fight for women’s rights express themselves unknowingly, the fact that dress code is necessary in women.
The thought of everyone is that women should cover themselves more than men. Here all others differ with Islam in charting the quantum of the “more” that has to be concealed.
A toiling male works scantily dressed, and also presents himself in the same attire. The same is not expected from a woman of the same class of work. Women belonging to the same class of workforce are not allowed to work without any covering on their upper part of their body, or wearing shorts.
All those progressive men do allow their wives, mothers, and their sisters to present themselves in such scanty attires.
In the same way middle aged and wealthy men remain scantily dressed at home in front of other members of the family, the same cannot be seen in the case of their womenfolk nor can anyone expect the same.
Women do not dress scantily not only in front of other males ,but also their own household males, to say more specifically even in front of women.
This attitude is a proof of the requirement in women that they need to cover themselves more than men.
By their actions the women agree they need to cover more parts of their bodies than men. There is a difference of opinion between others and Islam regarding the measure and extent the parts need to be concealed. Because Islam has not granted the freedom in dressing like it has done to men.
Now let us proceed to look how hijab provides security and honor to women.
We are created as men and women attracted to each other, and we should understand the differences in the likings and dislikings of each.
Men are attracted towards women by their color, beauty, youth, development of their features etc;. This is the reason when women are dressed scantily or when they are clad in tight fitting dresses, men are attracted more towards them. Though there are exceptions to this.
But the preferences of women are not of the same liking. They are not attracted by the bodily features of men and would not prefer to look at them repeatedly even if they (men) are scantily dressed.
People who make porn movies and books do not show much interest in commercialising the contents of men in their creations than of women.
In this world where men and women live mixedly, determining the dress of women based only on their fundamental needs is not justified. It should be determined based on the attractions of men towards tham. This is necessary taking into consideration the duty of both sexes, towards leading a chaste and moral life in this world.
The parts of a woman’s body which the alien men would like to fancy should be concealed from them.
Some may pose a question as to what is going to be lost, when such female parts are exposed. The question by itself is wrong. We witness the consequences of such a behaviour in our everyday life. If a person happens to encounter a female more attractive than his wife, he does not stop with being merely attracted, he tries to lay his hands illegally on her, by all means, resulting in rape, murder etc;. This can be witnessed every other day in our life.
Even people who do not stoop down to such a low level, do reminisce the thoughts of the other women to the extent they lose interest in their own wives.
The reason the world is lagging far behind in maintaining moral standards starts with the scantily dressed women who tend to attract men towards them.
Similar to men looking at women with passion ,the same is done by women towards men, is the argument by some. Even taking this argument to be true, this is not strong enough to justify a refusal of the hijab.
Because men can enjoy the beauty of women and forcefully subject them to be preyed upon. But at the same time women cannot force themselves upon men as long as they are not roused by the woman.
In such a situation however scantily a man is dressed it does not affect him in any way. But there is no doubt that a women in her scant dress will definitely be affected by the actions of men aroused by her dress.
People who find fault with hijab never give a thought to the women who are forcefully assaulted by men against their wishes, losing their rights, femininity, self-respect etc;.
People who are protesting against the everyday occurrence of rapes, and various atrocities on women,call for Islamic laws to be implemented in India.
But these people forget the reason for arousing men to this extent is the scantily dressed women. What is the justification in forgetting the reasons behind the act, and targeting only the after effects of the act.
We witness women’s rights activists tearing off obscene posters of women, defacing obscene posters of women, etc;, doesn’t this convey that women are required to be clad in more decent dresses, and do not these people accept inwardly their consciousness prodding them?
Their claim that a particular actress is taking advantage of her rights as a woman and exposing more of herself, and that particular scene is shot with her approval, comes to a naught when the same women’s right activists removes and defaces such obscene posters. Doesn’t this amount to interference in her rights as a woman?
Their conscience accepts that woman’s body need to be concealed can be seen by their very acts as specified by Islam.
When the whole body of women are seen as an object of pleasure, some question the wisdom of exposing the face, the hands upto the wrists and the feet in Islam.
For reasons justified Islam exempts these parts from being covered.
Be it men or women, very few live a virtuous life by fearing God. But most of them maintain integrity, morality etc;, with the apprehension that people around them are very well known to them, and any misbehaviour would send a wrong opinion about these people to those around. This is one of the reasons that people with morality and integrity misbehave once they leave their own shores.
When a woman veils her face, it is difficult for others to identify her, and she gets encouraged to do things that are not in consonance with Islam. When she feels nobody can find out who she is while in a veil, she gets the courage to go around with alien men. And the world starts believing she is going around with her husband. If a command is given to cover the face of a woman, it ends up encouraging to do wrong acts.
Not only women, even men if allowed to work under a veil could be seen to expose their real self. At least the fear of society, if not the fear of God, should prevail upon people to maintain morality and integrity.
This is the reason why women are not allowed to cover their face.
Please refer to explanation point 472 to know more about why covering the face of women is not allowed in Islam.
The hands of women need to remain exposed for the various activities they carry out everyday, if they are concealed the women would find it difficult to involve themselves in their various tasks. Islam does not say women to cover their feet.
Except these the other parts of the women’s body play a great role in arousing men. They are a challenge to morality, and there is no need for them to be exposed.
The argument that a dress covering all other parts except the face and the hands of a woman is detrimental to her progress cannot be accepted.
The many leaders of this nation as well as that of other countries, have their bodies covered completely except their face and hands, posing no hindrances to their way of performing their tasks.
Men who hold high positions do not wear dresses exposing their navel, nor do they wear a frock exposing their legs up to the ankles.
How could the argument that women need to cover themselves lesser than men be accepted?
Naming pervasion as freedom cannot be accepted.
Men dressed in a manner that does not affect anyone do keep progressing.
Women who get to dress themselves scantily affect others on the contrary is surprising.
Recent findings point out that, scantily dressed women play a major role in affecting men.
The men who are attracted towards scantily dressed women get aroused, and as a result a leak from their private parts is induced leading to a drop in their vitality is being found out in the recent researches.
The women do not achieve their required satisfaction with men. This exposes the need for a hijab in women.
We need to point out that, the hijab need not necessarily of a particular color, it can be of any color provided it covers all parts except the face ,hands, and feet, and not tightly fitting.
Wearing of the hijab is stressed in Islam, to protect women from perverse men, and to establish morality in the society.
Hijab cannot be found fault with, after the effects suffered by mankind in the name of dress freedom in the western world.
