“Veiling is the biggest impediment in the way of conveying Islam in the West.” (Murad Hoffman)

IS HIJAB OK? THREE RULES FOR WOMEN’S DRESS CODE:

ONE: The BEST garment is that of nice, modest conduct (7:26). TWO: Cover your chest in the presence of unrelated men (24:31). THREE: Draw a shawl around your person when outdoors in public (33:59).

THE WORD HIJAB IN THE QUR’AN:
Hijab is the term used by many Muslim women to describe their head cover that may or may not include covering their face except their eyes and sometimes also covering one eye. The Arabic word Hijab can be translated into veil or yashmak. Other meanings for the word Hijab include screen, cover(ing), mantle, curtain, drapes, partition, division, divider etc.

The word “Hijab” appears in the Qur’an seven times, five of them as “Hijab” and twice as “Hijaban”. See 7:46, 17:45, 19:17, 33:53, 38:32, 41:5, 42:51. None of these “Hijab” words are used in the Qur’an in reference to what the traditional Muslims call today as the dress code for the Muslim woman. Hijab in the Qur’an has nothing to do with the women’s dress code.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: While many Muslims call “Hijab”, an Islamic dress code, they completely ignore the fact that, Hijab as a dress code has nothing to do with Islam and nothing to do with the Qur’an.

In reality, “Hijab” is an old Jewish tradition that infiltrated into the Hadith books like many innovations that contaminated Islam through alleged Hadith and Sunnah. Any student of the Jewish traditions will see that head cover for the Jewish woman is encouraged by the Rabbis and religious leaders. Religious Jewish women still cover their heads most of the time and especially in the synagogues, weddings, and religious festivities. This Jewish tradition is a cultural, not a religious one. Hijab was observed by the women of the civilizations that preceded the Jews and was passed down to the Jewish culture.

Christian women cover their heads on many religious occasions while the nuns cover their heads all the time. This religious practice of covering the head was established from traditions thousands of years before the Muslim scholars claimed the Hijab as part of the Muslim women’s dress code. The traditional Arabs of all religions, Jews, Christians and Muslims used to wear “Hijab,” not because of Islam, but because of tradition. In Saudi Arabia, up to this minute most of the men cover their head, not because of Islam but because of tradition. Thank God this tradition for men has not been counted as Islamic dress code yet!

North Africa is known for its Tribe (Tuareg) that have the Muslim men wearing “Hijab” instead of women. Here the tradition has the Hijab in reverse. If wearing Hijab is the exclusive sign of a pious and righteous woman, why do we see so many Hijabi women completely disregarding other essentials of modesty, like wearing tight shirts and jeans, showing the body parts that must be concealed, plus immodest behavior? In brief, Hijab is a tradition and it has nothing to do with Islam.

Mixing religion with tradition is a form of idol-worship, because not knowing (or not trying to find out) what God has asked us to do in His Book, the Qur’an, is a sign of disregarding God and His Message. When tradition supersedes God’s Commandment, the true religion (Deen) takes a second place. But God is always the First and never the second.

JALBAB IN THE QUR’AN: DRAW A SHAWL OVER YOUR PERSON

The first regulation of the Dress Code for Muslim women is in 7:26, the second in 24:31 as we have seen and the third is in 33:59.

7:26 O Children of Adam! We have provided you with garments to cover your bodies as well as to adorn you. The best garment for you to wear, in addition, is good conduct. (Your character decorates you inside out.) These are the verses of God that they must take to heart.

24:31 And tell the believing women to lower their gaze, and guard their modesty. They should not show off their adornment beyond what may be decently and spontaneously apparent. Let them cover their chest area with a light covering. …

33:59 O Prophet! Tell your wives, your daughters, and women of the believers that they should draw their outer garment around their body (when in public). This is easy and proper, so that they may be recognized and not be bothered. God is Absolver of imperfections, Merciful.

Here God sets the other regulation for the dress code for women during the Prophet’s life. This verse does not only address the wives of the Prophet, but also wives of the believers, and therefore, to all believing women.

CONCLUSION: God, the Most Merciful, gave us three basic rules for
the Dress Code for Women in Islam.

ONE: The best garment is that of nice, modest conduct (7:26).
TWO: Cover your chest in the presence of unrelated men. (24:31)
THREE: Draw a shawl around your person when outdoors in public.
(33:59)

While these three basic rules are not enough for those who do not trust God, the true believers know that God is ENOUGH. After these three basic rules every woman can adjust her dress according to a particular situation. Any addition to these basic Qur’anic rules is an attempt to correct God or improve on His Infinite Wisdom. We have no obligation to follow but God’s Rules, just as His Messenger did all the time. Innovations and fabrications that add countless rules to the women dress code are nothing but idol-worship and should be vehemently rejected. Stay with God; that is where the winners go.

Under the authority of Bukhari sharif, want us to believe that Ummahatil Mu’mineen (Mothers of believers) like Aisha r.a. and other Sahabiat (lady companions of the exalted Prophet) used to observe Purdah (veiling or talking from behind a curtain) even to blind men saying, “So what if he cannot see me, I can see him!”

This carries the connotation that even women’s hormone levels are pemanently in danger of revolting, if they can see men. Doesn’t that necessitate all N2I men to wear Burqas and Hijabs? The Number Two Islam (N2I) kills common sense by taking away Reason.