“Young women put on a hijab and go dancing, wearing high heels and lipstick. They wear tight jeans that show their bellies,” 75-year old Nawal Al-Saadawi, Egypt’s leading feminist, noted recently. She is bitter at how the covering of a women’s head has been misrepresented as an act of piety and the defining symbol of Islam.
April 18, 2007
By Farzana Hassan
and Tarek Fatah
The Globe and Mail, Toronto
Originally a source of modesty, the hijab, or Muslim head scarf, has become a political tool.
Its latest manifestation came this week with the sight of 10-year old Muslim girls refusing to give up their hijab in a Quebec tae kwon do tournament, when the helmets would have served the same purpose of modesty and much more.
All Canadian women have, at some time in their lives, chosen to wear a head cover. In blinding snow storms or freezing rain, the covering of the head, irrespective of what religion one practises, is crucial to one’s survival.
Halfway across the world, in the deserts of Arabia, whether one was a Muslim or a pagan, the covering of one’s head and face was an absolute necessity — not just when facing a blistering sandstorm, but any time one stepped out of the home in the searing sun.
What was essentially attire for a particular climate and weather has been turned into a modern symbol of defiance and, at best, a show of piety by Islamists and orthodox Muslims.
There is not a single reference in the Koran that obliges Muslim women to cover their hair or their face. The only verse that comes close to such a dress code (Sura 24, “The Light,” verse 31) directs believing women to let their head coverings obscure their bosoms.
Yet, in the past few decades, Islamists and orthodox Muslims have made the covering of a woman’s head the cornerstone of Muslim identity. The head cover been pushed as a symbol of piety and only the Egyptian and Saudi version of the head cover — the hijab — is considered worthy of respect. Coverings that originate in South Asia, the sari or the dupatta, have been relegated as less authentic under Islam.
It is true that through history, Muslim women have chosen to wear the hijab for reasons of modesty. Today, however, some wear it for the opposite reason. “Young women put on a hijab and go dancing, wearing high heels and lipstick. They wear tight jeans that show their bellies,” 75-year old Nawal Al-Saadawi, Egypt’s leading feminist, noted recently. She is bitter at how the covering of a women’s head has been misrepresented as an act of piety and the most defining symbol of Islam.
Beyond fashion, however, this supposed symbol of modesty has assumed a decidedly political and religious tenor, dominating the debate on civil liberties and religious freedoms in the West. Any opposition to the hijab is viewed as a manifestation of Islamophobia.
This was the argument when young Asmahan Mansour was barred from a soccer league in Quebec, as she refused to remove her hijab while playing the sport. Quebec’s electoral officer recently moved to disallow fully veiled Muslim women from voting, as they would not be able to identify themselves adequately.
The piece of cloth becomes a subject of controversy also because those who favour its use claim it is religiously mandated and regard its use as their Charter-protected right. To dispense with the garment while playing a sport would amount to committing a sacrilege.
An inquiry into historical precedent, however, suggests the Koran does not mandate the hijab at all.
It should be noted that the khimar, a head scarf that predated the hijab, was worn by Arab women before the Koran’s stipulations on modesty of dress and demeanour. Verse 24:31 did not introduce the garment, but modified its use when it said that Muslim women should “wear their head-coverings over their bosoms” — previously, they were left bare, although decked with jewellery and ornaments.
The intent of the verse was to exhort believing women to cover their nakedness rather than their hair, which was left partially uncovered even though the khimar was a head dress.
Moreover, the khimar was never rooted in religious precept — it was rooted in custom. Modifications for its use were introduced into Islamic practice when the religion spread into Byzantine and Persian territories, where once again the head dress was prevalent as a social custom.
The khimar was also a symbol of class and distinction rather than of religion precept in pre-Islamic and early Islamic history. Indeed, there existed a hierarchy of sorts where slave women were actually barred from veiling.
Omar bin Khattab, Islam’s second caliph, for example, ordered harsh treatment to slave women who donned the veil. Surely, if the veil was based on religious precept, its use would not be enforced so selectively.
Therefore, to turn the hijab or khimar into a religious and political issue belies its original intent. Muslim women who so vociferously defend its religious use should consider its history before determining whether they must wear it.
Islamists have turned the hijab into the central pillar of Islam. They consider Muslim women who do not cover their heads — the vast majority — as sinners or lesser Muslims. They should come out and debate the issue rather than using young Muslim girls as shields to pursue a political agenda.
I don’t contradict what you say. But wearing hijab i.e. head covering, and insisting on wearing it either as a religious custom or cultural heritage is nothing wrong. Being a Punjabi Muslim you should have heard the song — Pagdi sambhal oh Jatta, a very patriotic Punjabi peasant song. Wearing of a pagdi is a cultural tradition cherished with utmost respect there. It is not so in other parts of the country while in some other parts the custom is there but not so particularly felt. So what is wrong in a person wearing a pagdi? If nothing wrong in wearing a hat or topi, nothing wrong in that either. If pagdi is allowed for men why not women wear hijab? What you say is true. A century or more back, women, especially rural women, did not wear anything to cover breasts or only scant cloth covering their breasts. This was more of a custom in Kerala with Malayali rural women even till 1960s or so. In tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh even today you find several women with no breast coverings.
The purpose of the hijab is to transform you into a better person but if you still going around doing stupid,sinful acts then might as well take it off and show people who you really are because you are disgracing the rest of the women who wear hijab properly and modestly.
I’m a practicing Muslim. I wear Hijab to Muslim events, Masjids and prayers.
Im 54 years old and the Quran states that women beyond child bearing age can relax the covering but to dress.modestly. These young women that wear hijabs are embarrassing with their actions in public. They curse, they are loud and rude. Not all but most. Do you think that Allah is please when you misrepresent Our religion. It makes it harder for the younger women to wear hijab in peace because society thinks you are going to act like ratchet animals. So be careful who you judge if you see me without Hijab.
So let me get this straight. The men telling me to cover my head are wrong, but you - another man - telling me to not cover my head is right?
I am so FREAKING sick of men deciding what I should and shouldn’t wear. Please take your pathetic little article, fold it until it is all sharp corners, and forcibly insert it in your backside.
Dear Yasmin, try that tired worn-out script with some bleeding-heart White liberal, not me. This proverbial condom implanted on the heads of some Muslim women in the West is nothing more than the flag of the Muslim Brotherhood being used to show a middle finger to the West.
If you are “so FREAKING sick of men deciding” what you should wear, then why do you follow the diktats of the men who force you to wear what you wear? Its not as if ‘Liberty’ in the 7th, 8th, or 9th century led the charge against the Bastille, screaming “I shall cover my head because otherwise the men around me get sexually aroused.”
You wear the damn hijab, because some men, dead and alive, TOLD you to do so. So stop invoking feminism to cover your complicity in women being treated as the source of sin. You may be comfortable with the idea that you are the property of men in your life, tied up like cattle at the back of the bus, but I as a fellow human am not going to be told I should not fight slavery.
Has your style changed in the last 7 years? You seem to be provocative now, to the point of being offensive, whereas the article from 2007 is in itself quite mild.
Actions are rewarded by thier intentions , those who do something for Allah and the beloved messenger of Allah then they will receive Allah and the messenger of Allah , and those who do it for worldly gains then they’ll get whatever pety thing that is. Remember Allah is most merciful and most forgiving and remember Allah never forgets so fear your lord, do you believe that one day you will not meet your lord and you will not need to answer for your actions?
Muslims should love one another to the point that when they debate amongst each other they should be worried that they themselve might be right , which would mean that their brother/sister will have to answer for thier
Great answer Tarek.
I have always been a great fan of yours and we need more Tarek to show the world that Islam is nothing but a political ideology. Because of your videos and people like you (Majeed Nawaz, Hassan Nissar, Irshad Manzi and others), I bought the quran.
I read it. Then I read the Hadiths and the Sunnah. Now I have all the knowledge I need to know about Islam. Now I debate with my muslim friends intellectually and they are left with no answers. Thanks to you for letting me know the truth about Islam. I owe you all and will try my best to raise more and more valid questions from quran, hadiths and sunnah and let our muslim brothers and sisters find the answers from it.
Yes. if you are right, you don’t need to cover your face or hair !You don’t need to show anyone, you are fair or unfair. Keep it in your mind and move like others. You should not look to others as uncovered are doing sin and crime! Its not said in holly quran!
It is not men who made up the Islamic rules but these rules came from Allah. My dear sisters don t let you get confused about de current filosofer s with there own interpretation of the Quran/sunnah.
Wear the Hijaab and be proud of it. My sisters wearing it, my dear mother wears it, my wife wears it and in shaa Allah my daughters wil wear it. You women are precious for us. Like diamant s. Paradise is under the feet s of our mothers and not the father. I love my mother mutch more then my father.
Wear the Hijaab with proud and respect to become a hesitant of al Jannah.
And only take proof from the Quran and the sunnah of our beloved prophet Muhammed Pease be upon him.
Dear Ibrahim, you make your wife and sister wear the Muslim Brotherhood flag on their heads while you hide behind them like a coward. Why don’t you wear a hijab?
Flag of the Muslim brotherhood ? Coward? The reason why I don t wear the hiyaab is that is not for men. We Muslim men leave our beards to distinguish us from the women and the not Muslim.
I want to look like our beloved prophet Muhammed (Pease and blessings be upon him). I want to obey Allah! I want that Allah will be pleased with me. I want Al- Jannah! And that is my goal. I don t know how the women in you re house dress them self or how they cover them self up? But I can imagine it by you re way of thinking. You prefer the ratio upon The Words of Allah and the Sunnah of Muhammed (Pease and blessings be upon him )? You are those who wants the see God als proof of His excistend, but you can’t even look strait in to the sun.
And there is no need for calling people a Coward who you don’t know. This only shows, again, that you are limited In thinking and not yet muture. However Allah loves to forgive, and in the name of Allah: I forgive you my brother.
Prophet Muhammad had a beard and so did Abu Jehal and Abu Lahad. Beard is not a part of Islam, it was the fashion of the day and a convenience since safety razors were not invented yet. By definition keeping a beard and calling it a part of Islam is Biddat (Biddah, for your Arabs) and a sin.
If you look to the sun, you will go blind.
In Christian scripture, when St Paul saw a vision of Jesus Christ, he went blind, on the road to Damascus.
In Jewish scripture, God “appeared” to his Prophet as a burning flame, too bright to look upon, a flame upon a bush which “burned and yet was not consumed”.
Humanity often conceives of the Deity as being at least metaphorically, an overwhelmingly bright light.
You are definitely right; some of us Muslims take whims of Clerks too seriously but I agree with Mr Fateh that it is not the will of Quran to enforce Hijab etc. It is a tribal Beduin custom and Al-Azhar University has confirmed this.
Great article. very articulate and to the point. It breaks my heart to see all these women who are rebelling against their own rights. I have seen so many dumbfounded men who are finding their wives with Hijab, or worse, Niqab. These men are not locking their wives in houses, these women are screaming to be locked up. These women don’t listen to their own husbands but gladly take advise from the likes of Farhat Hashmi and other so called Muftis who believe that it perfectly OK to stay stuck in the 7th century Arabia.
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaving the beard is haraam because of the saheeh ahaadeeth that clearly state this, and because of the general application of texts that forbid resembling the non moslims. One of these reports is the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar who said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Be different from the mushrikeen: let your beards grow and trim your moustaches.” According to another report: “Trim your moustaches and let your beards grow.” There are other hadeeth which convey the same meaning, which is to leave the beard as it is and let it grow long, without shaving, plucking or cutting any part of it. Ibn Hazm reported that there was scholarly consensus that it is an obligation (fard) to trim the moustache and let the beard grow. He quoted a number of ahaadeeth as evidence, including the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) quoted above, and the hadeeth of Zayd ibn Arqam in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not remove any of his moustache is not one of us.” (Classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi). Ibn Hazm said in al-Furoo’: “This is the way of our colleagues [i.e., the Hanbalis].”
@Progress: Razors have been identified from many Bronze Age cultures. These were made of bronze or obsidian and were generally oval in shape, with a small tang protruding from one of the short ends.
Various forms of razors were used throughout history, which are different in appearance but similar in use to modern straight razors. In prehistoric times clam shells, shark teeth, and flint were sharpened and used to shave with. Drawings of such blades were found in prehistoric caves. Some tribes still use blades made of flint to this day. Excavations in Egypt have unearthed solid gold and copper razors in tombs dating back to the 4th millennium BC. The Roman historian Livy reported that the razor was introduced in ancient Rome in the 6th century BC. by legendary king Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. Priscus was ahead of his time because razors did not come to general use until a century later.
No razors in that time right?
Please read my comment again, I said safety razors, not razors.
@Zee:
So hijaab is like being locked up? Wow that’s a nice way to exaggerate.
to the fact that you are saying that it breaks you’re hart means that you’re emotions is taking controle over you’re mind.
Quote: these women are screaming to be locked up. End quote. Again nicely acted.
you are acting like every Muslim women does not like te wear the Hijaab. Then answer this questions please, why is de islam the fasted growing religion on the planet? And why are there so many women that converting to Islam? And why are sweet candy/chocolate wrapped in paper?
(Forgive my English, I’m a non-English speaking)
I have no problems with your English, just your thinking. May be I did let my emotions take over my judgement for a minute, because I have actually seen women and young girls in my family who have decided to lock themselves in their houses, because some idiot Mufti has told them that women shouldn’t leave their houses unless it is absolutely necessary. Do you see what I am saying now? and this wave of religiosity is all interconnected, some stop at Hijab, some do Niqab and some go the extent of locking themselves up. I have to concede that a woman, just like a man, has every right to do what she pleases, included self-imprisonment, but I too have every right to speak out against it, as I do not believe that any of this is a part of Islam. You can disagree with me, and that is your right. I do not believe in most of the Hadith, as they were mostly invented between the 9th and 11th centuries and some as recently as the last 19th century. And please don’t bring in the Sahee argument, Imam Bukhari was born in 810AD, two hundred years after Muhammad (PBUH)’s death and 150 years after the battle of Karbala when Muhammad’s literal blood was shed, how can I believe that Imam Bukhari had any way of knowing which hadith was genuine and which was not?
So your name is Ibrahim? Let me tell you something since you have mentioned Prophet Muhammad (PBUH as you say).
In Quran 4:48 Muhammad tells us that if you swear by something then other than allah you have committed shirk. you say I swear on my mothers grave you are guilty of shirk. you find these in all 6 collections of Ahadith. Go and look at all the below passages please:
Sahih al-Bukhari 6108, Sahih Muslim 40-40, Sunan Abu Dawud 3242, Sunan an-Nasai 3795, Sunan Ibn Majah 2095, Jami at tirmidhi 1534. Why is it wrong to swear something other than allah? Muhammad tells us in Jami at tirmidhi 1535 Ibn Umar said “Nothing is sworn by other than Allah, for I heard the Messenger of allah say: “whoever swears by other than allah, he has committed disbelief or shirk.”
According to Muhammad anyone who swears something other than allah had made it a partner of allah. He has committed shirk. now that we understand how shirk works Lets have some fun. Shall we? In the quran Allah swears over and over again by the quran. sura 36:2, 38:1, 43:2, 50:1 Allah swears by the quan but Muhammad said that when you swear by something other than allah you are making it a partner with allah. therefore the quran is the partner of allah. The worst possible sin. Clears the confusion about shirk. Awesome!!! Allah does not stop here. he swears by Muhammad’s life. Sura 15:72 O my beloved prophet I swear by your life. This is what allah says.
Allah swears by Muhammad’s life making Muhammad a partner of allah. But this is not surprising because muslims
dont treat Muhammad like a human profit. The Danish cartoon issue and Charlie Hebdo are biggest example of it. If you draw pictures of Jesus, Moses or anyone else you wont die but you die pictures of Muhammad and you sure will die.
So who is Muhammad?
Muhammad is Allah’s partner. But allah does not stop here. He has Angel as partners as well. Sura 77:5, 79:1, So we can clearly conclude that Angels are Allah’s divine partners. Sura 81:15, 85:1, 56:75, 91:1, 91:6, 74:32, 89:1, 84:16, 92:1, 86:11, 51:1, 90:1(Mecca), 68:1, 52:1, 89:3, 95:1. Amazing! Isnt it? Allah has lot of partners.
When you swear you are trying to mention the importance of the one you swearing by. and anything that is created is insignificant one can bear to allah SBT the creator. so then we dont swear by anyone by allah.
Allah does not stop here.
he goes far deeper than this. Allah swears with the seen and unseen as well. What? Am I crazy? Its not me. Its the quran which says so. Lets see. sura 69:38-39, i swear by that which you see, and that which you do not see. Oh my god! allah swears by everything that is seen and everything that is unseen. Its means everything and if allah swears with everything than everything is a partner of allah (he is partnering with everything). It means that Islam is not a monoetheist religion as Muhammad says.
It is fully polyetheist.
Allah says he swears with everything which he sees. For example allah can see a snake, lion, donkey and ofcourse a pig. So allah swear with pig? but Muhammad says that when you swear by something other than allah then you have made it partner with allah. So allah has made the snake lion, donkey and a pig a partner. So are the muslims ready to worship the snake, lion, donkey and pig?
Allah swears by everything seen and unseen. He swears by rats, dogs, alcohol, drugs, pornography, AIDS and allah swears by satan himself (the unseen). And when allah swore on these things from all eternity in his eternal partner the quran he associated all of them with himself committing more shirk than the worst meccan polyetheist Pagans. Sura 2:22 Do not set up rivals to allah while you know.
The more knowledge you have, the more you read the quran you will understand more about islam. so read each and every page of Islam and the hadiths and find out the truth about islam. and let our muslims brothers and sisters know about their own book how great it is.
No doubt allah’s knowledge is supposedly greater
than anyone else’s and allah knew exactly what he was doing when he set up literally everything as his partner. allah unlike the meccan pagan cant appeal to ignorance. So just cutting the crap and letting you know.
Shirk is the worst possible sin. you commit shirk when you swear something by anyone other than allah since allah swears by everything seen and unseen allah (is the worst of sinners) has committed more shirk than anyone else and because allah knows more than anyone else he is more responsible than anyone else when he commits the worst possible sin over and over again. according to muhammad and quran then allah is the worst sinner the most wicked idolator the most despicalbe mushrik who has ever existed.
I hope I have cleared your confusion about Muhammad???
You are comparing women with candy? could you not think of something better. Candy/chocolate is made from cocoa, it is not cover, neither is sugar. why people obssessed with women’s clothing and hair?
quite misleading article, not everything is mentioned in Quran there are thing mentioned in Ahadees also. HIJAB is PREFERABLE not FARZ and Hijab in actual mean is to wear clothes which do not REVEAL Body ( but majority believe it to be like covering head and wearing SKIN FITTED Clothes. There are steps in Hijaab 1st Clothes which do not reveal body than comes Covering your head, 3rd covering your head and 4th is covering your hands and eyes. The more women can cover the better it is.
Than this article is mentioning about its Men who told Women to wear hijaab.Well Sisters that is something i agree because according to Islam Women are the most precious things for Men as they are wives, sisters and mothers and no men wants his mother, sister and wife to be revealing.
One more thing i didnt remember its a Hadith or in Quran but its like “When Allah Created Women Satan said thats it i got the best thing to mislead Mankind” so thats another thing why Hijaab is preferred.
Praise to be Allah
@Humair: pleas when you are talking about islam, only talk with evidence from the Quran or the Sunnah and name the source.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The conditions of hijaab:
Firstly:
(It should cover all the body apart from whatever has been exempted).
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O 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. And Allaah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
This aayah clearly states that it is obligatory to cover all of a woman’s beauty and adornments and not to display any part of that before non-mahram men (“strangers”) except for whatever appears unintentionally, in which case there will be no sin on them if they hasten to cover it up.
Al-Haafiz ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer:
This means that they should not display any part of their adornment to non-mahrams, apart from that which it is impossible to conceal. Ibn Mas’ood said: such as the cloak and robe, i.e., what the women of the Arabs used to wear, an outer garment which covered whatever the woman was wearing, except for whatever appeared from beneath the outer garment. There is no sin on a woman with regard to this because it is impossible to conceal it.
Secondly
(it should not be an adornment in and of itself).
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“… and not to show off their adornment…” [al-Noor 24:31]. The general meaning of this phrase includes the outer garment, because if it is decorated it will attract men’s attention to her. This is supported by the aayah in Soorat al-Ahzaab (interpretation of the meaning):
“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance” [al-Ahzaab 33:33]. It is also supported by the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three, do not ask me about them: a man who leaves the jamaa’ah, disobeys his leader and dies disobedient; a female or male slave who runs away then dies; and a woman whose husband is absent and left her with everything she needs, and after he left she made a wanton display of herself. Do not ask about them.”
(Narrated by al-Haakim, 1/119; Ahmad, 6/19; from the hadeeth of Faddaalah bint ‘Ubayd. Its isnaad is saheeh and it is in al-Adab al-Mufrad).
Thirdly:
(It should be thick and not transparent or “see-thru”)
- because it cannot cover properly otherwise. Transparent or see-thru clothing makes a woman more tempting and beautiful. Concerning this the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “During the last days of my ummah there will be women who are clothed but naked, with something on their heads like the humps of camels. Curse them, for they are cursed.” Another hadeeth adds: “They will not enter Paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be detected from such and such a distance.”
(Narrated by Muslim from the report of Abu Hurayrah).
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) meant was women who wear clothes made of light fabric which describes and does not cover. They are clothed in name but naked in reality.
Transmitted by al-Suyooti in Tanweer al-Hawaalik, 3/103.
Fourthly:
(It should be loose, not tight so that it describes any part of the body).
The purpose of clothing is to prevent fitnah (temptation), and this can only be achieved if clothes are wide and loose. Tight clothes, even if they conceal the colour of the skin, still describe the size and shape of the body or part of it, and create a vivid image in the minds of men. The corruption or invitation to corruption that is inherent in that is quite obvious. So the clothes must be wide. Usaamah ibn Zayd said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave me a thick Egyptian garment that was one of the gifts given to him by Duhyat al-Kalbi, and I gave it to my wife to wear. He said, ‘Why do I not see you wearing that Egyptian garment?’ I said, ‘I gave it to my wife to wear.’ He said, ‘Tell her to wear a gown underneath it, for I am afraid that it may describe the size of her bones.’” (Narrated by al-Diyaa’ al-Maqdisi in al-Ahaadeeth al-Mukhtaarah, 1/442, and by Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi, with a hasan isnaad).
Fifthly:
(It should not be perfumed with bakhoor or fragrance)
There are many ahaadeeth which forbid women to wear perfume when they go out of their houses. We will quote here some of those which have saheeh isnaads:
Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Any woman who puts on perfume then passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, is an adulteress.”
Zaynab al-Thaqafiyyah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If any one of you (women) goes out to the mosque, let her not touch any perfume.”
Abu Hurayrah said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Any woman who has scented herself with bakhoor (incense), let her not attend ‘Ishaa’ prayers with us.”
Moosa ibn Yassaar said that a woman passed by Abu Hurayrah and her scent was overpowering. He said, “O female slave of al-Jabbaar, are you going to the mosque?” She said, “Yes,” He said, “And have you put on perfume because of that?” She said, “Yes.” He said, “Go back and wash yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘If a woman comes out to the mosque and her fragrance is overpowering, Allaah will not accept any prayer from her until she goes home and washes herself.’”
These ahaadeeth are general in implication. Just as the prohibition covers perfume applied to the body, it also covers perfume applied to the clothes, especially in the third hadeeth, where bakhoor (incense) is mentioned, because incense is used specifically to perfume the clothes.
The reason for this prohibition is quite clear, which is that women’s fragrance may cause undue provocation of desires. The scholars also included other things under this heading of things to be avoided by women who want to go to the mosque, such as beautiful clothes, jewellery that can be seen, excessive adornments and mingling with men. See Fath al-Baari, 2/279.
Ibn Daqeeq al-‘Eed said:
This indicates that it is forbidden for a woman who wants to go to the mosque to wear perfume, because this causes provocation of men’s desires. This was reported by al-Manaawi in Fayd al-Qadeer, in the commentary on the first hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah quoted above.
Sixthly:
(It should not resemble the clothing of men)
It was reported in the saheeh ahaadeeth that a woman who imitates men in dress or in other ways is cursed. There follow some of the ahaadeeth that we know:
Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the man who wears women’s clothes, and the woman who wears men’s clothes.”
‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘They are not part of us, the women who imitate men and the men who imitate women.’”
Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed effeminate men and masculine women. He said, ‘Throw them out of your houses.’” He said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) expelled So and so, and ‘Umar expelled So and so.” According to another version: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men.”
‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘There are three who will not enter Paradise and Allaah will not even look at them on the Day of Resurrection: one who disobeys his parents, a woman who imitates men, and the duyooth (cuckold, weak man who feels no jealousy over his womenfolk).”
Ibn Abi Maleekah – whose name was ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Ubayd-Allaah – said: “It was said to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), ‘What if a woman wears (men’s) sandals?’ She said: ‘The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed women who act like men.’”
These ahaadeeth clearly indicate that it is forbidden for women to imitate men and vice versa, This usually includes dress and other matters, apart from the first hadeeth quoted above, which refers to dress only.
Abu Dawood said, in Masaa’il al-Imaam Ahmad (p. 261): “I heard Ahmad being asked about a man who dresses his slave woman in a tunic. He said, ‘Do not clothe her in men’s garments, do not make her look like a man.” Abu Dawood said: “I said to Ahmad, Can he give her bachelor sandals to wear? He said, No, unless she wears them to do wudoo’. I said, What about for beauty? He said, No. I said, Can he cut her hair short? He said, No.”
Seventhly:
(It should not resemble the dress of kaafir women).
It is stated in sharee’ah that Muslims, men and women alike, should not resemble or imitate the kuffaar with regard to worship, festivals or clothing that is specific to them. This is an important Islamic principle which nowadays, unfortunately, is neglected by many Muslims, even those who care about religion and calling others to Islam. This is due either to ignorance of their religion, or because they are following their own whims and desires, or because of deviation, combined with modern customs and imitation of kaafir Europe. This was one of the causes of the Muslims’ decline and weakness, which enabled the foreigners to overwhelm and colonize them. “…Verily, Allaah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change their state themselves …” [al-Ra’d 13:11 – interpretation of the meaning]. If only they knew.
It should be known that there is a great deal of saheeh evidence for these important rules in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and that the evidence in the Qur’aan is elaborated upon in the Sunnah, as is always the case.
Eighthly:
(It should not be a garment of fame and vanity).
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever wears a garment of fame and vanity in this world, Allaah will clothe him in a garment of humiliation on the Day of Resurrection, then He will cause Fire to flame up around him.’”
(Hijaab al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, p. 54-67).
And Allaah knows best.
This guy Ibrahim, He must be from 8th century. Problem with this guy is, He is a radical sort of guy. He does not want to be rational and quotes everything from Koran which different people interpreted in different ways. My dear bro, why don’t you accept that no religion is perfect and yours is not an exception. Let me tell you one more thing, westerners are so forward because they give least importance to religion and more to welfare, equality and freedom. I just hope one day people like you accept the truth and move forward with open mind.
Praise be to Allah.
@Subbu:
Strange way of thinking that Islam is not perfect, that concludes that you are a non muslim. If you don’t believe in the Islam beining perfect, that is you’re way of thinking.
And saying that I am a radical in the way that I take blindly everything from the Quran, and don’t forget, and the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him). Then let me confirm openly that I am a “radical muslim”. I do take everything from the Quran and the Sunnah. Because they are perfect and Devine laws. About the west being “so forward”, If it wasn’t for the muslims then the medical world would not be as strong as it is today. If it wasn’t for the muslims then a lot of social security dint excist today. I can go on and on:
-Mathematics
-Astronomy
-Medicine
-Physics
-Alchemy and chemistry
-Cosmology
-Ophthalmology
-Geography and cartography
-Sociology
-Psychology
So have a little respect for the religion that has Learned you how to right, read and count.
About welfare, equality and freedom:
How many families living in poverty. If we divided this group of poor beyond one gets the following picture: 12.7 percent are white, 27.2 percent African Americans, and 26.6 percent of Latinos. Equality you say?? The same thing with getting a job. Equality you say? The same thing with education. Equality you say? Go to Mekka (SA) and you will see by yourself what real equality means. In the Islam there is no diverence of color, nationality, poor or rich.
The west is going down, look at the economie. They are glozz over the truth.
So my dear “Bro”, why can’t you accept that the Islam is the only true perfect religion?
Also I’m inviting every person man and women to accept Islam.
Please do research about Islam. Read books about the Islam written by great Islamic scolors.
Don’t take everything Al’s the truth what you see on the television. Know that there is a hereafter. Know that we going to meet our Maker.
And Allaah is the Source of strength
Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves.
George Gordon Byron
Hijab is not an Islamic Duty, confirmed by Al-Azhar University and I am sure scholars there know Hadis and Quran better than all of us and they confirm what Mr Tarek Fateh has written.
http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/06/45564/hijab-is-not-an-islamic-duty-scholar/
We all have our interpretations of right or wrong ultimately we all have to answer to the same god regardless of what ever way you have to address our creator so ultimately we are all responsible for our individual actions and in the end we will all be held to account for our lifetime of actions ladies men children