Women's Decision to Wear the Hijab Is Also a Part of Freedom
By Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam
10 June 2023
Wearing the Hijab Is Also Freedom, Just
As Not Wearing One Is
Main Points:
1.
Islam
is a religion that everyone has the freedom to practise, and women who follow
its teachings are free to do so.
2.
Muslim
women must wear the veil to obey their Lord, Allah Almighty, not only for
chastity matter but also in obedience to Him.
3.
It
is important to consider other factors when analysing freedom, such as women's
freedom to wear or not wear the veil.
----
If women's refusal to wear the Hijab or the
Purdah on the basis of their will constitutes freedom, then their decision to
wear the Hijab on that basis also qualifies as freedom.
Some contend that Islam has deprived women
of their freedom by mandating the veil. This is not true because Islam has
actually given women freedom from evil eyes.
Islam is a religion that I believe everyone
has the freedom to practise. The ability to exercise the religion of one's
choice is one definition of freedom, and in this sense, a woman who follows the
teachings of Islam is completely free to do so.
It seems to reason that anyone who supports
limiting this religious freedom would also be perceived as limiting the freedom
of women.
Because the Quran makes no explicit mention
of the Niqab, some people seek to confuse the terms Hijab, Niqab, and Purdah.
Islam has made it unquestionably mandatory for women to cover themselves in
some way, whether that be with a Hijab, Niqab, or Dupatta.
Regardless of the type of clothing used, Muslim women must cover their entire
bodies, including their heads, in front of non-Mahrams. With this
interpretation, a Muslim woman is free to wear Hijab, Niqab or Burqa. This is
her freedom—freedom from lustful eyes.
The most crucial factor for a practical
Muslim woman is that she obeys her Lord, Allah Almighty, by wearing the veil.
She is required to wear the veil, even in front of others who might have
admiring or good eyes and views of women.
In order to uphold a modest and honourable
communal code of behaviour, Allah the Almighty orders both men and women to
drop their gaze. Both men and women must conduct themselves properly, speak
with dignity, and dress modestly. Muslim women are obligated to dress modestly,
and options include the Hijab, Niqab, Khimar, or Burqa.
Muslim women are obligated to veil the
concealable parts of their bodies (Satr-E-Aurat), which they do by wearing
Hijab, Niqab, Khimar, or even Burqa, depending on their personal choice. The
command to the veil was given for the first time in Surah Al-Ahzab. Allah says
in this verse: “...and when you ask the wives of the Prophet for anything to
use, ask for it from behind a curtain [Hijab]; this is purer for your hearts
and for their hearts” (33:53).
The word Hijab is used in this verse to
refer to any curtain that covers the concealable parts of the body, and the
rationale for this is that the veil can provide purity and modesty to the
hearts. Following that, the Holy Qur'an revealed the command of Hijab (veiling)
in verses 30 and 31 of Surah An-Noor. The males were addressed first, followed
by the women. The following are the two verses:
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran,
“Command the
Muslim men to keep their gaze low and to protect their private organs; that is
much purer for them; indeed Allah is Aware of their deeds.” (24:30)
“And command
the Muslim women to keep their gaze low and to protect their chastity, and they
should not expose their adornment [Zeenat] except what is apparent, and to keep
the cover wrapped over their bosoms; and not to reveal their adornment except
to their own husbands or fathers or husbands’ fathers, or their sons or their
husbands’ sons, or their brothers or their brothers’ sons or sisters’ sons, or
women of their religion, or the bondwomen they possess, or male servants provided
they do not have manliness, or such children who do not know of women’s
nakedness, and not to stamp their feet on the ground in order that their hidden
adornment be known; and O Muslims, all of you turn in repentance together
towards Allah, in the hope of attaining success.”
(Quran 24:31)
The Arabic word Yaguddu is derived
from Ghadd, which means to draw down, lower, or keep one's eyes down, as
enjoined in the verse, which means to turn one's gaze away from something that
Islam forbids one from seeing. For men, concealable parts (Satr) include all
parts of the body from the navel to the knees, whereas for women, concealable
parts include the entire body except the face and palms. The act of a man
looking at a woman's Satr or a woman looking at a man's Satr is strictly
forbidden because it violates the Quranic verses' exhortation to ‘lower their
gaze’. It is for this reason that Muslim women are obligated to cover
themselves appropriately as prescribed by Islam. It is for this reason that
some women wear veils like as the Niqab, Hijab, headscarves, or Abaya.
Allah then says, “...and they should not
expose their adornment [Zeenat] except what is apparent”. According to
Hazrat Abdullah bin Masud, this refers to a woman’s outer shawl. When a Muslim
woman has to emerge from her house out of necessity, she should conceal her
entire body. Non-Maharim individuals will only see her outer shawl at that
point.
Allah Almighty has commanded all believing
Muslim women to wear the Hijab, also known as the veil. For all Muslim females
who have reached puberty, it is required. In other words, if a Muslim woman
decides not to do it, she is thought to have committed sin, just as skipping
prayers or failing to fast during Ramadan is thought to constitute sin.
These were all Islamic teachings regarding
Muslim women's use of the Purdah. Let's get to the point: Are women not free to
wear veils, just as it is claimed that they are free to do so? Has
"freedom for women" come to mean the opportunity for women to choose
not to wear veils? If this is freedom, why aren't women also free to choose to
wear the Purdah? Why do some people have so many issues with the Purdah? They
are free to hold their opinions, but it's important to take a few other
elements into account when analysing how they perceive freedom in general.
What kind of freedom is discussed in our
society? Is obeying the lower self [Nafs e Ammara] more advantageous
than obeying Allah? Being in Allah's obedience is actually emancipation from
servitude of Nafs.
In today's world, women are treated like
toys. Gangsters are everywhere you look on the road, and they all have lustful
eyes for women. Furthermore, even
elderly persons have lustful eyes when viewing ladies. A woman's body is displayed
in all marketing and advertising materials for a product to be easily sold. Is
everything in this place freedom? Do people consider this to be freedom? Do
they consider women who wear Purdas to be less free or not fully free? This situation is incredibly stunning and
beyond sound reasoning.
What I'm trying to say is that women in our
society are free to choose what they wear, and as a result, a Muslim woman is
likewise completely free to wear a veil. Therefore, saying that women who wear
veils are not free is untrue and unjust.
-----
Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New
Age Islam.
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/niqab-dupatta-hijab-freedom/d/129959
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