Some Muslim women, at different stages of their lives and at different times after their decision to wear hijab, struggle with it. Not necessarily with the belief that it is obligatory — although some Muslim women may have a problem with that — but with different factors: on the most basic level, come summer, if you aren't careful with the material of your hijab, it's not exactly the most comfortable thing to wear. And then there's the dealing with the fact that people sometimes treat you differently. But the real killer is all the ranting, the debate, the articles, the speeches, on and on and on about hijab. What's amazing is that usually those talking about it the most are those who don't even wear it.
Hard-line feminists who have decided that women wearing hijab are oppressed have taken it on themselves to make Muslim women take that "hijab thing" off — how else are women going to be respected if they don't take off their clothes? And then the politico-commentators who have tried again and again to convince everyone and anyone who reads opinion pages of newspapers that hijab is actually a "political statement" which "Islamists" use to push their agenda, or whatever.
Now get this: despite all of this fuss, what's really amazing is that Muslim women are still wearing that "hijab thing"! So what is it about hijab? Why are Muslim women still wearing it?
Because Allah commanded them to do so.
It is crucial to note that the first and most important reason that a Muslim women wear hijab is because Allah commanded them to do, as mentioned in Holy Quran:
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms… [Al Nur 24:31]
O Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them, when they go abroad. That will be better, that so they may be recognized and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. [Al Ahzab 33:59]
The first reason for wearing hijab is that it is a command from Allah. The ruling of hijab is highly esteemed among Muslim women, despite the big pressure of the majority in this world to forbid it. In fact, there is wisdom behind this heavenly command of hijab. But before we get into that, let us first define the hijab.
Defination of hijab
Complete hijab also includes the moral conduct, behavior, attitude, and intention of the individual. A person only fulfilling the criteria of hijab of the clothes is observing hijab in a limited sense. Hijab of the clothes should be accompanied by hijab of the eyes, the heart, the thought, and the intention. It also includes the way a person walks, talks, and behaves. Hijab as a mere dress does not have the same rank of importance as manners and behaviors have.
History
Up until the end of the nineteenth century, ladies in America used to put on some kind of head gear, if not a cover for the whole hair. People used to look with embarrassment to any woman going out to the street without her hat! This is quite in conformity with the Biblical injunction for the women to cover their heads. Mini skirts only appeared recently together with the secular and atheist style of life that some people choose themselves.
Other Religion
In Christianity for example, nuns cannot show up without their hijab. Also, regular ladies wear it while attending masses, which is a reflection of self-admission that God wants to see them this way. In Judaism, the Jews also have their strict rules about covering women’s bodies.
Whereas, when it comes to Islam, all voices seem to come against the idea itself. However it is interesting to note that the very same people who find fault with the Islamic dress code for women do not find any thing improper in the dress of nuns. It is evident that the “hijab” of Mother Teresa did not prevent her from social work. And the western world honored her with the Nobel Prize! But the same people would argue that the hijab is a hindrance for a Muslim girl in a school or for a Muslim lady working as a cashier in a super market. This is the kind of hypocrisy or double standards which paradoxically some “sophisticated” people find fashionable.
Secular Cultures
Even in these times, people pay more respect to the more modestly dressed ladies, than to the scantily clad ones. Imagine a lady prime minister or a queen wearing a low-cut blouse or a miniskirt in an international conference! Can she command as much respect there as she would get if she were in more modest attire? Even in secular societies, some women judges have to cover their heads, during sessions, as a way to show their dignity and self-respect. It is that in the Islamic culture - like many other cultures - the idea of women's respectability and virtue is related, among other things, to the propriety of their dress.
The Quran was revealed for all times, and though circumstances change, human nature does not. The fact is that men do like to look at women’s bodies, so a woman who covers herself is more likely to be respected as a person than looked upon as a piece of meat! Women knew that men look at them. Otherwise, why would they spend millions of dollars every year to style, color, and treat their hair?
Is Hijab an oppression?
As mentioned before, many Muslim women around the world wear the hijab out of choice. An oppression occurs, only if someone forces a woman to wear it. On another note, semi-nudity can also be an oppression, if someone forces a woman to adopt that style. If women in the west - or east - have the freedom to dress as they please, why not allow the Muslim women to prefer a more modest dress?
Hijab Prevents Molestation
Hijab enables women to be recognized as modest women and this will also protect them from being molested. Suppose there is a hooligan who is waiting to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? A girl wearing hijab, or the one wearing a mini skirt? Hijab does not degrade a woman but protects her modesty and chastity.
Hijab Uplift Women
Woman’s liberalization mostly disguises exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honor. Non-Muslim societies claim to have uplifted women via allowing them to expose their bodies, but on the contrary, this has actually degraded them to mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketers, hidden behind the colorful screen of “art” and “culture.”
Muslim women should be well aware of these facts. They should be aware that hijab protects them from evil glances and evil desires of those who are sick in the heart, as described in the Qur’an. Muslim women must adhere to Allah’s rules and not be persuaded or tempted by the media that opposes hijab or belittles its significance, as those who spread these ideas only desire evil for her, as mentioned in the Holy Quran:
"But the wish of those who follow their lusts is that you should deviate away(from Allah)-far, far away" [Al Nisa’ 4:27]
Does the hijab prevent a woman from performing her day-to-day duties?
For one thing a woman does not normally wear hijab in her own house, so it shouldn’t get in the way when she’s doing housework. If she is working in a factory close to machinery or in a laboratory, for example—she can wear a different style of hijab that doesn’t have dragging ends. Actually loose trousers and a long shirt for instance lets her to bend, lift, or climb steps or ladders more easily, if her work allows that. Such a dress would certainly give her more freedom of movement while protecting her modesty at the same time.
Conclusion
Islam uplifted women, gave them equality, and expects them to maintain their status. The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The hijab or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the “subjugation” of women under Islamic law. Yet, the truth is that 1400 years ago, Islam recognized women’s rights in a way that grants them the utmost protection and respect as well, a combination other systems fail to offer. Islam granted them freedom of expression, political participation, business and financial rights, and asked the rest of society to hold them in high esteem and offer them due respect as mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters.
Hijab is the way Islam neutralizes a woman's stereotyped role as a mere female, by inciting the society to deal with her as a human being. No wonder then that the majority of Muslim women refuse to let their go of their hijab and that they insist on keeping their Islamic identity. This is regardless of the consistent unfair criticism and sometimes satire against it. They wear hijab, not only in submission to God's order, but also because their inherent moral code is in full harmony with its philosophy.
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Acknowledgement:
-Holy Quran
-Hadith
-Reading Islam Team