Hijab's Protection

H I J A B: HOW IT PROTECTS AND BENEFITS WOMEN AND SOCIETY
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Dear Brothers and Sisters Assalamu Alaikum:
 
I want to INFORM you through the words of a sister, why and
how hijab (Islamic code of dress) protects a woman and what
are its advantages. This is not coming from me but from a
WESTERN woman who was born and raised in the western culture,
spent most of her life on the wild side, found a deep vacuum
in her life, discovered Islam, accepted it wholeheartedly, and
turned her life around completely - for the better. This
sister is an Irish American, has a Ph.D., teaches in a
prestigious US university, wears hijab wherever she goes - in
the class rooms while teaching, in the conferences and
meetings she attends. She is very proud of Islam and her hijab
and in the following explains the advantages and wisdom of
wearing hijab. So please read with an open mind. Those who are
open to reason get the guidance and better their lives, but
those who have "eyes but can't see, and ears but can't hear"
will wander in the wilderness of life forever. No amount of
logical reasoning will help them. However, our job as Muslims,
i.e., those who surrendered to Allah, is ONLY to convey the
message to the darkest corners of the world. Our job as
Muslims is not to impose anything on disbelivers because as
Allah says in Quran, "For you is your religion, and for them
is theirs".
 
 
May Allah give guidance to all of us and enable us to follow
Islam which is the manual of human life. May Allah grant us
the wisdom to understand Islam and to live our lives to its
fullest by following its teachings. May Allah make us realize
that education is not only about getting a piece of paper
called degree but education is about learning and
understanding life, the world, and the etiquette of living.
May Allah enable us to find solutions to all the problems we
encounter in life in His great message - the message of Islam.
Ameen.
 
O Allah, no amount of gratefullness will be enough to thank
for the blessing of your message of guidance you have given
us. O Allah, enable all human beings to know the message of
Islam, so this world will become a cradle of peace and
stability and so that the forces of darkness will be defeated
from the face of the earth. May Allah be our guide in this
journey of life. Ameen.
 
Wassalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
Irfan Hasan.
 
NOTE: The emphasis in capital letters are mine.
 
--------------------START OF SISTER'S MESSAGE -----------------
 
H I J A B: MUSLIM WOMEN'S HEAD COVERING
 
The Quran, the Muslim's holy scripture, clearly enjoins Muslim
men and women to dress and behave modestly. Muslim women are
specifically instructed to cover their heads when in the
presence of non-mahrem (potentially marriageable) men:
 
Surah Al-Nur (the Light) (24:31) in the Quran states:
"They (the believing women) should draw their head
coverings over their bosoms...".
 
Surah Al-Ahzab (34:59) states: "O Prophet [PBUH] Tell
thy wives and daughters and the believing women that
they should put on their outer garments; that is most
convenient in order that THEY MAY BE RECOGNIZED (as
Muslims) and not be molested."
 
[MY COMMENT: This is an effective rebuttal to the
argument some Muslim women have against wearing
Hijab, that by wearing it they will be recognized and
will be attacked. Allah clearly wants Muslims to be
recognized in whatever community they live in. Their
lives lived as Muslims will get other people
interested in them and that will be a way of
spreading the message of Islam. People will approach
them and ask them why they dress like that, why they
are different. Their curiousity will automatically
draw them towards Islam. Allah is the most supreme
starategist of the universe. He blessed us with the
message of Islam (Islam means peace and security and
told us strategies to spread the message which only
benefits us and not Allah. Allah is beyond all needs.
 
Allah says in Quran that if the whole world gets
united against a Muslim and want to harm him, they
won't except if Allah wills, and if the whole world
unites to benefit a Muslim, it won't except for
Allah's will. Therefore security comes from Allah.
Allah is the protector of believers. One should NEVER
FEAR ANYONE BUT ALLAH and then all of his/her fears
will be erased from the heart. Those who bow before
Allah, bow to no one in the world - no one. As great
poet of the east Dr. Allama Iqbal said (in Urdu) :
yeh Aik sijda jesay tu garaaN samajhta hai hazar
sijdooN say daita hai aadmi ko nijat Translation:
This one bow (to Allah) which is so hard for you,is
the bow that saves you from thousands of other bows.
END OF MY COMMENT]
 
Both of the above Quranic references instruct the Muslim woman
to cover herself with a large, loose overcoat (jilbab) and
full head covering (khimar) so that no provacative part of her
body will be visible. Her modest appearance would MAKE IT
CLEAR TO EVERYONE THAT SHE IS A CHASTE, BELIEVING WOMAN, and
no one is to molest her or sexually exploit her [My Comment:
This is an effective solution to the problem of sexual
harassment because a Muslim woman's modest appearance is a
social statement that she is not to be messed with!!].
 
THE BENEFITS OF HIJAB (COVERING) FOR WOMEN
 
For Muslim women, COVERING THE HEAD IS NOT THE SIGN OF
DEGRADATION or oppression. It is a commandment from Allah, who
is not male or female, and thus, would not discriminate
against women, a segment of His creation.
 
Rather, HEAD-COVERING IS A SIGN OF PURITY AND DIGNITY. It
highlights the Muslim woman as a pure, chaste woman and sets
her apart from the immoral behavior associated with women who
dress immodestly.
 
The HIJAB IS A SORT OF "SCREEN" BETWEEN THE CHASTE MUSLIM
WOMAN AND THE EVIL THAT EXISTS IN THE WORLD. When a woman
wears a hijab she is less likely to be harassed by men with
lusty motives; SHE IS LESS LIKELY TO BE EXPLOITED FOR HER
BEAUTY AND FEMINITY.
 
The Hijab allows a woman to move about outside the confines of
her home WITH HER ATTENTION ON THE TASKS SHE HAS SET OUT TO
DO. The Muslim woman does not try to impress anyone but Allah
when outside of her home. She is not concerned if men find her
attractive, or if people are impressed because she has the
latest fashions, or the newest hairstyle. She leaves her home
as a SELF-CONFIDENT PART OF HUMAN RACE, not as a fashion-plate
seeking stares and adoration in order to gain self-esteem.
 
The hijab cuts down on competition among women. How many
people in the West sacrifice financial savings and health in
order to have plastic surgery - in a desperate attempt to meet
up to an unrealistic standard of beauty. IN ISLAM, WOMEN ARE
APPRECIATED FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE, PIETY AND CONTRIBUTION TO
SOCIETY. When women wear hijab one finds that the most
beautiful women are not necessarily the most popular. Rather,
a woman is assessed for her mind, and not just superficial
physical traits.
 
--------------------END OF SISTER'S MESSAGE ------------------