What is Hijab?
(Hijab (Muslim Veil), Hejab (An Act of Faith), Islamic dress for women)

There are many sisters who have failed to understand the actual meaning of Hijab. Hijab technically means covering. Islam desires the preservation of social tranquillity and familial peace. Hence, it asks women to cover themselves in their inter-actions with men, whom they are not related to.

Why is Hijab necessary?
(Hijabs, Hijab Pictures, Hijab Girls, Hijabi Fashion)

The dangerous consequences of the Western culture of nakedness and permissiveness are before us. We should think twice before blindly trying to imitate Western life-styles.

How should women observe Hijab correctly?

Basically, the dress of ladies should cover the whole body except the face and hands (i.e. palms and fingers). Hair should not be exposed because Islam considers it as half of the total beauty of women. The Hijab could be of any form and colour and a one-piece chaadr or a three-piece ensemble.

The Baseless objections against Hijab

• Hijab seeks to imprison women: Those who feel that Hijab imprisons women should refrain from living in houses because it is nearer to a prison than Hijab.
• Hijab subordinates women: In fact, culture, which promotes nakedness, takes people nearer to the culture of animals. Wearing the Hijab, on the contrary, liberates women from the trap of Western fashion and maladies. It gives them greater, rather than less freedom and mobility.
• Why only women? Science has confirmed that visual stimulation plays a predominant role in the physiology of men compared to women. The fact that the sex-industry in the West is targeted towards the male-market confirms it.
• Victims of Ridicule: Some of our sisters come up with the excuse that the non-believers laugh at them if they observe Hijab and they feel degraded. They may laugh for a little while but after some time they will have no choice but to respect the Muslim women observing Hijab for their discipline, which could not be shaken, by their little laughs.
• Let us not forget the famous phrase: The one who laughs last laughs the longest.
• Beauty is meant to be appreciated: True! But only by the husband. Hence women who truly love their husbands would never wish to be seen in public without Hijab.

What are the disadvantages of discarding Hijab?

• Becoming an easy target of anti-social elements.
• Causing great stresses, insecurity and suspicion in the minds of husbands, ultimately disturbing the familial harmony.
• Instigating young people to deviate towards the path of lust and immorality.
• Giving rise to cases of divorce, adultery, rape and illegitimate children.

What are the advantages of observing Hijab?

• Confidence in social participation as human being and not as sexual commodity.
• Guarding one self from the lustful looks of men.
• Not diverting people's attention from constructive social work.
• Improving the moral character of the society.

In conclusion, women can achieve true dignity and experience true emancipation by observing Hijab and not by discarding it.

Hijab (Modesty) is also for Muslim Men
"Say to the believing men that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do." Holy Qur'an (24:30)

To cast down one's glance, means not to look in a fixed way, not to stare. The sentence means, "Tell the believers not to stare at or flirt with women."

Allah (SWT) has given equal rights to both men and women; He forbids either seduction claiming supremacy over the other. Allah (SWT) states in the Holy Qur'an: "The most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you." Holy Qur'an (49:13)

A Muslim woman wears hijab for the simple reason that Allah has commanded it in the Quran and Sunnah. As Muslims we make the testimony “Muhammad is the messenger of Allah". The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would not be a messenger if he did not come with a message, and his message is the Quran. Therefore the Quran is the foundation of Islam and “The Quran is the message of Allah". Our faith in Allah motivates us to obey Allah’s message and that is why we follow what Allah has commanded in the Quran.

The Quran also tells us to obey the Prophet Muhammad (Surah an-Nisa verse 59), to take what he allows and refrain from what he prohibits (Surah al-Hashr verse 7), to follow his judgments (Surah an-Nisa verse 65), and to abide by his decisions (Surah al-Ahzab verse 36). It also tells us that some of its verses are ambiguous in meaning (Surah Al-e-Imran verse 7), and that the Prophet Muhammad will explain the meaning of the revelation (Surah an-Nahl verse 44). All of this is the domain of the Sunnah. The Sunnah records what the Prophet Muhammad said, did, and silently allowed. It shows us how he put the Quran into action. It tells us what he commanded, allowed, prohibited, judged, and decided. And it informs us how he explained the Quran. The Sunnah is an important and necessary source of Islamic law.

Quranic Verses on Hijab

“O you Children of Adam! We have bestowed on you raiment to cover your shame as well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness, that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition.” (Quran 7:26)

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“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, or their brothers’ sons or their sisters’ sons, or their women or the servants whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex, and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you Believers, turn you all together towards Allah, that you may attain Bliss.” (Quran 24:31).

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“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognised and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.” (Quran 33:59)

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"Those who harass believing men and believing women undeservedly, bear (on themselves) a calumny and a grievous sin. O Prophet! Enjoin your wives, your daughters, and the wives of true believers that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad) That is most convenient, that they may be distinguished and not be harassed. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Quran 33:58-59)

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O Wives of the Prophet, ye are not like any of the (other) women. If ye do fear (Allah), be not too complaisant of speech, lest one in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire: but speak ye a speak that is just. Abide still in your homes and make not a dazzling display like that of the former times of ignorance: and establish regular prayer, and give regular charity; and obey Allah and His Messenger. And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye Members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless. Communicate what is taught to you of the verses of Allah and the wisdom revealed by Him [to your visitors]. The Almighty is very discerning and all-knowing. (Quran 33:32–33)

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O Ye who believe! Enter not the dwellings of the Prophet for a meal without waiting for the proper time, unless permission be granted you. But if ye are invited, enter, and, when your meal is ended, then disperse. Linger not for conversation. Lo! That would cause annoyance to the Prophet, and he would be shy of (asking) you (to go); but Allah is not shy of the truth. And when ye ask of them (the wives of the Prophet) anything, ask it of them from behind a curtain. That is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. And it is not for you to cause annoyance to the messenger of Allah, nor that ye should ever marry his wives after him. Lo! That in Allah's sight would be an enormity. (Qur'an 33:53)

In the past Makarem Shirazi has given reasons for the mandatory hijab. He has blamed improper hijab for "destruction of families and increase in rate of divorce and crime," on a page on his own website. He believes that in order for the government to "not resort to force for this problem," people have to be responsible themselves. He also expressed disappointment at mass media rowdyism.

Makarem Shirazi's view on the necessity of hijab for preservation of marriage has been echoed by Ali Khamenei as well. He said, "you will realize that all Islamic laws and injunctions are directed at safeguarding the marital bond. Hijab is for this, it means not displaying your bodies for others, not to appear in public without proper, decent clothing, not to stimulate certain motives improperly and unlawfully, so that all and every such attractions are only reserved for your own loving partner in life."