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Attractive Hijabs & Shariah

Living in the west, the hijab has become a potent indicator of identity with many non-Muslims viewing it as a political statement. However, it is pertinent to note that the hijab is, f irst and f oremost, an act of worship that women engage in, and an act undertaken to seek the pleasure of ones Lord. T he def inition of a hijab is f iercely contested by many Muslims, and unf ortunately most of those who engage in the topic are unaware that it is very much def ined by Islamic law, the Shariah , and not cultural habits or ones idea of what modesty is, or should be. In discussing the hijab, Islamic jurists have stipulated a number of conditions f or it to be a hijab in the Islamic sense. In brief , these conditions are that ones clothing must cover the entire body in a way that the shape of the body is not apparent and the material must not be so thin that one can see through it. Clothing should not resemble that which is specif ic to men nor the disbelievers. It should not be attractive to men, nor should women be perf umed in public. T he main aim of hijab is to stop fitnah; f emales who are attractive by nature attract the gaze of males which then leads to other greater sins such as f ornication and adultery. Allah commanded women neither to display their adornment nor to display any f orm of behaviour that might attract the attention of men. Allah says,

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze, and protect their private parts and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment 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 female slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.[1]

T he Shariah also prohibits women f rom speaking sof tly f or essentially the same reason to prevent fitnah. Allah says,

O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep your duty (to Allah), then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery, etc.) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner. And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and perform AsSalat, and give Zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger.[2]

As the verse states, Allah f orbids the wives of the Prophet to incite the desires of weak men, and given that this ef f ective cause (illah) is to do with desire which is f ound everywhere, then this command should certainly be applied to all other women as well. In f act, scholars f rom various schools of thought prohibit women f rom raising their voices in public, even if it be the utterance of the talbiyah during hajj or the adhan (call to prayer) between f emales. T he Shariah also prohibits men to visit lonely women and to stay alone with them. It also prohibited men to look at women. Allah says,

Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.). That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do.[3]

On the streets of London, Amsterdam and other big cities in Europe we witness various types of un-Islamic hijabs. Tight Jeans (also known as skinny jeans), long leather high heeled boots and tight shirts with a head scarf are all typical representations of the kind of hijab that is now being promoted by many young and middle aged Muslim women. Fancy scarves are also a f orm of covering that is seen as a Shariah compliant hijab. Indeed, the way many Muslim women adorn the hijab def eats the whole purpose of hijab itself . Furthermore, western women are very f ond of attracting the interest and attention of men. It seems that many of our Muslims sisters have been inf luenced by this and have started to wear clothes to attract the admiration of brothers in an enticing way. One of the main problems is limiting the hijab as being a manif estation of f emale Muslim identity. When France banned the hijab they looked at it as a religious symbol unable to understand the meaning of ibaadah (worship). However, it is unf ortunate to see many Muslims treating it as merely a f orm of identity, and once the symbolic representation has been accomplished the necessity to perf orm it in a way that meets its conditions laid down by Allah is overlooked. T his is one of subtly reprehensible values that many western Muslims have unknowingly adopted. We have to understand that Islamic practices including observing the hijab are actions of ibaadah. T hey are meant to please Allah, avoid being disobedient, and earn hasanaat in order to attain a high rank in paradise. Allah says,

And (remember) when it was said to them: Dwell in this town (Jerusalem) and eat therefrom wherever you wish, and say, (O Allah) forgive our sins; and enter the gate prostrate (bowing with humility). We shall forgive you your wrong-doings. We shall increase (the reward) for the gooddoers.[4]

In misunderstanding the f undamental aim of entering paradise, we lose in this lif e and the hereaf ter as any other aim is considered by Shariah as a worldly one. T he reward of worldly aims is given in this lif e and no reward will be given af ter death. Allah says,

Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter; to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therein, and they will have no diminution therein.[5]

T his is a major mistake that many Muslims f all into when undertaking many Islamic practices. Having the correct aim in wearing the hijab is the f irst and main step towards a solution f or this problem. It should be noted that projecting concerns about this non- sharii f orm of hijab does not imply discouraging Muslim women f rom observing a limited f orm of hijab which they have chosen, but instead it serves to encourage Muslim women to progress to observe the correct method of hijab. T he intention of this article is driven by the desire f or improvement and progress and not to incite women to withdraw f rom the hijab completely. Some Muslims posit that we should not be strict in calling f or the proper observance of many Islamic practices in the west, and as such, we should encourage Muslim women to do as much as they are, without criticism, even if some do not complete such observance. Undoubtedly we agree to encouraging Muslim women to do as much as they can, but correcting wrong or incomplete Islamic practices is an obligation upon those who know.

It is indeed the case that many sisters are completely ignorant about the conditions of the legally valid hijab, and hence it is incumbent upon us to raise awareness of the legal conditions and f eatures of a correct hijab. Knowledge is the cure f or many of our mistakes. Advising sisters who undoubtedly wear the hijab out of good intentions as well as educating their parents is another way towards solving this issue. It might be a good idea to print and distribute some leaf lets that describe the authentic hijab in a way that goes beyond merely a head covering.

[1] 24:31 [2] 33:32-33 [3] 24:30 [4] 7:161 [5] 11:15