The ruling on hijab was revealed in the fifth year of the Hijrah. From that time on, Muslim women were ordered to adopt Islamic clothing and cover their body parts. Of course, the grounds for the revelation of such a ruling had been prepared in advance, and the need for it was clearly felt in the community of Medina. Many of the Sahaba wished that a ruling would be revealed on this matter, including Hazrat Amir al-Mu’minin Farooq al-Azam (may Allah be pleased with him), who discussed this issue with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He said to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “O Messenger of Allah! The righteous and the wicked will enter your house. If you had ordered the mothers of the believers to wear hijab, it would be better.” It was in response to this worthy desire that the commandment of hijab was revealed, and another of the honors of Farooq al-Azam (may Allah be pleased with him) came true. That verse is: «يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ» “O you who believe, do not enter the houses of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) unless permission is given to you.”
And it continues: «وإذا سألتموهن متاعا فأسألوهن من وراء الحجاب ذلکم أطهر لقلوبکم وقلوبهن» “And when you ask the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for something from the household goods, ask them from behind a curtain. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.”
Allama al-Shanqithi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “The reason why the hijab is obligatory is mentioned by Allah Almighty in this verse as the purity of the hearts of men and women, when He says: «ذلکم أطهر لقلوبکم و قلوبهن» “That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.”
In another place, Allah Almighty says: «قل للمؤمنین یغضوا من أبصارهم ویحفظوا فروجهم ذلک أزکی لهم إن الله خبیر بما یصنعون» “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is Aware of what they do.”
Allama Abu Bakr al-Jassas (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “This verse indicates that a young woman is commanded to cover her face so that she can show her modesty to the community when she leaves her home and not be harassed by greedy corrupt individuals.”
There are many verses and religious texts in which a Muslim woman is commanded to wear the religious hijab and is strictly prohibited from revealing her adornment and makeup in front of non-mahram men.
Allah the Almighty says to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):
«يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا» “O Prophet! Tell your wives, your daughters, and the believing women to draw their outer garments over themselves, that they may be recognized and not be harmed. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
Therefore, the veil and religious covering of women is, in fact, a slogan and a sign by which a Muslim, believing, and chaste woman is distinguished from lewd and unruly women.
Allah the Almighty says in other verses:
«وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ» “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from non-mahram) and guard their private parts (by covering them and abstaining from illicit intercourse) and not to display their adornment except what is apparent (naturally) and to draw their veils and scarves over their necks and neckbands and not to display their adornment except to their husbands and their fathers and their husbands’ fathers.”
If one looks at the verses that have been revealed regarding hijab, he will realize that these verses imply an important issue that benefits all Islamic societies, because they emphasize the importance of modesty in men and women and call them to chastity, honor, and dignity, and all of these are good and prominent qualities.
Allah Almighty has obligated every man and woman to obey the commands that are within their ability, and the hijab that is required by the verses of the Quran and the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is the hijab of a Muslim woman, which covers her entire body, even her face and hands, from strange men.
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, says in a hadith about maintaining the hijab and chastity: “A woman is secret, and when she goes out [of her house], Satan and his companions try to deceive her. If she is in a corner of the house and does not go out, she is closer to Allah.”
It is also narrated in the Sunan of Abu Dawud from Hazrat Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: “We were in Ihram with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). When the riders passed by us, each of us would pull our niqab from our heads to our faces, and when they passed by, we would remove our niqab.”
The Ugliness of Not Wearing a Hijab
Not wearing a hijab and not observing the Islamic dress are sins that are committed openly. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said about this sin: “All of my nation is worthy of forgiveness except those who commit sins openly.” Also, the sin of not wearing a hijab is not limited to women who do not wear it; rather, it entails immorality and prostitution, which will result in the punishment of the entire nation in this world and the hereafter.
Muslim women must observe the Islamic dress and hijab and must not be among those women who seem to wear a hijab but are actually not wearing one. Hijab is not merely a covering for the flesh of the human body; rather, it should cover all external and internal charms and religious qualities. They should not be among the women about whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are two groups of people in the Fire that I have not seen. There are people who carry whips like the tails of cows with which they beat people, and there are women who are covered but in reality, are naked; they are eager towards men and make men eager towards them too, and their heads are like the humps of camels. They will not enter Paradise, nor will they smell its scent, although its scent can be felt from a distance [i.e., a very long distance].” In a narration, it is stated: “It can be felt from a distance of 500 years.”
Of course, we should not forget that today, observing the religious limits, especially the hijab, is very difficult. True Muslims are those who adhere to these limits without hesitation and seek their reward from their Lord. Muslim girls these days, in every corner of this world, face many problems in observing their hijab. It must be said that this problem has always existed, and it is likely that Muslims will struggle with these problems in the future, because “not wearing a hijab has become common in the world, so much so that university presidents in some Islamic countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Kuwait have passed laws prohibiting the hijab in their universities and have prevented veiled women and girls from entering.”
Although this author’s words are from a long time ago, the intellectual war and the influence of the poisonous propaganda of the enemies of Islam are so profound on some Muslim girls that they are fleeing from this Islamic symbol and embodiment of chastity and purity. They think that the Islamic hijab is an obstacle to their progress and advancement and prevents them from growing, dynamism, and development in various scientific and cultural fields.
In the next section, Allah willing, we will try to provide detailed answers to the doubts of anti-religionists and opponents of the hijab.
