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The Hijab

What is the Hijab?

The word Hijab comes from the Arabic root word "hajaba", which means to conceal or cover. In an Islamic context, Hijab refers to the dress code required for Muslim females who have reached puberty. Hijab is the requirement of covering or veiling the entire body sometimes with the exception of the face and hands. The Hijab is not required in situations where there are only females and certain male relatives present. However, Hijab is not just about outer appearances; it is also about noble speech, modesty, and dignified conduct. These righteous manners are also required of men. Muslim males are also required to dress in loose and unrevealing clothing in order to maintain their modesty and dignity.

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The Hijab is Respect

In a number of societies today, many women are taught from early childhood that their worth is proportional to their attractiveness. They are compelled to follow unrealistic and demeaning standards of beauty in order to satisfy unreasonable peer pressure and community expectations. In such a superficial environment, where so much emphasis is placed on external beauty, the internal beauty of the individual counts for very little.

Islam however, teaches that a woman is to be respected according to her virtuous character and actions rather than by her looks or physical features, of which she has little or no control. She does not have to use her body and charm to gain recognition or acceptance in society, as the Hijab directs self-worth away from appearance and onto qualities such as piety, virtue, modesty and intellect – attributes which are more equally accessible to all.

Every woman who wears a hijab or burqa is a unique individual, and it is unfair and inaccurate to make a sweeping judgement about all such women based on one item of clothing they have in common.

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The Hijab is Protection

The wisdom behind the Hijab is to minimise sexual enticement and moral degradation in society as much as possible for both men and women. The Hijab helps protect men, women and society by creating stability in both families and communities in a number of ways:

  • Shields women from unwanted advances.

  • Shields women from perverted looks and superficial scrutiny.

  • Shields women from sexual exploitation based on appearance.

  • Shields women from temptations and harmful desires.

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The Hijab is Modesty

Islam promotes modesty and decency and seeks to minimise immorality within society. The Hijab, amongst other things, helps attain this goal. While Islam discourages public displays of immodest dress and sexual behaviour, being a practical religion, Islam encourages love, affection and intimacy between married couples in private.

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The Hijab is Obedience

God, the All Wise, knows what is best for His creation, and has therefore provided guidance in order to benefit humankind. The wearing of Hijab, just like any other act of obedience to The Creator, brings one closer to their Lord and helps bring a sense of satisfaction and contentment to the person wearing it. The Hijab in no way suggests that women are inferior to men.

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The Hijab is Dignity

The Hijab promotes a woman's femininity rather than suppressing it, and grants women dignity and self-respect for who they are, as opposed to being judged by superficial standards, such as appearance. This grants women the power to shape their own dignity via more meaningful standards, such as righteousness, knowledge and societal contribution, rather than having a consumer society dictate their worth through material means, such as how they look or how much money they earn. In the sight of God, men and women do not have to be identical in order to be equal, and this is reflected in the different roles and responsibilities which apply to each.

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The Hijab is Confidence

The Hijab enables women to have confidence in themselves as human beings. It increases the self-esteem of women by allowing them to focus on what really matters in life. The obsession with physical appearance can have dangerous and unhealthy consequences, as some women go to harmful lengths in order to feel accepted by an increasingly demanding society. The Hijab helps prevent such mental and physical harms associated with a lack of confidence, by limiting self-consciousness based on appearance.

"O Prophet! Ask your wives, daughters, and believing women to draw their cloaks over their bodies." — Quran 33:59

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The Hijab in the Bible

The Hijab is not something new. Muslim women follow the example of righteous women in the past such as Mary, the mother of Jesus. Some of the evidence from the Bible includes the following two verses:

"Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head." — Bible, Corinthians 11:3-6

"I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." — Bible, Timothy 2:9-10

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Conclusion

The Hijab is an act of obedience between the Muslim woman and her Creator. It is a source of empowerment and dignity, and millions of Muslim women around the world choose to wear the Hijab as part of their faith. Far from being oppressive, the Hijab is an act of liberation, purity and most importantly, belief. Respect for women is an important aspect of Islamic teachings, and this is illustrated via the Hijab.

True equality will occur when women do not need to display themselves to be valued nor defend their decision to keep their bodies to themselves.

The Hijab ...

  • does NOT hinder contribution to society

  • is NOT a symbol of oppression

  • is NOT required in places where there are only females and close male relatives

  • is NOT a sign of female inferiority to men

  • is NOT a means to restrict a woman’s freedom to express her views and opinions

  • is NOT a means to restrict women from pursuing an education or a suitable career

  • is NOT something new – it has been practised by many righteous women historicallynmj    

  • is NOT against community values

  • is NOT worn with the intention of being intimidating or anti-social

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