Misconception # 3: Islam subjugates women in a veil.
Table of Content:
HIJAAB FOR WOMEN
Question:Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?Answer:
The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secularmedia. The ‘hijaab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyze the reasoningbehind the religiously mandated ‘hijaab’, let us first study the status of womenin societies before the advent of Islam.
1. In the past women were degraded and used as objects of lust
The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that thestatus of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent thatthey were denied basic human dignity:
a) Babylonian Civilization:
The women were degraded and were denied all rights under theBabylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him beingpunished, his wife was put to death.
b) Greek Civilization:
Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancientcivilizations. Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived ofall rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginarywoman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings.The Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men.Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in highesteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexualperversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes ofGreek society.
c) Roman Civilization:
When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even hadthe right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were commonamongst the Romans.
d) Egyptian Civilization:
The Egyptians considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.e) Pre-Islamic Arabia:Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women andvery often when a female child was born, she was buried alive.
2. Islam uplifted women and gave them equality and expects themto maintain their status
Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights1400 years ago. Islam expects women to maintain their status.
Hijaab for men
People usually only discuss ‘hijaab’ in the context of women. However, inthe Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) first mentions ‘hijaab’ for the men before‘hijaab’ for the women. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Al Noor:
“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guardtheir modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah iswell acquainted with all that they do.”[Al-Qur’an 24:30]The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamedthought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.
Hijaab for womenThe next verse of Surah Al Noor, says:
وَ قُلۡ لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنٰتِ یَغۡضُضۡنَ مِنۡ اَبۡصَارِهِنَّ وَ یَحۡفَظۡنَ فُرُوۡجَهُنَّ وَ لَا یُبۡدِیۡنَ زِیۡنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَا وَ لۡیَضۡرِبۡنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلٰی جُیُوۡبِهِنَّ ۪ وَ لَا یُبۡدِیۡنَ زِیۡنَتَهُنَّ اِلَّا لِبُعُوۡلَتِهِنَّ اَوۡ اٰبَآئِهِنَّ اَوۡ اٰبَآءِ بُعُوۡلَتِهِنَّ اَوۡ اَبۡنَآئِهِنَّ اَوۡ اَبۡنَآءِ بُعُوۡلَتِهِنَّ اَوۡ اِخۡوَانِهِنَّ اَوۡ بَنِیۡۤ اِخۡوَانِهِنَّ اَوۡ بَنِیۡۤ اَخَوٰتِهِنَّ اَوۡ نِسَآئِهِنَّ اَوۡ مَا مَلَکَتۡ اَیۡمَانُهُنَّ اَوِ التّٰبِعِیۡنَ غَیۡرِ اُولِی الۡاِرۡبَۃِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ اَوِ الطِّفۡلِ الَّذِیۡنَ لَمۡ یَظۡهَرُوۡا عَلٰی عَوۡرٰتِ النِّسَآءِ ۪ وَ لَا یَضۡرِبۡنَ بِاَرۡجُلِهِنَّ لِیُعۡلَمَ مَا یُخۡفِیۡنَ مِنۡ زِیۡنَتِهِنَّ ؕ وَ تُوۡبُوۡۤا اِلَی اللّٰهِ جَمِیۡعًا اَیُّهَ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تُفۡلِحُوۡنَ
“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze andguard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty andornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that theyshould draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty exceptto their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons...”[Al-Qur’an 24:31]
3. Six criteria for Hijaab
According to Qur’an and Sahih Hadith there are basically six criteria forobserving hijaab:
i. Extent:
The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This isdifferent for men and women. The extent of Hijaab for the male is tocover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, thecomplete body should be covered except the face and the hands upto thewrists. If they wish to, they can cover even these parts of the body.Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the hands are also part ofthe obligatory extent of ‘hijaab’.
All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.
ii. The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.
iii. The clothes worn should not be transparent or translucent such that onecan see through them.
iv. The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the oppositesex.
v. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex.
vi. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. theyshould not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of theunbelievers’ religions.
4. Hijaab includes conduct and behaviour among other things
Complete ‘hijaab’, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes themoral conduct, behaviour, attitude and intention of the individual. Aperson only fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijaab’ of the clothes is observing‘hijaab’ in a limited sense. ‘Hijaab’ of the clothes should be accompaniedby ‘hijaab’ of the eyes, ‘hijaab’ of the heart, ‘hijaab’ of thought and‘hijaab’ of intention. It also includes the way a person walks, the way aperson talks, the way a person behaves, etc.
5. Hijaab prevents molestation
The reason why Hijaab is prescribed for women is mentioned in theQur’an in the following Verse of Surah Al-Ahzaab:
یٰۤاَیُّهَا النَّبِیُّ قُلۡ لِّاَزۡوَاجِکَ وَ بَنٰتِکَ وَ نِسَآءِ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ یُدۡنِیۡنَ عَلَیۡهِنَّ مِنۡ جَلَابِیۡبِهِنَّ ؕ ذٰلِکَ اَدۡنٰۤی اَنۡ یُّعۡرَفۡنَ فَلَا یُؤۡذَیۡنَ ؕ وَ کَانَ اللّٰهُ غَفُوۡرًا رَّحِیۡمًا ﴿۵۹﴾
“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women thatthey should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad);that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and notmolested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”[Al-Qur’an 33:59]
The Qur’an says that Hijaab has been prescribed for the women so thatthey are recognized as modest women and this will also prevent themfrom being molested.
6. Example of twin sisters
Suppose two sisters who are twins, and who are equally beautiful, walkdown the street. One of them is wearing the Islamic Hijaab i.e. thecomplete body is covered, except for the face and the hands up to thewrists. The other sister is wearing western clothes, a mini-skirt or shortswith a low neckline. Just around the corner there is a hooligan or ruffianwho is waiting for a catch, to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? The girlwearing the Islamic Hijaab or the girl wearing the skirt or the mini with alow neckline? Naturally he will tease the girl wearing the skirt or the miniwith a low neckline. Such dresses which expose more than what theycover are an indirect invitation to the opposite sex for teasing andmolestation. The Qur’an rightly says that Hijaab prevents women frombeing molested.
7. Capital punishment for the rapists
Under the Islamic Shari’ah, a man convicted of having raped a woman, isgiven capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence.Some non-Muslims may say that ‘Capital punishment in this age ofscience and technology! Islam is a ruthless, barbaric religion!’ I haveasked a simple question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose, Godforbid, someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You aremade the judge and the rapist is brought in front of you. Whatpunishment would you give him? All of them said they would put him todeath. Some went to the extent of saying they would torture him todeath. To them I ask, if someone rapes your wife or your mother youwant to put him to death. But if the same crime is committed onsomebody else’s wife or daughter, you say capital punishment is barbaric.Why should there be double standards?
8. Western society falsely claims to have uplifted women
Western talk of women’s liberalization is nothing but a disguised form ofexploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of herhonour. Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the contraryit has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses andsociety butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekersand sex marketeers, hidden behind the colourful screen of ‘art’ and‘culture’.
9. USA has one of the highest rates of rape
United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advancedcountries of the world. It also has one of the highest rates of rape in anycountry in the world. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in theyear 2005, every day on an average 1997 cases of rape were committedin USA alone. A decade later according to the U.S. Department of Justice,in the year 2014 on an average everyday 2318 cases of rape werecommitted in USA. May be the Americans got ‘bolder’ in a decade. Every37 seconds one rape is being committed in USA.
Consider a scenario where the Islamic Shari’ah is implemented inAmerica. Whenever a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every womanwears the Islamic Hijaab that is the complete body is covered except theface and the hands upto the wrists. After this if any man commits rape heis given capital punishment. I ask you, in such a scenario, will the rate ofrape in America increase, will it remain the same, or will it decrease?
10. Implementation of Islamic Shar’iah will reduce the rate of rapes
Naturally as soon as Islamic Shar’iah is implemented positive results willbe inevitable. If Islamic Shar’iah is implemented in any part of the world,whether it is America, Europe or India, society will breathe easier. Hijaabdoes not degrade a woman but uplifts a woman and protects hermodesty and chastity.