Question:
Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them
behind the veil/hijab?
Answer:
The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijab for women,’ or the Islamic dress code, is frequently cited as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyze the reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘hijab for women,’ let us first study the status of women in 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 the status of women in earlier
civilizations was very low to the extent that they
were denied basic human dignity:
- Babylonian Civilization:
The women were degraded and were denied
all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man
murdered a woman, instead of him being
punished, his wife was put to death. - Greek Civilization:
Greek Civilization is considered the most
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glorious of all ancient civilizations. Under this
very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived
of all rights and were looked down upon. In
Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ 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 high esteem, the Greeks were later
overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions.
Prostitution became a regular practice amongst
all classes of Greek society. - Roman Civilization:
When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of
its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the
life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were
common amongst the Romans. - Egyptian Civilization:
The Egyptian considered women evil and as a
sign of a devil. - Pre-Islamic Arabia:
Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked
down upon women and very often when a female
child was born, she was buried alive.
2. Islam uplifted women and gave them
equality and expects them to maintain
their status
Islam uplifted the status of women and granted
them their just rights 1400 years ago. Islam expects
women to maintain their status.
Hijab for men
People usually only discuss ‘hijab’ in the context of
women. However, in the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt)
first mentions ‘hijab’ for men before ‘hijab’ for the
women. The Qur’an mentions in Surah An Noor:
“Say to the believing men that they should lower
their gaze and guard their modesty: that will
make for greater purity for them: and Allah is
well acquainted with all that they do.”
[Al Qur’an 24:30]
The moment a man looks at a woman and if any
brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he
should lower his gaze.
Hijab for women.
The next verse of Surah An Noor, says:
“ 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 veils over their
bosoms and not display their beauty except to
their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’
fathers, their sons…”
[Al Qur’an 24:31]
3. Six criteria for Hijab.
According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are basically
six criteria for observing hijab:
- Extent:
The first criterion is the extent of the body that
should be covered. This is different for men and
women. The extent of covering obligatory on the
male is to cover the body at least from the navel
to the knees. For women, the extent of covering
obligatory is to cover the complete body except
the face and the hands upto the wrists. 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 part of the obligatory extent of
‘hijab’.
All the remaining five criteria are the same for
men and women. - The clothes worn should be loose and should not
reveal the figure. - The clothes worn should not be transparent or
translucent such that one can see through them. - The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as
to attract the opposite sex. - The clothes worn should not resemble that of the
opposite sex. - The clothes worn should not resemble that of
the unbelievers i.e. they should not wear clothes
that are specifically identities or symbols of the
unbelievers’ religions
4. Hijab includes conduct and behavior
among other things
Complete ‘hijab’, besides the six criteria of clothing,
also includes the moral conduct, behavior, attitude
and intention of the individual. A person only
fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijab’ of the clothes is
observing ‘hijab’ in a limited sense. ‘Hijab’ of
the clothes should be accompanied by ‘hijab’ of
the eyes, ‘hijab’ of the heart, ‘hijab’ of thought
and ‘hijab’ of intention. It also includes the way
a person walks, the way a person talks, the way he
behaves, etc.
5. Hijab prevents molestation
The reason why hijab is prescribed for women is
mentioned in the Qur’an in the following verse of
Surah Al Ahzaab:
“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and
the believing women that they should cast
their outer garments over their persons (when
abroad); that is most convenient, that they
should be known (as such) and not molested.
And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
[Al Qur’an 33:59]
The Qur’an says that Hijab has been prescribed for the
women so that they are recognized as modest women
and this will also prevent them from being molested.
6. Example of twin sisters
Suppose two sisters who are twins, and who are
equally beautiful, walk down the street. One of them
is attired in the Islamic hijab i.e. the complete body
is covered, except for the face and the hands upto
the wrists. The other sister is wearing western
clothes, a miniskirt or shorts. Just around the corner
there is a hooligan or ruffian who is waiting for a
catch, to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? The girl
wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the
skirt or the mini? Naturally he will tease the girl
wearing the skirt or the mini. Such dresses are an
indirect invitation to the opposite sex for teasing
and molestation. The Qur’an rightly says that hijab
prevents women from being molested.
7. Capital punishment for the rapists
Under the Islamic Shari’ah, a man convicted of
having raped a woman, is given capital punishment.
Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence. Some
even say that Islam is a ruthless and barbaric
religion! I have asked a simple question to hundreds
of non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid, someone
rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You are
made the judge and the rapist is brought in front of
you. What punishment would you give him? All of
them said they would put him to death. Some went
to the extent of saying they would torture him to
death. To them I ask, if someone rapes your wife or
your mother you want to put him to death. But if the
same crime is committed on somebody 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 of exploitation of her body,
degradation of her soul and deprivation of her
honour. Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’
women. On the contrary it has actually degraded
them to the status of concubines, mistresses and
society butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of
pleasure seekers and 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 advanced countries of the world. It also has
one of the highest rates of rape in any country in the
world. According to an FBI report, in the year 1990,
everyday on an average 1756 rapes were committed
in USA alone. Later another report said that on an
average everyday 1900 rapes are committed in USA.
The year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992
or 1993. May be the Americans got ‘bolder’ in the
following years.
Consider a scenario where the Islamic hijab is
followed in America. Whenever a man looks at a
woman and any brazen or unashamed thought
comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman
wears the Islamic hijab, that is the complete body
is covered except the face and the hands upto the
wrists. After this if any man commits rape he is given
capital punishment. I ask you, in such a scenario,
will the rate of rape in America increase, will it
remain the same, or will it decrease?
10. Implementation of Islamic Shari’ah will
reduce the rate of rapes
Naturally as soon as Islamic Shari’ah is implemented
positive results will be inevitable. If Islamic Shari’ah
is implemented in any part of the world, whether
it is America or Europe, society will breathe easier.
Hijab does not degrade a woman but uplifts a
woman and protects her modesty and chastity