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If there is one thing that signifies piety, humility, modesty, obedience, and righteousness all at the same time, it is the Hijab. Some associate it with the identity of a Muslim woman, a physical proof of her religious belief, and a dress code enjoined upon her by Allah. It also represents the cornerstone to building a clean, pure, righteous and moral society. Not only does it protect us from unwanted attention, it also invites respect and formality. And most of all, it is 'Ibadah (worship), which is anything we do that pleases Allah in our speech and action.
So why should we wear it? Although there are a lot of logical and experiential answers to this question, the most profound answer is this: Allah has commanded us to, and that is reason enough. Our Creator knows us more than we know ourselves. He fashioned our every want, need, proportion and nature so He knows what is good for us and what would bring us harm. We must realize that there is always wisdom behind all of Allah's commands. As it is stated in the Qur’an:
"O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever OftForgiving, Most Merciful. ” (Al-Ahzab: 59)
You see, dear sisters, we are the women of Islam. We are special and loved by our Creator. From His love comes protection from evil and commendations to righteousness. Our role models are the women companions of the Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). We should emulate them, for they were the best of people from the best generation of believers. And yes, all of them wore Hijab.
7 basic points that constitute the Hijab.
These are:
- Covering all of the body including feet, except what can be shown (i. e. face and hands, although some major scholars have said it is wajib to cover these as well)
- Clothes should not be such that it would attract attention
- It is thick and not see-through
- It is wide and encompassing
- The clothes and body itself must not have any trace of perfume
- Clothing does not resemble what is known to be exclusively for males
- It is not similar to the clothing of a disbeliever
In the ongoing dichotomy between halal (permissible) and haraam (forbidden), there should be one concept that each and every one of us should realize: everything that is halaal is always beneficial, and everything that is haraam is always harmful. Some of us may think we have ‘plausible’ excuses not to wear it, or think it’s just a minor sin (it’s not), but as a saying goes: “Don’t look at the smallness of the sin; rather, look at the One Whom you’re sinning against. ”
After knowing the certainty of the obligation of wearing the Hijab, it should be clear what should come next. It’s not enough that we accept it as a command from Allah, but we should also wholeheartedly embrace it as our identity, as part of who we are. If we leave something for Allah’s sake, then He will reward us with something better, likewise when we do something that would please Him. And truly Allah loves those who obey Him. No other enticement is more persuasive for us to make the Hijab part of our lives than this promise from Allah:
"Except for those who repent, mend (their lives) hold fast to Allah, and purify their religion as in Allah's sight: if so they will be (numbered) with the believers. And soon will Allah grant to the believers a reward of immense value." (An-Nisaa': 146)
That’s a guarantee.
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June 02, 2008