Views about Hijab and Muslim Veiling | Middle East And North Africa

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HIJAB

Hijab on the left, niqab on the right

Hijab is the principle of modesty in Islam and includes behaviour as well as dress for both males and females. According to the BBC: “Hijab is an Arabic word meaning barrier or partition. In Islam, however, it has a broader meaning... The most visible form of hijab is the head covering that many Muslim women wear. Hijab however goes beyond the head scarf. In one popular school of Islamic thought, hijab refers to the complete covering of everything except the hands, face and feet in long, loose and non see-through garments. A woman who wears hijab is called Muhaajaba. [Source: BBC, September 3, 2009 |::|]

“Muslim women are required to observe the hijab in front of any man they could theoretically marry. This means that hijab is not obligatory in front of the father, brothers, grandfathers, uncles or young children. Hijab does not need to be worn in front of other Muslim women, but there is debate about what can be revealed to non-Muslim women. |::|

“Modesty rules are open to a wide range of interpretations. Some Muslim women wear full-body garments that only expose their eyes. Some cover every part of the body except their face and hands. Some believe only their hair or their cleavage is compulsory to hide, and others do not observe any special dress rules. |::| “In the English speaking world, use of the word hijab has become limited to mean the covering on the head of Muslim woman. However, this is more accurately called a khimaar. The khimaar is a convenient solution comprising usually one, but sometimes two pieces of cloth, enabling Muslim women to cover their hair, ears and neck while outside the home. |Hijab, in the sense of veiling, can also be achieved by hanging a curtain or placing a screen between women and men to allow them to speak to each other without changing dress. This was more common in the early days of Islam, for the wives of the Prophet Muhammad. |::|

Websites and Resources: Islam IslamOnline islamonline.net ; Institute for Social Policy and Understanding ispu.org; Islam.com islam.com ; Islamic City islamicity.com ; BBC article bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam ; University of Southern California Compendium of Muslim Texts web.archive.org ; Encyclopædia Britannica article on Islam britannica.com ; Islam at Project Gutenberg gutenberg.org ; Muslims: PBS Frontline documentary pbs.org frontline

Qur’an on Hijab

The justification for veiling comes from several verses in the Qur’an. The first one goes: "O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among young men). That is better, in order that they may be understood (to be Muslims) and not annoyed."

The Qur’an does not spell out details about how woman should be covered and does specify any punishment for women who are not veiled. Nowhere does it say in the Qur’an that a woman should cover face, head or hair. The justification for the use of facial veils come from verse 24:31 in the Qur’an which reads:"And say to the believing women, to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and reveal not their adornment save such as is outward; and let them draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands."

According to the BBC: “The Qur'an makes a few references to Muslim clothing, but prefers to point out more general principles of modest dress. “Both men and women are commanded to lower their gaze and "guard their modesty". The most basic interpretation of "guard their modesty" is to cover the private parts, which includes the chest in women ("draw their veils over their bosoms"). However, many scholars interpret this injunction in a more detailed way and use Hadith (recorded sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) to support their views. [Source: BBC, September 3, 2009 |::|]

Interpretation of the Veil Custom

Selchuk woman
Veiling was institutionalized by Sharia (Islamic law). The way the body should be covered is based on the Hadiths. The wide variety of types of coverings in the Islamic world is a clear indication of how varied interpretations of the Qur’an and Hadiths can be. Men have a dress code too. The Qur’an forbids them from wearing saffron and silk or exposing skin from naval to knee.

The Qur’an specifically warns against literal interpretations. One of the reason why that so many restrictions are put on women is the belief among some Muslims that when God divided up sexual desire he gave women nine times more than men.

Many women on the hajj do not wear veils. Girls can go to school without wearing the veils because of the belief that their uniforms meet the modesty requirements of Sharia. Some women wear the veil as a kind of political statement to show their solidarity with other Muslims, especially as a response to perceived American and Israeli aggression.

France has banned the veil in schools. In the United States, a woman was given a ticket for wearing a veil in Minnesota and an 11-year-old girl was kicked out of school in Oklahoma for wearing one (the federal government acted to get her readmitted) . In Canada, women have been barred from courtrooms for wearing head scarves. In multi-cultural Trinidad, Muslim women are not allowed into state-supported Catholic, Protestant and Hindu schools if they wear head scarves. A 1987 study in Yemen found that women who watched Western programs on television were more likely to question wearing the veils.

Veiling, Politics and Oppression

Farzaneh Milani, a professor of Persian literature at the University of Virginia, wrote in the Washington Post, “For more than a century now, to wear or not to wear a veil has been a central divide within the Islamic world. It has been viewed as a flag, a line of demarcation separating “us” from “them,” the visual symbol for some of a modern society , and for others of a society protecting its traditions, its independence and its faith. Politicians have spoken for or against it; people have been killed for its sake or because of all that it symbolizes.”

The website of a Canadian mosque posted warnings that in effect said that women risked getting raped or having illegitimate children if they failed to wear the hijab. Other reasons sited for wearing veils have included “stresses, insecurity and suspicion in the minds of husbands” and “instigating young people to deviate towards the path of lust.” [Source: Mona Eltaway, a New York-based commentary of Arab and Muslim issues, New York Times]

The veiling issue has divided women’s rights advocates. Some see it a matter of choice with women having the right to wear whatever they like, while others see the veil as symbol of oppression. Barbies, which are sold in more than 140 countries and have appeared in a number of different ethnic clothes, have never been sold with veils.

Why Women Wear the Hijab

Peter Hopkins wrote in Newsweek: “Some women choose to wear the hijab because it is a national tradition of their country of origin, or because it is the norm in their local area, city or country. Others wear it to demonstrate their commitment to dressing modestly and for religious reasons. Like any item of clothing, some women wear the hijab for specific occasions, such as for family or community events, or during particular times of day but take it off at other times, such as wearing the hijab to and from school or work but taking it off while studying or working. A very small minority may claim to be forced to wear the hijab. However, many studies show that in fact Muslim women choose to wear the hijab as a way of showing self-control, power and agency. [Source: Peter Hopkins, Newsweek, August 19, 2016. Peter Hopkins is professor of Social Geography at Newcastle University]

“Many hijab wearers have said that they wear the veil not as a symbol of control by a man, but rather to promote their own feminist ideals. For many Muslim women, wearing a hijab offers a way for them to take control of their bodies and to claim a stance that challenges the ways in which women are marginalized by men. Research has shown that for young Muslim women, wearing a hijab says little about the likelihood of them having a boyfriend or participating in a sexual relationship. Indeed, some young women have said they would wear the hijab to give them more space to engage in such activities.”

Case for Veiling

Somali girl
According to the BBC: “There are only a few references to veiling in the hadith and most of these actually refer to the khimar, which is restricted linguistically to head covering. The covering of the face is only mentioned in three hadith and never by the command of the Prophet Muhammad. In fact, in one hadith, the companions of the Prophet Muhammad are even surprised at one woman's wearing of the niqab during her time of bereavement. [Source: BBC, September 22, 2011 |::|]

“The main evidence from scholars who believe that niqab is obligatory comes from these verses of the Qur'an. “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.” — Qur'an 33:59

“Scholars, such as Imam Abul A'la Mawdudi from the Indian subcontinent, suggest that these verses refer to covering the entire body, including the face and hands. The order 'cast their outer garments' in Arabic is similar to phrase 'draw together'. Scholars say that as a result of this verse, the women at the time of the Prophet drew together their garments over their entire body, including the face. |::|

“One hadith that is used as evidence for this is: “Narrated 'Aisha (wife of Prophet Muhammad): The Messenger of God, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, used to offer the Fajr prayer and some believing women covered with their veiling sheets used to attend the Fajr prayer with him and then they would return to their homes unrecognized.” — Bukhari

“This hadith has been dated some time after verse 33:59 was revealed. Proponents of the niqab say that this hadith shows that the women during the time of the Prophet were not recognisable and hence they must have worn niqab. However, other scholars have argued that their faces were unrecognisable because it was dark, not because they were covered up. It is interesting to note that Aisha says 'some' women, and not all. Furthermore she refers to the early-morning prayer and not to any other. It would certainly make it more difficult to see who individuals were if they were dressed in cloaks before sunrise. In addition, they have argued that the order 'cast their outer garments over their persons' has been misunderstood. They say that the word 'face' has not been indicated in the Arabic, and it would therefore be wrong to extend the meaning. |::|

“Other proponents of the niqab use this Qur'anic verse for evidence for the niqab. “And when ye ask (the Prophet's wives) for anything ye want, ask them from before a screen: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs.” — Qur'an 33:53

“The wives of the Prophet were indeed required to wear the niqab by this Qur'anic verse. This is because the special status they had meant they had to be kept clear from all gossip and slander. Scholars say that if the wives of the Prophet, as the best of feminine examples, were required to wear niqab, then the ruling falls on all women. However, earlier on in the same chapter, the Qur'an also very clearly states that the Prophet's wives were not similar to other women. “O Wives of the Prophet! You are not like any of the other women.” 33:32 |::|

“Most scholars are in agreement that the verse about the screen, or concealing of the face, is only obligatory on the wives of the Prophet. They say the verses are a clear indication that the wives of the Prophet are much more restricted in their movement due to their political position, and that their code of conduct does not constitute a code of conduct for women in general.” |::|

Case Against Veiling

Yemeni doctor in Niqab

According to the BBC: “Most scholars, including the four main schools of Islamic jurisprudence, hold the view that niqab is not an obligation. They cite a number of references for this opinion. “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. 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... “ 24:30-31 [Source: BBC, September 22, 2011 |::|]

“According to the majority of contemporary scholars 'what is apparent of it' refers to the hands and face. Another scholar, Shaykh Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada suggests that because God asks both men and women to lower their gaze, it suggests their faces are visible, otherwise there would be no sense in it. |::|

“Scholars holding this view also state that it is well accepted by all scholars that the Prophet categorically forbade people from covering their faces or hands during hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. If it was necessary that the hands and face be covered at all times, he would not have stated its impermissibility during one of the most sacred points of a person's life. It is also generally held by the majority of scholars, including those that believe niqab is obligatory, that covering the face during the five daily prayers is also prohibited. |::|

“Another strong indication that niqab is not an obligation is presented in this hadith. ) Abdullah bin Abbas reports that the Prophet was riding a camel with Al-Fadhl, Abdullah's brother, behind him. A beautiful woman came to ask the Prophet about the Hajj of her father. Al Fadhl began to stare at her; her beauty impressed him a lot. The Prophet (peace be upon him) having noticed this while Al Fadhl was busy looking, put his hand behind and turned his face away from her hither and thither as she went along with them. Al Abbas said to the Prophet, "you are twisting the neck of your nephew!" The Prophet replied, "I noticed that both the boy and the girl were young; and I feared that Satan may intervene". — Tirmidhi and Bukhari

“Scholars argue that the Prophet controlled the boy Al Fadhl's gaze, but didn't mention the fact that the woman was not covering her face. As a rule, anything that Prophet Muhammad stays silent about is tacit approval. This hadith would seem to indicate strongly that niqab is not obligatory. |::|

Scholars in the West: Obligation Versus Recommendation

alumnus of Sharif University of Technology in Tehran

According to the BBC: “Some contemporary scholars have gone further in their rulings about the niqab in the West. Although they may agree with its practice in Muslim countries, they say that it is harmful in the West and should therefore be avoided. [Source: BBC, September 22, 2011 |::|]

“Shaykh Darsh, a prominent UK scholar, did not believe that the niqab was necessary, or even recommended by the Prophet for women to wear. But if you were going to argue that niqab was a recommended act, he explained his opinion for wearing niqab in this country in the following way: ) Some people believe that niqab is recommended (sunnah); ) Everybody believes that inviting people to Islam (da'wah) is obligatory (fardh); ) The niqab is often a very significant barrier to da'wah in the West where the concept of face covering has never been known; ) If a recommended act is a barrier to an obligatory act, one must not sacrfice the fardh for the sunnah |::|

“Shaykh Nuh Keller, a Jordanian Shafi'i scholar and translator of Reliance of the Traveller, has put forward a similar argument for women in the West. He says that women should not wear niqab in the West because it can lead to harassment and act as a barrier to inviting people to Islam. |::|

“Although the much stronger scholarly opinion holds that the niqab is not an obligation in Islam, it is appreciated that there is an opinion which believes it is. Differences in opinion are respected and celebrated, which is why a follower of one of these opinions will rarely say the other is completely wrong, or haram. Niqab has a place in Islam, since the Prophet's wives were required to wear them. In today's context, many women attempt to emulate the best of women to bring themselves closer to God. |::|

Women Who Like the Veil

While some Muslim women view the veil and other traditional Muslim clothes as oppressive and restrictive. Other see it is as an expression of their religious belief and protection from the harassment of leering men when they go out. This belief has existed a long time. A 12th century Arab woman wrote that wearing a veil made her feel relived because it freed her of the stares of men who found here sexually attractive.

One Qatari woman that likes being covered told the New Yorker, “I like it, I feel protected in it, and when I wear it I’m not bothered by men. The most important thing is to cover you hair not your face.” A woman in Cairo told the Los Angeles Times that she had been discriminated against because she was divorcee who had been married less than a year and said harassment and discrimination ended when she started wearing a body-covering abaya. “The problems that really bothered me before disappeared from my mind,” she said.

20120510-Tudung 2_Malay_girls_in_baju_kurung.jpg
Malay girls, with the on the left wearing a tudung
An American girl, who started wearing a head scarf in high school on her own volition (her mother doesn’t wear one), told the New York Times: “I noticed a big difference in the way guys talked. They were afraid. I guess they had more respect. You walked down the street and you didn’t feel guys staring at you. You felt a lot more confident.” After September 11th she said she was called a “terrorist” and a “raghead” because “high school student are immature.”

Mohja Kahf, author of "The Girl with the Tangerine scarf", wrote in the Washington Post: “Crimson chiffon, silver lame or green silk: Which scarf to wear today. My veil collection is 64 and growing. The scarves hang four or five to a row in my closet, and elation fills me when I open the door to this beautiful array....It irks me that I even have to say this: Being a Muslim woman is a joyful thing...Prayer scarves are a chapter in themselves, cool and comforting as bed sheets. They lie folded in the velveteen prayer rug when not in use: two lightweight muslin pieces, the long drapey head cover and the roomy gathered skirt. I fling open the top piece, and it billows like summer laundry...Tasseled turquoise cotton and flowered peach crepe flutter as I pull out a black and ivory striped head scarf for the day.”

“These create a tent of tranquility,” Kahf continued, “The serene spirit sent from God is called by a feminine name, “Sakinah,” in the Quran, and I understands why some Muslim women like to wear their prayer clothes for more than prayer, to take that sakinah into the world with them. I, too, wear a (smaller) version of the veil when I go out. What a loss it would be for me not to have in my life this alternating structure, of covering outdoors and uncovering indoors, I take pleasure in preparing a clean, folded set for a house guest, the way home-decor mavens lay elegant plump towels around a bathroom to give a relaxing feel.”

Prison for Not Wearing Hijab Is 'Out of Respect for Women' Says Wife of Iran’s President

The Iranian president's wife, Jamileh Alamolhoda told Martha Raddatz on ABC's "This Week" that prison time for hijab law violations is 'out of respect for women'. She defended a law passed in September 2023 designed to impose harsher sentences on women who do not wear hijabs in public, comparing the rules to "dress codes everywhere". [Source: Megan Barnes, ABC News, September 22, 2023]

ABC News reported: Raddatz asked Alamolhoda about the subject, but the Iranian president's wife did not directly answer when asked about what the punishment for noncompliance should be. "What do you think should happen to women who choose not to wear a hijab?" Raddatz asked. "It is out of respect for women," Alamolhoda said. "It is natural in any country. There may be differences of opinion and viewpoints about dress codes. It comes back to their tastes, how they choose to live their lives and their social rights."

Alamolhoda drew comparisons between Iranian women facing a decade in prison for refusing to wear the religious symbol and workplace dress codes. "You have dress codes everywhere, even here in university environments, in schools and everywhere else. And I need to tell you that hijab was a tradition, was a religiously mandated tradition, accepted widely. And now for years, it has been turned into a law. And breaking of the law, trampling upon any laws, just like in any country, comes with its own set of punishments," she said.

"What do you think the punishment should be?" Raddatz pressed further. "Because there are women who believe it is repressive. While they respect those who choose to wear the hijab, they don't want to be forced to wear the hijab. What do you think the punishment should be?" "I do not specialize in law," the president's wife responded. "So I cannot ask you — answer you on a professional level, but punishments are equally dispensed to any breaking of the law throughout many countries."

The public hijab requirement has faced pushback in the form of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement in which many women refuse to wear their hijabs in public. "I feel that our mere presence on the streets is an act of resistance. Practicing everyday life as we want is a part of our revolution," Ava, a Tehran-based musician in her mid-20's, told ABC News earlier this year on condition of anonymity so she could speak freely about the movement.

At least 551 protesters, including 68 children and 49 women, have been killed since the start of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests, according to Iran Human Rights. Raddatz talked to Alamolhoda a year after massive protests erupted in the country after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in morality police custody following an alleged violation of Iran's hijab law.

Feminine Modesty and Lingerie

Women can wear make-up and sexually alluring clothes, but only at home for the benefit of their husbands. There are a number of shops and street vendors in the Moski district of Cairo selling lingerie, sexy underwear, g-strings and plum-colored teddies. Some shops sell items from Victoria Secret and other Western companies as well as stuff produced by local designers. There are even lingerie fashion shows—albeit ones which only women can attend. The sales of one local design increased from $177,000 in 1986 and $3.25 million in 1996. [Source: John Lanaster, Washington Post, April 25, 1997]

One lingerie shop owner told the Washington Post, "Even the completely veiled people, they come and buy lingerie. It's not wrong if she wears it in private. Our religion is very forgiving about that sort of thing." One designer who has had much more success with racier stuff than conservative stuff said, "We came to the conclusion that the lady in Egypt, because' she's conservative during the day, the only time to show here feminine side is at night”.

One customer in a lingerie shop told the Washington Post, "I'm buying things mainly for my honeymoon, but I hope I can keep on wearing them afterward. I don't think I can bring my husband back or prevent him from leaving me by wearing such lingerie, but I want to enjoy my private life and make him happy. A 23-year-old checking out a chiffon nightgown said, "Seduction is fine as long a sit is between husband and wife, who love each other." A 35-year-old man said, "This nothing compared to what happened abroad in public, I have the right to see my wife as I wish to see here. Of it pleases me, why not?"

Photographs of women from the Ottoman era were often of men dressed up as women. Because Muslim women were not supposed to be seen by men outside their families, photographers sometimes asked men to pose as women.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Internet Islamic History Sourcebook: sourcebooks.fordham.edu ; Arab News, Jeddah; “Islam, a Short History” by Karen Armstrong; “A History of the Arab Peoples” by Albert Hourani (Faber and Faber, 1991); “World Religions” edited by Geoffrey Parrinder (Facts on File Publications, New York); “Encyclopedia of the World’s Religions” edited by R.C. Zaehner (Barnes & Noble Books, 1959); Metropolitan Museum of Art, Encyclopedia.com, National Geographic, BBC, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Library of Congress and various books and other publications.

Last updated April 2024