Hijab
Hijab refers to head coverings worn by Muslim women. Similar to the mitpaḥat/tichel or snood worn by religiously observing married Jewish women, certain headcoverings worn by some Christian women, such as the hanging veil, apostolnik and kapp, and the dupatta favored by many North Indian Hindu and Sikh women, the hijab comes in various forms. The term describes a scarf that is wrapped around the head, covering the hair, neck, and ears while leaving the face visible. The use of the hijab, voluntarily and involuntarily, has grown globally since the 1970s, with religious Muslims viewing it as a symbol of modesty and faith; it is also worn as a form of adornment. There is consensus among mainstream Islamic religious scholars that covering the head is required, although Islamic modernists argue it is not an Islamic obligation.
The term was originally used to denote a partition and was sometimes used for Islamic rules of modesty. The Qur'an never uses the word hijab to refer to women's clothing, but rather discusses the attire of women using other terms Jilbāb and khimār.
Scholars differ as to whether hijab mandates covering everything except the face and hands, or to cover the whole body, including the face and hands, via niqab. The specific guidelines are found in texts of hadith and fiqh.
Islamic veiling practices vary globally based on local laws and customs. In some regions, the hijab is mandated by law, while in others, its use is subject to restrictions or bans. Muslim women face persecution in various countries for wearing the hijab—and, as in some Islamic countries, for not wearing it. This issue has the potential to be a deeply controversial topic not only from a human rights perspective but also from an international legal perspective, as it undermines the principle of impartiality, such as judging by individuals who wear clothing that also carries religious symbolism.
Terminology and usage
The Arabic word hijab is the verbal noun originating from the verb ﺣَﺠَﺐَ, from the triliteral root ح ج ب, which forms a large class of words mostly relating to concepts of hide, conceal, block. The term was originally used to denote a partition and was sometimes later used for Islamic rules of modesty. While one usage in the Quran refers to the curtain separating Muhammad's wives from visitors, other usages refers to a metaphysical barrier separating man or the world from God.The Quran does not use the word hijab for women's clothing, but uses other terms such as jilbab and khimar in various contexts. The word in Turkish expresses an emotional state, shame, that is not related to clothing.
In Islamic scripture
Qur'an
A verse in the Surah Al-A'raf-26 gives the simplest and most fundamental purpose of dressing as covering one's ugly parts and emphasizes that fear of God is more important than covering oneself. There are seven verses in the Quran that refer in some way to women's clothing, and the two discussed below are ostensibly related to the form of clothing; The clearest verses on this topic are, telling both men and women to dress and act modestly, with more detail on women's position.The "ornaments" in the verse has been interpreted and presented by some scholars as the parts that are adorned, and by others as the female body, with the potential to encompass the entire body. Meanwhile modesty is exalted in the Islamic understanding, the opposite behavior is despised as fahisha by Islamic scholars alike as emblematic of a state of spiritual ignorance Jahiliyyah. In Luxenberg's Syro-Aramaic Reading analysis on Qur'an, the part "Let them draw their veils over their chests" means literally as "snap their belts around their waists", an idiom, the belt was a symbol for chastity and does not order any organ to be covered with cloth. According to him, the meanings of the words in the relevant part of the verse are as follows: خِمار Khimar; cummerbund, جيب jyb; sinus, sac, وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ; "let them hit."
A statement ın Al-Aḥzāb: 59 is as follows;
This was a statement that tells women to wear their "outer garments" when going out for various needs, interpreted by some as a command and by others as a recommendation of protective measures against sexual harassment in Medina.
Those who perceived the statement as a command were also divided into two; while most scholars consider it won't to include face, a small group arguing that "the purpose of the veil is to prevent women from being recognized", hence the face is included. The statement in question is as follows: literally "so that they will be recognized and not be harmed." In order to understand the expression, some narrations can give clues about the sociological infrastructure of the period. It is reported that Umar prohibited female slaves from resembling free women by covering their hair, no different from earlier social practices in which noble women who could wear ornate female headdresses were easily distinguished from slaves as in Mesopotamia, Assyria and ancient Greece. According to well-known explanation of the verse, by Al-Qurtubi the verse was an expression directed towards free and Muslim women, not slaves or non-Muslim women, for which Tabari cites Ibn Abbas. Ibn Kathir states that the jilbab was distinguishing free Muslim women from those of Jahiliyyah, so other men know they are free women and not slaves or prostitutes, so they are not harassed.
Some later scholars like Ibn Hayyan, Ibn Hazm and Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani questioned the quoted explanation. Their reasons were that slaves were not explicitly excluded in the verse or hadith, and that they could attract lust more easily, and that the prohibition of adultery and molestation should also apply to slaves. What is said about the dimensions of the Jilbab varies; While Qurtubi reports that jilbab covers the whole body, Ibn Arabi considered that excessive covering would make impossible for a woman to be recognised, which the verse mentions.
During Muhammad's lifetime
The word ḥijāb in the Qur'an refers not to women's clothing but to a spatial partition or curtain as in other early Islamic texts in literal usage while in other cases the word denotes separation between deity and mortals, wrongdoers and righteous, believers and unbelievers, and light from darkness. Available evidence suggests that veiling was not introduced into Arabia by Muhammad, but already existed there, particularly in the towns, although it was probably not as widespread as in the neighbouring countries such as Syria and Palestine. Similarly to the practice among Greeks, Byzantines, Jews, and Assyrians, its use was associated with high social status.The Quran in Sura 33:53 which is believed to have been revealed in 627; states, "And when you ask for something, ask them from behind a hijab. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts". As Muhammad's influence increased, he entertained more and more visitors in the mosque, which was then his home. Often, these visitors stayed the night only feet away from his wives' apartments. It is commonly understood that this verse was intended to protect his wives from these strangers. Leila Ahmed adds that Muhammad's concubines did not wear veils, while his wives did, and emphasizes that the term "darabat'ül hijab" was used among Muslims over time to mean "she entered among Muhammad's wives." This is understood as not requiring slave women to wear veils and is supported by tradition.
Some have also offered different interpretations of this barrier; A visual barrier between Muhammad's family and the surrounding community, a physical barrier is used to create a space that provides comfort and privacy for individuals, and an ethical barrier, such as in the expression purity of hearts in reference to Muhammad's wives and the Muslim men to make something forbidden.
Hadith
The Hadiths sources specify the details of hijab for men and women, exegesis of the Qur'anic verses attributed to the sahabah, and are a major source which Muslim legal scholars used to derive rulings. Sahih al-Bukhari records Aisha saying:Aisha also reported that when was revealed,
Although these narrations imply black clothing, other narrations indicate wives of Muhammad also wore other colored-clothes like yellow or rose.
Shape and extent according to hadiths
- Safiya bint Shaiba, said that 'A'ishah mentioned the women of Ansar, praised them and said good words about them. She then said: When Surat an-Nur came down, they took the curtains, tore them and made head covers of them.. This hadith is often translated as "...and covered their heads and faces with the cut pieces of cloth," Some commentators, such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in Fatḥ al-Bārī, claimed that covering also covers the face, based on the word in the text of this hadith.
- According to some hadiths from Bukhari, Abu Dawud and Nasai, during the time of Muhammad, male and female Muslims were performing ablution from the same water bowl. "We used to perform ablution collectively, men and women, by lowering and dipping our hands into the same bowl." indicating that women could perform ablution in the presence of men. In this case, the arms up to the elbows, feet, face and the part of the head that are essential for ablution and wiping can be considered as free zones.
In prayer
- Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Zayd ibn Qunfudh that his mother asked Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "What clothes can a woman wear in prayer?" She said, "She can pray in the khimār and the diri' that reaches down and covers the top of her feet."
- ''Aishah narrated that Allah's Messenger said: "The Salat of a woman who has reached the age of menstruation is not accepted without a khimār."''
Dress code in sharia
In private, and in the presence of close relatives, rules on dress relax. However, in the presence of the husband, most scholars stress the importance of mutual freedom and pleasure of the husband and wife.
Some scholars argue that beyond the body of a woman, her voice is also a part of her "awrah" and should not be heard by men outside her immediate family. They cite some hadiths citing women's voices as a source of temptation and fitna and should be kept private and some verse interpretations.