The Real Hijab

Written By: Misbah Safdar 

I seek protection in ALLAH from the accursed Shaitaan

I begin in the name of ALLAH, the most gracious and the most merciful.

Allah Ta’ala says: “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts from sin and not show of their adornment except only that which is apparent, and draw their headcovers over their necks and bosoms and not reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women (i.e., their sisters in Islam), or their female slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants free of physical desires, or small children who have no sense of women’s nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah altogether, O you Believers, in order that you may attain success.[An-Nur, 24:31]

This aayah does not mean just to cover your body then you can fulfill this order. Rather there’s much more in this. This is what where we muslims are lacking. We need to find out the hidden meanings in the Holy Quran. What is actually demanded in Islam. For that purpose we need to understand Quran. Hijab is not a thing that can be enforced but we must know the true purpose of it that is to give respect and modesty to woman. But most of us dont want this respect. We can even say this about a woman who wears hijab if this hijab dosen’t appear in her behavior.

I always wonder that what would be the purpose of hijab if a women wears it but does not practice it in her behavour. The term Hijab, includes not only dress and covering the body, but methods of behavior before members of the same or opposite gender, promoting privacy for females and prohibiting loose intermingling between males and females, and thereby encouraging modesty, decency, chastity, simplicity and above all, respect and worship of Allah.

Misbah Safdar