Introduction

This blog post is dedicated to all the women in Islam from all over the world. I hope you will find this post inspiring, and I believe my aim in conveying the importance of observing the proper form of hijab will be done through this post In sha Allah(If Allah SWT wills). This topic is crucial on the basis that many Muslim women are unaware of the severe consequences of not wearing and maintaining proper hijab, as mentioned in the Holy Quran. So to raise awareness and mention the importance, I’ve decided to dedicate this blog post to all my sisters out there; this one is for you.

Hijab In Islam

A very common topic term in this era of the 21st century is that of the hijab. The term hijab originates from the root Arabic word Hijaba which means to conceal or hide from view. In its base language in the Arabic language, it means modesty.

The current era is heavily influenced by the Western world. The Western Culture’s drastic impact on the Muslim Ummah is undeniable. Plus, all the hatred and Islamophobia in the Western world is one of the prime reasons why the Muslim sisters feel hesitant to observe proper hijab while at school or work. But it’s also true that the harder it is to observe a religious obligation, the greater the rewards will be in the Akhirah(Afterlife). Since the hijab is a fard obligation as mentioned in different verses of the Quran, while Allah SWT clearly asked the Women of the Ummah to observe the hijab while going out or in front of non-Mahram men, so it’s absolutely necessary to do it; otherwise, we would be sinful.

Responsibility towards our children

Dear parents, our children are a great blessing from Allah(SWT). He(SWT) says in Surah Al Kahf verse 46, “Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world.”

Narrated by `Abdullah bin `Umar:

The beloved Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned “That without a doubt, everybody is a preserver and would be held liable for his affairs.

Women and men are each other’s counterparts. We are the half that completes each other. Without the other half, it becomes extremely difficult for us to function in society as a whole. Allah, the Almighty, says, “Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet, women and sons; heaped-up hoards of gold and silver” An Nisa verse 14. So it’s clear that if we fail to guide our children or spouses who are under our authority, then we will be held liable and would have to face the consequences in the afterlife. Our first instinct would be to try our best to implement the Islamic teachings in our family; if we try our utmost best and still fail, then we can expect mercy from Allah SWT, but we should always try our best no matter what.

Islam teaches us about boundaries. 

We are naturally inclined to like the opposite gender, and it’s how Allah SWT created us. However, this mutual inclination or liking, if not brought within limits, can cause some serious issues and eventually lead to the ruin of society. The Prophet(PBUH) said, “I have not left a trial harder on men than the trial of that of women for my ummah. Undoubtedly, the initial cause of the destruction of the children of Israel was women”. Sahih Muslim Book 36 Hadith 6603

 Sisters, you are much more than what today’s society dictates, more than a piece of object that society, more specifically the West, tries to sexualize the first chance they get. Just imagine how things were 100 years back? One thing you would find out is that women, both Muslims and Non-Muslims, had much more Haya(Shame) back then. They used to cover up and not wear revealing clothes as they do nowadays. One issue which arises nowadays is that of equality. Women, especially feminists, demand that women be treated in the same way as men. They demand the freedom to openly display their body as they wish. If you think about how far we have developed as a civilization, one measure of that could be how much we learned to cover up. Now, these cancerous-minded feminists are trying to take our women back to the Pre-Islamic times, where nudity was widespread, like in the days of Jahiliyyah. Back then, women used to roam around naked, be sexually promiscuous(Sleep with multiple men) and basically be treated as an object to be used whenever people felt necessary. But after the advent of Islam, all those practices were abolished. During those days of Jahiliyyah, daughters used to be buried alive, but Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) stopped all those evil practices and showed everyone the true beauty of Islam.

Equality In Islam:

 Now, the issue arises of feminists calling out Muslim women being oppressed and backdated because they choose to cover themselves up. They say that women should have a right to dress however they like. But one thing that needs clarification is that Allah SWT created us and knows what’s better for us more than we know ourselves. That is why He(SWT) created all the laws by which we are told to abide. If we follow the rules created by Allah SWT for His beloved creation, then rest assured we will be living our lives to the fullest. 

Let us look at a few verses from the Holy Quran on equality where it’s been clearly stated the indiscrimination between men and women. “For the Believing men and women, the Muslim men and women” Al Azhab verse 35. This verse clearly emphasizes that both men and women are seen as equals in the eyes of Allah SWT. Another verse says, “And their Lord Hath accepted of them, and answered them”. It’s been mentioned that Allah SWT does waste the work of anyone engaged in good, whether male or female, because they are all one from the other. Al Imran verse 195. 

Is this not proof enough that men and women are equal? So does equality mean that women are free to roam around unveiled and showing off their attractions to Non-Mahram men? Does it mean intermingling with the opposite gender? However, one wills without any limits? No, of course not. Islam allows things to be halal for a reason. If we stay within the boundaries set forth in Islam, then the whole of society would prosper. 

The following verses would clarify how Islam treats both men and women equally. In terms of punishment, the Quran says, “The woman and the man guilty of fornication, Hit them both with a hundred stripes, (Surah Nur verse 2)

And the verse “As to the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands” (Al Maidah verse 38)

The verses stated above clearly conclude that Islam does not discriminate between people on the basis of gender, race, or colour. It is not a religion created by man but Divinely formulated by Allah SWT. Allah SWT only wants piety and righteousness from us. Verse 13 of surah Al Hujurat clearly says That the most honoured in Allah’s SWT sight are those who are most pious and righteous.

Quranic verses on Hijab:

So there are a few verses that command us to maintain proper hijab, and those are mentioned below. The first one is :

“When asking questions from the blessed wives of the Prophet(PBUH), there should be a curtain between them because it is better for the purity of their hearts and not to hurt the Messenger or marry his wives after his demise; otherwise, it would be a severe sin in the sight of Allah SWT”. (Quran 33:53)

One has been narrated by Anas ( Ra) that ‘Umar Bin Khattab

(Ra ) said to the Prophet (PBUH ): “O Messenger of Allah ! all kinds of people visit your home, both good and bad; asking your wives to observe the hijab would be better”.

Accordingly, this verse of hijab was revealed.

Another very important verse is that of (Quran 24:31). where it mentions that

believing women should lower their gaze and guard their modesty and not display their beauty except what appears ordinarily and that they should wear a veil covering most of her body and not display her beauty except to her husband and mahrams. (Quran 24:31)

This verse clearly mentions that wearing the hijab is fard and covering the body while going out in public or in front of non-Mahrams is absolutely compulsory.

Conclusion

So my dear sisters, just by following the given commandments of Allah SWT, you can easily attain Jannah. Would you risk one thing(Not wearing the hijab) being your sole reason for ending up in Jahannam? Absolutely not, right? So start today, make the hijab your biggest identity as a Muslimah and be proud that you are an Ummat of Muhammad (PBUH).