Question:
Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?
Answer:
The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular
media. The ‘hijaab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example
of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyze the
reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘hijaab’, let us first study
the status of women in societies before the advent of Islam
1. In the past women were degraded and used as objects
of lust
The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the
status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that
they were denied basic human dignity:
- Babylonian Civilization:
The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian
law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife
was put to death.
- Greek Civilization:
Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations.
Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights
and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’
called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The
Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity
of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks
were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became
a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society.
- Roman Civilization:
When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even
had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity
were common amongst the Romans.
- Egyptian Civilization:
The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.
- Pre-Islamic Arabia:
Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women and
very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive.
2. Islam uplifted women and gave them equality and
expects them to maintain their status.
Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights
1400 years ago. Islam expects women to maintain their status.
Hijaab for men
People usually only discuss ‘hijaab’ in the context of women. However,
in the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) first mentions ‘hijaab’ for men before
‘hijaab’ for the women. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Noor:
"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."
[Al-Qur’an 24:30]
The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought
comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.
Hijaab for women.
The next verse of Surah Noor, says:
" 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; that
they should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty
except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their
sons..."
[Al-Qur’an 24:31]
3. Six criteria for Hijaab.
According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are basically six criteria for observing
hijaab:
- Extent:
The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered.
This is different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory
on the male is to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees.
For women, the extent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete
body except the face and the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to,
they can cover even these parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam
insist that the face and the hands are part of the obligatory extent
of ‘hijaab’.
All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.
- The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.
- The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through
them.
- The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite
sex.
- The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex.
- The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e.
they should not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols
of the unbelievers’ religions.
4. Hijaab includes conduct and behaviour among other
things
Complete ‘hijaab’, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes
the moral conduct, behaviour, attitude and intention of the individual.
A person only fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijaab’ of the clothes is observing
‘hijaab’ in a limited sense. ‘Hijaab’ of the clothes should be accompanied
by ‘hijaab’ of the eyes, ‘hijaab’ of the heart, ‘hijaab’ of thought and
‘hijaab’ of intention. It also includes the way a person walks, the way
a person talks, the way he behaves, etc.
5. Hijaab prevents molestation
The reason why Hijaab is prescribed for women is mentioned in the Qur’an
in the following verses of Surah Al-Ahzab:
"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."
[Al-Qur’an 33:59]
The Qur’an says that Hijaab has been prescribed for the women so that
they are recognized as modest women and this will also prevent them from
being molested.
6. Example of twin sisters
Suppose two sisters who are twins, and who are equally beautiful, walk
down the street. One of them is attired in the Islamic hijaab i.e. the
complete body is covered, except for the face and the hands up to the
wrists. The other sister is wearing western clothes, a mini skirt or shorts.
Just around the corner there is a hooligan or ruffian who is waiting for
a catch, to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic
Hijaab or the girl wearing the skirt or the mini? Naturally he will tease
the girl wearing the skirt or the mini. Such dresses are an indirect invitation
to the opposite sex for teasing and molestation. The Qur’an rightly says
that hijaab prevents women from being molested.
7. Capital punishment for the rapists
Under the Islamic shariah, a man convicted of having raped a woman, is
given capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence.
Some even say that Islam is a ruthless, barbaric religion! I have asked
a simple question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid,
someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You are made the
judge and the rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would
you give him? All of them said they would put him to death. Some went
to the extent of saying they would torture him to death. To them I ask,
if someone rapes your wife or your mother you want to put him to death.
But if the same crime is committed on somebody else’s wife or daughter
you say capital punishment is barbaric. Why should there be double standards?
8. Western society falsely claims to have uplifted
women
Western talk of women’s liberalization is nothing but a disguised
form of exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation
of her honour. Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the
contrary it has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses
and society butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers
and sex marketeers, hidden behind the colourful screen of ‘art’ and ‘culture’.
9. USA has one of the highest rates of rape
United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries
of the world. It also has one of the highest rates of rape in any country
in the world. According to a FBI report, in the year 1990, every day on
an average 1756 cases of rape were committed in U.S.A alone. Later another
report said that on an average everyday 1900 cases of rapes are committed
in USA. The year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992 or 1993. May be
the Americans got ‘bolder’ in the following years.
Consider a scenario where the Islamic hijaab is followed in America.
Whenever a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes
to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic hijaab,
that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto
the wrist. After this if any man commits rape he is given capital punishment.
I ask you, in such a scenario, will the rate of rape in America increase,
will it remain the same, or will it decrease?
10. Implementation of Islamic Shariah will reduce
the rate of rapes
Naturally as soon as Islamic Shariah is implemented positive results will
be inevitable. If Islamic Shariah is implemented in any part of the world,
whether it is America or Europe, society will breathe easier. Hijaab does
not degrade a woman but uplifts a woman and protects her modesty and chastity.
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