Hijaab
Hijab is the modern name for the practice of dressing modestly, which all practicing Muslims past the age of puberty are instructed to do in their holy book, the Qur'an. No precise dress code for men or women is set out in the Qur'an, and various Islamic scholars have interpreted the meaning of hijab in different ways. The most basic requirements are that when in the presence of someone other than a close family member, a woman should cover her bosom, and walk and dress in a way which does not draw attention to her body, and that a man should be covered from at least the navel to his knees, and similarly not wear figure-hugging clothes that draw attention to his body. The way in which Muslims interpret this, if they choose to dress in accordance with hijab, varies greatly from individual to individual, and country to country.
The word "hijab" is also frequently used specifically to mean a headscarf worn by a Muslin woman. In this case, it most often refers to a square scarf which is folded diagonally and worn over the head to cover the hair, ears and throat, but not the face. The word used in the Qu'ran for a headscarf is "khimar", which might be better to use when referring to headscarves in general, as many people argue that this use of "hijab" is incorrect, and it can certainly lead to confusion. See also: veil for a general description of headscarves and veils worn by both Muslim and non-Muslim women; and list of hats and headgear for a list of all kinds of veils.
How do people wear hijab?
Opinions on what exactly constitutes hijab vary among Muslims. Perhaps the most accepted and common practice for women however is the covering of the body except for the face and hands (wrist to fingers), in a simple manner that does not attract sexual attention from men (by avoiding sheer fabrics or figure-hugging clothes for example). Some have said that both sexes should cover their heads, wrists, and ankles; others believe that women should cover their faces as well.
Some liberal Muslims in the West choose to follow Hijab by dressing in a way that would be considered modest for the culture in which they find themselves - e.g. western business clothes.
Why do people wear hijab?
Hijab is sometimes controversial: its proponents suggest that it may provide higher levels of sexual security, especially for women. They offer as evidence the situation of Islamic countries regarding sex crimes, compared to other countries with same economic situation and GDP per capita. Some others however believe that hijab is unfair towards women, charging that repressive cultures use hijab to subjugate and oppress them. On the other hand, many Muslim women, including many in western cultures, state that they prefer to follow hijab as a sign of their faith, submission to Allah (not to men), so that all Muslim women are respected equally rather than for their appearance, and as a matter of social responsibility.
The Taliban practice of forcing Afghan women to wear full burqas (a garment which covers the entire body, except for netting or a grille over the eyes for the women to see out of) was described as cruel and misogynistic, however very few Afghan women chose to take off their burqas after the Taliban fell (maybe some out of fear that even without the Taliban controlling their lives, Afghan society still frowned on their removing their burqas). Similarly the majority of Pakhtun women in the North Western Frontier Province of Pakistan continue to wear the burqa, even though there are no laws enforcing burqa-wearing in Pakistan.
See also
External Links
Referenced By
Islam in Canada
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