According to the prophet Mohammed a women is awrah. What is awrah? The Encyclopedia of Islam defines 'awrah as pudendum, that is the external genitals, especially of the female. Pudendum derives from the Latin pudor which means sense of shame and modesty. So awrah signify an object of shame that needs to be covered. In my opinion the veil was adopted mainly as a sign to distinguish the FREE WOMEN FROM THE SLAVE WOMEN, so that none should molest her thinking her to be a slave girl (please read Qur’anic Ayat 33:59 )
Yes veiling a women existed thousands of years before Islam. Veiling is common among many religions other than Islam as well, so what? That is the fallacy of tu quoque. If Christians practised veiling does that somehow justify veiling in Islam? Anyway you would think Muslims who spend half their lives with their head stuck in the Quran to come up with something rather then just follow cultural practices.
Anyway Quran-(24:31)—“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 their veils over their bosom and not display their beauty except to their mahrem men (relationship does not allow legal marriage)”. What exactly is the meaning of “beauty & ornaments” that Allah is pointing to? My understanding here is: Beauty is obviously women’s face, and ornaments (her decorative elements: gold, silver etc) which can only add to her natural beauty. In his Sha,ne nazul, Mauolana Yousuf Ali said, “the Arabic word ‘Zinat’ means both natural beauty (face), and artificial ornaments. I think both are implied here to cover, but chiefly the former (face).” Then, where in the Ayats God said to cover her hairs??? And how by covering hair she
can hide her God’s given beauty?
Quran-(33:59)---“ O Prophet ! Tell Thy wives and daughters. And the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (face) when abroad, that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And God is oft-Forgiving, most merciful.” ‘That they should be known as such, and not molested’-- . Here in this Ayat, there are two important things to note: (1) Arabic word “Jilbab” which means Outer garments over their persons (appearance, face)—a long gown covering the whole neck, head, and bossom.; (2) and that they should be known ,as such, and not molested—so that aristocrat women are not molested like a slave girls. . No where in any Quranic Ayats or any Shahi Hadiths says, COVER THEIR HAIRS ONLY.
Some Sahi Hadiths regarding veils:
Sahihi Hadiths (Bukhari Sharif): Abu Huraira narrated, “ in the battle Khaibar, when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) recived Safiyya Bint Huyay Ibn al- Akhtab as BOOTY ( ganimatter Maa’l) one of His ‘Sahaba’ asked , O Messenger of God, what will be the status of Safiyya ? Then Messenger of God replied, “tomorrow if you see her covered with veil than she is my wife; if you see her without veil than she is a slave girl (Books of al-Sira).”
You sholld know, Safiyya was the 10th wife of Prophet Mohammed and was, of course, veiled head to foot to separate from an ordinary Slave girls.
Sahi Bukhari Hadiths (Chapter-27, #108): This is regarding the defaming incident occurred about Hazrat Aysha Siddiqa (R.A.) when she got lost while returning from the Battle field of Muray’ishi. Ibne Shihab narrated: “Hazrat Aysha (R.A.) said, when she was traveling with the messenger of Allah, she (Aysha) was always inside a ‘Haodha’ ( a covering all around by black cloths so that nobody can see her) and in one nightly journey, the Caravan left the place without Aysha being inside ‘Haodha’ by mistake (Aysha was out for natural call). Next morning they found that the Haodha is empty and Aysha (R.A.) was not there. One soldier named Shafoan ibne Muathal was out on that night to search for left out articles of war in the desert. After some times, Muathal saw Bibi Aysha sleeping alone in the open desrt’ sands, and he recognized Bibi Aysha’s by seeing her face. When Aysha awoke up she immediately covered her entire face by her ‘chaddar’. Ibne Muathal took her on the camel’s back and joined the caravan afterwards. When Shafoan Ibne Muathal was asked how he was able to recognize that she was the Bibi Aysha, he (Muathal) replied, “because I saw her face before the veiling system was adopted in Islam.”
(click image to enlarge)
What you have learned about veils from this authentic Hadiths? It was the very FACE which used to be veiled not just hair. If you cover your head as if it is the extension of your genital, you are thinking with your genial. Hijab is subjugation and humiliation. Women are humans not genitals to be covered from head to toe. Let us suppose you are beautiful or you have a beutifull girlfriend or whatever.How can looking at something beautiful destroy it? To be against beauty is to be against women. Shame is not a rational emotion.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
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