Who determined that in Islamic countries women must cover themselves?

Question

I was watching this program on TV that said that the reason why the women in Islamic countries cover themselves in public is because they want them to be judged by their intelligence and capacities, not their physical appearance, which makes sense to me now.

All the women in America and other parts of the World like to show off their bodies but as a result we tend to get more judged for our physical appearances than our capacities in the modern world.

My question is: Who determined in the Islam religion and culture that the women must cover themselves to better their society?

Answer 1

He is Allah(SWT) who has mentioned this in his holy book Quran to cover the women... there are many people in yahoo answers who say that muslims are weak.. and muslim men decided to bring this into practice to stop women from getting ahead.. but they are wrong..

Be impartial and think... if two girls of age 20 are passing from a road.. both are beautiful... the only difference is one of the girl is wearing black burkha and the other is wearing mini skirt and had tied a piece of a cloth in the name of top... and there is a group of boys standing at the road side who eve tease girls... who do u think will they select for eve teasing.. one in burkha or the one in small clothes..

many people abuse islam while answering such questions... hence i mentioned this explanation..

i think u r studying islam and then judging it.. good.. keep it up..

Answer 2

The Quran, of course...

And I don't know how on TV said that the reason was to be judged by their intelligence and capacities, when in most Islamic countries, the women opinions have less importance than the camel opinion... Men rule and they're never mistaken. Some time ago, an Islamic man told me that in a few years we (Spanish women) should cover ourselves too... So, I think they don't cover themselves because they want it...

Answer 3

It may make "sense," but only if you don't examine reality.
It's precisely where women have to cover themselves that they are LEAST likely to participate in ANY activity where relative intelligence is a requirement or useful.

In other words, how many women doctors, scientists, even teachers are produced in these cultures where they are "judged by their intelligence and capacity?" And forget policy positions.

In short, that is one lame rationalization for the subordination of women. When they incorporate women into all the levels of society needing their input, then we'll talk about the burkas.

And what determined it? Primitive cultural traditions which were codified and glorified into law and "scripture." And the fact that women "accept" it is as irrelevant as the fact that slaves often saw their condition as "natural."

Answer 4

You got some really good answers here. Allah (God) has ordered women to cover up through the final prophet Mohammed (saw). Back in the days even the Jew and Christan women coverd up and that's even before Islam came to the earth so their prophets must of ordered the same thing. Conclusion Allah (God) fearing women will cover up

Answer 5

It is by the religion to protect them ang give them confidence. They can participate in all fields like commerce, science, arts etc by covering themselves. Place yourself as a head of any institution interviewing many candidates. Naturly an exposed woman will get more attentions on her body than her work.

Answer 6

Muslim women do not always cover even their heads in a less strict society (example: Turkey). But, I like the idea as it keeps men from looking at women with impure thoughts.

Have you seen the way Catholic nuns have dressed till recently? In the USA it has changed to more modern dress, but, in Europe they still dress as the women did in ancient times.....for the same reason-modesty.

Answer 7

Peace be unto you,

In the Quran, Allah orders women to cover themselves. Verse 31 of Chapter 24, entitled "Light", or "An-Noor", deals specifically with how women should appear in public and which groups of relatives are exempted from the general rule that governs women's dress. They may reveal their adornment in the presence of their husbands, fathers, fathers-in-law, sons, sons-in-law, brothers, nephews, other women, etc. The same verse includes the order that women "must draw their head-covering which should be of ample length to be used to cover their bosom", in case her dress is of such style as to reveal a part of her bosom. If her dress or blouse covers her bosom and is not tight, then it is good enough. But that does not mean that a woman does not cover her hair in such a case.

Here is the actual verse translated in English:

Chapter 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 bosoms and not display their beauty 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 or the slaves whom their right hands possess or male servants free of physical needs or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah that ye may attain Bliss.

Answer 8

In Islam, God did through the Prophet Mohammas (PBUH) and the Qur'an. Makes sense doesn't it? It's not about opression at all! By covering up, the focus is not on the woman's body therefore the woman demands respect and gets it. She is looked at as a human being, not as a sexual object.

Anyway here's an article that I love about Hijab:

Why Do I Wear Hijab?

I probably do not fit into the preconceived notion of a "rebel". I have no visible tattoos and minimal piercings. I do not possess a leather jacket.
In fact, when most people look at me, their first thought usually is something along the lines of "oppressed female."

The brave individuals who have mustered the courage to ask me about the way I dress usually have questions like: "Do your parents make you wear that?" or "Don't you find that really unfair?"

A while back, a couple of girls in Montreal were kicked out of school for dressing like I do. It seems strange that a little piece of cloth would make for such controversy. Perhaps the fear is that I am harbouring an Uzi underneath it.

Of course, the issue at hand is more than a mere piece of cloth. I am a Muslim woman who, like millions of other Muslim women across the globe, chooses to wear the hijab. And the concept of the hijab, contrary to popular opinion, is actually one of the most fundamental aspects of female empowerment.

When I cover myself, I make it virtually impossible for people to judge me according to the way I look. I cannot be categorized because of my attractiveness or lack thereof. Compare this to life in today's society: We are constantly sizing one another up on the basis of our clothing, jewelry, hair and makeup. What kind of depth can there be in a world like this? Yes, I have a body, a physical manifestation upon this Earth. But it is the vessel of an intelligent mind and a strong spirit.

It is not for the beholder to leer at or to use in advertisements to sell everything from beer to cars. Because of the superficiality of the world in which we live, external appearances are so stressed that the value of the individual counts for almost nothing.

It is a myth that women in today's society are liberated. What kind of freedom can there be when a woman cannot walk down the street without every aspect of her physical self being "checked out"? When I wear the hijab I feel safe from all of this. I can rest assured that no one is looking at me and making assumptions about my character from the length of my skirt. There is a barrier between me and those who would exploit me. I am first and foremost a human being, equal to any man, and not vulnerable because of my sexuality.

One of the saddest truths of our time is the question of the beauty myth and female self-image. Reading popular teenage magazines, you can instantly find out what kind of body image is "in" or "out." and if you have the "wrong" body type, well, then, you're just going to have to change it, aren't you? After all, there is no way that you can be overweight and still be beautiful. Look at any advertisement. Is a woman being used to sell the product? How old is she? How attractive is she? What is she wearing? More often than not, that woman will be no older than her early 20s, taller, slimmer and more attractive than average, dressed in skimpy clothing.
Why do we allow ourselves to be manipulated like this?

Whether the '90s woman wishes to believe it or not, she is being forced into a mold. She is being coerced into selling herself, into compromising herself. This is why we have 13-year-old girls sticking their fingers down their throats and overweight adolescents hanging themselves. When people ask me if I feel oppressed, I can honestly say no. I made this decision out of my own free will. I like the fact that I am taking control of the way other people perceive me. I enjoy the fact that I don't give anyone anything to look at and that I have released myself from the bondage of the swinging pendulum of the fashion industry and other institutions that exploit females.

My body is my own business. Nobody can tell me how I should look or whether or not I am beautiful. I know that there is more to me than that. I am also able to say "no" comfortably then people ask me if I feel as though my sexuality is being repressed.

I have taken control of my sexuality. I am thankful I will never have to suffer the fate of trying to lose/gain weight or trying to find the exact lipstick shade that will go with my skin colour. I have made choices about what my priorities are and these are not among them. So next time you see me, don't look at me sympathetically. I am not under duress or a male-worshipping female captive from Arabic deserts. I've been liberated.
Author : Sultana Yusufali
Source : Toronto Star Young People's Press

Answer 9

The Quran

Answer 10

Oh please, it's so men won't be tempted, its not to be judged by their intelligence, heck, they're not even allowed to talk to a man if their husband or male relative doesn't let them. It comes originally from the Levitican laws for the Jews, to completely cover themselves so they won't become a temptation to the men.