Why must Muslim women cover themselves (Specific quotations)?

Question

I would like to know what passages in which religious texts specify that women must be covered. I am most interested in why Muslim's have this belief, but would also be appreciative of answers for any other religions that believe similarly.

Answer 1

Peace be with you,

Coming from the perspective of a Muslim woman, I can tell you that the main reason we cover is:

because we believe God Almighty, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, told us to.

The inner wisdom of it is modesty. In the Qur'an, God Almighty (who as Jesus (peace be upon him) referred to God in Aramaic and is also termed in Arabic: Allah) says "Come not near to illegal relations." So, Muslim women cover to protect themselves and to be modest so men won't treat them as sexual beings, but rather as contributers of society and as equal partners in humanity. These days, rape statistics are skyrocketing, the numbers of abuses and enslavement of masses of women to media and pop culture are increasing tremendously. Many young girls are resorting to anorexia, bulimia, and even suicide, to fit into a superficial mold of what a woman should be.

Islam offers a wholistic, beautiful, practical notion of what a women is. When cultural stigmatisms and associations such as the oppression of women (which has nothing to do with Islam) are left out, Islam made women equal in society. At the time when Europeans were debating whether or not women had a soul or not, Muslim women got the rights from their Creator to own property, divorce, be financially independent, and to contribute positively to society. Early Muslim women were not only good mothers, but also were scholars, doctors and nurses.

Even today, the morals Muslim women carry, if applied to the larger context of world affairs, have the potential to change society for the better, because of the innate nature of these morals: to not base life on the present or on fleeting, temporary desires, but rather: to focus on what is more important, which is pleasing God Almighty and being moral, productive members of society until our time comes to depart from the Earth.

May God guide us all to the truth that all the prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them all) asserted to: That there is no god but God.

Peace, and hope that helped.

For more information about why Muslim women cover, please see the following:

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/humanrelations/womeninislam/whatishijab.html

http://www.islamfortoday.com/hijabcanada4.htm

http://www.islamworld.net/hijabvirtue.html

http://www.islam101.com/women/hijabfaq.html

Answer 2

I'm not going to give you specific quotations. Instead, an idea.
Mohammed was a randy old dog, who would copulate with whoever took his fancy, regardless of their age.
He understood that most of the men of the time were also uncontrollable if they were to gaze upon an unconcealed female form. Thus, it was one of the few good ideas that he had when he suggested that women should dress modestly.
OK, I'll go along with that, save that men should dress modestly too. Women are not immune from being sexually aroused when looking at some fine examples of the male.
So, in any civilised society these days, humans dress so as to conceal their sexuality to a degree and this degree differs with geography - and level of civilisation.
In any religion, there are those followers who interpret to an extreme. Look at Afghanistan - ridiculous? Look at any muslim woman who covers her hair and face - rather pointless? There are, incidentally, many varieties of this concealment, even in the same country. A wander about in the United Arab Emirates will reveal many differing levels of muslim female dress, some even wearing black gloves to hide their hands from male view. Quite pathetic in that heat.

The truth of the matter is that this concealment, this denial, makes the situation worse. When you are denied something you quite often want it even more!!

Anyway, it is all very silly. Did you not watch 'The Doha Debate' last week on BBC World?

Answer 3

Actually all religions believe this. It is to protect women from vulture like men who prey on innocent women. IT is also to protect marriage. Also to understand that the woman's body is sacred and not meant for exploitation. This is according to the Vedic tradition and Even in Christianity. Gods law is one no matter what your religion it is just some external rituals that differ. All of Gods laws are to protect and to bring one closer to loving Him if your religion is not doing that then either the application is wrong or the understanding is wrong.

Answer 4

Most of the answers here are very very interesting....

The Bible says, a woman needs to cover her head with her hair...not long hair or short hair becuz in some cultures, the women's hair just don't grow very long....
It's the UNCUT hair that the Bible is speaking of.
For this course (uncut hair), the woman shall have power on her head becuz of the angels.
A godly man can pray all he wants but he is yet to get some things unveiled in the spiritual world becuz of the short hair he has on the head (note: it's not right for man to have long hair)

A woman walks in and she just lays it all out, suddenly, the answers to some problems are solved so instantenously becuz of the power she has on her head!
The angels are over her head...watching her, going before her to protect and defend.

I don't agree with just covering the head with a veil just to look holy or to prevent from being raped by men....

Men are ought to control the animal desire that is within them....
Regardless of what the woman wears, a man has NO RIGHT to rape her! It's against humanity!
It is to abhor!

An Iman in Australia said women uncovered are like meat to the men who are like dogs!
The Imam himself must be a dog to be thinking that way...
We are humans not dogs, we have brains to think, we go to school, dogs don't!

Answer 5

In Surah 24: An-Nur: 30 and 31, modesty is enjoined upon both Muslim men and Muslim women

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and God is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: and they should not display beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they must draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, or their men, or their 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 ornaments."

Answer 6

i am Muslim and i cover my body but not my face,in Islam a women's body should be seen only by her life partner not for the whole world,its called modesty. i also think people that don't know the Muslim religion should not make fun of it and respect other peoples religion,like most of the ones who answered this question it just makes them sound ignorant.

Answer 7

actually, women are advised in (judaism and christianity) as well as in islam to cover their bodies. the reason is very simple, for ppl to acknowledge those women's virtues and their RELATION WITH GOD, so they would treat them with respect, exactly the same as (if u look back in history) royal women used to cover their bodies and wear veil, so the common ppl would acknowledge them as royality, and RELATE THEM TO THE RULING FAMILY, thus treat them with respect!
''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.'' (33:59)

Answer 8

a man is driven by two basic impulses: the need to feed and women.

according to Islam and i say this boldly, women are the inferiors, and they must cover up, in case of temptation, or i.e sexual urges. the fear of adultery or betrayal if that lady is married or vice versa. it is almost like giving a promise to god that the contents of her body is exclusive to her one partner, and if i expose it to the world, i give a message this body is not the property of god, but my own and will exploit it. to express her exterior.

i have an islamic backround, and to be honest and it doesnt really state that women have to do these thing, it just makes an implication that in order to be accepted you must loyal to your husband as he is your saviour and all the pleasures must be enjoyed by him.

Answer 9

Muslim hardliners to this day insist upon the veiling of women because of, among other things, this underlying assumption: the sight of an unveiled woman is so distressing, so deeply sinful, that it causes even the angels to flee.

Answer 10

There was the Imam in Australia that said an improperly dressed woman is like a piece of raw meat and men are like dogs, so she deserves what she gets, as it's only nature, but I don't have the quote, and I am damn sure it's not in the Koran,,