Hijabs - compulsory?

Question

Most muslims beleive the Hijab is cumpulsory. This was a practice before even religion and seemed to be part of modesty yet it was kept as the thing to do even by the Kufar.

Wouldnt the Hijab be considered culture? Culture and Islam do not mix it is Bidah to include cultural things as religious ones, wouldnt Hijabed women at that time simply be following the culture as the norm but not as a religious thing as the Kufar would have too?

The Quran says NOTHING about covering the hair only to dress modestly, not wear tight revealing clothes and to cover the bossom.

So my question to you is if a woman dresses modestly but doesnt nessescarly cover her hair is she sinning?

Please keep in mind I am being completly neutral so dont flame me or anything - I am Muslim and have a keen knowledge and insha'allah it will grow.

Im not intending to start a new sect or anything like that I am simply inquiring WHY. If we do not know WHY then we will never UNDERSTAND.

Answer 1

It depend upon how you interpet Holy Quran. If you choose to interpret by yourself thinking that all the early scholars were foolish enough to not to distinguish between culture and religion, go ahread. You can start another denomination in Islam.

This verse..
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاء الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
33:59O 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.

The wording "cast their outer garments over their persons " is understood by the scholars as to hide hair and some even considered it as face also.

For us, not only Quran but the way to follow the Quran is also being taught by Prophet Mohammed PBUH. So, we do not interpret Holy Quran free from all early sources. We believe in a Deen which is linked and contunuous. Anybody anytime can't come up with a new interpretation ans ask us follow.

Answer 2

The hijab is required. The verses in the Quran tell the believing women to draw their veils over their chest. The women in pre-islamic Arabia used to wear veils over their hair that trailed down their backs. The verse simply told them to draw those veils around them and over their chest. If you can imagine this, it creates the hijab that we wear now a days which covers the head, neck, ears and chest.


"Ayesha (R) reported that Asmaa the daughter of Abu Bakr (R) came to the Messenger of Allah (S) while wearing thin clothing. He approached her and said: 'O Asmaa! When a girl reaches the menstrual age, it is not proper that anything should remain exposed except this and this. He pointed to the face and hands." (Abu Dawood)

"It is unanimously agreed upon among Muslim scholars that it is not lawful for a Muslim woman to uncover any part of her body other than the face and hands (and the feet according to some schools of jurisprudence). Hence, it is unlawful for a woman to reveal her hair, or arms, or chest or legs before non-mahram men. Wearing clothes that reveal such parts of a woman’s body is completely forbidden."

"Wearing Hijab becomes obligatory on every girl once she reaches the age of puberty. This is when she starts to menstruate. So, if you have already reached puberty, then you must wear Hijab. "

If ALL of the schools of thought have determined that the hijab is mandatory AND the sahih hadith clearly state this then I don't understand why people still debate this.

Also, why do we want to blend in so much with the west in such extremes to where we loose our own heritage? This is haram.

Answer 3

I agree with all the Quran posted, but you need to take into consideration that the Quran and the Hadith or Sunnah have to go hand in hand. We use both to answer our questions. If you recall, there is no description of prayer in the Quran, so we need the Hadith for the details. Hijab is similar. The examples of the Sunnah of the Prophet's wives and other believing women help us to know what to do and how to do it. May Allah guide us all to the Straight Path.

Answer 4

Like all religions it is open to interpretation, you have to know the context. I believe that it arose when the prophet's female companions were being abused by people opposed to him. They were accosted and the excuse came back that they were sorry they thought they were prostitutes. The prophet apparently instructed that they went around dressed modestly so that this slur could not be held against them.

Source;
Karen Armstrong's book "Mohammed a Prophet for our time"

This is all relative and depends on the society, in Saudi Arabia a glimpse of the neck could be stimulating, in the UK, one would have to be nearly naked, before you were noticed. In Arabia an all black Hijab is just an everyday costume. For English people to dress all in black with a covered face is the garb of an assassin, a Ninja, terrorist or a "Hoodie" sinister and very unfriendly. The English have a tradition of liking people to look them in the face and speak to them directly, covering the mouth or muttering or disguising one's self is considered very rude.

Answer 5

Quranic Verses about Hijab:

“O you Children of Adam! We have bestowed on you raiment to cover your shame as well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness, that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition.” (Quran 7:26)

“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 therof; 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 servants 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 you Believers, turn you all together towards Allah, that you may attain Bliss.” (Quran 24:31).

“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognised and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.” (Quran 33:59)

Answer 6

You are right. Wearing hijab is not required. It has been turned into something never intended to be.

Answer 7

read more hadith dear...