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Dear Brothers and Sisters Assalamu Alaikum
I want to INFORM you through the words of a sister, why and how hijab
(Islamic code of dress) protects a woman and what are its advantages. This
is not coming from me but from a WESTERN woman who was born and raised in
the western culture, spent most of her life on the wild side, found a deep
vacuum in her life, discovered Islam, accepted it wholeheartedly, and turned
her life around completely - for the better.
This sister is an Irish American, has a Ph.D., teaches in a prestigious US
university, wears hijab wherever she goes - in the class rooms while
teaching, in the conferences and meetings she attends. She is very proud of
Islam and her hijab and in the following explains the advantages and wisdom
of wearing hijab. So please read with an open mind. Those who are open to
reason get the guidance and better their lives, but those who have "eyes but
can't see, and ears but can't hear" will wander in the wilderness of life
forever. No amount of logical reasoning will help them. However, our job as
Muslims, i.e., those who surrendered to Allah, is ONLY to convey the message
to the darkest corners of the world. Our job as Muslims is not to impose
anything on disbelivers because as Allah says in Quran, "For you is your
religion, and for them is theirs".
May Allah give guidance to all of us and enable us to follow Islam which is
the manual of human life. May Allah grant us the wisdom to understand Islam
and to live our lives to its fullest by following its teachings. May Allah
make us realize that education is not only about getting a piece of paper
called degree but education is about learning and understanding life, the
world, and the etiquette of living. May Allah enable us to find solutions to
all the problems we encounter in life in His great message - the message of
Islam. Ameen.
O Allah, no amount of gratefullness will be enough to thank for the blessing
of your message of guidance you have given us. O Allah, enable all human
beings to know the message of Islam, so this world will become a cradle of
peace and stability and so that the forces of darkness will be defeated from
the face of the earth. May Allah be our guide in this journey of life.
Ameen.
Wassalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, Irfan Hasan.
NOTE: The emphasis in capital letters are mine.
SISTER'S MESSAGE....
H i J A B: MUSLIM WOMEN'S HEAD COVERING
The Quran, the Muslim's holy scripture, clearly enjoins Muslim men and women
to dress and behave modestly. Muslim women are specifically instructed to
cover their heads when in the presence of non-mahrem (potentially
marriageable) men:
. Surah Al-Nur (the Light) (24:31) in the Quran states: "They (the believing
women) should draw their head coverings over their bosoms...". . Surah
Al-Ahzab (33:59) states: "O Prophet [PBUH] Tell thy wives and daughters and
the believing women that they should put on their outer garments; that is
most convenient in order that THEY MAY BE RECOGNIZED (as Muslims) and not be
molested."
[MY COMMENT: This is an effective rebuttal to the argument some Muslim women
have against wearing Hijab, that by wearing it they will be recognized and
will be attacked. Allah clearly wants Muslims to be recognized in whatever
community they live in. Their lives lived as Muslims will get other people
interested in them and that will be a way of spreading the message of Islam.
People will approach them and ask them why they dress like that, why they
are different. Their curiousity will automatically draw them towards Islam.
Allah is the most supreme starategist of the universe. He blessed us with
the message of Islam (Islam means peace and security and told us strategies
to spread the message which only benefits us and not Allah. Allah is beyond
all needs.
Allah says in Quran that if the whole world gets united against a Muslim and
want to harm him, they won't except if Allah wills, and if the whole world
unites to benefit a Muslim, it won't except for Allah's will. Therefore
security comes from Allah. Allah is the protector of believers. One should
NEVER FEAR ANYONE BUT ALLAH and then all of his/her fears will be erased
from the heart. Those who bow before Allah, bow to no one in the world - no
one. As great poet of the east Dr. Allama Iqbal said (in Urdu) :
yeh Aik sijda jesay tu garaaN samajhta hai hazar sijdooN say daita hai aadmi
ko nijat Translation: This one bow (to Allah) which is so hard for you,is
the bow that saves you from thousands of other bows. END OF MY COMMENT]
Both of the above Quranic references instruct the Muslim woman to cover
herself with a large, loose overcoat (jilbab) and full head covering
(khimar) so that no provacative part of her body will be visible. Her modest
appearance would MAKE IT CLEAR TO EVERYONE THAT SHE IS A CHASTE, BELIEVING
WOMAN, and no one is to molest her or sexually exploit her [My Comment: This
is an effective solution to the problem of sexual harassment because a
Muslim woman's modest appearance is a social statement that she is not to be
messed with!!].
THE BENEFITS OF HIJAB (COVERING) FOR WOMEN
. For Muslim women, COVERING THE HEAD IS NOT THE SIGN OF DEGRADATION or
oppression. It is a commandment from Allah, who is not male or female, and
thus, would not discriminate against women, a segment of His creation.
. Rather, HEAD-COVERING IS A SIGN OF PURITY AND DIGNITY. It highlights the
Muslim woman as a pure, chaste woman and sets her apart from the immoral
behavior associated with women who dress immodestly.
. The HIJAB IS A SORT OF "SCREEN" BETWEEN THE CHASTE MUSLIM WOMAN AND THE
EVIL THAT EXISTS IN THE WORLD. When a woman wears a hijab she is less likely
to be harassed by men with lusty motives; SHE IS LESS LIKELY TO BE EXPLOITED
FOR HER BEAUTY AND FEMINITY.
. The Hijab allows a woman to move about outside the confines of her home
WITH HER ATTENTION ON THE TASKS SHE HAS SET OUT TO DO. The Muslim woman does
not try to impress anyone but Allah when outside of her home. She is not
concerned if men find her attractive, or if people are impressed because she
has the latest fashions, or the newest hairstyle. She leaves her home as a
SELF-CONFIDENT PART OF HUMAN RACE, not as a fashion-plate seeking stares and
adoration in order to gain self-esteem.
. The hijab cuts down on competition among women. How many people in the
West sacrifice financial savings and health in order to have plastic surgery
- in a desperate attempt to meet up to an unrealistic standard of beauty. IN
ISLAM, WOMEN ARE APPRECIATED FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE, PIETY AND CONTRIBUTION TO
SOCIETY. When women wear hijab one finds that the most beautiful women are
not necessarily the most popular. Rather, a woman is assessed for her mind,
and not just superficial physical traits.
Source > > http://www.pzq.cjb.net |
