Of all the religious edicts, perhaps the hardest and least
acceptable and one which is in conflict with women’s sensual inclinations,
especially for the young, is the issue of the veil.
Has God, the All-Knowing, imposed an unfair and discriminatory edict on women or
is there a benefit and good purpose in it agreeable with woman’s nature which
one has to recognize?
The word veil is a secular word and in the Qur’an it has never been mentioned to
mean head cover or head dress.
From the cases where derivatives of the word veil have appeared in the Qur’an
meanings such as curtain, screen, and boundary (placed on strangers) can be
inferred. The ethical application of this word in the case of women hinges on
the belief in the existence of such boundaries, the limitations placed on the
women’s individual and public contacts with men, and the responsibilities
instigated by religious laws.
Human being is the only creature which, due to having choice and free will, and
awareness and recognition of his/her good and bad behavior, feels shame and
tries to cover his/her body parts and guard them from those seeking to abuse
them. Except for human beings, animals which live by their natural instincts
never feel shame, guilt, or embarrassment. In the story of Adam and Eve in
heaven the first action they take in order to cover their bodies with leaves
takes place after their disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit. This action
is the first expression in exhibiting choice and free will which distinguishes
humans from animals. Since both Adam and Eve attempted to cover their bodies it
shows that veiling and covering for both men and women is the first sign of
“will” and control of instinct, and is a defensive mechanism against
stimulations from outside the system.
Consequently, the issue of veiling and feeling of shame and guilt from the
points of view of nature and history, are as old as the existence of man on this
planet and were not invented and imposed by religious administrators. The
diversity of the opinions on the issue of veil is concerned with the limits of
veiling. On the one hand is the complete freedom in the relationships between
men and women, i.e., no limit on the unruly passion, desire and sexual
inclinations, and on the other is limiting and imprisoning women in the house
and severing all their relationships with their surroundings and other people.
What is important is to find a reasonable and rational position on this issue
which at its source has the covering of only the sexual parts of the body with
only so much as the leaf of a tree, and in its present form is interpreted by
some to mean the hiding of women at home and silencing them.
The following are some of the inferences derived from the Qur’an in
understanding the philosophy and the benefits of this issue:
1. The veil is an issue for both
men and women and is part of the supply and demand equation. Many think that
women should cover their bodies and men should restrain their eyes, whereas
Verse 31 of Chapter Al-Noor (24) of the Qur’an decrees both for both sexes.
وَقُلْ
لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ
وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ
بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا
لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آَبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آَبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ
أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي
إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ
أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ
أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَى عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ وَلَا
يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِنْ زِينَتِهِنَّ
وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ
تُفْلِحُونَ
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 husband's 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
2. The veil for women is for their
security against the sick-hearted and against attacks on women’s chastity,
and has a custodial role not one of impedance or hindrance and slavery.
Consider the following:
يَا
أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ
فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا
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. (1)
3.
Veil (in the context of relationship with strangers) is for the protection
of the family as the source of nourishment for the young and a means of
strengthening the relationship between husband and wife. It is a tool for
preventing the weakening and dissociation of the married relationship of a
couple, and for strengthening the dependency of the spouses on each other.
Elimination of this protection by allowing passion and desire to override
marital obligations will lead to destruction of family life.
Just as prevention is cheaper and better than the cure, so is covering
exposed parts of body (of men and women) and restraining one’s eyes a cure
for deviations from moral and ethical behavior.
4.
Most people’s understanding of the word veil is the head cover or the long
gown worn by some women, whereas the word veil is not mentioned in the
Qur’an to mean head cover or gown, nor is covering the head a sufficient
condition to realize the meaning of veil.
The realm of veil in the Qur’an starts with the manner of looking
قُل
لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ
(2)
...Say to the believing men that they
should lower their gaze…
وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ
يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ
(3) And
say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze…
فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ
فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا مَعْرُوفًا
(4) be not too complacent of speech, lest one in whose
heart is a disease should be moved with desire: but speak ye a speech (that
is) just
Non of which are
addressed by wearing a veil. Most of the disputes revolve around covering
the hair, whereas covering the head, chest and neck, and not wearing tight
clothing (so as to outline the body contours) which is clearly mentioned in
the Qur’an, are more important
وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ
that they should draw their veils over
their bosoms and not display their beauty
For chaste women
Qur’an considers necessary the coverage of anything that is considered
ornamental or decorative. Whether one’s hair is considered “ornamental,”
should be judged by an unbiased conscious and a mind independent of sensual
inclinations. If in the Qur’an there is no direct mention of hair
(5), or if hair coverage seems to be in dispute, it is due
to the historical state of affairs. In the region of Saudi Arabia during the
time of revelation of the Qur’an, and also today, due to the intensity of
the heat of the sun and dust in the air, men and women covered their heads
and therefore it was not necessary for the Qur’an to mention the issue of
covering one’s hair.
5.
On the one hand is the point of view of some western societies in utilizing
and profiteering from appearance and beauty of women and application of such
commodities in the arena of marketing and sales, and offering such
commodities to customers of passion and desire or even customers of artwork.
And on the other is the religious point of view which insists on protecting
and guarding the beauty of form and shape, a Divine endowment on human
beings. The difference in view points are due to the difference in world
view and observation of the same. On the one hand, it is a question of love
of the world and following one’s passions, desires in seeking temporary
pleasures, and on the other hand, devising good policies and long-term
considerations for individuals and the society, and also seeking salvation
for the day of judgment. One can never dissuade those whose sight is bound
by temporal life and earthly pleasures from ostentation and pretension.
6.
Verses regarding observing boundaries of relationship between men and women
are mentioned mainly in Chapters Al-Noor (24) and Al-Ahzab (33) of the
Qur’an which were revealed in Medina (not Mecca) (6) during
the eighteenth to the twenty third years of the prophetic mission, as the
final additions to a monument whose structure and substance had already been
constructed. This situation attests to an important issue, an issue whose
mental and cultural foundation has to be in place before the final additions
can be installed. This is a case of setting educational precedence and
priority in a society. In the Qur’an the axioms declaring unlawful such
things as intoxicating substances, gambling, etc., and the issue of veil,
were revealed at a time when the foundation for societal belief for the
unity of God, the day of judgment, the history of past peoples and prophets,
and ethical standards had already been laid. Even then such axioms were
revealed through patterns and sample models, not through commands and
proclamations! Whereas in some Islamic countries, the religious
administrators concentrate their efforts on the wearing of the veil and
cause rough encounters with persons who do not wear veils and follow western
cultures instead of directing their efforts towards cultural and educational
activities; a futile effort expended on the appearance and one which ignores
the substance. According to Mathnavi of Molavi:
Love can only be
encountered with love,
Seek then, a lover better than love.
When teachers of
ethics in a society mange to plant the seed of love in the youth, then one
can hope to reap the harvest in the next generation and not have to worry
about those who are content with the temporal life
7.
The Qur’an does not mention anything with regards to those who do not wear
the veil. In some Islamic countries, if punishment is administered, it is
due to the man-made laws and the discretion of the religious administrators,
and not because of a divine law or commandment. Maybe the reason that the
Qur’an does not mention punishment for those who do not wear the veil is due
to the law of supply and demand. In other words, it may be that the effect
of not wearing the veil can be neutralized by ignoring and not paying
attention and by controlling one’s eyes. Indeed if there is demand for a
commodity, how can one dissuade another from selling that commodity?
According to the Qur’an, and in contrast to the customary practice, the
harsh threats and punishments in this world are directed toward abusive and
obtrusive men who cause disturbances for women. Consider the following
Verse:
لَئِنْ
لَمْ يَنْتَهِ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ
وَالْمُرْجِفُونَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ لَنُغْرِيَنَّكَ بِهِمْ ثُمَّ لَا
يُجَاوِرُونَكَ فِيهَا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
Truly, if the
Hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who stir up
sedition in the City, desist not, We shall certainly stir thee up against
them: Then will they not be able to stay in it as thy neighbours for any
length of time (7)
