1- COVERING
ALL OF THE BODY
This respected author is in agreement with the position that
the face and hands of the woman must be covered as he has detailed this in
discussions of the Hijab issues in his book:
"The Return of the Hijab, Part 3". Some scholars
say it is permissible to uncover the face and the hands of the woman as long as
there is no fitna (infatuation) caused by her or inflicted upon her. They see
that if: a) she is beautiful and beautifies her face and hands with external
substances, and b) the society around her is corrupt where men do not lower
their gaze, then it is prohibited for her to uncover her face and hands.
2- THE
HIJAB MUST NOT BE A DISPLAY
The Hijab itself must not be a display. Allah ordained it so
as to cover the beauty of women and not for show off. The prophet (Peace Be
Upon him) says:
"And not to show of their adornment except only
that which is apparent." (Qur'an 24: 31)
"And stay in your houses and do not display yourselves
like that of the times of ignorance." (Qur'an 33:33)
It is not logical that the Hijab itself be a source of
display. Some women put on attractive covers on their heads. This is against the
purity of the Hijab and its essence.
3- THE
HIJAB MUST NOT BE TRANSPARENT
The purpose must be achieved. In order for the Hijab to be a
cover, it must not be made of transparent material making the woman covered
only by name(!)while in reality she is naked. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
"In the latest part of my Omaha (nation of Muslims)
there shall be women who would be naked in spite of being dressed, they have
hair high like the humps of the Bukht camel, curse them, for they are cursed."
He (PBUH) added in another hadeeth:
"They will not enter Aj-Jannah and would not perceive
its odor, although its fragrance can be perceived from such and such distance".
This indicates that a woman could cause herself a grave and destructive
sin if she puts on a garment that is thin and transparent and which clearly
shapes her body's features.
4- HIJAB
MUST BE ROOMY, FLOWING AND NOT TIGHT
The Hijab is a safeguard against Fitna. If tight, it will be
descriptive of the woman's body and this violates the purpose of Hijab. Usamma
Bin Zaid (My God be pleased with him) said:
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) dressed me with a thick Qubtyeeyah
(cotton dress from Egypt) which was a gift that he received from Duhia Al-Kalbi.
So I gave it to my wife to wear. He (PBUH) said : "What made you not to
wear the Qubtyeeyah?" I said: "I dressed my wife with it. " He (PBUH)
said: " Order her to put an undergarment (or gown) under it, because I am
afraid it may describe the size of her bones.
5- THE HIJAB MUST NOT BE PERFUMED WITH INCENSE
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
"Any woman who perfumes herself and passes by some
people that they smell her scent, then she is a Zaniyah (prostitute). "
6-THE HIJAB SHOULD NOT RESEMBLE MEN'S DRESS
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
"Women who assume the manners of men are not from us
and also those of men who assume the manners of women. "
Abu-Huraira (May God be pleased with him) narrated that:
"The prophet (PBUH) cursed the man who wears the dress
of a woman and the woman who wears the dress of a man."
7- THE HIJAB MUST NOT RESEMBLE THE GARMENTS OF THE
KUFFAR
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
"The one who takes the similitude (manner) of a certain
people becomes one of them. "
Abdullah bin Ummar (May God be pleased with him) said:
"The Prophet (SAAW) saw me wearing two clothes dyed in saffron,
whereupon he said: these are the clothes (usually worn) by the Kuffar, so do
not wear them."
8- THE HIJAB IS NOT FOR FAME!
The Messenger (PBUH) said:
"The one who wears a garment designed for a worldly
fame, Allah will make him wear a garment of humility on the Day of Resurrection
then he will be set ablaze."
The garment of fame is any garment a person wears to make him/her
look famous. This applies whether the garment is highly precious and shows
admiration to the life of this world or if it is chosen of a low quality to
show lack of interest to this worldly life. The person may put on clothes with
distinct colors so as to draw attention, act proudly and/or arrogantly.
9- WATCH
FOR "CONCEALED" WAYS OF DISPLAY
Examining the various conditions about the Hijab one can clearly
recognize that many of the young Muslim women are not fulfilling these
conditions. They consider what they put on now wrongly as "Hijab."
The enemies of the Islamic revival wanted to destroy it in
its infancy by oppression and cruelty. Allah (almighty) defeated their plots
and held the believing men and women steadfast in their obedience of Him. The
enemies of Islam realized that they should deal with the Islamic revival in a
wicked way in order to sway this revival away from its course towards Allah. They
started to spread innovated forms of "Hijab" as a "midway" solution
by which the Muslim woman can "please" Allah (they claim so!) and at
the same time "accommodate" her society and preserve her
"beauty" and "glamour".
The modern "boutique" stores were declining in
their trade due to the widespread use of the true Islamic Hijab. Suddenly, the
markets were flooded with altered forms of Tabar'roj under the name
'modern/contemporary Hijab'. In the beginning this was protested and women were
cautious. A group of "displaying women" who were embarrassed with the
Islamic Hijab rushed towards the "contemporary Hijab" to "relief'
themselves from the pressing social realities caused by the spread of Hijab.
With time the phenomenon of "concealed display" became widespread and
known as "contemporary Hijab". Women friendly to this course think they
are the best of girls and best of wives while in fact they are as one poet
said:
If
they relate to the Hijab-
It
is the relation of an intruder
So! O women of this kind be mindful to
Allah (almighty) and His Messenger (PBUH) and do not be deceived by those who may
"bless" this action of yours and conceal their true intentions. Do
not be deceived and let your response be: " I am better
than those who are in a complete state of display!" There is no
excuse to follow the evil. Know that the fire of Hell has different lower
levels while Paradise has different higher levels. So it is proper to follow
your sisters who truly adhere to the Islamic Hijab and its conditions. Aim high
towards the highest levels of Aj-Jannah. It has been related that the Prophet
(PBUH) said:
"Look at those who stand at lower levels than you
(regarding worldly wealth) and those who stand at higher levels than you in
religion (adherence to faith). for this would not make the favors (conferred
upon you by Allah) insignificant (in your eyes)." Az-Zohri
reported
that
Ummar Ibin Al-Khatab (May God be pleased with him) recited the saying of Allah
almighty:
"Verily those who say: "Our Lord is Allah
(Alone), and then they stood straight (i.e. they believed in the Oneness of
Allah and worshipped none but Him (Alone) and obeyed Him for all that He
ordered them) on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death)
(saying ); "Fear you not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Aj-Jannah
which you have been Promised!) (Qur'an 41:30).
He then said:
" They, by Allah. followed the straight path of Allah
by obeying Him and did not dodge like wolves."
Al-Hassan Al Basri, may Allah's Mercy be upon him, said:
" If Shaytan (Devil) looks and finds you continuously adhering to the
obedience of Allah he will seek you (i.e. check you) one time after the other.
If he finds that you are still holding, he becomes weary of you and rejects
you. But if you adhere one time and you do not another, then he becomes
covetous: he wants to have you for himself."
So come on to a straight path that has no crookedness
and a guidance that has no misleading ways in it, and to an honest repentance
that has no disobedience in it:
"And turn you all together to Allah (and beg Him)
to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful." (Qur'an 24:31)
