In the past few weeks a British MP sparked a huge controversy in the UK on the Muslim woman’s dress commonly referred to by non-Muslim westerners as "the black veil" and by Muslims as the niqaab. I watched the controversy as it grew fiercely spreading across the western world and how it was being portrayed in the media. Many westerners began preparing for a mighty confrontation with the Muslim women who live in their countries that still choose to wear niqaab and they’ve assumed all of them to have immigrated from "back home". Some of them describe the wearing of the niqaab by Muslim women as “backwards”, “uncomfortable for them”, and in the words of the British Prime Minister Tony Blair it is a “mark of separation”. But although they express their feelings towards it in many ways, the overriding question on the mind of many westerners appears to be: Why are some Muslim women who are not forced to wear niqaab still choosing to do so in free western countries? Indeed, many westerners are baffled by this, and instead of trying to understand they turn to their own alternative explanations such as “they must be brainwashed” because saying these women are “oppressed” just doesn’t cut it anymore. As for these westerners, then I as a Muslim woman who wears niqaab say leave them to their ignorant assumptions for it is the same whether we explain to them or do not explain to them; they have chosen not to understand. But there are other westerners who when I make eye contact with them on the streets look more curious than cruel. And many sincerely wonder the reason for us turning to this traditional Islaamic dress when we simply aren’t forced to. And as for them perhaps it is only more of an explanation from a veiled Muslim woman that they want, and to know how niqaab benefits us and to them I say fair enough. I have chosen to write this piece for them (specifically) and I sincerely hope that it serves them well in explaining this to them. I have witnessed many non-Muslim western writers and self-proclaimed intellectuals set out to try and explain for themselves how we feel about niqaab and constantly suggest it is not possible for a rational woman to want this. But I wonder what makes them qualified to speak from the Muslim woman’s perspective on niqaab. Is there anyone more qualified to say how these Muslim women feel about wearing niqaab other than one of these Muslim women themselves? So here I go to explain to you the benefits of wearing niqaab, but first here is some relevant background information about me:
1. I was born and raised in Canada my whole life, am (of course) a Canadian citizen, and the only other country I have been to was the United States. So occasionally when I am shouted at to go back home to my own country I’m not really sure how to.
2. English is my first and only language.
3. I am considered educated by both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and I hope by my writing you have observed this on your own.
4. No one on planet earth has forced me to wear niqaab and at any moment I could take it off and there would be no real consequences from others for doing so. And similarly, no one forces me to defend wearing niqaab or to speak well of it, and this I also do by choice.
5. At age nine I was told to wear the Muslim headscarf (commonly referred by Muslims as hijaab) but was able to do so still running around in jeans and a shirt. In grade ten I progressed to wearing skirts on my own. In grade twelve I began wearing the long black robe (abaya), which often is seen on Muslim women. Later on in the year, I began wearing niqaab and then I wore a long and loose garment over my abaya commonly referred to by Muslims as a khimaar. And finally to top it all off, I began to wear gloves. I love dressing like this and am happy to. Thus, I progressed to dressing this way, and most of my life did not do so.
6. I never thought three years ago I would ever wear niqaab and had much disdain for it at the time. Silly me.
7. Among the women I know who wear niqaab and have helped me to think differently about it are women who have converted to Islaam. Some of them are brown-skinned like me while others are white, black, Pilipino etc.
So this is where I come from and I hope you are now able to see its relevance to the issue at hand. But now to go on to the many benefits there are for me and other Muslim women in wearing the niqaab and dressing modestly. Some of the benefits I’ve received were expected and others have surprised me. This is not intended as a piece that fuels the debate on niqaab, but rather I’m just trying to convey the perspective of a Muslim woman on wearing her own niqaab. Surely as these are my feelings and no one can feel them but me, no one can argue against them. It may be wondered will I mention any disadvantages of wearing it, but by Allah I know of no real or meaningful disadvantages that are of any concern to me.
Benefit 1: It is an Act of Worship that Can Yield Reward
Of surprise to many I’m sure, in Islaam it is well know that an act of worship goes beyond prayer. Wearing niqaab and dressing modestly for the Muslim woman is also an act of worship, an opportunity to please Allah, which means she can be rewarded for it. Imagine the comfort I then feel to know that every time I wear it I may be rewarded for doing so and to constantly be wearing it throughout life takes its potential reward almost beyond my understanding.
Benefit 2: You are Immediately Identified as a Muslim Woman
As women who dress like me are attributed to Islaam, there is no need to explain to others what religion I am from. Since people immediately know I’m Muslim many of them then expect certain behaviors of mine to be different from theirs because of my different religious teachings. And many people kindly make way for my differences because of this acknowledgement. And it is an honour to be identified as a Muslim woman.
Benefit 3: It Brings the Best Treatment from Men
I have found Muslim and Non-Muslim men alike to treat me better than ever since I began observing niqaab. They move aside for me to let me pass, never come within my personal space, and practice decent behavior when it is necessary for them to speak to me. You won’t find them making inappropriate gestures or remarks to me that would offend many other women, but rather I’m not bothered. To my relief I am left peacefully alone to go about my business without the worry that I need to ward anyone off. Often I’ve seen or have known of women becoming extremely angry because men who find them attractive would bother them and when these women demand that they stop these men do not take them seriously. To many men, the primary message a woman gives off is in her manner of dress which dictates to them how to treat her.
Benefit 4: More Clothes Means more Protection
When we dress in this manner around non-related men we do not incite their desires so that they may want to harm us. Rather, it effectively discourages them from bothering, molesting, or harassing us as the wearing of clothes and the covering up of beauty naturally calms the desires of the other gender rendering you to be leave alone in peace. They have no business with us, and we cannot be deceived by them. And how often do we hear of young mothers becoming pregnant thinking themselves loved only to be abandoned when they are finished being toyed with. And how can a man desire a woman whose beauty is not even described to him? So naturally this type of dress is protection, it is the easiest protection to accomplish, and when we are in the company of our male relatives who would not harm us (like others men may) and in whom we can place our immediate trust regarding ourselves and our honour we don’t need to cover to this extent. The vast majority of the time in fact we are not dressed this way. This same idea of protection can be applied regarding the two genders. As women are generally physically weaker than men and more vulnerable to this type of harm by them, she can balance out this disadvantage by wearing more clothes for protection. So wearing niqaab is also befitting for our very nature as women.
Benefit 5: More Protection Means a Greater Feeling of Ease and Peace
Security is a human need that when felt naturally leaves a human being in a state of relief and encourages feelings of ease and peace. For me when I cover, I know I am shielded from every strange man who may have within them perversions, evil thoughts, or may commit lewd acts I may not know about. It is impossible to tell which of them may possess these ill traits in public, and so often do we find the most decent looking person to have committed the most heinous crimes. So we get to choose which men get to see us and we choose for them to be our male relatives (our honourable and beloved protectors). And it is a unique power for a woman to have this choice. To know then that simply wearing niqaab does away with much of these threats naturally leaves the Muslim woman feeling ease and peace beneath the veil.
Benefit 6: It Makes Beauty Easy on Women
Many women nowadays, particularly in the western world exhaust themselves before going out in public applying make-up, tending to their hair, and choosing an outfit to wear for the day; a process which takes some hours. And before heading out many cram their feet into outrageously oppressive and uncomfortable high-heel shoes. Some women find the public pressure of body image so intense that they take to greater extremes and suffer from such disorders as bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Ironically, they call themselves free in doing so and equal to men yet do this primarily for the sake of men. And then upon coming home, these women in the presence of their spouse or family do not care to exert the same effort in tending to their appearance. For Muslim women it is the complete opposite, and the niqaab plays a huge part in that. We need not struggle to please the many men outside of our homes who have no business with us but we need only please our spouse and family and that is a lot less people. After all, the relationship lies between a woman and her spouse, and not a woman and other men in society. Or at least from an Islaamic standpoint that is how meaningful relationships should be.
Benefit 7: It Helps to Preserve Praiseworthy Virtues
Among the virtues we Muslim women try to strive for, and indeed we consider them virtues, are the virtues of modesty and chastity. And these are virtues all Muslims strive for. The niqaab helps to preserve and feed these virtues. When the women of society possess them then the whole of the society benefits. That is because we find there is a direct link between how women of a society generally dress and how much temptation there is for men and women to fall into fornication, adultery, and other despicable acts. And it is these acts that destroy families and cause all of society to fall into corruption and weakness. Having these virtues also paves the way for gaining other virtues such as decency, honour, uprightness, integrity, piety, discipline, honesty etc. Many westerners mock Muslim women in veil, and praise other types of women such as Hollywood actresses and endeavor to be like them. I wonder what good example we can take from them. Even though these women can publicly be seen in movies performing acts that at one point in time were done only in a bedroom, they are still seen as a beacon of light for the many women of the western world and are constantly called role models. And I have never witnessed the condemning of their behavior by westerners whilst the condemning of niqaab and the wearing of modest clothes has been vicious. I fear it would be painfully hard and degrading to always attain their fake appearance, to be seen as a sex object, and to answer each call of this sickly vain society. So let it be seen by us in which way this leads to our happiness, goodness for us, and freedom. And let it be seen by us some meaningful and lasting relationships they are able to carry with their boyfriends, spouses and families as a result of their behavior. We do not see it. The behavior of many western women and what they value can likewise be baffling to us Muslim women.
Benefit 8: It Means Freedom for Us
Can it be denied that everyone has their own notion of what freedom is? For Muslim women, freedom is not as absurdly simple as: the fewer clothes you wear the more free you are. And it does not mean you are able to do whatever you wish. We as well as all Muslims consider us bound by religion and our worship is to Allah not to our own vain desires. Freedom first comes to us in worshipping Allah alone and not ascribing partners to Him or giving what belongs to Him to others. This is freedom in that it satisfies the natural inclination of a human being to worship their Lord and does so in a manner that can be easily understood and that gives Him His due respect. And as for the way niqaab offers us Muslim women freedom is that it frees us from all kinds of harm that comes to women from many angles and allows us to serve our Lord. Primarily I am referring to the harm that can be inflicted on women by men when women incite their natural desires. And it also frees us from going against our nature and we are allowed to have shame and we are not pressured to display our bodies to strangers. And we are freed from the expectation to please with our appearance every man in public. And this is what we consider to be freedom. And even if westerners were to consider whether or not we are free according to their standards even they would have to consider us free because we are doing what we want to do out of pure choice.
Benefit 9: It is a Befitting Action for Nowadays Especially
In the eyes of many, niqaab is a backwards thing, a thing from the past, a tradition, and something no longer needed nowadays. On the contrary, I have found the need to wear it more than ever especially because harassment, molestation, and assault on women are more wildly rampant than ever and the morals of society as a whole have decreased. The need for a woman to wear niqaab grows as the threats against her that niqaab effectively shields against increase. There is not denying in the west threats to a woman’s honour widely exist, and these threats to women also spread across the world from its direction.
So although others may express there hatred for the niqaab and those who wear it, it cannot be said by other than a Muslim woman who choses to wears it how we feel about wearing it, and what we consider it to do for us. So this is what I say, and be assured it reflects the views of other Muslim woman who wear niqaab by choice in the west. Were others to say “well this is the opinion of only one of them” I would fear they would reflect yet further ignorance of Muslim women. In light of this great niqaab controversy I know of nobody more knowledgeable or experienced in the field of niqaab other then the veiled Muslim woman. And I know of nobody's opinion being more relevant and important in the niqaab debate other than hers. And I know of the niqaab more that those who don’t wear it. And of my niqaab I know of only good.
1. I please Allah. I am obeying the commands of my Lord when I wear the Hijaab and I can expect great rewards in return.
2. It is Allah's protection of my natural beauty. I am too precious to be "on display" for each man to see.
3. It is Allah's preservation of my chastity.
4. Allah purifies my heart and mind through the Hijaab.
5. Allah beautifies my inner and outer countenance with hijaab. Outwardly, my Hijaab reflects innocence, purity, modesty, shyness, serenity, contentment and obedience to my Lord. Inwardly I cultivate the same.
6. Allah defines my femininity through the Hijaab. I am a woman who respects her womanhood. Allah wants me to be respected by others, and for me to respect myself.
7. Allah raises my dignity through the Hijaab. When a strange man looks at me, he respects me because he sees that I respect myself.
8. Allah protects my honour 100% through my Hijaab. Men do not gaze at me in a sensual way, they do not approach me in a sensual way, and neither do they speak to me in a sensual way. Rather, a man holds me in high esteem and that is just by one glance at me!
9. Allah gives me nobility through the Hijaab. I am noble not degraded because I'm covered not naked.
10. Allah defines my role as a Muslim woman through the Hijaab. I am someone with important duties.
11. Allah expresses my independence through the Hijaab. I am stating clearly that I am an obedient servant of the Greatest Master. I will obey no one else and follow no other way. I am not a slave to any man, nor a slave to any nation. I'm free and independent from all man-made systems.
12. My Hijaab gives me unique confidence. 13. Allah wants others to treat me - a Muslim woman- with kindness. And the Hijaab brings about the best treatment of men towards me. Taken From the book ”The Hijaab - Dress for Every Muslimah” by Shazia Nazlee
This is a VERY nice article on Hijab, a little long but a MUST-READ
Yeah, I just got on the bus and I’m on my way home. Okay, Mum, Wa’alaikum Assalam.”
I slip my cell into my bag. A girl in a yellow tank top and dark blue cut-offs plops into the seat beside me.
“Ugh, I hate taking the bus, especially in this heat,” she says.
I nod and smile.
She raises her eyebrows at my full-length dress and the cloth wrapped around my head. “Aren’t you hot in that?” she asks.
I contemplate my answer. The girl shoots another question. “Why do you wear that thing on your head anyway?”
I fiddle with the clasp on my bag. I wonder what I should say. Why do I wear Hijab?
Why the Hood?
It’s tough to explain, isn’t it? Hijab relates to the basic faith that there is only one God worthy of worship. As Muslim women we want to submit to God and obey all His commands. Since Hijab is a clear commandment of God (see Quran 24:31), we choose to do it to please Him. If we wear Hijab for any other reason, we may fulfill an obligation without gaining the reward for it.
Aisha (The wife of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) said, “May Allah have mercy on the immigrant women (from Makkah). When Allah revealed ‘that they should draw their veils over their juyubihinna*,’ they tore their wrappers and covered their heads and faces with them.” [Bukhari]
The female companions of the Prophet gave up the traditions and norms of their society and covered up immediately to respond to Allah, before they knew the proper method.
Proper Hijab means loose and opaque clothes. Clothes should not be alluring or similar to the clothing of men. What about guys? Islam outlines a modest dress code for men and women. The requirements are different based on the obvious physiological and psychological differences between the two genders.
Hijab does not apply only to clothes. It is a state of mind, behaviour, and lifestyle. Hijab celebrates a desirable quality called Haya (modesty), a deep concern for preserving one’s dignity. Haya is a natural feeling that brings us pain at the very idea of committing a wrong. The Prophet said: "Every religion has a distinct call. For Islam it is Haya (modesty)." [Ibn Majah].
What’s in it for Me? Five Advantages of Hijab
I can’t be messed with! Hijab protects me – Hijab identifies a Muslim woman as a person of high moral standards to reduce her chances of being harassed.
“O Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons: that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested.” [Quran 33:59]
As Dr. Katherine Bullock (a Canadian convert and community activist) observes, “The point to covering is not that sexual attraction is bad, only that it should be expressed between a husband and wife inside the privacy of the home. A public space free of sexual tensions is seen as a more peaceful place for human beings, men and women, to interact, do business, and build a healthy civilization.”
I am liberated from slavery to ‘physical perfection’ – Society makes women desire to become ‘perfect objects’. The multitudes of alluring fashion magazines and cosmetic surgeries show women’s enslavement to beauty. The entertainment industry pressures
teens to believe that for clothes, less is better. When we wear Hijab, we vow to liberate ourselves from such desires and serve only God.
I don’t let others judge me by my hair and curves! – In schools and professional environments, women are often judged by their looks or bodies—characteristics they neither chose nor created. Hijab forces society to judge women for their value as human beings, with intellect, principles, and feelings. A woman in Hijab sends a message, “Deal with my brain, not my body!”
I feel empowered and confident – In contrast to today’s teenage culture, where anorexia and suicide are on the rise, as women attempt to reach an unattainable ideal of beauty, Hijab frees a woman from the pressure to ‘fit in’. She does not have to worry about wearing the right kind of jeans or the right shade of eyeshadow. She can feel secure about her appearance because she cares to please only Allah.
I feel the bond of unity – Hijab identifies us as Muslims and encourages other Muslim sisters to greet us with the salutation of peace, “Assalamu Alaikum”. Hijab draws others to us and immerses us in good company.
Heard These Before? Three Misconceptions About Hijab
Hijab is a symbol of ‘male dominance’ If you think Hijab is an act of submission, you are right! It is a way to submit to God. Like any other act of worship, the rewards of Hijab come only when it is done for Allah alone.
Hijab is a ‘cultural thing’ From remote villages to cosmopolitan mega cities, women all across the world, from every ethnic background, wear Hijab. Do all of these women cling to old cultural practices? Hijab, the internal and external aspects, take understanding, training and determination. Since the purpose of Hijab is to please Allah, doing it for tradition is wrong.
Hijab is a ‘challenge to the political system’ While Hijab may have political implications, as evident in the banning of Hijab in certain countries, Muslim women who choose to practice Hijab are not doing it to challenge the political system. Islam encourages men and women to observe modesty in private and public life. Hijab is an individual’s act of faith and religious expression.
Are you Ready? Six Obstacles to Overcome
Thinking about wearing Hijab? Here are some tips to help you overcome obstacles that may get in your way:
Yourself –Not sure if you’re ready? Remember that Iman (faith in Allah) includes submitting to Allah’s will. Research, understand the reasons and talk to girls who have gone through it. Ask Allah to help you put your beliefs into action. Prophet Muhammad related that Allah said, “if [My servant] draws near to Me a hand’s span, I draw near to him an arm’s length; if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Your Friends – Worried about how your buddies will take it? Your friends should accept your decision and be proud of your courage. Give them time and be patient. Be conscious of Allah, not the girls or guys.
Your Parents – It’s difficult to do things when the people closest to you oppose it. As Muslims, it’s our duty to please our parents, unless their wishes go against the command of Allah. As much as your parents do for you, their love and mercy could never compare to that of your Creator. Ease your parents into your decision and pray that it becomes easy for them to understand.
At School –It takes courage to be different. You are likely to hear, “what is that thing on your head?” or “who made you do it?” Questions aren’t bad. Know your reasons and explain why you chose to wear Hijab.
At Work – The United Nations states that, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion” (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18). Most countries in the world abide by this declaration and have their own laws that protect an individual’s freedom of religious practice at work.
At the Gym
– What about swimming or basketball for sporty sisters? Obeying Allah and wearing Hijab does not limit your physical activity. Organize sisters-only sports events. This encourages true sports-womanship. When you play, it’s about the love of the game, not the glory (or the guys watching)!
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