The veil and Muslim women

[ali akbar]

The new controversy was sparked by the comments of British ex-Foreign Minister and leader of House of Commons, Jack Straw. This issue is not only controversial in the West but also in countries with a majority Muslim population. In recent years, especially after 9/ 11, right wing political leaders in the West have used this issue to muster political support from more reactionary sections of the population. On the other hand the Islamic Mullahs use this issue to get support from the most rightwing section of the Muslim population. Both the political right and religious right are using this issue for their own interests. One forces women to remove the veil, while the other wants to force the women to wear the veil.

Socialists oppose both approaches, for us it is the right of every woman to wear or not to wear the veil. The state and the religious right have no right to interfere in the personal lives of individuals. Every woman has the right to choose. Most Muslims think that it is wrong to force women to remove the veil, but for some it is not wrong to force women to wear the veil. Socialists oppose a ban on the veil but they also oppose the forced wearing of the veil. This debate is mainly focused on Muslim communities living in Europe. But very few things have been said about Muslim women of the so-called Islamic countries.
Is the Veil custom or religion?
There is lot of confusion around the veil about whether it is custom to wear it or a religious obligation according to Islamic teachings. The Islamic fundamentalists and illiterate Mullahs argue that the veil is a must for Muslim women as a religious duty. They argue that face showing of a woman in public is un-Islamic. These are completely wrong arguments, because the veil is not an Islamic tradition or a religious obligation. The veil predates Islam. The veil, as an article of clothing that covers parts of the head or face, was first worn more than 5000 years ago. According to Dr Muazzez Cig, a well-known Turkish archaeologist specializing in ancient Sumerian civilization, “veils were first used Sumerian temple priestesses whose job it was to initiate young men into the world of sex”.

In the 13th century BC, Assyrian kings had “introduced both the seclusion of women in the royal harem and the veil”. In pre-Islamic Persia, there is recorded evidence of veiled women (especially those married to wealthy individuals). In pre-Islamic Arabia, the veil was worn to protect the face from sand-laden desert winds. In Judaism as well as Christianity, the veil was once associated with modesty and property (the definition of both modesty and property changes over time). In India, some 2000 years ago, a few Hindu tribes started the veil to save the “modesty” and “honour” of their women. Indian Rajputes, a Hindu tribe still strictly enforces the veil and the complete segregation of female members. It is a historic fact that the veil is a custom and not a religious obligation. This is a centuries old tribal and feudal tradition which now has become a part of religion.

There was no specific dress code during the period of Prophet of Islam (PBUH). The founder of Islam (PBUH) never required Muslim women to cover themselves up in an Afghan or Saudi style head-to-toe burqa or any of the burqa’s cousins. From the 632AD to 661 AD, Islam spread to Basra, Syria, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Jerusalem, Algeria, Libya, Morroco, Sudan, Cyprus and Tunisia, and still there was no dress code for Muslim women. As Islam spread outside its place of birth, some early Muslims adopted regional practices including veiling. During both the Umayyad and Abbasid Dynasties (during this period feudal relations were fully established) , a period of almost 600 years, only a part of Muslim urban classes opted for veiling, seclusion or both, mostly as a status symbol depicting that the women of the family did not need work in order to make both ends meet. All through Islamic history, rural and nomadic Muslim women, a majority among Muslim women, did not take to veiling.

In the mid-1700s, Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahab, an Arab theologian, set out to purify Islam in his own colours. His principal thrust was his belief that Muslims had “misunderstood Islam for centuries”. Muhammad Ibn Abd al Wahab and Muhammad Ibn Saud agreed to rule by dividing Islamic interpretation and political administration between the two of them, respectively. From then on, Saudi Arabia’s political rulers have been from House of Ibn Saud while the Grand Mufties (religious clerics which has the right to interpret the religion) fro the House of Ibn Wahab.

Saudi rulers and Grand Muftis have spent billions of dollars to spread the teachings of Ibn Wahab in Muslim societies (that includes severe discrimination of women in education, employment and the justice system). Saudi women are not allowed to drive and religious police enforce a strict code of dress—face veil, headscarf and full black cloak. All customs, nothing to do with religion.

By the second half of the nineteenth century, some Muslim intellectuals argued that interpretations of the Quran in regards to polygamy and wearing the veil had nothing to do with Islam. In 1923 Turkish intellectuals began to denounce the veil. The same year, there was public unveiling in Lebanon, Syria and Tunisia. Reza Pahlvi issued a proclamation (Iran 1925-1941) banning the veil. On November 3, 2006, the Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court banned women lawyers from wearing the veil.

The veil was not an issue in the 60s and 70s but become one in 80s and 90s. The question of the veil has come back with the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism, which is a reactionary phenomenon. It is still the case that a majority of 700 million Muslim women do not wear a full-face veil.
Are women free to choose?

Muslim women in many Muslim societies are not free to make a choice to wear or not wear the veil. The majority of veil-wearing women in Pakistan do not make a decision to wear the veil. On the contrary their male family members make decisions in this regard. In conservative families, girls start to wear the veil from a very young age as tradition and custom. Even small girls of 6 or 7 years old start to wear the veil, and this is decided by the family, and not by the girl. Women are forced to wear veil on the basis of religion, tradition and custom of the family. For many women, the veil is a precondition to allow them to go out of the home. In Iran, Saudi Arabia and some other countries, state laws force women to wear a specific dress. It is not a choice but a compulsion. In many areas, it is not a state law but local religious clerics force women to wear the veil. For them, every woman without a veil or burqa is not modest and is like a prostitute. They regard the veil as a sign of modesty, honour and nobility of the family. So women are not free to make a choice. This discussion is between men on what a woman should wear and what they should not wear. Both male politicians and religious clerics are men dictating to women.
Is it the key issue faced by women?

The media, politicians and religious leaders try to give the impression that it is the key issue faced by women. There are millions of women in the Muslim societies around the world, who cannot cover their bodies because of poverty and hunger. Millions of women are living in abject poverty, hunger, exploitation and repression because of the rotten and reactionary capitalist and feudal system. The key issue for these women is not the veil but to get rid of this exploitation and horrific conditions. This issue like some others is an effort by the right wing ruling class and religious right to divert the attention of the masses from the real issues. The issues like domestic violence, social, political and economic discrimination, unemployment, poverty, hunger, education, health and gender discrimination are the main problems faced by the both veiled and non veiled poor working class women. On the one hand poor women face capitalist exploitation and on the other, the feudal and tribal culture, traditions and customs are making their lives miserable. The main issue is to fight against these horrific conditions to change them.

[evez]

Dr. Aisha Hamdan

In Islamic discourse a great deal of emphasis is placed on the issue of hijab for women with much debate about the extent and nature of that covering. This is obviously an important issue for Muslim women, but an equally significant topic is that of Modesty. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam passed by an Ansari man who was counseling his brother on modesty (He was advising him not to be too much shy or modest). The Prophet said:
“Leave him (and do not advise him like this); for modesty is part of faith.”
(Bukhari and Muslim).
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, also said, “Modesty results in good alone and nothing else.”
(Bukhari and Muslim).

Modesty is a term that is used often but one that is not clearly understood. One way to conceptualize it would be to think in terms of moving from an outer layer to the inner workings of a system. The covering, or hijab is the surface layer of modesty that everyone sees and that is very obvious to all. However, a woman could wear hijab and modesty may not go any deeper than that; it could be an artificial form of modesty or one done to satisfy another person.Going deeper, the next layer may consist of what is commonly known as self-consciousness or shyness. At this level the woman not only wears hijab, but also acts in a way that is reserved and respectful. An important behavior in this category is lowering of the gaze. “And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty.” [24:3 1 Emphasis is often placed on men lowering their eyes, but this is also a requirement for women. Eyes should be turned away from everything that is forbidden. This includes not looking at any non-mahram man, at the awrah of another woman, or with bad intentions at another person. In one hadeeth qudsi, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, reported that Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says, "Looking at a non-mahram (men relatives to whom women cannot get tnarried) is one of the poisoned arrows of Satan. Whoever will stop it because of fearing me, I will bless him with such Emaan, the sweetness of which he will feel in his heart" (Tabarani).Another characteristic at this level is humility in speech. As with everything in Islam, a woman's speech should be in moderation. It should be neither too loud nor too soft (so as to be alluring). Idle, senseless, excessive conversation should be avoided since it has no benefit and distracts from more important responsibilities. When a woman engages in conversation she should keep it decent and respectable and void of such harmful vices as backbiting, mockery, suspicion, and gossip. She should be humble and not boast about her abilities and achievements. "Successful indeed are the believers who are humble in their salah, and who shun vain conversation, and who are payers of zakat" [23:1-4]. Being placed between two pillars of Islam demonstrates the very significance of this pronouncement.A woman should also attempt to avoid contact and conversation with non-mahram men. When this is necessary, such as for educational purposes or in the work environment, the discussion should be limited to pertinent matters and the woman should speak in a straight-forward and virtuous manner.

As with the hijab, these rules of etiquette may be observed for various reasons. The woman may act modestly because of cultural norms, her own innate disposition, or to impress or satisfy other people. This may have no connection whatsoever to the innermost level of modesty as any non-believer may follow the same code of conduct.. The center of this innermost level is the heart, alongside Emaan. A true believing woman does not engage-in these behaviors for other people; rather, she does it for the sake of Allah. She does not do so out of shyness from other people; she does it out of shyness from Allah. She is humble in the presence of Allah because she knows that everything she has, her wealth, her status, her abilities, are only from Him. This understanding highlights the interconnection between modesty and Emaan. The Prophet (S.A.W) said, “Indeed, modesty and Emaan are companions. When one of them is lifted, the other leaves as well.” (Baihaqi). And when this happens, the moral fiber of society is jeopardized.

[Ali Ahmad Syed]

Originally Posted by ali akbar

Is the Veil custom or religion?
There is lot of confusion around the veil about whether it is custom to wear it or a religious obligation according to Islamic teachings. The Islamic fundamentalists and illiterate Mullahs argue that the veil is a must for Muslim women as a religious duty. They argue that face showing of a woman in public is un-Islamic. These are completely wrong arguments, because the veil is not an Islamic tradition or a religious obligation. The veil predates Islam. The veil, as an article of clothing that covers parts of the head or face, was first worn more than 5000 years ago. According to Dr Muazzez Cig, a well-known Turkish archaeologist specializing in ancient Sumerian civilization, “veils were first used Sumerian temple priestesses whose job it was to initiate young men into the world of sex”.

@ali akbar
Neither I am an Islamic Scholar nor I am a perfect practicing muslim (Allah forgive me) but I am responding here because your comments about veil are extremely repugnant and against the teachings of Islam. Following are the guiding principles in Islam about veil:

There are two ayat of the Quran that deal with hijab. These are Surah an-Nur ayah 31 and Surah al-Ahzab ayah 59. Let's look at what these ayat say.

Surah an-Nur ayah 31 says:
And say to the faithful women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it, and to extend their headcoverings (khimars) to cover their bosoms (jaybs), and not to display their beauty except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to Allah together, O you the faithful, in order that you are successful

Surah al-Ahzab ayah 59 says:O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the faithful to draw their outergarments (jilbabs) close around themselves; that is better that they will be recognized and not annoyed. And God is ever Forgiving, Gentle.

Hadiths
What exactly is the meaning of each of these rules? For this, we need to look to the Sunna, because the Sunna shows us how the Prophet (sAas) explained the Quran.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Hadith # 282
Narrated Safiya bint Shaiba (Radhiallaahu Ánha) "Aisha (Radhiallaahu Ánha) used to say: "When (the Verse): "They should draw their veils over their necks and bosoms," was revealed, (the ladies) cut their waist sheets at the edges and covered their faces with the cut pieces.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 1, Book 8, Hadith # 368
Narrated 'Aisha (Radhiallaahu Ánha) Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) used to offer the Fajr prayer and some believing women covered with their veiling sheets used to attend the Fajr prayer with him and then they would return to their homes unrecognized .

Abu Dawood Book 32, Hadith # 4090
Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin (Radhiallaahu Ánha): When the verse "That they should cast their outer garments over their persons" was revealed, the women of Ansar came out as if they had crows over their heads by wearing outer garments.

Abu Dawood Book 32, Hadith # 4091
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin (Radhiallaahu Ánha) "May Allah have mercy on the early immigrant women. When the verse "That they should draw their veils over their bosoms" was revealed, they tore their thick outer garments and made veils from them”.

Imaam Malik's MUWATTA Book 20 Hadith # 20.5.16
Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that Fatima bint al-Mundhir (Radhiallaahu Ánha) said, "We used to veil our faces when we were in Ihram in the company of Asma bint Abi Bakr As-Siddiq (Radhiallaahu Ánha).

Not practicing a religious teaching and completely denying or opposing a teaching are two different things. You are trying to prove that there is no relation between veil and Islam and opposed it indeed. There are lot of discussions/debate both in the forum and out the forum on this issue, I am not to start another one but just giving my point of view with some authentic sources from the holy text.