Hawzah News Agency - Hijab is a value in accordance with the nature of human. Nudity and moving towards more mingling of the two sexes and exposing them to one another is a move against the human nature and volition. The holy Shariah of Islam has also set out certain restrictions and limits for it and those who are believers and religious cannot disapprove of hijab. Of course there might be people who are uninformed or ignorant. One should first familiarize them with hijab.
So, let us cover the qur'anic points of view on this issue. does the Quran, in fact, require women to cover themselves — with a veil, a chador, or any other form of head covering?
The verses that explicitly consider hijab necessary and essential for women are five, including verse 31 of chapter al-Nour, and verses 59, 53, 33, and 32 of chapter Al-Ahzab.
Chapter al-Nour, Verse 31:
وَقُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ يَغۡضُضۡنَ مِنۡ أَبۡصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحۡفَظۡنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَاۖ وَلۡيَضۡرِبۡنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِہِنَّۖ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآٮِٕهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآٮِٕهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ إِخۡوَٲنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِىٓ إِخۡوَٲنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٲتِهِنَّ أَوۡ نِسَآٮِٕهِنَّ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَـٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّـٰبِعِينَ غَيۡرِ أُوْلِى ٱلۡإِرۡبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفۡلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يَظۡهَرُواْ عَلَىٰ عَوۡرَٲتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِۖ وَلَا يَضۡرِبۡنَ بِأَرۡجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعۡلَمَ مَا يُخۡفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّۚ وَتُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ
And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands' fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters' sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed.
Chapter al- Ahzab, Verse 59:
.يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزۡوَٲجِكَ وَ بَنَاتِكَ وَ نِسَآءِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ يُدۡنِينَ عَلَيۡہِنَّ مِن جَلَـٰبِيبِهِنَّۚ ذَٲلِكَ أَدۡنَىٰٓ أَن يُعۡرَفۡنَ فَلَا يُؤۡذَيۡنَۗ وَ كَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورً۬ا رَّحِيمً۬ا
O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognized and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.
Chapter al- Ahzab, Verse 53:
... وَإِذَا سَأَلۡتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَـٰعً۬ا فَسۡـَٔلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَآءِ حِجَابٍ ذَٲلِڪُمۡ أَطۡهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمۡ وَ قُلُوبِهِنَّۚ...
And when you ask of them (the wives of the Prophet) anything, ask it of them from behind a curtain. That is purer for your hearts and for their hearts.
Chapter al- Ahzab, Verse 32:
.يَـٰنِسَآءَ ٱلنَّبِىِّ لَسۡتُنَّ ڪَأَحَدٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِۚ إِنِ ٱتَّقَيۡتُنَّ فَلَا تَخۡضَعۡنَ بِٱلۡقَوۡلِ فَيَطۡمَعَ ٱلَّذِى فِى قَلۡبِهِۦ مَرَضٌ۬ وَ قُلۡنَ قَوۡلاً۬ مَّعۡرُوفً۬ا
O you wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep your duty (to Allah), then be not soft of speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease aspire (to you), but utter customary speech.
Chapter al- Ahzab, Verse 33:
...وَ قَرۡنَ فِى بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَ لَا تَبَرَّجۡنَ تَبَرُّجَ ٱلۡجَـٰهِلِيَّةِ ٱلۡأُولَىٰۖ وَ أَقِمۡنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَ ءَاتِينَ ٱلزَّڪَوٰةَ وَ أَطِعۡنَ ٱللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ
And stay in your houses. Bedizen not yourselves with the bedizenment of the Time of Ignorance. Be regular in prayer, and pay the poor-due, and obey Allah and His messenger.
* The question:
In some of these verses only the wives of the Prophet are addressed, not all women. Therefore, the command of hijab does not include all women, but these statements apply only to the prophet's wives. Is it true?
* The answer:
- Being addressed of the prophet's wives in verses 32 and 33 of chapter Al-Ahzab, is just intended to emphasize, not assigning the verdict to them. Because in these verses there are decrees that do not only belong to the Prophet's wives, such as performing prayer, payment of zakat, obedience to God and the prophet and...; therefore, the decree of hijab also is not only related to them, but as prayer, zakat, etc., it is a common order between them and other women.
- In some verses of hijab, after stating the divine commandment, its cause is also stated. Whenever the cause of a decree is mentioned in religious matters, that ruling will include others, because the same cause exists in relation to them.
As an example, Almighty God in chapter al- Ahzab, Verse 53, says: "When you ask of them (the wives of the prophet) anything, ask it of them from behind a curtain. That is purer for your hearts and for their hearts".
As you see at the end of the verse, the cause of the sentence is expressed, and since if all women do the same, their hearts will be pure and free from temptations, this order can be generalized to all women.
- In other verses related to hijab, all Muslim women have been addressed; like verse 59 of chapter al-Ahzab, in which along with the wives of the Prophet, other women have also been addressed.
"O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to…"
As well as verse 31 of chapter Al-Nour, in which only believing women are addressed.
"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and…"
- Except for the verses, there are many traditions that emphasize the need for hijab for Muslim women. In particular, in some of these traditions, the Prophet has recommended other women to observe hijab.
- In addition, the consensus of Islamic scholars from the beginning emphasizes hijab for all women.
Therefore, it can be said that the observance of hijab is not just for the prophet's wives, but for all women as a divine duty.