Hijab Is An Act Of Obedience

The Hijab is an act of obedience to Allah SWT and to His Messenger Muhammad (SAW). He (SWT) says:

(وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُبِينًا )

"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have an option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, has indeed strayed in a plain error." (Qur'an 33:36)

Allah SWT also says,

(‏ ‏فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا )

"But no by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (Muhammad (SAW)) a judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission." (Qur'an 4:65)

Indeed, Allah ordered that women must put on the Hijab. He (SWT) says:

(وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ )

"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things) and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except what must (ordinarily) appear thereof, that they should draw their veils over their Juyubihinna(7)."(Qur'an 24:31).

Allah considered the dazzling display of beauty an act of ignorance:

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى

"And stay in your houses and do not display yourselves like that of the times of Jahiliyyah(8)(ignorance)." (Qur'an 33:33)

He, Most Glorified, says:

‏ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ذَلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ

"And when you ask the Prophet's wives for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen." (Qur'an 33:53)

The above Ayah (verse) does not apply only to the Prophet's wives but to all of the believing women. Carefully read the following saying of Allah (SWT):

‏ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ

"O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) over their bodies (when outdoors). That is most convenient that they should be known and not molested."(9) (Qur'an 33:59)

The Prophet (SAW) said,

(المَرأة عَوْرةَ)

"The woman (i.e. any woman) is A'wrah (10)", that is she must be covered.

(7) Juyubihinna: The respected schol ars from As-Salaf As-Saleh (righteous predecessors) differed whether the ve il cover of the body must include the hands and face or not. Today, re spected scholars say that the hands and face must be covered. Other respected scholars say it is preferable for women to cover their whole bodies.

(8) Jahiliyyah: The days of ignorance prior to the Revelation of the Qur'an.

(9) No one can ignore th e molestation of women that exists in the so called "open" societies. The question is: why it is happening? The answer begins to shape up when people think about the purpose behind creation. Allah created us for th e single purpose of worshipping Him alone. He detailed all the ways to fulfill this purpose in the Last Revelation to all mankind, the Qur'an . In it we can find how women and men can safeguard their dignity, honor, and morality. The worship of Allah is manifested in the followi ng of His orders. Allah orders that men and women must avoid all the road s that lead to animalistic ways of living. The Hijab is one of Alla h's commands. It is an honor and protection for women as well as a true freedom for her body from the hands and eyes of aggressors and molesters.

(10) This hadeeth is narrated by Abdullah bin Masoud and collected by At-Tirmidhi who said it is Hassan-Gh areeb i.e. good and Ghareeb (The Ghareeb is a narration by one narrator e ither in each level of the levels of the chain of narrators or in some levels of the chai n). Also As-Siyouti hinted that it is authentic.