The Obligatory Conditions for an Islaamic Hijaab

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

1. Covering ALL Of The Body
It is an agreed position by many respected scholars that the face and hands of the woman must be covered. 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 this action. Two things must be taken into consideration
a) if she is beautiful and beautifies her face and hands with external substances, or
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.
On the authority of the wife of the prophet (pbuh), Umm Salama (RA) said:
"When the verse was revealed that they should cast their outer garments over their bodies' was revealed, the women of Ansar came out as if they had crows over their heads by wearing outer garments.
2.The hijab must not be a display
The hijab itself must not be a display. Allaah ordained it so as to cover the beauty of women and not for showing off. Allaah (swt) says `And not show of their adornment except only that which is apparent.' (S24:31).
AND
`And stay in your houses and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance.' (S33:33).
It is in no way logical that the hijab itself be a source of display.
3. The hijab must not be transparent The purpose of wearing hijab 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) is quoted as saying: "In the latest part of my Ummah (nation of Muslims) there shall be women who would be naked in spite of being dressed, they have their hair high like the humps of the Bukht camel, curse them, for they are cursed. They will not enter Al-Jannah and would not even perceive its odor, although it's fragrance can be perceived from a distance of 500 years travelling by camel" 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, and not tight.
The hijab is a safeguard against fitna. If it is tight, it will be descriptive of the woman's body and this violates and defeats the whole purpose of hijab.
5.The hijab must not be perfumed
On the authority of Ad'Diya Al-Maqdisi, the prophet (pbuh) said:
"Any woman who perfumes herself and passes by some people that they smell her scent, then she is a Zaniyah (adulteress)."
6. The hijab shouldn't resemble the dress of a man
Imam Ahmed, an-Nissa'ee reported the prophet (pbuh) to have 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 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
Abu Dawoud and Ahmed have related the prophet (pbuh) said: "The one who take the similitude (manner) of a certain people, then he/she becomes one of them."
Abdullah bin Ummar (RA) said: "The Prophet (pbuh) saw me wearing two garments dyed in saffron (orange), whereupon he said: these are the clothes (usually worn) by the kuffar, so do not wear them."
8.The hijab should not be for fame
Abu Dawoud and Ibn Majah have related the prophet to saying: "The one who wears a garment designed for a worldly fame, Allaah will make them 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 themselves 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.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. Many just take "half-way" measures, which not only mocks the community in which she lives, but also mocks the commands of Allaah (swt). They consider what they put on now wrongly as "hijab" So, O muslimoon, be mindful to Allaah (swt) and His Messenger (pbuh), and do not deceived by those who "bless" this action of yours and conceal their true intentions. Do not be deceived, and there is no excuse to follow the evil.
If you are sincere in achieving Al-Jannah, then be mindful of these things, insha'Allaah
Wassalaamu aleikum warahmuthullahi wabarakatahu.

Credit: Troid Publications

Is The Women's Voice Awra?

The matter or whether the female voice is awrah and should not be heard in public is a problem that has been discussed at length by scholars throughout the ages. As a Muslimah, I have sought guidance from the writings of scholars who have debated this point, but I have also studied this problem, both from a theological point of view, and also from a practical aspect.After a lot of research on the voice, I have found that both sides have VERY strong arguments. But I have come to the conclusion that it is best to have taqwa and not converse with non-mahram men (Allah (swt) knows best), and here are the daleels which enabled me to reach that conclusion......

Bismillah wa salaatu wa salaamu 'ala nabiyyinaa Muhammad, wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallam, wa ba'd.......

First and foremost is the ayah from the Quran"Be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery, etc.) should be moved with desire" (Sura Al-Ahzab Ayat #32)

From this ayah we can clearly see that the voice of a woman CAN in fact cause fitna and, if a corrupt man hears it, can cause evil desires in his heart to grow. And when is says 'be not soft in speech', I have to see accept women have very soft voices naturally. I know that I do.Second is the Hadith found in "Sahih Al-Bukhari" Narrated Abu Huraira (RAA)

'The Prophet (SAW) said, "The saying 'Sub Han Allah' is for men and clapping is for women." (If something happens in the prayer, the men can invite the attention of the Imam by saying "Sub Han Allah". And women, by clapping their hands). Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol #2, Book #22, Hadith #295.Support for this can be found in the book of Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani "Bulugh Al-Maram" in the tafseer of this Hadith it mentions the clapping is for woman because the men should not hear the woman's voice. (Bulugh Al-Maram : Arabic/English Page # 81 Hadith # 174)
So, having read those points, it is surely clear that we can now see this is one of the strong daleels. For, if the female voice was to be heard, then why would women clap?

The next is in the fatwa by Shaikh Ibn Jibreen, in the book "Islamic Fatawa Regarding Women" where the Shaikh mentions that the voice of the woman is Awrah and he quotes his proofs and then quotes that in shariyya a woman is also not allowed to give a general adhaan where men can hear her. Nor may she lead salah where men can hear her. Even in Hajj she is not supposed to raise her voice during the talbiyah, except only so that her companion can hear it. So based on this, The Shaikh gave the fatwa that the female is awrah and can only be heard by men in case of extreme need or when she is forced too. Even then it should not be soft and flirtatious.

More generally, I would return back to the Qur'aan again. Sura Al-Ahzab ayah#53 ........"And when you ask them, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts"

And finally from Hadith....... Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Hadith Number 159: and Agreed Upon by Imaam Muslim. (This also can be found in the book Islamic Hijab from the Jamiatul Ulama Junubi Africa, page #9)

Narrated 'Uqba bin 'Amir:
'Allah's Apostle said, "Beware of entering upon the ladies (mingling with them)."
So what do we learn from all this?

First, we know that "Women are a place for fulfilment of desire for men. They are inclined to them by natural impulses for men. They are inclined to them by natural impulses that make them desire and appreciate them." (The Standing Committee in a written reply to a question about the relationship between men and women) For this reason and others, Allah (swt) has ordered the believers that, when they ask anything of women, that they ask from behind a curtain.

Even allowing for that, Allah (swt) has also prohibited women, when they speak with men, to be flirtatious or soft in their speech in order that those hearing them may not be moved by desire.If that was the situation at a time when the believers were strong in their faith, what must be the situation in a time like now when faith has been weakened and so few genuinely adhere to the precepts of religion?

Clearly, we Muslimahs must mix with non-mahram men as little as possible and speak to them only if it is essential.

I hope I can keep any flirtatious tone out of my voice, but what about it being 'soft'? Here I come up against a very real problem. As I said earlier, my voice is naturally soft and I can't harden it as an actor might. So I am faced with the problem of disobeying the words of Allah (swt) if I speak to a non-mahram man at all BECAUSE I am bound to speak in a soft voice. Some people might say that I am splitting hairs in raising this point. But, to me at least, it is the bedrock on which I based my views on this subjects. I (and the majority of women, I believe) naturally speak softly. So I should NOT speak to non-mahram men.

For me this is simple and plain. With my academic background, I like things to be logical and for problems to be resolved as neatly as 'A+B=C QED C-A=B'

Here I have such a logical answer. This time the equation is:
'If you are a woman and speak softly, you must not speak to non-mahram men. I am a woman and I speak softly; QED I must not speak to non-mahram men.'
To me, that makes perfect sense and removes my doubts, even if the writing in Hadith did not support this view.

On a purely practical note, surely it is silly (to say the least) for us to wear hijaab and proper hijaab, and for many of us women to veil fully, to observe 'hijaab of the eyes', and then to talk freely to non-mahram men? We try to dress and cover-up in a modest manner, concealing our charms from the opposite sex, so why spoil all that by flirting or even speaking with non mahram men? Sadly, many of us have witnessed women who do just that, and it grieves me deeply when I see such behavior. So insha'Allah this article may convince those ladies who still talk openly with non mahram men that such behavior is both undesirable and against the teaching of The Holy Quran and of Hadith - that much I hope I have successfully argued in this article.

Note from VEILED BUT NOT HIDING: The above article is not my own, but by a Sister named Amina H, the author of her own site, May Allaah reward her.. A'aameen - http://hijabsahih.tripod.com/1989.htm

When you need to talk to me....

When you need to talk to me, don't worry I won't bite.

When you need to talk to me, don't worry I will hear you although you seem to raise your voice thinking for some reason that my veil covering my face affected my hearing.

When you need to talk to me, don't worry, I may speak your language, ask. It's really okay, I'll say yes or I'll say no.

When you need to talk to me, don't assume that a veil means your educational level is below first grade.

How about this, just pretend that my veil is just the same cloth that you put on your body to cover anything that you wish to keep from public view, and then think how it would feel if you spoke to the cloth rather than the person wearing the cloth.

Simple.

Easy.

Thank you for reading.


The above was written on a whim after a situation in my home in which a utility person had to visit for a meter inspection and not only did they scream while speaking in front of me, they almost used sign language, and crouched down although I was taller than they were. *sighs*

My dear, dear sister.. you indeed feel strange, out of place...

SOME EXCELLENT QUALITIES OF THOSE
WHO WEAR HIJAAB

Al-Hamdulilah, it is well known that the Muslim woman is a creature of Hayaa (modesty). Allaah (SWT) loves for our Muslim women to be shielded by their Hijab. It is their outer protection from the decadence of this life. Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) has said:
"Verily! Allaah is Hayaa (modest, bashful) & Sitteer (i.e. the One Who Shields - from disobedient acts). He loves Hayaa (i.e. He loves for one to practice modesty and bashfulness) and Siter (shielding; covering)." (Collected by Abu Dawud; An-Nissa’ee; Al-Baihaqee; Ahmad; & in Saheeh An-Nissa’ee)
Thus, as possessing Hayaa is a quality that is beloved by Allaah (SWT) our sisters must feel comfort in knowing that they have this Hayaa and not the women who show themselves to the world; hence, such women will not be shielded from Allaah’s (SWT) Wrath. Allaah’s Messenger (SAWS) said:
"Any woman who takes off her clothes in other than her husband’s home (to show off for unlawful purposes), has broken Allaah’s shield upon her." (Collected by Abu Dawud & At-Tirmidhi)
Therefore, we see that the Hijab of the Muslim woman has a quality that comprises Hayaa (modesty). Hayaa is what proceeds from Iman (belief). That is why when Allaah (SWT) commands the women to observe Hijab, Allaah (SWT) says:
"And tell the believing women..." (Surah An-Nur 24:31)
Allaah (SWT) also says:
"...And the women of the believers..." (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:59)
Furthermore, Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Al-Hayaa (modesty & bashfulness) is from Imam (belief) and Imam is in Al-Jannah (the Paradise)." (At-Tirmidhi - Saheeh)
He (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) also said:
"Hayaa (modesty and bashfulness) and Imam (belief) are fully associated together, if one is lifted the other follows suit." (Narrated by ‘Abd Allaah bin ‘Umar; related by Al-Haakim in his "Mustadrak")
My dear sisters in Islam, know that these women who beautify themselves for the world to see possess no Hayaa; thus, they are void of any Iman. Instead of looking to the latest fashion models for guidance, you, my dear sisters, must look to the wives of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam). Look at the extreme amount of Hayaa that ‘Aisha bint Abu Bakr (RA) possessed even in the presence of the deceased:
'Aisha (RA) said: "I used to enter the room where the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) and my father (Abu Bakr) were later buried in without having my garment on me, saying it is only my husband and my father. But when ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA) was later buried in (the same place), I did not enter the room except that I had my garment on being shy from ‘Umar." (As-Simt Ath’ameen Fee Maniqib Ummahat Ul-Mu’mineen by Ibn As-Sakir. Al-Haakim brings a similar narration which he says is "good according the conditions of Imaam Bukhari and Imaam Muslim")
My dear sister in Islam, I know that it is quite difficult for you to go out wearing Hijab in a society that mocks and torments you. I know that you, indeed, feel strange and out of place. However, if you knew the status of those who are mocked by the Kufar as well as the status of the strangers, you will continue to wear your Hijab (i.e. to cover your entire body with a Khimar as commanded (24:31), as well as with a Jilbab (33:59), with the exception of the hands and face; however, knowing the recommendation to cover those parts (as well) with dignity. Allaah (SWT) says in His Book:
"Verily! (During the worldly life) those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed. And whenever they passed by them, used to wink one to another (in mockery); And when they returned to their own people, they would return jesting; and when they saw them, they said: ‘Verily! These have indeed gone astray!’ But they (disbelievers, sinners) had not been sent as watchers over them (the believers). But on this Day (the Day of Resurrection) those who believe will laugh at the disbelievers. On (high) thrones, looking (at all things). Are not the disbelievers paid (fully) for what they used to do?" (Surah Al-Mutaffifin 83:29-36)
Allaah’s (SWT) words should serve as a support for you my dear sisters. Also, take comfort in being a stranger among these lewd and sinful women. Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Islam began as something strange, and it would revert to its (old position) of being strange, so good tidings for the strangers." (Narrated by Abu Huraira and Reported Sahih Muslim)
As-Sufoor and It's Characteristics
As-Sufoor means to expose or to un-cover. Therefore, instead of practicing the Hijab (covering), the women of the Kufar practice As-Sufoor. As-Sufoor is sinful as it leads to At-Tabarooj (i.e. to make a dazzling display of oneself). Displaying oneself is a attribute of one who is Jaheel (ignorant). Allaah (SWT) says:
"And stay in your houses and do not display yourselves (At-Tabarooj) like that of the times of ignorance..." (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:33)
Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said:
"The best of your women is the affectionate, the fertile (in productivity), the propitious (favorable), the consultative if they fear Allaah. The most evil of your women are the Mutabar’rijat (those who do At-Tabarooj), the Mutakhayelat (who strut/swagger), and they are the hypocrites. Those who enter Al-Jannah (the Paradise) are like the Cough Crow." (Al-Baihaqi in his "As-Sunan")
My dear sisters in Islam, we see from the above Ayah and Hadith that displaying oneself is indeed Haram. Further, it is a quality of the most evil of women! Therefore, do not be envious of the women of the Kufar. They only have this life to enjoy while the believing women will have Al-Jannah. There is nothing in your Hijab whatsoever to be ashamed of as it is the garment of the righteous and pious female slaves of Allaah (SWT). In order to truly show you how evil those women who make As-Sufoor and At-Tabarooj are, let us ponder over the following statement of Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam):
"Of the people of Hell there are two types whom I have never seen, the one possessing whips like the tail of an Ox and they flog people with them. The second one, women who would be naked in spite of their being dressed, who are seduced (to wrong paths) and seduce others. Their hair is high like the humps (of camels). These women would not get into Al-Jannah (the Paradise) and they would not perceive its odor, although its fragrance can be perceived from such and such a distance." (Sahih Muslim)
Sisters in Islam, these women who practice At-Tabarooj are common among us today. These are women that even the Prophet (SAWS) did not see! Look around you and you will see those women who are clothed but naked! Look at the hair styles of the women who practice At-Tabarooj - are they not high like the camel’s hump? My dear sister, perhaps we are the first generation since the time of the Prophet Adam (AS) to witness such women. If one ponders over photos taken thirty to forty years ago, one will see that the women of the Kufar did not make At-Tabarooj as their offspring do today. These are women who will be in the Hell Fire, save Allaah (SWT) has mercy upon them by guiding them to Islam! Thus, how can you envy them? My brothers, how can you desire them over your creature of Hayaa? These filthy women will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise. This Hadith also shows us that what the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) came with (i.e. the Qur’an and the Sunnah) is the Haqq (truth)! This is a prophecy that has come to pass in front of our very eyes. Hence, will we continue to envy these evil women or be grateful to our Lord for your Hijab which brings Hayaa?

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