The Hijab for the Men and Women

It is important to first understand whether the hijab is a command from Allah (swt)
or not. We should also have an idea of what is meant by the hijab and whether it is
only the women who are given this command or not. When one reads the Quran it
is seen that the women and men both are instructed to practice the Hijab. Men are
given their specific instructions and women are given theirs. Prophet Muhammad
(saw) taught his Ummah how to observe this Hijab. He told us what it includes and
what it excludes. The order for hijab for the women is found in Surah Nur 24:31.

Hijab for the Women

The transliteration of the Ayah Surah Nur 24:31:

Wa qul li al-mu'minat yaghdudna min absarihinna wa yahfazna furujahunna wa laa

yubdina zenatahunna illa maa zahara min haa wal-yadribna bi khumur ihinna ala
juyubihinna; wa laa yubdina zenatahunna illa li bu'ulatihinna aw aba'ihinna aw aba'i
bu'ulatihinna aw abna'ihinna aw abna'i bu'ulatihinna aw ikhwanihinna aw bani
ikhwanihinna aw bani akhawatihinna aw nisa'ihinna aw maa malakat aymanu
hunna aw at-tabi'ina ghayri ulu'l-irbat min ar-rijal aw at-tifl alladhina lam yazharu
ala awrat an-nisa wa laa yadribna bi arjulihinna li yu'lama maa yukhfina min
zenatahinna. Wa tubu ilaAllahi jami'an, ayyuha al-mu'minun la'allakum tuflihun

Translation is as follows:

And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their
modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what
(must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their
bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their
husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers'
sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands
possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no
sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to
draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together
towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss. - [Yusuf Ali 24:31]

Allow me to use various other translations of the verse while quoting only the
concerned part so that one may understand what is being conveyed in the Quran:

M. Pickthall: "and to draw their veils over their bosoms...."

Shakir: "and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms...."

M. Asad: "let them draw their head-coverings over their bosoms...."

M.T. Hilali / M.M. Khan: "and to draw their veils all over their Juyubihinna...."

Qaribullah / Darwaish: "And let them draw their veils over their
juyubuhinna...."
M. Sarwar: "Let them cover their breasts with their veils...."

A. Bewley: "and draw their head-coverings across their breasts...."

A.M. Daryabadi: "and they shall draw their scarves over their bosoms...."

E.H. Palmer: "and let them pull their kerchiefs over their bosoms...."

We have to understand what this word "khumur" is that is used in the Ayat but first
I will list the instructions in the ayat and then we will go into detail about different
phrases in the Ayat.

These are the basic instructions in the Ayah:

(a) Lower their gaze

(b) Guard their private parts

(c) Do not display except for "what is apparent"

(d) To draw the "Khumur" over the "Juyub"

(e) Not to display their beauty/adornment/ornament expect to the people that are
in the Ayah

(f) No striking of feet so as to prevent from others knowing what is to be hidden

Points (a), (b) and (f) relate to the behavior of the woman i.e. Not to look at people
with a desire and lust, Not indulge in fornication/adultery or other physical contact
that is prescribed as immoral by Allah (swt), and Not to strike feet as in dancing,
running or any other vulgar movements etc.

Now to come to the points that mentions the dress code of the women. This is
where we come to see what "Khumur" is and what the phrase "what is apparent"
means.

'Khumur'
Khumur is the plural of the word Khimar. According to the Al-Mawrid Arabic-English
dictionary:

Khimar: Hijab, Burqua'a; Veil, yashmak (worn by women) - [Al-Mawrid, Arabic-

English, Page 523]

Khimar as we can see means a head covering. It is something to cover the head
with. Therefore one cannot say that the ayat does not tell the women to cover the
head because the Ayat uses the word 'Khimar' which refers to a cloth used to cover
the head. Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir of the Quran explains: “Khumur (veils) is the
plural of Khimar, which means something that covers, and is what is used to cover
the head.”

You see, in those times, the women used to wear the 'khimar' in such a way that
their chests used to be bare, just like how the non-Muslims used to dress. One can
say that this was the fashion in those days among the women. So Allah (swt)
revealed this verse, as Ibn Kathir explains, “so that they will be different from the
women of the Jahiliyyah, who did not do that but would pass in front of men with
their chests completely uncovered, and with their necks, forelocks, hair and
earrings uncovered,” thus teaching the Muslim women how to dress.

This is to teach the Muslimahs that they should use the 'khimar' (head-covering) in
such a way that they also draw it over their chests and hence covering them from
view. So while the head is covered, the chest is also covered.

'Maa zahara min haa' (Except that which appears

thereof)
Now before we go into defining the above phrase, I think it is appropriate to point
out that there is no disagreement between the scholars regarding the covering of
the head. All of them have unanimously stated that there are clear instructions in
the Quran as well as the Ahadith that the women are required to cover the head.
Currently I have not dwelt in the enormous pool of Ahadith and have stuck only to
the Quran to show that the covering of the hair is compulsory.

In Ma'ariful Quran it is stated:

“First exception is that of 'maa zahara min haa' (except that which appears
thereof). It means that 'Women are not permitted to show their zinah to men,
except that which is revealed on its own'. The indication is that while women are
working, some parts of their body get uncovered automatically, and their covering
is difficult, hence, exception of such parts is permitted. There is no sin in their
uncovering. (Ibn Kathir).” - [Ma'ariful Quran, by Maulana Mufti Muhammad Shafi,
First Authorized Edition 2004, Vol. 6, pg 411]

The question however arises, what parts do fall in within this permissible boundary
and thus it further continues:

“On this subject Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Masud (ra) and Abdullah Ibn Abbas (ra)
have given different explanations. Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Masud (ra) has explained
that what has been excepted in 'maa zahara min haa' is the outer covering, such
as the veil or the sheet used for Hijab. These over-clothings are used to cover up
the normal garments of zinah. Hence, the meaning of the verse would be that it is
not permitted to show anything from the zinah (garments), except the over-
clothings like veil, whose hiding is not possible when going out for some work. On
the other hand Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Abbas (ra) has interpreted that it is
purported for face and palms, because when a woman is forced to go out because
of necessity, it is difficult to hide face and palms while engaged in her work.
Therefore, according to Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Masud (ra) it is not permitted for a
woman even to uncover - their faces and palms before non-Mahram men. Only the
over-clothings, like veil etc. are excepted under necessity. But in accordance with
the explanation of Abdullah Ibn Abbas (ra) it is permitted to uncover the face and
palms before the non-Mahrams. Thus there is a difference between the religious
scholars on the issue whether it is permissible to uncover the face and palms
before non-Mahrams or not.” - [ibid]

Ibn Kathir on his commentary regarding the same phrase in the concerned verse
tells us that it “means they should not show anything of their adornment to non-
Mahram men except for whatever it is impossible to hide. Ibn Mas`ud said: "Such
as clothes and outer garments,'' Meaning what the Arab women used to wear of
the veil which covered their clothes and whatever showed from underneath the
outer garment. There is no blame on her for this, because this is something that
she cannot conceal. Similar to that is what appears of her lower garment and what
she cannot conceal. Al-Hasan, Ibn Sirin, Abu Al-Jawza', Ibrahim An-Nakha`i and
others also had the same view as Ibn Mas`ud.”

The Undeniable Fact

A lot of tafsirs and a lot of scholars can be quoted to explain their stand on this
verse. However the aim of this article is not to prove that covering the face and
hands is obligatory but only to prove that covering the hair is obligatory. Keeping
that in mind, I will reiterate that while scholars dispute on the covering of the face
and the hands, all the four major Imams agree that covering the hair is obligatory
and a direct command to the woman from Allah (swt). Hence covering the hair is
an undeniable fact which is denied only by the ones who do not wish to submit
themselves to Allah (swt) and follow His commandments. If a woman does feel that
their lips, nose are also part of her beauty and attracts lustful people then she is
required without a doubt to cover it i.e. wear a veil.

Is Lowering the Gaze not Enough?

Some people would say that the first and foremost command in the verse is
regarding the lowering of the gaze and that is all that is important because it is the
intention that matters. Such people would go to all lengths to try and justify that
Hijab is not a requirement but their claims will always lack the understanding of the
Arabic or ignoring the numerous Ahadith regarding this issue.

The verse does start with lowering the gaze and guarding the modesty because this
is the most important step of the Hijab for the women. A woman can wear the
head-covering yet be immoral and unchaste so it is of course important and in fact
the stepping stone of Hijab for the woman to lower her gaze and guard her
modesty. This bit of the commandment refers to what is in the hands of the
woman. To lower her gaze and to be chaste is within her hands and she has
complete control over it thus this is the first and initial step as with the absence of
this step, the foundation of the Hijab will be weak and with a weak foundation, the
building always falls to the ground. This first step guards the woman from
committing immoral acts.

The second step of the Hijab refers to something which is in the hands of the
woman and also to something which is not in their hands. This step not only guards
the woman from committing immoral acts but also guards the woman from being a
target or victim of an immoral act or violation. Wearing seductive clothes will
always entice people of the opposite sex. I do not mean to point that it will only
attract the rapists. Normally when people say that women that dress while
exposing themselves can attract rapists, certain people throw a tantrum without
caring to understand what one is trying to explain. Cindy Taylor, who was raped
twice, actually defended the Australian mufti who said that women in order to
prevent being the victim of rape should dress more modestly. She stated that she
understood what the Australian imam, Hilali, was trying to explain to the people
and asked the Australians to be more open-minded. However I do not wish to
stress only on this single factor.

Young male people who have female classmates can be attracted to the way their
female classmates dress and the way they make themselves appear. This can then
lead onto them trying to secure a date with the female and in return making a lot
of promises that they do not even mean just to be able to have some 'guy fun'.
This is a hard fact and everyone has either been a victim or been the cheat or
knows someone who is either of the two. One cannot deny these situations which
do occur. So one can claim, if the woman is lowering her gaze and guarding her
modesty, she will not fall for such fake promises. The reality is that even if she is
lowering her gaze while dressing alluringly she will yet be exposed to the
temptation that will be caused by the fake promises.

Islam aims to secure the women from being the victim of such people by giving
them the means to completely seal themselves from even being tempted by people
or being a target of their evil desires. In the complete sense the Hijab is the
exclusion of any such apparel or action which would attract the person of the
opposite sex especially the attracting of the ones with evil intentions. These actions
also include any such body language. Many people are not aware of body language
and thus might, unintentionally, attract people. Of course unintentional acts are
inshaAllah forgiven by Allah (swt) but it is also important to note that when a
woman is properly covered, there are less chances of her to attract someone with
unintentional body language.

The physical self of the woman is for herself and her husband and not a view for
the entire world to enjoy. She should then guard herself and cover herself
according to the prescribed boundaries set by Allah (swt). The prescribed way
prevents a woman from being admired for her physical self and makes provision for
her being admired for her spiritual side. A man attracted to a woman due to
physical reasons can hardly remain true to her for life.

Is Hair Part of the Beauty?

Of course many women might feel that the hair is not part of the beauty of the
woman and that she can leave them uncovered. Hair is definitely part of the beauty
and the fact that fashion magazines have loads of articles on the latest hairstyles is
evidence enough that hair is part of the beauty of the woman. Hair actually
enhances the beauty of the woman and trying different hairstyles can really bring
out a change in the way a woman looks. If hair were not part of the beauty of a
woman and if it did not enhance her looks then big fashion industries would not
spend hours advertising new hairstyles nor would fashion magazines print articles
on such matters. It cannot be hidden that a man is attracted to the hair.

When we state that hair is not part of the beauty then we are only deceiving
ourselves and no one else. Allah (swt) is the Creator of everything including
humans of course and who would know better the created than the Creator? Allah
(swt) knows that which is part of the beauty of a man or a woman and what steps
would secure them both. Hence He in His Divine Wisdom has ordained for us
certain rulings which we have to abide by. Now we have a choice of either to
submit to Allah (swt) and follow that which He commands or make excuses and try
not to follow what is commanded.

But I Think…
Often I get the responses “but I think it is not applicable” or “but I think it is a
cultural thing” and the list of such interrelated questions with minor variations is
endless. Firstly let us make one thing clear; Islam is applicable till the end of time.
There can be no changes in it and is to be followed just the way Prophet
Muhammad (saw) followed it and taught us to follow it (For details also refer to my
article “Can Islam be changed”).

Secondly many think that the pre-Islamic era in Medina was highly conservative
and thus Islam incorporated that or rather traditions incorporated that and thus it
is not applicable today. This is actually a misconception. Barnaby Rogerson in his
book titled 'The Heirs of The Prophet Muhammad' states on page 97: “cover
bosoms and lower gaze are instructions to encourage a natural modesty -
especially when you remember that the Prophet was addressing an audience
brought up in the extremely free sexual environment of the oasis of Medina.” This
shows that the culture in Medina was not that of covering up oneself but rather this
was a ruling of Islam which brought forth the concept of Hijab and modesty.

Another popular “But I think…” is the question “but I think it is okay to not do the
Hijab in hot climate countries”. Again this is one of the weak attempts to try and
find excuses not to follow the command of Allah (swt). It is laughable the way one
can come up with issues that make no sense. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims
including Western Muslims live under hot climate. Yet they wear the Hijab and are
very much comfortable in it. Apart from these the Muslim women in the days of
Prophet Muhammad (saw) wore Hijab in the desert heat but found themselves to
be at ease. Yet today some people come up with saying that it is not comfortable.
What women can do if the heat does truly bother them, is to wear scarf made of
thinner material like cotton or georgette etc. Additionally one can wear light colored
scarves as well. The Hijab will actually also protect one's neck and scalp from the
harmful ultra-violet rays of the sun.

It is not possible for me to reply to all the “but I think” questions that people ask
but generally it will be observed that such questions are based on a similar theme
and show reluctance on behalf of the questioner to follow the command of Allah
(swt) and thus they create petty excuses.

Hijab for the Men

Before the women are given the guidelines in this Surah, the men are given their
guidelines.

“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their
modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted
with all that they do.” - [Quran 24:30]

The transliteration of the same verse is as follows:

Qul lilmu/mineena yaghuddu min ab[sa]rihum waya[h]fa{th}oo furoojahum

[tha]lika azk[a] lahum inna All[a]ha khabeerun bim[a] ya[s]naAAoon(a) - [Quran
24:30]

Here we find that the men are given the primary command to lower their gaze. In
Ma'ariful Quran it is stated:

“The word 'yaghuddu' is derived from 'ghadd', which means to bring down or
lower, ('Raghib') lowering of eyes or to keep eyes down as enjoined in the verse,
means to turn the eyes from something which is prohibited to be seen by Shariah
(Ibn Kathir). Ibn Hibban has given the explanation that to look at a non-Mahram
woman with the intent to have (sexual) pleasure is totally prohibited, and to look
without any such motive is makkruh (undesirable). To look at any woman's or
man's private parts of the body is included in this explanation (except in case of
dire necessity, such as medical examination). Peeping into anyone's house with the
intent of finding out his secrets, and all such acts where looking is prohibited by
Shariah are all included in this injunction.” - [Ma'ariful Quran, by Maulana Mufti
Muhammad Shafi, First Authorized Edition 2004, Vol. 6, pg 408]

Also we find in Tafsir Ibn Kathir the following explanation regarding the concerned
Quranic verse:

“The Command to lower the Gaze This is a command from Allah to His believing
servants, to lower their gaze from looking at things that have been prohibited for
them. They should look only at what is permissible for them to look at, and lower
their gaze from forbidden things. If it so happens that a person's gaze
unintentionally falls upon something forbidden, he should quickly look away.
Muslim recorded in his Sahih that Jarir bin `Abdullah Al-Bajali, may Allah be
pleased with him, said, "I asked the Prophet about the sudden glance, and he
commanded me to turn my gaze away.

In the Sahih it is narrated that Abu Sa`id said that the Messenger of Allah said:

(Beware of sitting in the streets.) They said, "O Messenger of Allah, we have no
alternative but to sit in the streets to converse with one another.'' The Messenger
of Allah said:

(If you insist, then give the street its rights.) They asked, "What are the rights of
the street, O Messenger of Allah'' He said,

(Lower your gaze, return the greeting of Salam, enjoin what is good and forbid
what is evil.)”

Thus we find that the men are commanded strictly to lower their gaze and of
course guard their private parts which would also mean to remain chaste and not
adopt immoral ways. These two actions are the very first step regarding the Hijab
of the men as prescribed in Islam by Allah (swt).

Men also have a dress code and there are certain things which they cannot wear
but women can wear. A man is not allowed to wear silk or gold. The man cannot
wear thin or see through clothes that would reveal his self to the public. Men are
also forbidden to wear that would have any religious significance in another
religion. Moreover the man is not permitted to wear tight clothes. The dressing
should be loose so as not to show the figure of ones body to others especially those
of the opposite sex. There are many rules attached to the dress code of the man.
While to some women big biceps of a male would be appealing, it is definitely not
permissible for a man with big biceps to show them off in front of females. In fact if
a man does have such biceps then it is only appropriate for him to cover them in
the right manner.

Conclusion
Islam has prescribed the Hijab for both the male and the female. The man cannot
say that he can overlook his Hijab because the woman is required to lower the gaze
and thus she should lower hers and not look at him. Similarly the woman cannot
make a similar claim. Both the sexes are responsible for their bit and both will be
answerable for how much they follow and do not follow. While some people
consider the body language to play an important role in attracting lustful
intentions, it is appropriate for both the sexes to be careful of their body language.
The Quran prescribes the covering of the head for the females and thus there is no
loophole in this command. No one can make the claim that it is not a command
from Allah (swt). The fact that it is in the Quran and that Prophet Muhammad
(saw) asked the women to do so, establishes it as a ruling in the Shariah although
this ruling, if not followed, is not punishable under the Islamic Jurisprudence. Its
punishment or mercy lies only in the hands of Allah (swt). This goes both ways for
the male and the female.
Many females think it is unfair that the men do not have to cover their heads. I fail
to understand why the woman keeps the man as her yardstick. “The man does this
so shall I” has been the attitude of the women for a very long time. They feel that
they have to follow the man. Men and women are different in a lot of aspects and
hence Islam has prescribed certain roles for each of them in society. A woman not
covering herself and exposing herself is more likely to became a victim of for
example a rapists as opposed to a man not covering himself becoming a victim of a
female rapist. Hence women are given a different dress code while the men are
given a different dress code. Following these dress codes is a requirement and is
definitely a command from Allah (swt). Now it is up to us to fall victim to the hands
of peer pressure, become a slave to designer labels or simply accept Allah (swt) as
the Sole God and submit ourselves to Him and dress according to His prescribed
ways. The choice is ours and for whichever choice which we make, we alone will be
responsible for it. So choose wisely.

- Ebrahim Saifuddin