The practice of veiling is a
visible recognition of the maintenance of proper boundaries. It is a way of
keeping proper distance and ensuring respect and moral behavior between men and
women in public space. In private, women do not veil, and in public women may
well be wearing attractive clothing and elaborate jewelry under their abayas or
chadors. The Qurʾan and hadith stipulate that a woman should not display her
personal adornments or physical charms to anyone but her husband (Sura 24:31 and
Sura 33:59). There are, however, a wide variety of views on how much of a
woman's body should be covered from public view.
In the past two decades, young veiled women have been increasingly active in
society - they can be seen in universities, cafes, sports clubs, and mixed
social gatherings, hosting talk shows and commenting on everything from
contemporary politics to sex education and the latest fashion sense. And though
they appear to share a common adherence to the hijab, they have been expressing
themselves in different ways even to the point where the veil itself has now
become a symbol of distinct religious and social meanings.
We live in times where a woman’s beauty is paraded and flaunted without limits
throughout the media, as a worthless object of lust and mindless desire. Her
body, which was created as a pure symbol of grace, is displayed in shameless
ways to corrupt minds and distort the meaning of ‘beauty’.
Muslim women choose to wear the hijab or other coverings for a variety of
reasons. Some women wear the hijab because they believe that God has instructed
women to wear it as a means of fulfilling His commandment for modesty. For these
women, wearing hijab is a personal choice that is made after puberty and is
intended to reflect one’s personal devotion to God. In many cases, the wearing
of a headscarf is often accompanied by the wearing of loose-fitting,
non-revealing clothing, also referred to as hijab.
While some Muslim women do not perceive the hijab to be obligatory to their
faith, other Muslim women wear the hijab as a means of visibly expressing their
Muslim identity (Haddad, et al, 2006). In the United States, particularly since
9/11, the hijab is perceived to be synonymous with Islam. Some Muslim women
choose to appropriate this stereotype and wear the hijab to declare their
Islamic identity and provide witness of their faith. Unfortunately this
association has also occasionally resulted in the violent assaults of Muslim
women wearing hijab.
Most of the hijabs we see these days only cover one fourth of a girl's head.
Someone must ask why a girl who only covers half of her head can claim that she
is a proud wearer of a hijab. If a girl does not wear the veil to conceal her
hair in a proper way then it is defeating the whole purpose of wearing the veil
in the first place.
Girls who not only prefer to show half of their hair while being veiled but also
the girls who decided to beautify the "uncovered" part of their hair. How can a
non-Muslim respect a girl with a hijab if a girl herself cannot properly respect
her own hijab. Hijab is a personal decision to be taken by a girl for religious
and personal reasons, not for reasons because it is becoming mainstream and a
fashion statement.
Many people often build their first impression on appearances. For a Muslim
woman wearing a hijab it can be even worse. Describe someone as wearing a hijab
and the picture that comes to mind is dull and boring and frumpy. But it is not
true.
Ultimately, Hijab is empowerment for the Muslim woman. It is her right to
preserve her modesty, to guard herself from the corruption of society. The veil
or Hijab is that distinctive symbol which identifies her as a woman of God;
humble, modest. It places her on the pedestal she is worthy of: that no male
other than her close relatives and her husband, has the right to behold her
beauty.