Hijab: Beyond the Fabric

Hafsa Nur OKUR

(Translated from Turkish by Khadijah Ogunyemi)

Undoubtedly, ultra-modernism has led to the development and change in many areas of life.  From politics to culture, from economics to communication, modern concepts and ideas have emerged in virtually all areas. However, ultra-modernism and the systems that accompany it might have brought about certain problems. Social and cultural dynamism has gained an unbelievable momentum. The world is changing rapidly and one of the greatest indicators is the high level of immorality that exists in our society today.

Allah, the Creator of the universe has placed some guidelines for mankind. One of these is the command to use the hijab! The hijab represents modesty, it is also an individual act of worship and its communal benefits, especially in curbing immoralities, cannot be overemphasized.

Perhaps it is important to state that, against popular conception, modesty is not only an obligatory on women, but men are also equally commanded to be modest.  O Prophet! Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their chastity. That is purer for them. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what they do. (Surat an-Nur 30). In the verse, men are first ordered to be modest.

The hijab of a woman requires her to cover her body with outer clothing that will not attract the attention of the opposite gender. The hijab constitutes the identity and personality of a Muslim woman. Women are precious and what is valued must be protected. Allah has created beautiful people with different features. It is necessary to hide and protect this beauty.  Hijab, however, goes beyond the headscarf. It encompasses the size and colour of the clothing. Otherwise, the headscarf, which is worn on a skinny outfit to make it attractive, is completely defeating the aim of the hijab.

Shaytan whispers to the Muslimah; "The weather is very hot. If you open your neck a little, strip your arms a little, fold your wrists a little and paint your lips a little bit, nothing will happen on the scarf anyway." But then Allah has mentioned in Surat’ut Tawbah verse 81 that indeed the hellfire is hotter.

In today's social order, we can see the concept of hijab being materialized, like many other concepts in our religion. Hijab is now a product that is found in the wardrobe of Muslim women like other clothes. For some, this style of clothing represents only social or political classes. Therefore, some circles have extraordinary difficulty in giving spiritual meaning to the hijab.

It is not a style but an obligation.

In recent years, within the framework of the Western mentality, hijab usage as been adapted to follow “trends” and not necessarily the way it is clearly expressed in the Qur’an. Both local and international fashions, playing on our naivety, turned this religious essence into a fashion product. Fashion companies launch “update” hijab collections for Muslim women every year.  Additionally, the hijab has also fallen a victim of perception management created by TV series, movies, and advertisements appearing on social media. However, hijab is not a style but an obligation!

A lot of young Muslimah have chosen to use the hijab due to the present trend. Yes, a beautiful thing! However, many seem not to understand its essence. They base its usage on “being distinct from others” or “being free to choose what to wear” among other reasons…

However, it is important to note that the freedom which comes with the hijab, is not in the context of how liberalism defines it Hijab is rather a symbol of freedom from what humans dictate to what Allah consents. He decreed the hijab and made it a shell for the pearl called woman, as there is no pearl without a shell.

Unfortunately, the modern liberal mentality continues to corrupt the essence of our religion and drive people away from religion. It is poisoning the young generation, by liberalizing immorality of all kinds.  It is alienating us from our Muslim identity and our values. To battle this, we would need to revisit the hijab, with its essence. Owing to the idea that the hijab should not only cover our body but also our soul, we would be able to enjoy the depth of meaning and contribute to its spread.