In a recent addition of the Sunday Times Newspaper in South Africa dated August 7th, 2011, there was an excerpt written by a Miss Naidoo and was published under the letter to the editor section of the newspaper. Miss Naidoo claims that Muslim women wear the hijaab without really knowing why they indulge in this act of covering. She went on further to say that Muslims do not respect the way of life in western countries and try imposing their religious views and ideologies on the western society and in her words "act as though they are the more superior ones". I got a BBM message regarding this article and there were many angry comments that I came across.Personally, I believe that only an unintelligent person would handle this kind of a letter with anger, frustration and retaliate back with obscene and derogatory words. This definitely does not solve the problem. The way to handle a letter like this is through knowledge and intellect and of course posing the facts as they are.I am in no way claiming to be a person of knowledge or intellect but I do try and aspire to be one.
This is my response to Miss Naidoo
Why do muslim women wear the hijaab?
"It is the general consensus among the Muslims that a Muslim woman is required to cover her head as part of an overall dress code and behaviour which Islam prescribes. It is therefore part of the social system of Islam, and a manifestation of important general Islamic principles. Firstly, an educated Muslim woman does this because she is following guidance from God and His prophet Muhammad (SAW) recorded in the Qur'an,and in the Sunnah (the knowledge about the practice and example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)). For example, one translation of the meaning of the specific ayat (verse)of Qur'an that mentions the head covering is as follows:
Surah 24 Al-Nur (The Light); ayat 31 (part of)
And say to the believing women......that they should draw their head-coverings over the neck opening (of their dresses) , and not display their ornaments except to their husbands, their fathers.....(etc)
This guidance she regards, as by definition a Muslim should do, as being revealed by the 'All-Knowing' the 'Most Wise', The 'Most Merciful', 'All-Mighty' God who created all human beings and whose Power controls everything. She is doing it because she believes that God with His nature knows best what is in the true best interests of human beings, far more than a human can know, with his or her fallibility, and weaknesses.
The main principle reason for the hijab is modesty, which is not wishing to receive unnecessary attention from people, such as admiration and flattery, envy, or, most importantly, sexual attraction from those other than her husband.Great care is taken to keep sexual thoughts, feelings and interactions to within the boundaries of the marital relationship.
These types of attention may boost the 'ego' for the short term, but all have the potential to lead to disastrous consequences in the long term, for example leading to confused feelings, competition, suspicions, affairs, break-up of marriages and other relationships, disturbed children, and ultimately a community where people are insecure,unhappy, and divided amongst themselves.
From this it can be seen that the hijab is a manifestation of another important principle in Islam, which is valuing benefits which are permanent above those which are temporary. What is permanently beneficial is, for example, a happy marriage between two people who aim to learn, teach and apply Islam to the best of their ability in their lives. This is seen as that which brings about the true happiness of the soul for eternity, by purifying and keeping it in its pure, natural, God-created state, filling it with peace and contentment, patience, gratefulness, love and compassion. What is temporary are the momentary pleasures derived from, for example, people's opinions of you, leading to your own self-satisfaction, or, even more basically, those derived from physical sensations.
A strong marriage, and a peaceful, cooperative, happy community, where people's feelings towards one another are good, will not only provide the true happiness that the soul needs, but also, in moderation, the good opinion, physical, and other pleasures that the ego requires.
Therefore, the freedom and benefit of the soul is encouraged, requiring a corresponding disciplining and moderating of the ego, but not a total denial or repression of it.
Besides following modest dress codes appropriate to the different natures of a man and woman, both Muslim men and women should abide by a certain modest and respectful code of conduct when interacting with the opposite sex."
Miss Naidoo I do not know if you are Christian or Hindu. I have many friends with the surname of Naidoo and they are of the Christian faith. You are a South African living in a democracy where everyone is given a freedom of speech and religion. I find it most odd then that you choose to specifically question the wearing of the hijaab which is the right of a Muslim woman. Before questioning if muslim women know the reason of wearing the hijaab or the Niqaab I would like to question you on how well you know your own religious beliefs and traditions. I will present some straight forward facts to you
Shocking as this may sound the Bible specifically calls for women to cover their hair.
Simply open the Bible to the First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 11. Read verses 3-10.
"But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered, disgraces his head. But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered disgraces her head, for it is the same as if she were shaven. For if a woman is not covered, let her be shaven. But if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. A man indeed ought not to cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God. But woman is the glory of man. For man was not created for woman, but woman for man. This is why the woman ought to have a sign of authority over her head, because of the angels."
The meaning of this passage is plain enough. We can make the following syllogisms:
Syllogism 1
Praying with an uncovered head is a disgrace
Having a shaved head is the same as praying with an uncovered head
Therefore, having a shaved head is a disgrace
Syllogism 2
If it is a disgrace for a woman to have a shaved head, she should cover her head
It is a disgrace for a woman to have a shaved head - see syllogism 1
Therefore, a woman should cover her head
"In other words, the passage means what it says. Have you ever wondered why Catholic nuns dress like they're wearing hijab (Muslim hijabi women, have you ever been mistaken for a nun? I have, more than once). Have you ever wondered why Mary the mother of Jesus (peace be upon them both) is always depicted in Christian art with her hair covered? Did you know that until the 1960s, it was obligatory for Catholic women to cover their heads in church (then they "modernized" the service)?
There is an interesting point that can be made about the Christian directive.
The explicit purpose of the Christian woman's headcovering, as stated by Paul, is that it is a sign of man's authority over woman. The explicit purpose of Islamic hijaab on the other hand is modesty. Strange how so many Westerners think that the purpose of hijab is a symbol of male authority. Maybe they know that that's what it is in their own religion (Christianity) so they assume that Islam must be the same...!"
Now from a Hindu perspective.
Aryan women had to wear a face-veil when going out. Although several civilizations restricted womens' movements, the Brahmanic custom of secluding women went to ridiculous extents. Thus, Namboodiri Brahmin women of Kerala were surrounded by an entire screen carried by female servants. "Nambudri women carry with them an umbrella wherever they go out, to prevent them from being seen by men. They also should be covered with a cloth from head to foot, and should not wear jewels. A Nayar woman should precede her and watch her movements. All these were rules laid down by Parasu Rama."
The Nambudiris observe 64 anacharams, or irregular customs introduced by Shankaracharya, of which some are
The Nambudiris observe 64 anacharams, or irregular customs introduced by Shankaracharya, of which some are
44. " Brahman women must not look at any persons other than their husbands "
45. " Brahman women must not go out, unless accompanied by women servants. "
As usual, several observers, seeing Arab women veiled, assumed the Brahmin veil must be due to Muslim `contamination'. They are not aware that Arabs practiced this due to modesty, and are ignorant of Indian scriptures. Sanskrit literature mentions the abundant use of veils by Aryan Hindu women
" The practice of using veils by women, particularly in well-to-do families, was in vogue. Prabhakaravardhana's daughter Rajyasri put on a veil when she met her husband, the Maukhari Grahavarman of Kanauj, for the first time. It is known from Vacaspati Misra (9C AD) that women in good families observed the purdah system and did not appear in public without veils ...
45. " Brahman women must not go out, unless accompanied by women servants. "
As usual, several observers, seeing Arab women veiled, assumed the Brahmin veil must be due to Muslim `contamination'. They are not aware that Arabs practiced this due to modesty, and are ignorant of Indian scriptures. Sanskrit literature mentions the abundant use of veils by Aryan Hindu women
" The practice of using veils by women, particularly in well-to-do families, was in vogue. Prabhakaravardhana's daughter Rajyasri put on a veil when she met her husband, the Maukhari Grahavarman of Kanauj, for the first time. It is known from Vacaspati Misra (9C AD) that women in good families observed the purdah system and did not appear in public without veils ...
Contemporary literature has numerous references to prove that veiling was a part of ancient Indo-Aryan customs and was used by the Brahmins based on their religious scriptures . Bhavabhuti in his Mahavirachaarita gives a vivid evidence of purda. When Rama sees Parasurama coming towards him, he directs his consort Sita, `Dear one, he is our elder, therefore turn aside and veil yourself' [ Mah.Ch. Act II, p.71 ] [ 1200, p.70 ] This indicates that veiling was practiced during the Ramayanic Dark Age.
The Kalibhana by Grant also tells us that the women of the royal household observed purda in Orissa
[ 1200, p.70 ] [ In.H.Qu. XX (1944) p.242 ]
Vacaspati - Vachaspati tells us that women of good families did not come without a veil in public [ Vach. ]
Vacaspati - Vachaspati tells us that women of good families did not come without a veil in public [ Vach. ]
[ 1200, p.70 ]. Some women were so much devoted to their husbands that they would not even look at the Sun regarding him as a `parapurusa'.
If the servants were found seeing the faces of queens, they feared punishment. [ Sis. XII.20.17 ]
If the servants were found seeing the faces of queens, they feared punishment. [ Sis. XII.20.17 ]
[ 1200 p.70 ]. This shows that even the servants could not see the faces of the ladies of the house.
Sriharsha - The free mixing of men and women was considered bad in Sriharsha's works [ Nais.Ch. XV.3 ]
Sriharsha - The free mixing of men and women was considered bad in Sriharsha's works [ Nais.Ch. XV.3 ]
[ 1200, p.70 ].
Numismatic studies have also confirmed that veiling was universal amongst Aryan women :
Harsha's [1099-1101 ] [Lohara dynasty] coins [depict] a half cross-legged goddess [and ] a veil appears on the head ' -- [ Coin.39]
Gangayadeva's [one of the Kalachuri rulers of Dahala, the country around Jabalpur in MP] (1019-1042AD) coins ... the female is shown as having a veil on her head which hangs down to the shoulders and upper arms' -- [ Coin.39]
Many of the female figures on the gold coins, like the sculpture and literature of the [Gupta] age, do reflect a somewhat new idea of feminine beauty which we now call classical [thinner and more slender] -- [ Coin.21 ]
It is now generally accepted that the purdah ( seclusion and veiling ) was existent in India since ancient Aryan times. [ Alt.167-70 ] [ Indra 73 ] [ Shamram 24 ] [ Ojha.66-67] In fact, certain high-class women refused to entertain strangers at all [ Alt.175 ] [ Nand 5-6 ]. These reference show that ancient India was akin to medieval Europe, with Indian women living lives similar to nuns under strict religious laws based on their own religious values and belief system
The European travelers made abundant references to the veil worn by Indo-Aryan women and the severe punishment associated with not following religious as well as cultural obligations.
This puts hijaab in a whole new perspective, doesn't it! To miss Naidoo who feels that hijaab is a sign of oppression for the Muslim female or that Muslim females do not know why they are wearing the hijaab, please do read the above and then read the Quraan for further clarification. As a side thought even the Jewish females are asked to cover their hair based on their religious scriptures. The question now stands that if we are all living in a so called western Christian country then why isn't the country governed based on the teachings of the BIBLE. Surely the Bible would be the foundation of any religious, Christian society or government for that matter.
Numismatic studies have also confirmed that veiling was universal amongst Aryan women :
Harsha's [1099-1101 ] [Lohara dynasty] coins [depict] a half cross-legged goddess [and ] a veil appears on the head ' -- [ Coin.39]
Gangayadeva's [one of the Kalachuri rulers of Dahala, the country around Jabalpur in MP] (1019-1042AD) coins ... the female is shown as having a veil on her head which hangs down to the shoulders and upper arms' -- [ Coin.39]
Many of the female figures on the gold coins, like the sculpture and literature of the [Gupta] age, do reflect a somewhat new idea of feminine beauty which we now call classical [thinner and more slender] -- [ Coin.21 ]
It is now generally accepted that the purdah ( seclusion and veiling ) was existent in India since ancient Aryan times. [ Alt.167-70 ] [ Indra 73 ] [ Shamram 24 ] [ Ojha.66-67] In fact, certain high-class women refused to entertain strangers at all [ Alt.175 ] [ Nand 5-6 ]. These reference show that ancient India was akin to medieval Europe, with Indian women living lives similar to nuns under strict religious laws based on their own religious values and belief system
The European travelers made abundant references to the veil worn by Indo-Aryan women and the severe punishment associated with not following religious as well as cultural obligations.
This puts hijaab in a whole new perspective, doesn't it! To miss Naidoo who feels that hijaab is a sign of oppression for the Muslim female or that Muslim females do not know why they are wearing the hijaab, please do read the above and then read the Quraan for further clarification. As a side thought even the Jewish females are asked to cover their hair based on their religious scriptures. The question now stands that if we are all living in a so called western Christian country then why isn't the country governed based on the teachings of the BIBLE. Surely the Bible would be the foundation of any religious, Christian society or government for that matter.
This video is Part 1 of a series of videos on this subject.
The remaining videos can be viewed on YouTube
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