IdealMuslimah.Com

This is a good question and there is a beautiful answer! Allaah has commanded us with every action that is good for us and prohibited us from performing every action that is bad for us. Allaah orders the Muslim woman to wear the hijaab when she steps out of the security of her home or when in the presence of strange men.

So to wear the hijaab is a source of great good for you – the Muslim woman - for many reasons. Among them:

One of the most difficult decisions many Muslim sisters face is the decision to start wearing hijab. This is certainly true for reverts, but may also be true for sisters whose families or even whose cultures are not particularly observant. As a revert myself, I have been through the same thing. I would like to offer some advice that I hope will be helpful to sisters who are considering wearing hijab but find that something is holding them back. Here is some advice based on my own experiences

Amidst the hustle and bustle of a teeming metropolis, a solitary figure traverses. She moves steadily in her black garment which shields her against the tyranny of this life. Whilst others around her rush frantically, she moves with tranquillity and ease. The peace which she achieves beneath this veil of hers is immense. It is liberation beyond measure. Is this a princess of royal blood? No. Is she a head of state? No. So who is this woman of serenity? This is a woman of Hijaab. A woman amongst many women. A Muslim Woman.

I met a woman who changed my perspective about myself and other women. She was a Lebanese girl, born and raised a Muslim. I saw in her something I had seen in few women. Self-confidence. Here was this short, stout sister in her mid twenties. She was not much to look at, but when I spoke to her, I could feel her warmth, sincerity and intelligence. She was a Ph.D. in psychology, a college professor and a soon- to - be mother.

The pea is a splendid plant...

It proudly displays its strong green Hijaab [coverin g]. It protects it from the hot and cold weather and guards it from insects.

Allah has blessed the pea with a special Hijaab [covering], because without it, the seeds would scatter, dry up and die.

It often occurs to me that many of my sisters in Islam are not properly encouraged once they begin to observe the requirements of Hijab. It may be that a sister has been obliged to wear the Hijab without truly pondering over its superiority. Perhaps she has reached the age of puberty and her Wali (guardian) has instructed her to wear it. Perhaps she has recently reverted to Islam and her close sisters have told her of its obligation. Or, perhaps her husband has commanded her to wear Hijab. A sister who does not truly know the superiority of Hijab will always remain envious of the Non-Muslim Women. Why? Because they see these misguided women looking beautiful for all to see. Hence, the Muslim woman then compares herself to that woman which causes her to feel ashamed of her own Hijab.

1. Tabarruj is disobedience to Allaah and His Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)

The one who disobeys Allaah and His Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) can only harm himself and can not in any way harm Allaah. The Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“All of my followers will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” It was asked: “O Messenger of Allaah, who would refuse?” He (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “He who obeys me enters Paradise and he who disobeys me has refused.” (Reported by al-Bukhaaree)

When American writer Samuel Cole's feminist sister converted to Islam and donned the hijab, it shocked her family.  This is his defence of Muslim women's status in Islam.

Sometime in 1987 my sister, an ardent feminist with a degree in civil engineering, converted to Islam. She now lives in Lahore, Pakistan where she is a full-time Muslim wife and mother of five—soon to be six.

As is required by her adopted Qur'an, she stops all activities to pray five times each day; and when she goes out in public she covers herself from head to toe in the hijab.

All praise is due to Allah ta'aala as is deserved by His Majesty and Great Power. I send prayers and ask for blessings upon His Noble Messenger who drew the path for us to the pleasure of Allah and His Jannah. This path is a straight one that is surrounded by virtue from all sides and attends to the best moral characteristics which are increased by the clothing of purity, concealment, and chastity. It is the path trod by the two halves of human society, namely the man and the woman, toward harmonious contentment and happiness in this life and the Hereafter.

When I returned to Islam, the religion of our inborn nature, a fierce debate raged about girls observing the hijab at schools in France. It still does. The majority, it seemed, thought that wearing the head-scarf was contrary to the principle that public - that is state-funded - schools should be neutral with regard to religion. Even as a non-Muslim, I could not understand why there was such a fuss over such a small thing as a scarf on a Muslim student’s head.

Muslims contributed a proportionate amount of tax to the state funds. In my opinion, schools could respect religious beliefs and practices of students as long as they did not disrupt the school routine, nor pose a threat to discipline. However, the French faced, apparently, increasing unemployment and they felt insecure about the immigration of Arab workers. The sight of the hijab in their towns and schools aggravated such insecurity.

1. An act of Obedience.

The Hijaab is an act of obedience to Allaah and to his Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). Allaah (Subhaanahu wa ta'ala) says in the Qur'an: {It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His messenger have decreed a matter that they should have an option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, has indeed strayed in a plain error.} (S33:36).

Allaah also said: {And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things) and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc) and not to show off their adornment except what must (ordinarily) appear thereof, that they should draw their veils over their Juyoobihinna.} (S24:31).

The respected scholars from As-Salaf As-Saleh (righteous predecessors) differed whether the jilbaab [outer garment] must include the hands and face or not. Today, respected scholars say that the hands and face must be covered. Other respected scholars say it is preferable for women to cover their whole bodies.

The following incident took place when Muhammed Ali’s daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that are not modest. Here is the story as told in detail by one of his daughters:

‘When we finally arrived, the chauffer escorted my youngest sister, Laila, and me to my father’s suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day.

My father took a good look at us. Then he sent me down in his lap and said something I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down and in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You’ve got to work hard to get them.”

He looked at me with serious eyes. “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.”

They can be seen every day. Shuffling down the high-street, their hair covered, their body shrouded in a lifeless garment that drapes to the floor. These poor, uneducated women are the symbol of Islamic oppression, as Cherie Blair openly commented, “Nothing more I think symbolizes the oppression of the women than the burka.” Some people would see this modesty as positive, because, as Jean-Marie Le-Pen famously said about the hijaab, “It keeps us from ugly looking women.” Either way, these subjugated Muslim women are in need of being liberated by Western society so that they can embrace their femininity and rest on equal footing with men. Or do they?