The wearing of the hijab plays a vital part in maintaining the modesty of the women in Islam. However, the modesty that the women possess is not created by just hijab i.e. a garment she wears, but is derived from within herself, giving her a certain standard of respectability in her manner and conduct. It is not possible for a garment to give modesty to a person, if the modesty itself has already been lost and does not exist within a person.

If we look at creation then we find that Allah has ordained for each and every valuable thing, a type of preservative. For example, we find that the pearl is preserved in a shell, and that the fruit and dates have a skin to protect them from decay. Also it is an instinct of the human being to want to place safely items of value, away from the sight and touch of others. We find that the jeweler puts his jewels in a safe. Is it not natural then to want to guard the beauty of the women from the gaze of other men and protect her body from those who may harm her?

Islam has been presented by the West as something from the dark ages and it is the feminists of the West that asked the Muslim women to lay aside the hijab. The sad part is that many Muslims followed this idea, without knowing the disastrous consequences.

Thus we find that those who ask the women to disregard her veil, infect they’re asking her to lose her modesty. Once the hijab has been disregarded, the next stage is to disregard other garments. We should know that those who ask the Muslim woman to disregard her veil are asking her to become like the Westerner. Before one admires the 'freedom' of the women in the West, one should look at what demeaning consequences this has led her to.

In the West her body has become a mere commodity for display. Companies cannot even sell a chewing gum without displaying a woman who is half naked. Different car shows is another example where women, almost bare naked, are used to add glamour to the cars. Can women really say that they are respected and honored anymore?

Just like any other divine law the issue of hijab is that we hear and we obey, and it is not a question of whether we have a choice in this matter. We don't. If a doctor was to tell a woman to cover her hair in order to protect it from the sun, she would no doubt obey. Yet if the order were to come from Allah SWT, Who created us and knows what is best for us, we find Muslims are reluctant to obey. Thestraight path for us is to choose that which is ordained for us by our Creator, and to strengthen ourselves against this misguided society. Allah SWT says in the Holy Quran,
 

“Oh Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the woman of the believers to draw their cloaks all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known so as not to be annoyed. Indeed, Allah is much Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Al- Ahzab: 59]

Last Updated: 21/7/2015