HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
While many Muslims call “Hijab”, an Islamic dress code, they completely
ignore the fact that, Hijab as a dress code has nothing to do with Islam and nothing to do with QURAN.
“Hijab” or veil can be traced back to early civilizations. It can be found
in early and late Roman and Greek art. The evidence can be seen in
archeological discoveries whether in pottery fragments, paintings or
recorded civil laws. In Greco-Roman culture, both women and men wore head covering in religious contexts. The tradition of wearing the veil (by women) and the headcover (by men) was then adopted by the Jews who wrote it in the Talmud (Talmud equals the Hadiths and Sunna, neither are the words of God) then the Christians adopted the same. A well respected Rabbi once explained to a group of Jewish young women, “We do not find a direct command in the Torah mandating that women cover their heads, but we do know that this has been the continuing custom for thousands of years.” After the prophet Muhammad’s death , the writers of the hadith books adopted and encouraged the ancient tradition of head covering. Hadith book’ writers took after the Jews as they did with many other traditions , and alleged them to the prophet since the Quran did not command it.
Any student of the Jewish traditions or religious books will see that head
cover for the Jewish woman (and men) has been encouraged by the Rabbis and religious leaders. Observant Jewish women still cover their heads most of the time and specially in the synagogues, weddings, and religious festivities.
Christian women cover their heads in many religious occasions while the nuns cover their heads all the time.
As we can expect the traditional Arabs, of all religions, Jews, Christians
and Muslims used to wear head cover, or “Hijab,” not because of Islam, but because of tradition. In Saudi Arabia, up to this day most of the men cover their heads , not because of Islam but because of tradition.
North Africa is known for its Tribe (Tuareg) that have the Muslim men
wearing “Hijab” instead of women. Here the tradition has the hijab in
reverse. If wearing Hijab is the sign of the pious and righteous Muslim
woman, Mother Teresa would have been the first woman to be counted.
In brief, hijab is a traditional dress and has nothing to do with Islam or
religion. In certain areas of the world, men are the ones who wear the hijab while in others the women do.
Mixing religion with tradition is a form of idolworship, since the followers
of traditions are following laws from sources other than God’s scriptures
and claim it to be from God. Idolworship is the only unforgivable sin if
maintained till death.
Ignoring what God asks you to do in His book, or following innovated laws not stated in the the Quran, is a clear sign of disregarding God and His message.
When tradition supersedes God’s commandment, the true religion takes a second place. God never accepts to be second, God has to be always the FIRST and to HIM there is no second.
THE WORD “KHIMAR” in the QURAN:
“Khimar” is an Arabic word that can be found in the Quran in 24:31 While the first basic rule of Dress Code for the Muslim Women can be found in 7:26, the second rule of the DRESS CODE FOR WOMEN can be found in 24:31.
Some Muslims quote verse 31 of sura 24 as containing the Hijab, or head cover, by pointing to the word, khomoorehenna, (from Khimar), forgetting that God already used the word Hijab, several times in the Quran. Those blessed by God can see that the use of the word “Khimar” in this verse is not for “Hijab” or for head cover. Those who quote this verse usually add (Head cover) (veil) after the word Khomoorehenna, and usually between ( ), because it is their addition to the verse not God’s. Here is 24:31, “And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes, and maintain their chastity. They shall not reveal any parts of their bodies, except that which is necessary. They shall cover their chests, (with their Khimar) and shall not relax this code in the presence of other than their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons, the sons of their husbands, their brothers, the sons of their brothers, the sons of their sisters, other women, the male servants or employees whose sexual drive has been nullified, or the children who have not reached puberty. They shall not strike their feet when they walk in order to shake and reveal certain details of their bodies. All of you shall repent to GOD, O you believers, that you may succeed.” 24:31 Khalifa’s translation.
Here is Yousuf Ali’s translation, but the word KHIMAR was put back in place instead of (veils), so the verse would look as it should have been before adding Ali’s own interpretation:
“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments … . . that they should draw their KHIMAR over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands…”
Y. Ali’s translation, with the word khimar put back in place.
“Khimar” is an Arabic word that means, cover, any cover, a curtain is a
Khimar, a dress is a Khimar, a table cloth that covers the top of a table is a Khimar, a blanket can be used as a Khimar..etc. The word KHAMRA used for intoxicant in Arabic has the same root with Khimar, because both covers, the Khimar covers (a window, a body, a table . . . etc.) while KHAMRA covers the state of mind. Most of the translators, obviously influenced by Hadith (fabrications) translate the word as VEIL and thus mislead most people to believe that this verse is advocating the covering of the head.
In 24:31 God is asking the women to use their cover (khimar)( being a dress, a coat, a shawl, a shirt, a blouse, a tie, a scarf . . . etc.) to cover
their bosoms, not their heads or their hairs. If God so willed to order the
women to cover their heads or their hair, nothing would have prevented Him from doing so. GOD does not run out of words. GOD does not forget. God did not order the women to cover their heads or their hair.
God does not wait for a Scholar to put the correct words for Him!
The Arabic word for CHEST, GAYB is in the verse (24:31), but the Arabic
words for HEAD, (RAAS) or HAIR, (SHAAR) are NOT in the verse. The
commandment in the verse is clear - COVER YOUR CHEST OR BOSOMS, but also the fabrication of the scholars and most of the translators is clear by claiming- cover your head or hair.
The last part of the verse (24:31) translates as, “They shall not strike
their feet when they walk in order to shake and reveal certain details of
their bodies.” The details of the body can be revealed or not revealed by the dress you wear, not by your head cover.
Notice also the expression in 24:31,
“They shall not reveal any parts of their bodies, except that which is
necessary.”
This expression may sound vague to many because they have not understood the mercy of God. Again God here used this very general term to give us the freedom to decide according to our own circumstances the definition of “What is necessary”.
It is not up to a scholar or to any particular person to define this term.
God wants to leave it personal for every woman and no one can take it away from her. Women who follow the basic rule number one i.e. righteousness, will have no problem making the right decision to reveal only which is necessary.
The word “zeenatahunna” in this verse refers to the woman’s body parts
(beauty) that can be exaggerated by the movement of the body while walking and not to the artificial ornaments and decorations as some people interpret it or translate it. At the end of the verse, God told the women not to strike with their feet to show their “zeenatahunna.” Striking the feet while walking can emphasize , exaggerate or shake certain parts of the body that do not need to be emphasized. It is important to remember that striking the feet while walking does not have this effect on the head, hair or face, they are not part of what God calls in this verse the hidden zeena.
Accepting orders from anybody but God, means idol-worship. That is how serious the matter of Hijab/khimar is. Women who wear Hijab because of tradition or because they like it for personal reasons commit no sin, as long as they know that it is not part of this perfect religion. Those who are wearing it because they think God ordered it are committing Idol-worship, as God did not order it, the scholars did. These women have found for themselves another god than the One who revealed the Quran, complete, perfect and FULLY detailed to tell them they have to cover their heads to be Muslims.
Idol-worship is the only unforgivable sin, if maintained till death, 4:48.