Cute Hijab Styles

A hijab is the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women, and it is an Arabic word which means "cover." The Qur'an, the religious text followed by Muslims, says male and female followers to be modest in their dress.


Wrapping a Shawl or Full Scarf

Wrapping a shawl basically means that the hijab has been created using a full scarf.
First, an under scarf (often a solid color) is used to wrap the hair.
Then a bigger scarf is placed on top of it, creating a very long hijab style.
This is good for cold weather and also when you want to accessorize using one solid and one print scarf.
Wrapping a shawl is going to give a lot of coverage to the woman wearing it.


Wearing it Long on One Side

A cute hijab style is wearing the scarf longer on one side.
When this style is worn, it is important to cover the hair completely with an under scarf, as this style does not offer the complete coverage of others.
A slim scarf can be used on top of the under scarf and tied behind the neck.
The ends of the scarf can be braided and worn to the side.
This style should be worn with a turtleneck or full under scarf, as it would leave the neck exposed otherwise.


Securing it with Pins and Other Accessories

Another cute hijab style is wearing them with fancy hijab pins and other accessories, such as scrunchies and colorful ponytail holders.
Hijab pins are fancy pins that can be attached to a hijab, almost like a bobby pin with a rhinestone pendant on one end.
They come in a variety of colors and shapes, such as flowers, hearts and stars.


One Print and One Solid Scarf

Wearing a hijab with one print and one solid scarf is a popular style.
Many times, the under scarf is a solid, but women can mix it up by doing the opposite.
Black and white under scarves are very basic colors, but this rule can be switched up for a fresh look, and the print scarf can be worn as the under scarf.
Other colors can be used for the under scarf, as long as it matches the print.

Ref: By, Nia Stanley.
www.ahlulbaytportal.com

Hijab in Islam

By Mahboubeh Gandom Abaadi (A Seminary Graduate and Lecturer)
Through an analytical approach, the present research is an attempt to find fair answers to such questions, investigating the issue of “hijab”? in Islamic community and among other peoples and nations in the past as well as analyzing its philosophy by benefiting from the original sources of Islamic school of thought, thereby achieving a clear vision for the status of implementing this stable and firm value within the contemporary Iranian society.

‘Hijab’ is an Arabic word which literally means to put on, to cover, curtain, veil or covering (noun); however, among all these meanings, curtain or veil is more common and as a result it has led many people to suppose that Islam wants women to always stay at home behind the curtains and not to go out.

In this regard, the great scholar, Martyr Morteza Motahhari states: “Covering for women in Islam means that in their interactions with men, women cover their bodies and don’t try to exhibit themselves or have coquettish behavior”?. (1)
The related verses in Qur’an as well as jurists’ Fatwa in this regard refer to and highlight this principle.
The module for covering in Islam can be achieved via Qur’an and tradition sources.
In related verses, the term ‘hijab’ is not directly used.
In other words, the verses in this regard, in holy chapters of either Noor or Al-Ahzaab indirectly refer to the limitations with regard to dress code and the interaction between men and women without using the word ‘hijab’. (2)

Considering the abovementioned words, ‘Islamic hijab’ or ‘Islamic covering’ will be succinctly explained and described in the next parts of this article.


Notes:

(1) Motahhari, Morteza, 1996. Hijab.Sadra Publishing Center , 43th Edition, P. 28

(2) Ibid

www.ahlulbaytportal.com

Hijab-wearing Girls Banned from School in Azerbaijan

A female Al Jazeera correspondent, who is covering the terrorist activities from different cities in Syria for months, was quickly moved to Qatar, after one of the commanders of Al Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda affiliated Wahabi-Deobandi terrorist group, raped her in Aleppo.
Egyptian daily Al-Nahar reported that Ghada Oweis, Al Jazeera correspondent, has long been working alongside terrorist groups Al-Nusra opposed to Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo to send reports to Qatari network.

A few days ago on the invitation of one of the commanders of this Salafist Wahabi-Deobandi militant group, she went to his office.
Surprisingly however, the Al-Nusra militias did not allow her camera crews to enter the office. And they took Ms. Oweis by force and told the crews to come back for interview tomorrow.

Al Jazeera correspondent was rushed out of Syria via Turkey, when it was discovered she was raped by the commander of Wahabi-Deobandi Al-Nusra Front of Al-qaeeda in Aleppo.
She was transferred to Qatar later in critical situation becuase of raped by the so-called Saudi funded Islamist militants, she is emotionally in shock.

Returning to Qatar, Ghada Oweis demanded justice and asked the senior leaders of Al-Nusra group to punish this commander.
Reportedly Al Jazeera is trying to prevent the reporter from affirming the news by ways of pressure and payments of huge amount of money to maintain the good image of the terrorists fighting in Syria However, Al-Nursa front officials claimed that the Ms Ghada Oweis was not raped by the ring leader of terrorists group and termed that she presented herself for Jihad ul Nikah (Sexual Jihad) in front of Wahabi-Deobandi leader.

The terrorist militias in Syria have been committing numerous acts of violence and shameless atrocities against the civilians, by using a Fatwa; issued by one of the Muftis of Salafists, that militias fighting in Syria can force women to ‘Jihad al Nikah’ (Girls must participate in "marriage" to fulfill their Jihad obligations in Syria).

www.shiitenews.com

Boys Keeping a Beard and the Importance of Hijab for Girls

Boys - Keeping a Beard
A beard is considered a feature of beauty and a symbol of manliness. Men should be conscious of, and cultivate, their masculinity, and women should be conscious of, and cultivate, their femininity; no sex should imitate the other, because it means an inferiority complex with respect to the other. For this reason, it is forbidden to shave the beard, but it is not necessary that the beard should be very long. It is permitted for a man to keep the beard trimmed but not such that people would say he shaved, or he had just neglected to shave : a medium beard is recommended. a moustache should not be allowed to grow too long, it should be clipped so that it does not cover the lips. This may be part of Islam's concern for hygiene and neatness.
A beard distinguishes Muslim men from others. The Prophet commanded Muslims to keep themselves distinct from, and not imitate, other communities.
Fatwa 2920 :
It is unlawful on the basis of obligatory precaution to shave one?'?s beard, and it is also unlawful to get wages for shaving the beard of another person. However, if a person who does not shave his beard is made a target of ridicule and has to suffer humiliation which is intolerable in the eyes of the wise persons, it is permissible for him to shave his beard.
Article of Islamic Acts (Khui)
The Fatwa of our present Mujtahid, Ayatullah al Uzama Syed Ali al-Husaini Seestani, is similar on this issue.
[The rest of the lesson to be utilised for discussion with the youth as to the pressures that cause them to disobey the command of keeping the beard]
GIRLS - IMPORTANCE OF HIJAB
The importance of Hijab will be briefly discussed in the light of the verses of the Holy Qur'an on the subject. Allah says:
"Say unto the believer men to cast down their gaze and guard their private parts; that is purer for them. Verily Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.
And say unto the believing women that they cast down their gaze and guard their private parts; and not to display their adornment (Zeenat) except what becomes apparent of it; and to draw their headcovers (Khumur) over their neck slits (Juyoob); and not to display their "Zeenat" except to their husbands… (an Noor, 24:31,32 part)
The verse first informs men of their duty in Hijab and then the women. Some important words in the second verse are:
Zeenat: This is something we use to beautify ourselves like clothes, ornaments, jewellery, etc.
Khumur: These are head covers or scarves.
Juyoob: The neck slit was usually low in Arab dress and the women did not cover their necks. So in this verse they were ordered to cover their exposed necks with the head covers.
In another verse Allah says:
O Prophet! Say unto your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon themselves a robe (Jilbab); so that they may be distinguished, so that they will not be troubled; Allah is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. (al Ahzab, 33:59)
Here the word Jilbab refers to a covering that is bigger than a headcover and shorter than a shawl and is designed to cover the head and shoulders.
According to the command of Allah, the coverings for women that form their Hijab is Wajib, and disobedience of this command earns Allah's anger.
The entire body of the woman except hands and face should be covered. The overall appearance of the dress is that it must be loose so it does not reveal the form of the woman, and it should not be attractive in a way that it draws the eyes of the people to the wearer.
Reference: ImamReza.net

Psychological Tranquility

Without limits being established for relations between men and women or with unlimited free associations, sexual excitement and stimulation increase and demands become unquenchable and insatiable.
The sexual instinct is a powerful, deep-rooted instinct which resembles the fathomless ocean .
Although one thinks that by obeying it, one will have tamed it, its rebellious nature continues to show forth.
It is like a fire: the more fuel is added to it, the greater would be its flame.
In order to comprehend this, two points should be noted.

Firstly, just as history recalls those who coveted wealth, who were continuously seeking to add to what they already had and however much more they gained, they were still greedy for more, it also mentions those who were covetous for sexual pleasures.
In no way were they satisfied by possessing beautiful women and dominating over them.
This was the situation of all of those who had harems and, in truth, all those who had the power to possess women.

Christensen writes about the Sassanian rulers:
The women we see carved into stone at Taq-i-Bustan are only a few of the 3000 women Khosrow Parviz possessed in his harem.
This king was never satisfied sexually.
Whenever girls, widows or women with children were presented to him for their beauty, he would order that they be sent to his harem.
Whenever he desired to replenish his harem, he would write letters to his governors wherein he would describe the perfect and beautiful women he wanted.
They then would send him any women who fit his description."

Stories like this are endless in history.
In most recent times, this greed does not take the form of harems but exists in another form with the difference that today it is not necessary for a person to have the wealth and possibilities that Khosrow Parviz or Harun alRashid had.
Today, with the blessing of contemporary culture, it is possible for a man who only has one-thousandth of the possibilities of Parviz or Harun to take advantage of women.

Secondly, have you ever considered what the desire to serenade or write love poems stems from in humanity?
A large part of world literature is filled with love poems. In this type of literature, a man praises his beloved, asks for his needs to be satisfied by the beloved, raises the position of the beloved as he lowers his own status and suffers greatly from separation.
What is this?
Why does humanity not behave in the same way towards other needs?
Have you ever seen a person who worships money or a person who is ambitious for higher material positions, writing love poems on money or on ambition?
Has anyone ever written a love poem asking for bread? Why is it that people enjoy listening to or reading the love poems of another?
Why is it that so many people receive such pleasure from Hafiz's love poems?
Is it not because each person senses that it conforms to some very deep instinct which possesses their whole being?
How mistaken are those who say that the one and only reason which forms the basis for human activity is an economic one!

Human beings have developed special literary rhythmic forms to express sexual love just as they have done with spiritualities whereas no special literary rhythmic forms have been developed for things which are essentially material like bread and water.
We do not want to insinuate that all loves are sexual nor do we mean to imply that all of Hafiz's or Sa'adi's poems stem from their sexual instinct.
This is something which needs to be discussed separately at another time.

But what is clear is that many of the love poems are ones written by men in devotion to women.
It is sufficient for us to recognize that a man's attention towards a woman is not based on bread and water so that it can be satiated when the stomach is full.
Rather, it either takes the form of greed and worship of variety and multiplicity or the form of love and love poems.
We will later discuss under what conditions the state of greed and sexual covetousness is strengthened and under what conditions love and love poems assume a spiritual quality.

At any rate, Islam has placed special emphasis upon the amazing power of this fiery instinct.
There are traditions which speak of the danger of a 'look', the danger of a man and woman being alone together and, finally, the danger of the instinct which unites a man and a woman.

Islam has established ways of controlling, balancing and taming the instinct.
Duties have been given to both men and women in this area.
One duty which is the responsibility of both men and women relates to looking at each other.
"Say to the believing men to cast down their glance and guard their private parts..." (24:30).
And, "Say to the believing women to cast down their glance and guard their private parts." (24:31).
In summary, the command is that a man and a woman should not fix their eyes upon each other; they should not flirt with each other; they should not look at each other with lust or with the intention of seeking sexual pleasure (unless it is within the sacred bounds of marriage).

Islam has established a particular command for a woman which is that she covers her body from a man with whom she is not mahram and that she should not flaunt herself or put her body on display in society.
She is asked not to stimulate the attention of men by any means.

The human soul readily accepts stimulation.
It is great error to think that the sexual desires of humanity are limited in extent and that after a certain point, are naturally satisfied.
Just as the human being, man or woman, is never satiated with wealth or position and is continuously seeking more, in the area of sexual desires, it is the same.
No man is ever naturally satisfied by beauty and no woman is ever naturally satisfied by a man's attention and the conquest of his heart.
Clearly the desires of the heart are never satiated.

On the other hand, unlimited demands are never fulfilled and a sense of deprivation is continuously felt.
Not achieving one's desires results in psychological illnesses and complexes.
Why is it that in the West psychological illnesses have increased?
The reason is freedom of sexual ethics and continuous sexual stimulation through the newspapers, magazines, cinemas, theaters and official and unofficial parties and even the streets and alleys.

The reason why the Islamic command to cover is exclusive to women is because the desire to show off and display one's self is a particular trait of women.
She is the hunter in the domination of the hearts of men and man is the prey, whereas man is the hunter in the domination of the body of women and she is the prey.
A woman's desire to display herself comes from this essence of the hunter.
It is the female instinct which, because of its particular nature, wishes to capture hearts and imprison the male.
Thus, the deviation begins with the female instinct and therefore the command to cover was issued.

by Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari, The Islamic Modest Dress

www.ahlulbaytportal.com

Solidifying the Root of the Family

There is no doubt that anything which confirms the roots of the family and increases the perception of marital relations is good for the family unit.
The greatest efforts must be made to have this happen.
The opposite is also true.
Anything which causes the relationship between a husband and wife to grow cold is detrimental to a family and must be struggled against.

Finding the fulfillment of sexual desires within the family environment and within the framework of a legal marriage will strengthen the relationship between a husband and wife causing their union to become more stable.

The philosophy of the modest dress and the control of sexual desires other than with a legal wife, from the point of view of the family unit, is so that one legal partner will be the cause for the wellbeing of the other, whereas in the system of free sexual relationships, one's legal partner is psychologically considered as a competitor, someone who gets in the way of that person's 'fun' like a prison guard.
As a result, the basis for the family becomes enmity and hatred.

The youth of today have fled from marriage and whenever marriage is suggested to them, they say, "It is too soon.
I am still too young," or give some other excuse because of this very reason.
In the past, one of the greatest desires of the young people was to get married.
They were not so particular before about the blessings of Europe which introduced so many women as goods.

Marriage in the past was undertaken after a time of anticipation and wishful thinking.
For this very reason, the partners saw their happiness and well-being in their partner.
But today, sexual desires are so freely satisfied outside of marriage that there is no longer any reason to have the former feelings.
Free relationships of girls and boys have made marriage look like a duty and a limitation to them. It then becomes necessary to speak to them about ethics, morals, etc.
As some magazines suggest, it must be forced upon the young people.

The difference between the society which limits sexual relations to the family environment and a legal marriage with a society which promotes free relationships is that marriage in the first society is the end to the anticipation and deprivation whereas in the latter, it is the beginning of deprivation and limitation.
In the system of free sexual relationships, the marriage contract ends the free period of boys and girls and it obliges them to learn to be loyal to each other whereas in the Islamic system, their deprivation and anticipation is met.

The system of free relationships, in the first place, causes boys to become soldiers of fortune because of marriage and the formation of a family and not until their high, young spirits tend to become weak, do they turn to marriage.
Then a girl is taken because she will bear children or clean the house or act as a maid.
In the second place, it weakens the roots of the existing marriage.
Instead of the marriage being based upon a pure love and deep affection where they know their partner to be the person who shares in their happiness, the reverse happens.
They look at their partner with the eyes of a competitor, as a person who prevents freedom and brings limitations.
As they say, each one becomes the other's prison guard .
When a boy or girl want to say, "I am married," they say instead, "I have taken on a prison guard." What does this mean?
This means that before marriage they were free to go wherever they wanted to flirt.
There was no one to tell them what to do.
But after marriage, these freedoms were limited.
If a man goes home late one night, there will be an argument with his partner. "Where were you?" If he talks with a young girl, his wife objects.
It is clear to what extent family relations become weakened and cold in such a system.

Some people like Bertrand Russell believe that the prevention of free relationships is not just for the certainty of men in relationship to future generations because methods of birth control have been developed to solve this difficulty.
Thus, the issue is not just the knowledge of who the father is.
The other issue is that the purest of emotions exist between the marriage partners and the relationship should be based on unity and solidarity.
These goals can only be met when the partners close their eyes to other relationships, when the man closes his eyes to other women, when the wife is not bent on stimulating and attracting anyone but her husband and when the principle of forbidding the satisfaction of sexual desires outside of the family, even before marriage, exists.

In addition, when a woman who has progressed following Russell and people like him and in accordance with the 'new sexual ethics' still seeks her love in another in spite of having a legal husband.
When she sleeps with a man who has become the love of her life, what assurance is there that she will take preventing measures with a man who is her legal husband whom she does not love and not get pregnant by the man she now loves and then claims her legal husband to be the father of the child?
It is clear that such a woman will prefer to have her child be the product of the man she now loves, not of the man who the law says is her legal husband and the only person by whom she should have children.
It is natural that a man should have children by a woman who loves him and not by a woman who is forced upon him by the law.
Europe has clearly shown that the statistics for illegitimate children has risen at an alarming rate despite the modern means for preventing pregnancy.

by Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari, The Islamic Modest Dress
www.ahlulbaytportal.com

Hijab; A Divine Value

"Tell the believing men that they shall subdue their eyes, and safeguard their private parts (from being seen).
This is purer for them.
God is fully Cognizant of everything they do.
And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes, and safeguard their private parts (from being seen).
And they shall not display their beauty and ornaments, except what is apparent of it. And they shall draw their scarves over their bosoms." Nur24:30, 31

Throughout the whole history of the human race, people have wanted to change the appearance of their bodies.
Archeological evidence and contemporary practices around the world have shown that humans add clothing, paint, or jewelry, and even alter the shape of their body parts.


The Functions of Clothing

Man without clothes appears to be a peculiarly, perhaps uniquely, naked animal, or a hairless naked ape.
There is, however, a false implication in this title, which is that other apes are clothed by hair or fur.
That is apart from not being up righting which requires less covering.

The question, therefore, is why people adorn their bodies, why people wear and have worn clothes, and what are the functions of clothing?


In general there are two main theories in regards to the functions of clothing:

1. Seduction:

It may be surprising to learn that some of the psychologists of today suggest that the motivation of wearing clothes is precisely that of immodesty or exhibitionism.
They argue that it is the job of clothing to attract attention to the body rather than to deflect or repel that attention.
The body, then is more openly on display according to this theory. Rudofsky[1], for example, is explicit on this matter; he argues that the woman has to keep her mate ‘perpetually excited by changing her shape and colours.
Women's clothes, he says, are governed by the Seduction Principle and men's clothes are governed by Hierarchical Principle.
His theory has been also associated with what has become known as the ‘theory of the shifting erogenous zone'.
Erogenous zones or body hot spots are different parts of the body of a female, which are seen as more attractive.
Such as hair, breast, bottom, legs, etc.


2. Protection:

According to this theory the primary motivation of clothing has been to protect the body against physical and psychological ( moral ) dangers.

www,islamic-laws.com

Why Hijab?

Summary:

The Non-Muslim Western Woman makes a judgment call out of ignorance towards an intelligent, well-informed and eager to express her opinion, Muslim/Hijabi woman.

Back story:
The Muslim hijabi woman, born and raised in Ontario, Canada.
A firm believer in women's rights in Islam and a strong advocate for hijab.
This woman has lectured on the virtues of hijab and has been confronted many, many times about her veil and has prepared herself more each time she is confronted.

The western woman immigrated to Canada at the age of four. Grew up unhappy feeling pressured as a teenager to look a specific way but could not fit in.
Eventually finding her womanhood and a new body she exploits herself regularly to vie for the attention of men everywhere she goes.
She knows little about Islam and Muslims but she likes to think she knows it all.
An outspoken woman willing to speak on matters she knows nothing about.


The scene: Non-Muslim woman meets Muslim woman on the streets of Toronto.

Facts: This type of confrontation, of 'Western Woman/man' meets 'Hijabi Woman, takes place by thousands around the world every day'.
There are some westerners who feel comfortable with confronting a hijabi woman.
However, some confrontations are combative and others are simple minded individuals who don't even understand their own ignorance and so they offer all the wrong advice with little time to listen or seek out the facts about hijab on their own.
Women who wear hijab are scrutinized by the public and seem to be fair game for rude remarks and even harassment.
It is my hope that this story, this scenerio enlightens.

The story begins...as the non-Muslim woman tells her tale...

The oppressed woman, rambling ignorant thoughts:

I was walking down the street on my way to grab some smokes at the convenient store when I happen to see a Muslim woman, she was wearing hijab (headscarf) .She was quiet and she had her head slightly down as she entered the convenient store to purchase a bottled water.
I thought to myself what a shame look at her she's so oppressed.
Here it is on a hot summer day and I'm enjoying life in a cut-off t-shirt and short-shorts not to mention getting the attention of every guy I walk by and here she's covered head to toe.
She probably never takes it off, I wonder if she showers with it on?
I thought to myself she must be so hot but yet she's likely got to dress like that or someone like her father or husband might beat her.
She's probably just come over from Iraq or Afghanistan or something.
As I walked by her to my surprise she smiled at me and so I felt as though I could say something to her.
I didn't know if she even spoke English but I was going to try.
Here was my chance to give her some real western wisdom tell her she doesn't have to put up with this crap.
She's obviously oppressed and she needs to know that she shouldn't cover up like that we are in a new millennium.
She has to know about women's rights, we have freedoms, equality and all that good stuff. I was feeling pumped.


The confrontation in the parking lot, unveiling the truth behind the veil:

I reached out and tapped her on the shoulder as she walked by me to exit the store.
She turned to me and said, to my surprise with a very English Canadian accent 'Yes, can I help you?".
I replied with a very confident voice, "Sorry to bother you miss but I wanted to ask you something" We continue walking slowly towards the parking lot adjacent to the convenient store.
I continued.."why do you feel you have to cover yourself up like that, don't you realize you're being oppressed?" ,"It's because of my faith that I choose to wear hijab" she answered, choosing to bypass my comment on oppression I thought, not considering that she's really just being polite and attempting to avoid confrontation, then I continued to say,
"Well, you should know that it's not necessary you don't have to cover up. You should be proud of what God gave you and show it off". "I am proud of what God has given me and so much so that I choose to share what God has given me with my husband only".
It was a good comeback, I'll give her that, I wasn't sure how to reply.
I wasn't expecting her to say that..hmm I thought it over and argued, "Oh, I see well that's nice but don't you think others should also be able to see you, how will anyone respect you, how can they judge who you really are?
Miss, don't you hate that other's can't see your true beauty."


Feeling uncomfortable, swallowing pride:

OK, it wasn't much of a response but it was the best I could come up with.
Thing is I was getting a bit nervous, she was so calm and polite and I was being so aggressive and even arrogant. We were standing in the parking lot and I could see people in the car next to me starring.
I was on a mission I wanted to try to convince her she was wrong and I was right, she was oppressed and I wasn't.
This is when she told me something that really made me think, and opened my mind about Islam and Muslims forever.
She went on to say, "It is my belief based on what we learn from the Qur'an, which is the word of God, and the belief of many Muslim women who wear hijab that we do so expressing our freedom to be respected as human beings rather then being judged by our physical beauty.
My true beauty is what I have to offer inside not out.
I'm very familiar with western women, because I'm a born Canadian, (When I heard that I was totally blown away, she's Canadian??) in the western culture women wear barely any clothes or wear them so tight you can see every crevasse of their bodies and they relish the fact that they are having every man look their way as the men visualize themselves with her."
I answer with a nod and a reassuring 'Yeah' in my mind I'm like.. daaa of course, who wouldn't love that?.

She had a very calm voice.
Her eyes wide and clear.
I noticed her face was glowing, she was really quite beautiful even though she had no make-up.
I tried hard to find a hair that may have slipped out past her headscarf, as I studied her face, I was curious I wanted to know what colour her hair was, but I couldn't find one hair out of place. She seemed so sure of herself.
I could see where she was going, as women we should be respected as human beings and not objects.
I know she's right in that men look at our bodies and get turned on and maybe that causes problems in a society, but who cares about the hair?
I interjected "Yeah, but who cares if your hair is showing, why wear the scarf?
it's not like anyone's hair makes that much difference or turns on a guy."
She comes back with..
"Do you realize that every year western women spend billions on hair products and in salons, I have to ask you, if hair was not that important would all these products be selling?
If you don't think your hair adds much to your beauty why do you not just shave it off?"
I could not reply, she was right.
When she said in her soft spoken but steady voice 'why don't you shave it off' I realized at that point how important my hair really was to my overall appearance.

www.sibtayn.com

Why Do Muslims Have a Dress Code?

Islam does not forbid men and women to interact, but enjoins them to adopt a code of behavior characterized by modesty so that they may treat one another with full and appropriate respect.
Islamic modest behavior consists of piety and mutual respect, as well as a standard of dress often identified by the headscarves worn by Muslim women.


Lower Your Gaze for the Good of Your Spirit

The philosophy behind what is commonly called hijab – Islamic modest dress – is rooted in the concept of guarding one’s senses from anything that may lessen one’s innocence.
Imam ‘Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet of Islam (may peace be upon him and his family), said,

“The eye is the spy of the hearts and the messenger of the intellect; therefore lower your gaze from whatever is not appropriate to your faith...”


Lantern of the Path

In the modern world, our senses are bombarded from all directions with a plethora of sights, sounds, and smells.
Islam teaches us to control what our senses are exposed to since our experiences affect us externally as well as spiritually.
A smell of perfume may call to mind a distant memory of one’s grandmother; the sound of fireworks may startle and bring forth an image of war; the sight of a beautiful woman in a revealing dress may bring feelings of unwanted and inappropriate arousal.

When our senses witness immorality, crime, or debauchery, even though we are not guilty of committing the offense, we lose a degree of innocence.
We all hold childhood memories of a moment when we went through such a loss of innocence.
What was once something shocking or held in special status falls into the realm of the ordinary.

In Islam, it is not only for parents to carefully guard what their children are exposed to, but it is for the adults to also guard themselves.
Failure to do so can eventually lead to spiritual sickness.

Thus, the larger philosophy behind hijab is one of maintaining dignity and purity and applies to all facets of life and not exclusively to dress.
We must prevent ourselves from looking at the opposite sex in a lustful way, and we must dress so that we are regarded with respect.

www.islamic-laws.com

What do Muslim Women Really Think About Hijab?

“I can feel the extra respect coming my way.
People take me more seriously, and I feel protected and confident when I step out.” Dr. Mrs. N.Z. Vakil, M.D.

“In the modern society of today, a woman has always been looked upon as just another sexual object for the men.
Why should one display one’s beauty for unwanted eyes to feast upon?
The Hijab protects a woman’s honor and doesn’t arouse unwanted passion from the opposite sex.
I feel if the women were to universally adopt the Islamic code of dressing, the rate of incidences of teasing, molestation, rape, etc.
would be negligible. Wearing the hijab gives me more confidence in myself as a woman and it doesn’t obstruct me in any way in my profession.”
Mrs. Salva I Rasool, Graphic Designer.

“I am a convert to Islam and so I can compare the experiences of life with and without Islamic Modest Dress.
I am well aware of the attitude in Western society that hijab is repressive or hinders the freedom of a woman.
My experience with hijab and my study of Islam allows me to understand that this is not the case.
Non-Muslim people may sometimes stare, but in hijab I am always treated with respect.
I have never had trouble getting or maintaining a job, I no longer face unwanted advances or lewd comments from the opposite sex, and I feel more dignified than without hijab.
I realize now I can be accepted and interact with others as my true self once my appearance is not allowed to be the controlling factor.
Even in bad neighborhoods, men that are normally lewd just step out of my way.
The overall concept in Islamic Dress of maintaining proper respect and my experience that it does indeed increase respectful interaction creates an added sense of security when I go out in public.
Knowing what hijab gives me, I would never go back to living without it. I go out in public as a recognized Muslim woman – a reminder to myself and all who see me that I seek to live in a manner which is decent and pure.
I am one who seeks to obey God in all matters. People know this of nuns when they see them, and they know the same of me.
Even if they cannot understand my reasons for a style of dress that is unusual here in the United States, they express admiration for someone who isn’t afraid to live by her principles.” Mrs.
Diana Beatty, Teacher.

“I found I liked wearing the hijab.
Actually, 'like' is not the right word, because it isn't positive enough. I loved it.
For the first time in my life as an American woman, I felt that my body finally belonged to me.
I felt as though I finally had what I can only describe, for lack of a better phrase, as the integrity of my own bodily privacy.
I found that I was treated very well, much more respectfully, and I noted a definite tendency on the part of men, especially young men, to leave me alone and give me a wide berth.
The way this manifested itself most powerfully was the degree to which I found I was no longer followed by men's eyes.
The hijab gave me a message, not even so much 'not available,' although I think that is a part of it, but something stronger…”
A non-Muslim American participant in the post-September 11th Scarves for Solidarity Campaign, as quoted in a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle, May 9, 2002.

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