* Hijab for women

Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights 1400 yearsago. Islam expects women to maintain their status.

The next verse of Surah Noor, says:

“ And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze andguard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty andornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that theyshould draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beautyexcept to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, theirsons...”

[Al-Qur’an 24:31]


Six criteria for Hijab:

According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are basically six criteria for observinghijab:

Extent:

• The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This isdifferent for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the maleis to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, theextent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the faceand the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even theseparts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the handsare part of the obligatory extent of ‘hijab’.

All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.

• The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.

• The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see throughthem.

• The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.

• The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex.

• The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. theyshould not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of theunbelievers’ religions.

Hijab includes conduct and behaviour among other things:

Complete ‘hijab’, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes the moralconduct, behaviour, attitude and intention of the individual. A person onlyfulfilling the criteria of ‘hijab’ of the clothes is observing ‘hijab’ in a limited sense.‘Hijab’ of the clothes should be accompanied by ‘hijab’ of the eyes, ‘hijab’ of theheart, ‘hijab’ of thought and ‘hijab’ of intention. It also includes the way a personwalks, the way a person talks, the way he behaves, etc.

Hijab prevents molestation

The reason why Hijab is prescribed for women is mentioned in the Qur’an in thefollowing verses of Surah Al-Ahzab:

“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing womenthat they should cast their outer garments over their persons (whenabroad); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such)and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

[Al-Qur’an 33:59]

The Qur’an says that Hijab has been prescribed for the women so that they arerecognized as modest women and this will also prevent them from being molested.

* Hijab for Men

People usually only discuss ‘hijab’ in the context of women.

However, in theGlorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) first mentions ‘hijab’ for men before ‘hijab’ for thewomen. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Noor:

“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah iswell acquainted with all that they do.”

[Al-Qur’an 24:30]

The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thoughtcomes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.

* Hijab for Men & Women

24:30 Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.

24:31 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 except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss.

Note: Hijab for men is mentioned in Quran first than Hijab for Women.