Why Wear Hijab - Reda Shata



Why Wear Hijab

Friday sermon by Sheikh Reda Shata

In the name of Allah, the most gracious most merciful

Praise be to Allah, the lord of existence! His prophet was advised with guidance; to lead the religion of righteousness, and to establish it over the entire faiths. His mission was to emphasize that Allah is the only one whom we depend upon, to proclaim that there is no God but Allah, and that Mohamed (praise and peace be upon him) is his believer and prophet. All praise and gratitude belongs to Him; the provider of life and death, and He is all knowing and capable of his creation.

Allah, place praise and peace, while increasing the blessings over our teacher, the prophet Mohamed, as regards to his worth, divine, and great stature. May Allah also embrace the four great and pious leaders: Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, and Ali; as well as the rest of their descendents, followers, and those that relished their lives with faith and filled their existence with Allah’s grace. Blessings and great mercy, Oh most gracious!

Oh Allah! Open the gates of mercy for us, Oh most merciful! Allow us and enable us to become from the most truthful and faithful, Oh lord of existence! Allah! Empower us to become from the most faithful, and place us between those who are most faithful to you. Help us maintain our lives as those who are most loyal to you. Guide us to the straight path and reward us on the day of judgment.

This lecture, aside from all the rest, is directed to the discussion entailing our sisters, or whomever has taught a woman. Teaching a woman is, in fact, as teaching an entire family! A scholar once said, “ a mother is an institute that could raise an entire nation, if one could teach her properly.” Women, account for 50% of the community as regards to the populous. However, when dealing with stature, their role is extremely important. Their level of importance is so great that they should be focused on as if they made up the whole community! This lecture entails the discussion of the influential role of women. Its main concern is to discuss the most controversial issue that is related to women in this present age. Specifically, the hijab (the head piece; veil). The true question is, why has Allah ordained the hijab on all women? Why did Allah restrict women to this attire? Why did He forbid women to display their femininity and beauty? Why is this piece of fabric mandatory for women to place over their heads? Why wear the hijab?

Why the hijab, is this lecture’s title and topic. To answer this question we need to research and explore the true purposes served by wearing the hijab. What are the advantages of wearing the hijab and what wisdom lies beneath it? The answer, my sisters, is found in the six main purposes, which will be discussed in this lecture. The first purpose, or reason, is that the hijab is a reflection of an order set forth by Allah. It is a direct command from Him, the gracious creator. Secondly, it is a form of security and protection for whomever wears it. Thirdly, it is a source of preservation of the health. Fourth, it is a symbol of our faith. It is a shield from the impure and the sinners. Fifth, it purifies the heart towards the faith. Finally, the sixth purpose is that the hijab is a modernization, an escape, from the age of ignorance. By elaborating further on these six main aspects, my dear sisters, we shall elucidate them thoroughly, but only after you recognize Allah as the one and only divine existence.

Now, why the hijab? Why this restraint? Why did Allah place this constraint onto women? Everything in our religion is for a reason; it is for a purpose. The hijab serves a designated duty. Everything in our religion is precise, and extremely on point. Everything in Islam has solid proof, which benefit those who pursue it. Some individuals seek to attain this knowledge, while others avoid it and choose ignorance. As mentioned previously, the first reason for wearing the hijab is because of the fact that it is mandated by the creator Himself, Allah the gracious. Allah is the one who commanded this and He is the one who placed this restraint. The one who has created you as a woman is also the one who restrained you with the hijab. Where is the evidence that this restriction is from his grace, from his majesty. The evidence is that Allah said, “ you are concealed and protected within your homes rather than exposed as in the exposure witnessed during the age of ignorance.” Allah then said, “ and if you asked them a pleasure, ask them through the hijab...this is more pure to your hearts, and to the their hearts.” His grace also said, “ my prophet, tell your wives, your daughters, and the women of the faithful to conceal their beauty with the hijab; for it is best for them.” His majesty also ordered, “ tell the faithful women to watch where they look, to cover themselves and not to show any mark of their beauty, except to their fathers, their brothers, their brother’s children, their sisters, and their sister’s children, their husbands and their own children. Repent to Allah, Oh faithful one, for in it lies your eternal salvation.” The hijab is a command, my dear sisters! Allah has addressed the faithful women and the wives of the faithful men on such topic. When women approached ‘Aisha, the prophet’s wife, while wearing clothes that revealed them, ‘Aisha looked at them and said, “ if you truly are faithful then you must not wear what you are wearing, but if you are unfaithful to the will of Allah then enjoy what you wear.” A faithful Muslim woman insists on her dedication to wearing the hijab, because that attire is an inseparable part of her faith.

My sisters, purify your hearts by praising our prophet Mohamed (praise and peace be upon him). Consequently, every single centimeter cube of a woman’s attire is a true sign of her faith, dedication, and commitment to the will of Allah. A woman in Islam is special and unique. She was created by Allah as an extraordinary being and, as a result, she was ordered to abide to her hijab as a form of prayer. One may be puzzled by such statement, however, the explanations behind it will make it graspable.

Let us sum up some of the things women experience due to the hijab. Woman are restricted by wearing the hijab, therefore, they are deprived of plenty of activities. In addition, they are exposed to rudeness, indecency, and, to some point, are threatened with their income. Some women are even deprived of marriage all because of the hijab! I swear to Allah, every woman, from the age of our dearest prophet Mohamed (praise and peace be upon him), until now, shall be rewarded to an extent that only the creator himself, Allah, his majesty, knows and sets limitations to. The women who have restricted themselves and have suffered the worst of what life can impose on them due to the hijab, those who have insisted and dedicated themselves to wearing the hijab, shall enjoy the fruits of Allah’s blessing, insh’Allah. Why? That is due to the fact that they have worshiped Allah to the utmost degree; by fearlessly wearing the hijab only to please Allah.

There are general duties that all Muslims take part in. Everyone fasts and prays because they both are pillars of Islam, for Allah said, “ basics of faith are three, whomever neglected one then he is a non-believer whose blood is worth spilling. (They are:) Proclamation that there is no god but Allah and that Mohamed (praise and peace be upon him), is his prophet. Prayers, and fasting.” Aside from the main practices that make up the core of Islam (i.e., fasting, praying, etc..), there are other habitual, branched, ones that remain a mandatory act of faith. For example, if a person is rich then he/she is obligated to spend money for a righteous cause ( i.e. give to the poor, charity, etc…), and by doing so then advancing closely towards Allah becomes manageable. If a person is physically and/or mentally strong, then the first act of faith is to allow truth to prevail, to overcome the unjust, and to stand by the weak. In addition, if there is an informative scholar, then his/her obligation is to spread the word of Allah with diligence and respect, while fearing no one but Him.

On the other hand, aside from that of mentioned above, women demonstrate their faith by wearing the hijab. It is their leading priority of worship. However, if a woman says, “I have a doctorate degree and other highly acclaimed educational certificates. I pray, I fast, but, I do not wear the hijab,” then she is insignificant and shall be harshly judged by Allah on the day of judgment; due to the fact that she became neglectful of Allah‘s demand. An Islamic priority is to uphold the words of Allah. His majesty affirms that women have to conceal their beauty, therefore, women uphold Allah’s word by wearing the hijab. Each and every aspect that Allah has blessed a woman with must be concealed. Respectively, all features that Allah beautifully created in a woman is for the satisfaction of the woman and her husband alone. The main reason behind that is to prevent any one else, other than her husband, from desiring her. A woman’s beauty and femininity were designed by Allah for the relationship between a woman and her spouse. It strengthens their relationship, and establishes a strong bond.

The hijab is a representation of Allah’s command. As a result, all women should strongly maintain any word ordained by Allah in that matter. This brings us to the second reason for wearing the hijab, which is security. It is a source of protection sent forth by Allah. A woman protects herself and the community around her when she is veiled. The community is protected in the sense that a man is prevented from comparing a woman he saw walking down the street to his wife. Thus, in a community, the hijab guards against dysfunction, disarray, or destruction of other families. In addition, the hijab proves that the woman wearing it is a serious person, that she is someone who does not misbehave, and that she is not the type who can be taken advantage of. Allah protects these women the way a treasure is safeguarded from the impure hands of thieves. I am willing to challenge any individual who argues that a veiled woman can be prone to having someone do or say something sinful to her. No matter how corrupt that person may be, he/she will never become successful in harming that woman. A woman wearing the hijab is blessed and full of grace, due to her undivided loyalty to the grace of Allah.

A Muslim scholar, residing in Los Angeles, wrote a book that mentions a story of a college girl who was harassed by several boys. She tried to push them away and make them stop, however, the harassment never halted no matter how much she tried. She then shaved her hair as to make herself look like the boys, but the harassment and obscene words still continued. As her last resort, she thought of imitating the Muslim women by covering her head. As a result, no one dared to confront her in any way afterwards. Allah, his majesty says, “ it is impossible for a man to attempt to make offensive remarks towards a woman wearing a hijab.” Look at the peak of beauty of wearing the hijab! Praise our prophet Mohamed (praise and peace be upon him).

If you happen to see a child wearing a school uniform, is that solid proof that he is a well achieved school student? Not necessarily, because he/she may be a failure. In comparison, the hijab on a woman could assert her ties with her creator and His religion. However, that may not be the case with some. Accompanied with the hijab, there has to be a strong personal conduct and a firm will for raising obedient, Muslim children. Some of the unknowledgeable women believe that they are within the grasps of Allah’s mercy only by wearing the hijab. Others even believe that they can become great scholars by only attending a couple of lectures. That should not be the case.

The third role of the hijab is the preservation of health. Do you believe that the hijab preserves your health? There are several journals in medicine that proves that the hijab serves the purpose of protecting whomever wears it from serious diseases. Please, before we continue, praise out dearest prophet Mohamed (praise and peace be upon him). Lets consider, if one of many governments saw that a certain product may cause the spread of a very serious illness or disease amongst the public. At that point, the role of that government is to withdraw that poison from the market for the better health of the people. Is it then the people’s right to protest against the government and insist on consuming that poison? Will it be coherent for them so say, “leave us alone?” It would not. Allah is aware of all!

It is mentioned in several British medical journals that wearing the hijab protects women from contracting serious new plastic disorders, specifically, carcinoma of the skin, or skin cancer. This is a world recognized journal with solid evidence through research and data collection. Therefore, a covered woman is far more safer than an exposed one. The risks of an unveiled woman to contract a serious dermatological condition is 13 times more susceptible than a woman covering herself. These are the words of Allah. He ordered women to wear the hijab to prevent them from torture in the hell’s fire, and to protect them from the serious health hazards. The human’s skin is very sensitive to ultraviolet rays, through which prolonged exposure predisposes to the development of very serious conditions.

Allah ordered women to conceal, and not expose, themselves as in the age of ignorance. That exposure is the uncovering of the hair and neck! Do not think for a moment that Abu Jahel would allow his daughter to wear a t-shirt to the university. Abu Jahel, who is condemned by Allah, was the ruler of men at that time. He would never have allowed his women to place make-up on their face, to expose themselves, nor walk in a suggestive manner. Hence, even the most cruel and sinful of men protected his pride and honor. He did so in an uttermost extent that, unfortunately, most men nowadays can not be compared to him. My dear brothers, retain your wives on this earth, for otherwise, you shall be punished by Allah beneath this earth (i.e. death) and on the day of judgment.

The fourth purpose of the hijab is, it is a symbol, a call for faith. It protects against those who mock and insult the bearers of hijab. Some non-Muslims have a mission towards veiled women, and that is to cause women to remove what protects them; their hijab. Those people attack insistently and make desperate attempts to mislead women into disobeying Allah. No matter how much lies they forge, or how much rumors they spread, there are still faithful women who insist on standing up against this bashing of Islam. They strive to fulfill Allah’s command, and they are greater than submitting to the temptations of taking part in new fashions, trends, or to display their beauty. For these reasons, they will be granted eternal blessing, insh‘Allah.

Do you know that the hijab is no longer an issue of misunderstanding amongst the majority of Muslims? Rather, it is a well understood representation of our faith. How is that so? The following will illustrate the concept of how the issue of the hijab was developed into becoming more understandable. When El Salaf ( i.e. the companions of the prophet, for ex., Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, Ali, etc…) used to be challenged with an issue regarding our religion, whether it was being attacked or deprecated, they used to convert it into something positive. This illustrates their incomparable faith; a very serious level of understanding. The imam El-Malik, as well as the imam Abu Haneefa, said, “ there are three aspects that make an individual a part of people of sunna.” The imam Al-Malik said,” the three aspects are: to love and respect Abu Bakr and Omar, to respect, not bash nor insult al Hassan and al Hussein, and to consider washing our feet while covered.” Al imam Abu Haneefa said, “ honor the companions, never insult Othman and Ali, and to consider washing our feet while covered.” Presently, one would say, “ in order to become part of the people of sunna (one of the followers of the prophet, praise and peace be upon him) one has is to pray every sunna in prayers, to respect and give compassion to all of the companions of the prophet, and to wear the hijab.” Such is a representation of how people perceive, and understand issues as time continues. Therefore, as you see my brothers and sisters, the hijab is no longer a branched topic. It is no longer a simple issue; it has become a strong representation of our belief system. I swear to Allah that the hijab was the reason for the conversion of many people to Islam!

Jeffrey Lang was a mathematician, a professor of mathematics in the university of San Francisco. When he was a student, his professors would walk into the lecture hall and say, “ Jeffrey, you are excused from attending, I will give you the full mark.” Jeffrey was not the average person as regards to intellect. He was a great source of reference after becoming a professor. As a result, many students turned to him for questions and clarifications. Dr. Lang said that he had a middle eastern woman refer to him once and that the weather was extremely warm during that time. Furthermore, upon the woman’s approach into his office, she was wearing the hijab. He swore, “ I swear to God, I could not even lift up my eyes to look at her from her greatness and pious countenance.” At that point, he became determined to read and learn about the religion; the one which caused that woman to wear the hijab so diligently, and was unconcerned with herself in accordance with the weather‘s severity. Today my dear brothers, Jeffrey Lang is one of the most famous speakers and preachers of Islam. Praise be to Allah, my Muslims!

Let us continue on with the fifth purpose of the hijab, which entails the fact that it purifies the heart. The hijab leads to the purification of the heart, which is accompanied by accomplishing the faith itself. A woman who truly insists to wear the hijab, while upholding her faith, is truly pure at heart. Some women may say that it is not important to wear the hijab on the head, but rather a hijab on the heart! If a woman would have said, or even attempted to say something remotely close to that during the age of Abu Bakr, she would have faced death by the blade of his sword. What hijab over the heart??! The hijab, by origin, is an aspect which purifies the heart. The hijab is the fuel that drives the hearts of women to righteously support their faith. We need to fully understand that some individuals can be easily influenced through the interactions with others. Whether a person will be negatively influenced is all dependant on how others view that person. That external influence is prevented from penetrating the hearts of our Muslim sisters once the hijab is worn. No one will aim at corrupting someone who has a firm Islamic belief. Therefore, whomever seeks clarity of the mind and purification of the heart then wear the hijab. Whomever wishes to earn Allah’s acceptance shall follow His command. The hijab represents an order from his Majesty, and his prophet (praise and peace be upon him).

Lets recall the purpose of the hijab once again. First, it is a reflection of what Allah ordained. Two, it is a means of protection and security. Three, it is a source of preservation of the health. Four, it is a symbol of faith. Five, it purifies the hearts towards the faith. Last, but not least, the sixth purpose is that the hijab is a form of modernization; an escape from the age of ignorance. A woman who leaves her home without a hijab and places make-up upon her face receives sins for every man that looks at her. Does any unveiled woman have enough good deeds which will be equivalent to the acquired sins? Will she be capable to stand before Allah with the way she exposes herself? Our prophet Mohamed (praise and peace be upon him), said,” all of you shall enter paradise, except for whomever disobeyed me.” Exposing oneself is an act of displeasing the prophet (praise and peace be upon him). He also said,” there will be a woman in my nation, in my Islamic nation, who will not conceal herself. Curse her! For she (or they) is condemned.” He added, “ a woman who decorates herself outside of her own home is like darkness that shall never be approached by light on the day of judgment.” Our dearest prophet explained,” the best of your women are the faithful, the dedicated, and those who conceal themselves. The worst of them are the sinners, the unfaithful, and the exposed. Those are non-believers towards Allah.” He (praise and peace be upon him) also covered the subject regarding perfume, he said,” any woman who sprays perfume outside her dwelling and passes by a group of people who smelled her essence is considered to have committed adultery…..A woman who is decorated and entered a mosque…”, he became very upset, but continued,” my people, advice your women to restrain from decorating themselves and from entering the mosque while in that state, for other nations were cursed when their women entered holy grounds while decorated.” You see my brothers and sisters, the shameful part about this is the fact that this is present in the mosques today. It is like a fashion show of who appears to be more attractive!

At the end my sisters, the necessity of the hijab is all due to Allah wanting to have you enter paradise. In addition, His majesty wants to preserve your health, to protect you from the eyes and words of obscenity. My dear sisters, conceal your beauty. Do not decorate and expose yourself in public. Do not take off your hijab! Preserve yourself, do not loose it and become guilty of sin. Do not remove your hijab, but insist on wearing it; for in it lies your redemption, your salvation. With it, your hearts will be purified with faith, and you shall be blessed with the mercy of Allah.

In the end, we ask from Allah to bless this year for us. To bless it so that it is out of shame and scandal. A good dead never goes undone, a sin never goes unpunished, and the creator is ever existing, ever lasting. The creator is immortal! Do as you please, considering that you reap what you sow. For every action, you should be judged. Our dearest prophet Mohamed (praise and peace be upon him) said,” ask from Allah, praise to Allah, and be certain that He shall reply.”

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