Fatwa #17627 August 2000Pakistan
I need proof from the Quran about the wearing hijab.
Answer
Why Women Should Wear the Veil?
Women throughout the world spend millions of Dollars on facial beauty.
Companies manufacturing 'beauty' products make a colossal figure in sales.
It would be nothing short saying that the products used on the face far
exceed other products. This in itself proves that humans are particularly
possessive of their looks - facial expression. People especially women take
great pride and time in making up their faces.
Allah Ta'ala has placed the beauty of man and woman in the face. Perhaps the
busiest part of the body is the face - used extensively in communication.
The face communicates the person's mood and facial expressions and expresses
the character and mannerism.
Because so much of identification is assembled by the face, least to mention
the beauty of women, Muslim women are required to hide away their beauty.
The veil forms part of their concealment.
The Noble Qur'an declares:
"Oh Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the
believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen
themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will
be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women so as not to
be annoyed." (Ahzaab 59)
Furthermore, the Noble Qur'an declares in Sura Nur verse 31, that the
believing women 'should not display their beauty and ornamentation' except
to their husbands and immediate family (Mahrams).
Allah Ta'ala says clearly that a woman's body should be covered by
loose-fitting, non-transparent clothing so that the shape of her body is not
revealed. The Hijaab hides the beauty of the woman's form.
No one can dispute that a woman's primary focus of beauty is her face.
Therefore, if Allah Ta'ala places so much of emphasis on hiding the beauty
of a woman's body, it's only logical that the centre of greater attraction -
the face - should without a doubt also be covered.
Referring to the wives (Radhiallaahu Anhunna) of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam) warns the men:
"And when you ask (His ladies) for anything you want, ask them from behind a
curtain: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and theirs." (Ahzaab
33:53)
If Allah Ta'ala expects the prophet's wives to be so guarded then surely
none of the believing women can claim greater purity of heart and
consequently exemption from the directive to hide their beauty.
Hadhrat Aaisha (Radhiyallaahu Anha) says, '(during Hajj in the state of
Ihraam) when the male should walk in front of us while in the company of
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), then we would drop our veils from
the head over the face.'
This Hadith emphatically shows the manner adopted by the honoured wives of
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam). They have exemplified an extremely
dignified way of life for the women of the Ummah.
Mufti Ebrahim Desai