Hijab and its Purpose

Hijab is a word that you might surely have heard of these days. From primetime shows to social media platforms, from magazines to newspapers – the word Hijab keeps glaring at us. Some are seen protesting against it, while others are seen protesting in its favour. Hence, it has become very important for us to know what exactly this Hijab is, and why is it so essential to women.

The word Hijab refers to a garment which a lady uses to cover herself, especially her head and bosoms. And this is obviously not something which is peculiar to Islam. Women all throughout history, across religions and cultures have been covering their heads with scarves and dupattas and the pallus of their saris. In fact, the dupatta and pallu have been such an integral part of Indian culture that it is quite surprising that the Hijab controversy should have erupted in India. Moreover, India is known to be a country that personifies the phrase ‘unity and diversity’. India’s idea of secularism, as opposed to the French idea of secularism is very inclusive. The state is duty bound to treat and respect all religions equally, and our Constitution grants every citizen of this country the fundamental right to practice his or her religion. This makes the entire controversy on Hijab all the more murky.

Nevertheless, like I said, women have been covering their heads all throughout history, irrespective of the religion they follow and the culture they belong to. Even European ladies used to cover themselves completely until a century back. This means that Islam did not introduce the concept of Hijab in the 7th Century CE, it merely endorsed it by laying down guidelines in the Qur’an and Hadith.

In the 59th ayat of Surah alAhzab, God says:

“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves part of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused.”

Nothing in Islam is without purpose. In this ayat, God has instructed ladies to use the Hijab to serve two purposes:

1. That they be known and recognized.

2. They they be protected from abuse.

Let us understand these two points.

What does it mean to be known? To be known as what? As a respectable lady. As a God-fearing pious lady who abides by God’s commandments. As a woman whose identity is not reduced to her face and figure. In this post-Industrial era, where women have been objectified in advertisements and showrooms, the Hijab encourages women to define their personalities on the basis of their intellect, skill and behaviour, rather than their beauty. A Hijab-clad woman is assertive. Her personality has many dimensions. She wants society to acknowledge and respect her as a human being, instead of being seen as an object of desire in the eyes of lustful men.

The second purpose of the Hijab is to protect her from abuse. As noted Malayali poetess and author, Kamala Das had once said in an interview to the Times of India, “Purdah is a wonderful dress. No man ever makes a pass at a woman in purdah. It provides her with a sense of security.” [Unquote] It becomes clear to onlookers that the Hijab-clad lady is not open to their vile advances. It is a sign that those who wish to interact with her, need to do so within the parameters of modesty and dignity. Protecting her from the discomfort of lecherous eyes, the Hijab fills a woman with self-confidence and courage. 

I want to touch upon one very important aspect here. We live in a country where a woman is raped every 16 minutes. And whenever there is a public outrage over a rape incident, and religious leaders request ladies to be dressed more modestly, there is a protest from certain quarters insisting that it is the men who should be asked to act modestly, not women. Yes, the Qur’an does ask men to restrain themselves. In the 30th ayat of Surah anNoor, the Qur’an explicitly commands men to restrain their glances and guard their private parts, just as it asks women to do so. But it should be understood that the men who rape and abuse women are not pious men who would abide by God’s commands. They are vile men who are high on alcohol and pornography. Expecting them to act modestly is possible only in a Utopian society. And while we should definitely try our best to establish a society where men act modestly, the need of the hour today is to protect our women from getting abused by these lewd men.

So this is the entire philosophy behind the Hijab; to grant women their status in society and to secure her from any harm. The Hijab has never been an obstacle to her education or career. On the contrary, it actually makes it easier for her to venture out in this world and prove herself.

- Dr. Parvez Mandviwala