Is Hijab Really Overrated?
April 19, 2011 by Guest Authors
Filed under Featured, Spirituality
Is Hijab Really Overrated? ©
By Umm Zakiyyah
It’s something we hear all the time—if we aren’t saying it ourselves: “Why are people always talking about hijab? There are more important things in Islam.”
For years, this sentiment has stumped me, not because I have no response…
But because I have difficulty understanding how anyone who believes in Allah could utter something like this.
Because the believer loves what Allah loves…
And if we hear about something that Allah loves over and over again, is that a problem?
“Verily, the reminder benefits the believer…”
…
Yes—for those who are interested in categorizing what Allah loves into “levels”—there are certainly things that Allah loves that are more important than hijab—like Tawheed, ikhlaas, and prayer, to name a few.
But…
It’s not even possible to talk about even these “more important” things without discussing hijab…
Because hijab relates to all three…
…
In a hadith in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet made mention of a man who had travelled and his hair was disheveled and covered with dust…
“The man lifted his hand towards the sky, praying to Allah saying, ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ whereas his diet is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, and his clothes are unlawful and his nourishment is unlawful. How can then can his supplication be accepted?”
…
Imagine now for just one moment all the things you want so desperately from Allah—from the most intimate details of your private life to the affairs of your religion and soul…
And as you raise your hands to the Creator with tears in your eyes, reflect on this…
If your clothes are unlawful, how then can your prayer be responded to?
…
It is a well-known principle of commanding the good and forbidding the evil that the evil that is in front of you is most deserving of your attention…
Even if there are things that are theoretically “more important” that need to be addressed.
…Imagine your young daughter has just uttered a filthy word in front of you and insulted your guests. Is it time to take her aside and teach her how to hold her hands in prayer?
Or is it time to fix what has just occurred?
…
Let’s be honest with ourselves: Hijab is not overrated. It’s not even anywhere close.
In fact, it is underrated…
In alarming rates…
So much so that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call today’s disregard for hijab an all-out spiritual crisis.
Parents are telling their daughters to uncover. Husbands are forbidding their wives to cover. Muslim women are posting their uncovered photos online—often posing with their mothers and daughters who are uncovered too!
And now, even “practicing Muslims” are joining in—by discouraging their daughters from covering “until they feel ready.”
And the list goes on…
…
In a hadith in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet, sallallaahu’alayhi wa sallam, said,
“Whoever among you sees an evil action, then let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith.”
…
No, there is not a single one of us who is innocent of sin…
Even amongst those who wear hijab.
But there is a marked difference between sinning and feeling guilty and ashamed of the sin (and thus hiding it), and sinning and feeling pride and admiration for the sin (and thus announcing it).
One click on Facebook will tell you which category the sin of shunning hijab falls into.
“Verily, the reminder benefits the believer…”
So let each of us reflect on the fact the very breath you’re taking right now brings you that much closer to death…
So ask yourself, honestly…
Do you believe in Allah and the Last Day?
If your answer is yes, then let us begin to live that belief…
…In our words and actions.
And in our dress.
…
And ask yourself, honestly, as Allah is watching and the angels are writing…
Is hijab really overrated?
Or maybe you believe that obeying Allah is overrated too.
Umm Zakiyyah is the internationally acclaimed author of the If I Should Speak trilogy and the novels Realities of Submission and Hearts We Lost. To learn more about the author, visit themuslimauthor.com or join her Facebook page.
Copyright © 2011 by Al-Walaa Publications. All Rights Reserved.
(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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as salaamu alaikum,
Jazakum Allahu Khairan for publishing an article that isn’t saying that hijab is overrated, masha’Allah. However, I wonder, what your response would be to those that argue that wearing hijab is almost hypocrisy when you don’t wear because you believe it’s required but because it expected by family, society, etc. Likewise, if you wear hijab but are committing major sins behind closed doors, does wearing it still benefit? I am not asking this question but these are responses I’ve gotten when I questioning not wearing hijab.
wassalaam
Wa’alaiku mus salaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh, Leanna.
Wa iyyakum. My response is this: Do what Allah says, period. Even when it’s a struggle of sincerity–as it will inevitably be.
Is there really any other response?
Or should we tell everyone who struggles (as we all do), “Disobey Allah for the Sake of Allah” (as I addressed in my other article)?
wa barakAllaahufeek.
Read: “Disobey Allah for Sake of Allah: Seriously?”
http://saudilife.net/islam/87-challenges/11283-disobey-allah-for-sake-of-allah-seriously
BarakAllah feek! Very well written MashAllah! Sister do u know the difference between ‘diet’ and ‘nourishment’ mentioned in the hadith? Is it repeated for emphasis or do they hav different connotations?
Wa feeki barakAllah, Umm Aasiah. Good question, maashaAllah, I really don’t know, unfortunately.
I must say that this was the perfect ending ”Or maybe you believe that obeying Allah is overrated too.”
May we all benefit from this article
AOA and jazakillah khair for a much needed article on hijab and one that clears common misconceptions. just one question: the hadith that u have mentioned, what is the explanation for the haram dress n haram food, does it not mean that his dress and food come from haram sources ie his income is haram,rather than the actual food or dress is forbidden? pls do confirm as we don’t want to make any mistakes regarding ayats and ahadith.
wassalam and barakAllahu fiki
Wa Salaams wa barakAllaahufeek. It’s best if you engage in the scholarly analysis of this hadith for details on this subject. However, practically speaking, even if the hadith literally means “from haram sources,” the general message remains the same: If you’re doing haram, it blocks the answering of your prayers. This principle is well-known in Islam. Let’s not analyze things too much so as to distract from Allah’s practical message to us, which is to obey Him in all things: food, dress, and behavior (lest our prayers go unanswered). Wa Salaams wa barakAllaahufeek
Assalamu ‘alaykum:
Lovely piece Umm Zakiyyah.
I think in our times ‘hijab bashing’ by Muslims, especially Muslim women, has become a trend. AlhamduLillah I grew up weraing hijab. It was just a natural part of my life. I credit my parents who showed me that wearing hijab was like learning good manners, praying, fasting and being kind ot others. I practiced hijab and though I may not be perfect (are any of us?) I keep at it.
I know of several Muslim women who repeatedly say that they are “just not ready” to wear hijab. I try to see where they are coming from and think that a lack of a basic Islamic knowledge, a family that supports them, role models are possible reasons these women are not covering. I pray that they will soon arrive at that point in time when they do decide to wear hijab.
On the otherhand, you have women who are covering (sometimes wearing hijab properly or not) and yet their behaviour and attitudes are very unIslamic.
And then there are those Muslim women who don’t wear hijab saying it’s not what on your head but what’s in your heart, it’s your intention. But I wonder then, if the heart is in tune with Allah and pleasing Him, wouldn’t you then want to reflect that in your outer being?
I was pained when I heard of a sister who used to wear hijab and now no longer does. There could be many reasons why she did this but I wonder sometimes is it that we just don’t realise that our eman is low, that we need a pick-me-up but we are too lazy to make the effort?
May Allah make us all strive to do what pleases Him and not look for excuses or explanations as a way of getting ourselves out of a decision (to wear hijab) that in the end is only of benefit to us and our well being.
Ma’salama
Observing hijab is compulsory but how does 1 deal with the heat it causes especially in tropical areas?
Ameerah,
Good question. I’ve lived on the equator my entire life from Saudi to Pakistan to Texas so I know what hot is, especially under a headscarf. My response to any Muslim who asks, “Doesn’t it get hot under there?!” is that maybe the amount I sweat in the heat of my environment due to my hijaab is the amount of sweat I won’t be drowning in on the Day of Judgment. (Note: On Judgment Day we will sweat the same amount of the sins we had in our lives. The less sweat the better. Also, Allah says that He forgives sins even if we were afflicted by the prick of a thorn, so what about suffering from the heat? I hope insha’Allah that’s a factor of attaining mercy as well.)
The life is very short. That Day will be very long. Allah loves us, let’s do what little we can to show Him we love Him too. We don’t have much time remaining before we will insha’Allah see His Beautiful Face.
Assalamu alaykum,
I am a practising Muslimah and I observe hijab. However, I am not a scholar, so please ignore my comment if it is contrary to Islam in any way.
I agree that hijab and in fact, every aspect of Islam is co-related with each other and that we should talk about each one of them, but looking around me, I do feel that the 5 pillars of Islam are not given precedence as much as hijab. I have had countless instances where the girls do not pray and do not even know what Tawheed entails, but they ask me straight about hijab or they observe hijab. As a result, we have people who are wearing a scarf which does not cover the bosoms and who are backbiting, flirting, and are being indifferent to the sufferings of Muslims. Most importantly, they don’t know about Tawheed.
Therefore, I feel that everything should be highlighted equally. And saying from personal experience, if the 5 pillars of Islam are strong, other things like hijab and not listening to music come automatically. As a result, whenever someone asks me about hijab, I first make sure that she knows and practises the 5 pillars, especially Tawheed and prayer. Indeed, prayer keeps one from all indecencies. I have read and heard from many sources that if a person is making 2 mistakes, the greater one should be handled first. When a person does not know what Tawheed is, I point that out, instead of pointing at hijab and other issues. However, this depends on individual situations as you have mentioned about the girl insulting guests.
JazakAllah khayr for the article. Fee Amanillah.
I completely agree sister, one should not discuss whether or not she should wear the hijab if she doesn’t even pray the obligatory prayers. You can’t skip from step one to step five. It when you have a solid bas you can grow and then the hijab wont be that hard to put on usually. Because if you think about it the issue is not hijab, it is greater. The issue is that the iman is, that something is missing in the heart, that the fear and the love of Allah swt have not enterd completely. It will only enter when you complete the 5 pillars and fear the punishment of Allah and believe in akhirah.
some of my words got lost I see now, but basically when the belief of Allah is strong enough the hijab wont be an issue, and the only way of making the belief strong is by doing the acts of the 5 pillars, then Inshallah hijab will be easy to put on