Hijab: How Islam got it wrong #Iran protest

Many people incorrectly believe that Hijab1, or the so-called Islamic headscarf, is a Quranic requirement. In fact, it is NOT. We can find it in the Bible (Book of Numbers 5:18; 1st Corinthians 11:6, 11:9-13), though most certainly not in the Quran. 

Hijab is one of those visible examples of extra-Quranic intrusions to Islam in the earlier centuries, through the backdoor of hadith hearsays, which deeply penetrated Islam in the guise of Islam and remained there unscrutinized till modern days. 

The Quranic guidelines for modesty in wearing

Without prescribing any specific dress code, the Quran gives three simple guidelines for modesty in wearing:

1. Wearing of awareness in mind, which is the best and most important wear (7:26).

2. Covering of private parts for both men and women (24:30-31), which includes chest-covering for women (24:31). 

3. Women not to display ‘their attraction’ in public “except what is apparent thereof”2 (illa ma zahara minha, 24:31; cf. 33:59). 

There is no reason why a universal guidance should demand a head cover or a full body cover for modesty in wearing

Please read the following verses: 

Tell the acknowledging men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts3, for that is purer for them. God is fully aware of what you do. 24:30

And tell the acknowledging women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts3, and not to display their attraction except what is apparent thereof2 and let them draw their COVERS over their bosoms (walyadribna bikhumurihinna AAala juyoobihinna). And let them not display their attraction except to … . Let them not strike with their feet in a manner that reveals what they are keeping hidden of their attraction. ... 24:31 

Translated above as ‘cover’, the word khimar4, in both Quranic and modern Arabic, means cover, actually any cover. Thus the phrase “let them draw their COVERS (‘khimars’) over their bosoms” simply instructs women to cover their bosoms, NOT faces or heads. If covering of faces or heads was mandatory, the verse would specifically mention it, as it specifically mentions covering of the privates, including bosoms. 

This becomes obvious when we observe that the whole message in 24:31 is focused on advising women to cover ‘their attraction’, an expression which occurs three times here and which, in this context, doesn’t include faces or heads. Let us see why.

Translated above as ‘attraction’, the word zeenat here, as expounded by the verse itself, clearly means attraction of nature and thus refers to erogenous areas related to reproduction (bottom and bosoms), where bosoms are specifically mentioned to include them in this category of areas that need to be covered. These coverable areas of zeenat are then further clarified at the end of the verse: It is those areas that are revealed by striking the feet, i.e. by walking suggestively. There is no case in which a woman could walk in such a way as to reveal her covered face or covered hair. However, she could walk in such a provocative manner as to make the contours of her bottom and bosoms noticeable to others, even when these areas are covered with dress.

All these messages are highly contextual and are not meant to be taken mechanically

Fully consistent with logic and common sense, all these instructions are no more than general guidelines. Also, they are highly contextual5 and therefore need to be understood through thinking and reasoning. They shouldn’t be taken mechanically. 

Even the instruction below for extra covering when in public, which is in addition to chest-covering, remains deliberately FLEXIBLE (note: “SOME of their outer garments”) and mentions a very specific purpose – to be “recognized” as a decent woman rather than a harlot and thus to avoid abuse and harassment5. This instruction is given only to women, because it is mainly women who are predisposed to such mistreatment:

O Prophet, tell your wives, your daughters and the women of the acknowledgers to draw over themselves SOME of their outer garments (yudneena AAalayhinna min jalabeebihinna). That is better so that they would be recognized and not harmed. And God is Forgiving, Merciful. 33:59

Final thoughts

Hijab, or the so-called Islamic headscarf, is NOT a Quranic requirement. Rather it is one of those extra-Quranic intrusions to Islam in the earlier centuries, through the backdoor of hadith hearsays, which deeply penetrated Islam in the guise of Islam and remained there unscrutinized till modern days. 

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Note 1

The word hijab occurs 7 times the Quran (7:46, 17:45, 19:17, 33:53, 38:32, 41:5, 42:51). In none of those instances does it denote clothing of any sort – female or otherwise. So, clearly, the idea that hijab denotes a particular style of female headwear was devised outside the Quranic revelation. Like niqab, it is an artefact from ancient Middle Eastern and Judaeo-Christian cultures and, therefore, a bidat that has nothing to do with Islam. This is how the Quranic term hijab, which in its highest sense refers to the veil between humanity and God that is lifted in the Hereafter for those who purify their souls, has been reduced and incorrectly applied in traditional discourse to a mere piece of clothing on a woman’s head.

Note 2

The meaning of the phrase “except what is apparent thereof” is much wider than traditionally understood and refers to “that which a human being may openly show in accordance with prevailing custom”, which acknowledges the fact that different societies have different norms on what is acceptable dress. As Asad notes, “Although the traditional exponents of Islamic Law have for centuries been inclined to restrict the definition of “what may (decently) be apparent” to a woman's face, hands and feet - and sometimes even less than that - we may safely assume that the meaning of illa ma zahara minha is much wider, and that the deliberate vagueness of this phrase is meant to allow for all the time-bound changes that are necessary for man's moral and social growth.” quranix.org/24#31. 

Note 3

In the verses 24:30-31, the instruction to both men (24:30) and women (24:31) to “lower their gaze” serves a general purpose, i.e. to maintain courtesy and modesty as well as to refrain from inappropriate thoughts. Translated above as ‘private parts’ (note: “and guard their private parts”), the word furuj (pl of farjun) derives from Fa-Ra-Jiim and originally means ‘gaps’, with derived meaning ‘gaps between legs’, thereby referring to private parts of both men (24:30) and women (24:31).  

Note 4 

Translated above in 24:31 as ‘covers’, the word khumur derives from Kha-Miim-Ra (cover/conceal/veil). The singular word ‘khimar’ simply means ‘a cover’, i.e. anything that covers, including scarf, shawl, coat, shirt, blouse, dress, women's veil, headscarf, man's turban, apron, waist binding cloth, mind-covering intoxicant/wine (2:219, 5:90, 5:91, 12:36, 12:41, 47:15), make-up, concealer, crowding of people, odour of perfume, covering by trees and so on. Though hearsay-based tafsirs sometimes try to restrict the meaning of khimar to headscarf only, this restriction is dismissed by ‘Sahih’ Bukhari itself: “When the verse that they should cover their bosoms was revealed, the ladies cut their Murat, i.e. aprons or waist clothes, to use them as covers.” sunnah.com/bukhari:4759. Even if khimar meant only a head cover, instead of any cover, the instruction to cover the bosoms here is simply to confirm that a woman’s bosoms are not part of "what may decently be apparent" of her body and therefore should not be displayed. Thus the verse doesn’t really ask women to wear the khimar, but only asks them to use it as a cover. Also, it tells them to cover their bosoms, not their heads or hair. If it intended women to cover their heads and hair, it would have told them, “Cover your heads and hair.” The instruction is clear – “Cover your chest”. There is no reason why the Quran would specifically ask women to cover their privates, including bosoms, but wouldn’t specifically ask them to cover their heads, if covering head was really a requirement. Even, say, if khimar means only a headscarf, what if a woman wearing a headscarf takes it off from her head and puts it on her shoulder to cover her chest? Does the verse prohibit it? If yes, where is the prohibition? If no, why do we prohibit it? Doesn’t the Quran forbid forbidding anything that is not forbidden? Since the principle of law is, everything is permissible until it is forbidden. If covering of faces or heads was binding, it would have been clearly stated, or repeated, and probably a penalty for not following it would have been detailed. In fact, outside the fields like agriculture, where women often covered their heads anyway, there is no evidence that Muslim women in the earlier Islamic centuries ever followed the hijab as religiously binding. Also, there is no historical evidence that it was ever enforced in a Muslim society by any Islamic authority either. 

Note 5

The instruction in 33:33 to the Prophet’s spouses to settle down in their houses occurs within a very specific time-bound context. Elsewhere there is a similar instruction for both men and women (10:87; cf. 9:71). Compare these two passages below: O Prophet’s spouses, you are not like any other women. … / And settle down in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former times of ignorance, and establish the communication, and contribute towards betterment, and obey God and His messenger. God wishes to remove all impurity from you, O people of the house, and to purify you perfectly. 33:32-33. And We inspired to Moses and his brother: “Settle (second person dual) your people in Misr in houses and (tell them), ‘Turn (second person plural) your houses into a focal point, and establish the communication.’ And give glad tidings to the acknowledgers.” 10:87; cf. 9:71