consequences like spreading immorality and inspiring fear for one’s honor and self. Therefore, Allah The Almighty warned us against this temptation in particular. He Says (what means): {O children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing to show them their private parts. Indeed, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Indeed, We have made the devils allies to those who do not believe.} [Quran 7: 27]
Hence, it becomes clear that Satan is the pioneer of the call to uncover what must be covered, and the founder of the call to impermissible exposure of women's beauty with its different degrees and even the first leader of human devils who call to woman's emancipation from covering, protection and modesty. They are the ones who introduce the malicious allegations against Hijab (Islamic covering) which are inspired to them by the devil and they spread them in the path of the Muslims as harmful thorns and entangling hooks so that many people fall prey to them. Only those to whom Allah The Almighty is Merciful, and who are knowledgeable (in religion) and pious will be rescued.
Before we discuss some of these satanic allegations and their refutations, it is important to explain the concept of Hijab and its opposite. Hijab is to cover the woman's body and adornment before non-Mahram (marriageable) men. The opposite is exposure of women's adornment and beauty before non-Mahram men. This also includes walking in a coquettish and strutting manner as well as revealing one's adornment and beauty. It is said that each adornment that makes the woman appear beautiful before men is included in impermissible exposure. Uncovering the face is also included in impermissible exposure of women's beauty. Given that, Hijab is the opposite of impermissible exposure of women's beauty in all its forms including uncovering the face. In general, any form of beauty or adornment where one of the conditions of the Hijab approved by the Sharee‘ah (Islamic legislation) is not fulfilled is considered part of the impermissible exposure of women's beauty which is forbidden by the consensus of all schools of jurisprudence and the statements of scholars .
There are some common malicious allegations and feeble arguments that those who follow their desires as well as ignorant people quote in order to evade applying some Sharee‘ah rulings. We will start by mentioning and refuting them. Later, we will mention some allegations which are relevant to the Sharee‘ah-approved Hijab in particular.
The first allegation:
Some say, "Islam is characterized by ease. In current times, however, wearing the Sharee‘ah-approved Hijab is difficult, particularly in open societies where impermissible exposure of women's beauty is normal."
This allegation is refuted through the following points:
It should be known that each obligation that Allah The Almighty imposed on His servants is within their capacity and power.
Alleviating the hardship of a Sharee‘ah ruling is not approved unless it is based on evidence from the Quran or the Sunnah (tradition). It is a condition [of Islamic jurisprudence] that alleviating the hardship of a Sharee‘ah ruling should involve no contradictions to the Quran, the Sunnah, sound analogy, or outweigh the benefits of the ruling under Sharee‘ah.
Given the second analogy, someone might say that the hardship of avoiding usury in current times entails permissibility of dealing with it, or that a pilgrim is no longer required to perform the ritual of Rajm (throwing the pebbles) during Hajj due to the hardship of going through the crowds It is obvious that such statements are invalid.
There may be a certain degree of hardship involved in acts of worship, but it is certainly within the limits of what is bearable and befits a person's ordinary capacity. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.} [Quran 2: 286] Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "If hardship occurs in the form of exhaustion, then the interests of the two worlds are accompanied by exhaustion. A person who does not experience exhaustion will never find comfort. Rather, the more exhaustion a person experiences, the more comfort he will find.
The benefit of some Sharee‘ah rulings is even proportional to the hardship and difficulty involved, such as in the ruling of Qisas (retaliation) and corporal punishments prescribed for crimes. Moreover, there are the great acts of worship which involve greater hardship, such as the hardship of performing ablution in cold weather, that of fasting during very hot and long days as well as that of the rituals of Hajj.”
If a matter that is prohibited under Sharee`ah is prevalent and widespread, this is not a justification under Sharee`ah to permit it. Moreover, the customs and traditions of different communities as well as changes in time and place do not make something prohbited lawful.
Some naive people who claim that they are educated and cultured are under the impression that just as social customs evolve and change over a course of time, it is also necessary that the Sharee‘ah rulings change in a similar manner. They call this “the modern religion”. This entails abandoning Sharee‘ah obligations and allowing some prohibited matters in consonance with "cultural progress and modern development", as they say.
Undoubtedly, a person who has even the least degree of religious knowledge realizes that these allegations are void and false. Had such claims been acceptable, this would have entailed that all Sharee‘ah rulings are contingent on people's customs and traditions, which are continuously subject to corruption and deviation by the course of time. The Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that there is no age, except the next is more evil than it.
What should be said is that rulings which are established by authentic Sharee‘ah proofs abide forever, and they are subject to neither change nor evolution, such as the rulings of purification, prayer, retaliation, corporal punishments prescribed for crimes, the woman’s Hijab in front of non-Mahram men, conditions of the matrimonial guardian for the marriage to be considered valid, and so on.
It is only possible to say that customs are considered in rulings that are not definite and are connected from the beginning to people's changeable customs and interests. For example, there are some rulings that are relevant to human nature with no intervention of will or religious obligation, such as the difference among countries in the age of puberty, the period of menstruation and past-partum bleeding.
The second allegation:
Someone may say that having a good intention is the most important thing. A barefaced woman may say, "I am self-confident. I do not intend to tempt men and I have a good intention.
Consequently, I am not meant by what is said about impermissible exposure of women's beauty and those who do it”.
Having a good intention is a justification that is usually heard from those whose hearts are full of desires and fancies and are indulging in guilt and sins. Such an allegation is refuted in different ways:
A woman is required to worship Allah The Almighty through covering her body and wearing the Hijab concerning which there is a definite command in the Quran. Consequently, a woman is required to hear and obey, regardless of any other considerations.
Having a good intention neither justifies the prohibited deed nor makes it permissible. Even if one has a good intention, a forbidden deed remains as such and the perpetrator is deemed guilty. As evidence, the polytheists of Makkah worshiped idols with a good intention; however, their intention did not benefit them and they are still described as polytheists. Allah The Exalted Says (what means) through their words: {"We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah in position."} [Quran 39: 3]
Even if she is certain that she will not be tempted, as she claims self-confidence, she is not certain that those who look at her will not be tempted, and this is most likely to happen. Consequently, she will be responsible for the sin of tempting and enticing others while she is not aware. Therefore, the scholars said, "A woman who is certain that a non-Mahram man looks at her while she is required under Sharee‘ah to cover her face before him, is supporting him to do what is prohibited is therefore deemed guilty".
Impressionable and young women are enticed and influenced by her action, particularly when she is a role model, such as a mother or teacher.
Though a good intention is a very important pre-requisite for one's deed to be accepted, it is not enough on its own. When a person is content with only his good intention, it is as if he is walking on one leg or flying with one wing, for compliance to the Sharee‘ah-approved manner is indispensable along with the right intention.
A woman may say, "I am embarrassed to wear the Sharee‘ah-approved Hijab (wearing an outer garment which descends from above the head to cover the whole body including the face and other parts of the body)."
It should be said to such a woman: when the non-observant people boast of their acts of disobedience and negligence of Hijab while the followers of the truth are shy of it, this is actually a great disaster which features the absence of pride in religion and weakness of allegiance to Allah The Almighty. This is a defeat from within where a woman wears what people desire and love even if it contradicts what she knows to be a religious obligation and one of the rights of Allah The Almighty on her.
This is also a type of hypocrisy, as described by scholars; the hypocrisy of those who prefer this worldly life when they beautify and improve themselves before people with an outer appearance which displeases Allah The Almighty.
The fourth allegation:
A barefaced woman may say, "The face cover is only for bashfulness, but it is not required by Sharee‘ah."
It should be said to such a woman: Do you think that bashfulness is not a part of the religion? In a Hadeeth (narration), the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Bashfulness is a branch of faith."
Bashfulness is the attribute of the believer which prevents him from doing acts of disobedience for fear of Allah The Almighty and it is the chief of all virtues. It was narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Bashfulness and faith are inseparable; if one of them is missing, the other will be missing as well." In another Hadeeth, he said: "Bashfulness is from faith, and faith is in Paradise."
Acts of disobedience and lack of bashfulness are firmly connected, and each of them summons the other and persistently encourages it. The noble Quran highlighted the moral of bashfulness in the two daughters of the righteous man. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {Then one of the two women came to him walking with bashfulness.} [Quran 28: 25]
‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "She was not an impudent woman who frequently comes and goes [outdoors]. Rather, she came (to Moosa, may Allah exalt his mention) covering her face with her sleeve out of bashfulness."
Consequently, it is obligatory on Muslims to accustom their daughters to be bashful and adopt that morals indicated by Allah The Almighty to be a sign of one's faith. Absence of bashfulness certainly marks the deficiency of faith.
The fifth allegation:
Some advocates of removing the face cover and impermissible exposure of women's beauty surround Hijab with some descriptions and evil tales aiming to make it repulsive to Muslim women and firmly establishing y the spirit of hatred and disgust for covering and modesty. Here we will mention some of these allegations:
They say that the veil makes it easy for a woman to hide her personality. Some non-observant and immoral women may hide themselves behind the veil. Consequently, they consider the Sharee‘ah-approved Hijab subject to suspicion and accusation.
Refutation:
Before we answer such people, I remind them of the verse in which Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {And those who harm believing men and believing women for [something] other than what they have earned have certainly born upon themselves a slander and manifest sin.} [Quran 33: 58] The expected fears of misusing the Hijab and utilizing it for prohibited purposes should not lead us to neglect one of the Commands of Allah The Almighty.
When a dissolute and foolish woman tries to hide her action from people by wearing the symbol of chastity and modesty, is that the fault of Hijab?
There are those who misuse the military uniform, for example, by deceiving people and doing impermissible things. Is this an accepted justification to do away with the military uniform altogether?
We have never heard anyone say this, although there have been repeated instances of its misuse.
Other accusations and allegations against the Hijab include their saying that a cloak which covers the whole body has turned into a trap and bond for women. Yet others allege that the Islamic dress code has turned into firm fetters or a hangman's noose.
These allegations were launched when Allah The Almighty preordained that a female student died after the door of the car she was travelling in closed, catching the end of her cloak. It is possible for such an accident to occur due to any kind of dress. Would they demand banning wearing dresses altogether? This is what we fear.
2- They say that a woman's chastity and righteousness are not in her dress; for there are many perfectly veiled women who have bad morals and evil behavior. On the contrary, there are many barefaced women who do not wear the Hijab, while evil has no place within themselves or their behavior.
Refutation:
Islam commanded the woman to wear Hijab and also commanded her to be righteous, religious, and pure. This means that Islam disciplines first what is beneath the Hijab before ordering the woman to wear it. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {But the clothing of righteousness -- that is best.} [Quran 7: 26]
But mankind in general is not infallible against making mistakes and committing acts of disobedience. In a Hadeeth, the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "All the children of Aadam are bound to err." When a chaste and modest woman is guilty of shameful behavior or bad morals, should we blame her for her guilt and non-observance or blame her Hijab?
Moreover, it is not a prerequisite that only those who are pure and righteous wear the Hijab; rather, a woman is required to obey her Lord in wearing the Hijab as well as in all other commands. When she disobeys any such commands, she is blamed and deemed guilty. Her obedience will never be a justification for her misbehavior and negligence, as they say in their allegation.
